Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vehicle has the exact same problem as another vehicle manufactured by the same company (daimler Chrysler), that vehicle is a 2002 Dodge Ram, the NHTSA campaign id number is 03V078000. On my vehicle the connection for the blower motor controller is undersized, with heat from the electrical current the connector loosens and causes the blower motor to cut out, it also causes melting to the blower motor controller itself and the electrical connections. For the mentioned recall daimler Chrysler installs a wiring harness overlay, the solution to my problem is the same, they make a wiring harness overlay, the problem however is that the heat from the electrical current damages the blower motor controllers housing and electrical connections, which means that this part needs to be replaced as well in order to correct the problem. …
Two problems: 1. The blower motor resistor burnt out and the ac/head fan quit working. It was sparking when I managed to disconnect the wire. Luckily, I was stopped and could reach it in time - had I been driving its very possible my vehicle would have burnt up. 2. No heat. Entire last winter I was forced to drive 2 hours per day constantly wiping fog off my windshield. I was told by a 'mechanic' it was a clogged heater core so I had to put up with it because I did not have the money to fix it at the time. Dangerous and cold, but I had no choice. Now I am trying to get my vehicle repaired I start researching and find there are entire web sites devoted solely to these two problems. 1. Blower motor resistor shorts out. To properly repair you have to replace the resistor and the dashboard wiring harness... Very costly!! $600+ 2. No heat due to bad blend doors. $1200+ 3. …
I own a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee ltd, also referred to as wj. In the 2 years I have own this Jeep certain problems came up. Apart from the issue with the front brakes warping the rotors, and needing upgraded calipers and new rotors replaced. Which the dc dealers didn't want to acknowledgments other issue and equally troublesome and probably dangerous is the current issue of the HVAC system no working properly. This problem is very common amongst these vehicles. I have a little heat blowing on the driver side compartment, but 0 heat and all cold on the passenger and defrost. God help me if im stuck on the side of the road during the winter, which it is right now. My passengers and I would not fair well. The cold blowing from the pass. Side vents and defrost is like the A/C was on. Now, this issue is the blend doors are broken, Chrysler and Jeep both now of this issue. …
The "blower control module" is the electronic component responsible for adjusting the fan speed for the HVAC on vehicles equipped with the automatic climate control. It is a well known problem that these units fail. It has failed on my vehicle. My own independent mechanic has replaced quite a few of them. The wiring harness and plug that supplies power is not heavy duty enough and it overheats and melts and could cause a fire. It can be further exaggerated if the blower collects debris and draws more current. Once it fails the blower will no longer operate. This makes the defroster unavailable, which could create very unsafe driving conditions should the windows fog up. Chrysler has a redesigned unit with a new harness so it is obviously a problem they are already aware of. I'm in the process of having the new parts installed and the old parts will be available. …
Blend \ actuator doors are "stuck" open on the passenger side. That's outside air coming in all the time through the defroster, dash vents, foot wells and the rear passenger side foot area. Tough in the winter! Had the problem while under warranty, but dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong. Now, 2 years later, they say it's the blend doors and maybe the evaporator unit also. They quoted $1700. To pull the dash and repair. This is on our 1999 Grand Cherokee limited with now 117,000 miles. Don't want to go through another winter with cold air coming in, and afraid the entire system will fail. With this economy, also don't have $1,700. To put into the truck either. I believe the dealership was aware of the problem first time around. …
This is concerning a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited edition, I am writing due to repeated problems with the defrost control inability to clear or keep clear the windshield. Cold outside air blows from the defrost vents, and does not clear the windshield of frost or moisture, or causes moisture to re-freeze. This is caused by the failure of the blend doors in the heating system. This occurs while driving after allowing the vehicle to warm and the windshield to clear. This is a re-occurring problem, the dealers service manager says that all wj series Jeep Grand cherokees with the dual climate control will have this problem and will cost between $1200 and $1800 to repair and that the repair is not permanent, just a fix until the parts breaks again. …
I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The heating unit has failed. It only blows cold air. I went online to check if it was something that I could fix myself because I called two dealers and they all want to charge $1200 or more to fix it. To my surprise, I found several forums and user groups online whereby people have complained of the same failure in their Jeep cherokees from year 99-04 models. What they all describe is the exact same problem and experience we had with our Jeep. First the passenger side goes out and only blows cold....then a few weeks later, the driver side does the same thing. I can not imagine why a recall has not been issued on this. The manufacturer acts as if this is not a problem. I would challenge someone to go back and look at how many of these have had to be replaced in those model years. It will be a shocking number.
We have owned our 1999 Grand Cherokee since 1999 - its been a great car but every single issue listed on this website has befallen us. Currently @ 149K miles we have no heat on the driver side due to blend door assembly, the airbag light goes off all the time and there is no heat in the drivers side seat. I am shocked that so many people have the exact same issues and that to me says there is truly something wrong. We also took part in a class action suit that covered some of the expenses we had in continually replacing the brakes - especially the rotors which warp with out notice and can do that if you just step on the brakes to hard! Even if you have just had them replaced. Cheap parts? I am a die hard Jeep owner but after reading all of these postings I am wondering if my alliance should be elsewhere?
All of the sudden there was no air blowing out of the inside vents, I took it to my mechanic who explained that the blower quit working and the left side heater quit working as well. My mechanic fixed the blower because it was easily accessible and charged me $200 to fix it but not the heater because he explained he will have to remove the whole front dash and will cost a labor a about $500. I contacted the Jeep dealership who explained that services will not be covered under the warranty for this issue. I know a lot of Jeep owners who have had these same problems. I am afraid Chrysler did not equipped the vehicles with high quality blowers and or heaters. A recall on this issue from the manufacturer is needed!
The blower to the heater and air conditioning went out. I have had it replaced 2 times in less than 3 years. Now its out again. It's difficult to drive in winter with no blower to a heater and difficult in summer with no blower to the air conditioning. A mechanic I went to said he has seen multiple jeeps with this same issue. He believes it May be the cable wires due to the nearness to the engine and they were not big enough to handle the heat. Is this true? He also thought Jeep was aware of this issue. If so, how do I get this fixed so it works properly and not go out every year? Every once in a "blue moon" the blower will come on for a couple seconds but will not stay on.
AC & Heater complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 108 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 7% of the model year's 1,638 complaints. The component named most often is defroster/defogger/hvac system › fan/motor (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 4 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 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 4 injuries to a/c & heater problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.