Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Jeep Cherokee. While driving at approximately 70 MPH, the engine seized. The contact mentioned that the vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. Updated 09/01/2015 the consumer stated the vehicle wasn't taken to the dealership. Other owners have reported taking their vehicle to a mechanic and replaced crank sensors, cam sensors, distributor parts, spark plugs and wires only to have the problem to persist. Updated 12/7/2015
The contact owns a 1995 Jeep grand Cherokee. While driving at approximately 70 MPH, the engine seized on the freeway. The contact mentioned that the vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 157K
Tl contact owns a 1995 Jeep Cherokee. Upon purchasing the vehicle on March 3, 2009, the vehicle stalled and landed in a ditch at less than 40 MPH. The contact noticed oil under the hood of the vehicle. An independent mechanic stated that the motor was blown, which caused the head gasket to fail. The dealer would not assist with the repairs. The failure and current mileages were 180,000.
1995 Jeep Cherokee 4.0l. Replaced the exhaust manifold at a cost of $475.00 due to a crack found in the manifold during a required state vehicle inspection. The repair shop personnel indicated that this is becoming almost routine for this model vehicle prior to a redesign of the manifold by the manufacturer.
Motor mount bolts shear on the passanger side. Engine drops hard and has damaged the electric fan and other components. Failure has occured 5 times. Chrysler does not acknowledge the problem. First failure occured at about 40K mi
Recently, while on I-75 n in atlanta, ga a vehicle swerved in front of me. I veered to avoid impact and the drivers seatbeat buckle on my vehicle became dislodged and has not worked properly since this date.
This is a safety issue with this 95 Cherokee, the three mount bolts for the engine mount have sheared twice in the last four years, I read in the newspaper a lady wrote in who had a similar problem and lost control of her vehicle. I believe a research of Jeep's inventory and service records for these bolts I wll show a high level of activity that should warrant a recall to install stronger bolts. These bolts could fail in a intersted crusing scenario and seriously injury or kill the occupants. The dealer said this is an ongoing problem with certain cherokees. I believe Jeep has swept this serious problem under the rug, and now the vehicle is out of production, but a huge number are still on the road. Over all this vehicle has been one of the best we have ever owned, except for this dangerous safety issue that until has not been rectified by the factory. …
While driving my Jeep Cherokee last Friday, April 6, 2000, I heard a sudden and drastic change in engine noise. The three bolts securing the front passenger side engine mount to the engine block had sheared off in the engine block. The engine had shifted so far in the engine compartment that the fan blades had struck the fan housing and seized up, breaking one of the blades off. Since Friday, I have done some research on the problem on the internet, and found many people who have experienced the same problem with their cherokees - the passenger side engine mount bolts shearing off under normal use. What is being done about this issue? I have been in contact with other Jeep owners who have used this form to submit a complaint. Is Jeep going to be held responsible for this obvious defect? Thank you, [redacted]. …
I had my motor mounts break on me, leaving me stranded on 3 separate occasions. Once while traveling in a residential neighbor at a speed of 20 miles per hr., going over a speed bump. The next occurrence happened while traveling to work - downtown, washington, dc when I hit a pothole. I was probably going at a speed of 30-35 miles this time. Its been between this a the first occurrence and this one 16 months. The next and final straw that lead me here, occurred while drive again in a residential neighborhood, traveling at a speed of 20 miles per hr. This occurrence happened 14 months between the last. I am very annoyed at the performance of this vehicle. Do I have to expect the motor mounts to brake every other year? I was under the assumption thought that the Jeep was rugged and was built for off the street handling. …
Passenger side motor mount failure. Three bolts secure motor mount bracket to engine block. All three sheared off causing engine/transmission assembly to shift pushing fan into radiator, ruining both. Vehicle undrivable, repair bill over $500.00 not including towing. This occured after driving over a minor parking lot pot hole at less than 20 MPH. Upon inspection, two of the three sheared off bolt studs were rusty, indicating that those two bolts had been broken for a while. This is a design defect that Chrysler needs to acknowledge and correct. This vehicle has not been abused to my knowledge, and numerous other Jeep owners on internet have reported this same problem (rec.autos.makers.Jeep+willys). Since this is not a common automotive failure, something is obviously wrong with the original mount design. Thank you for looking into this. Dt
Engine complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1995 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 139 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1995 Jeep Cherokee, 23% of the model year's 608 complaints. The component named most often is engine (102 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Jeep Cherokee engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1995 Jeep Cherokee, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1995 Jeep Cherokee engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 125,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.