Most common 1998 Jeep Laredo problems
Share of the 33 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Jeep Laredo complaints by model year
Best Laredo years: 2006, 1995, 1997. Years to avoid: 2002, 2001, 2000. Compare all years →
What 1998 Jeep Laredo owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
Yesterday afternoon my wife was preparing to run errands when she backed over something in our garage. She pulled the Jeep forward, put it in park. She left it running as she got out, and took a couple of steps to the back to find what she ran over. She told me she heard the car rev briefly, then suddenly accelerate towards her. She couldn't jump out of the way and grabbed the door. In a few seconds, she was dragged down the driveway, across the street, across a neighbor's driveway and into his lawn. When she reached ground she dropped and the Jeep continued until it reversed into a tree, smashing the rear.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Jeep Laredo. While driving 5 MPH, the low beam headlights failed to operate. Whenever the contact attempted to turn on the vehicle, he had to shift into neutral. When parked on a hill, the vehicle rolled intermittently. The failure occurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 206,000.
Fuel & propulsion system
Fuel indicator gauge fluctuates between fuel supply and empty, and low fuel alarm activates even when fuel tank is full. Attempted to track actual fuel supply by overhead console display, but that display fluctuates with fuel indicator gauge also. While driving, even with full tank, fuel indicator gauge and low fuel alarm keeps activating. The only time it is possible to be sure of fuel supply is when fuel tank is refueled. Told dealership service department of problem while in for service, but they stated they were not aware of any problem with the fuel indicator gauge. Following this, I wrote daimler Chrysler corp. In 2002 informing them that I was having this problem with not only my personal Jeep cherokee Laredo, but also with the fire department's vehicle. I received a telephone call from daimler Chrysler concerning my letter, and they also said they were not aware of any problem. …
Vehicle was in park and without prior warning it suddenly took off. Left rear tire blew in the process. There is a recall campaign 02V053000 regarding this condition. Photos attached. Front sway bar links were replaced. Vehicle won't go over 20 MPH after engine is warmed. Fuel pump replaced. Serpentine belt had to be replaced. Front and rear pads were replaced and front and rear rotors resurfaced.
Engine & cooling
It first started out as this.. The A/C quit working ,windows don't roll, cluster quit working, computer quit working , no power going down the road, and now the vehicle was parked at the house and it caught on fire my husband did a complete tune up, fixed the A/C, the windows, changed all fluids, put a new a computer, basically fixed everything, then today it caught on fire .
Our Jeep cherokee Laredo (72994 miles as of yesterday 5/6/03) while driving at any speed, pressure is just lost; no matter how much we press on the gas pedal the speed will just drop down to zero. Then it will take a while to get it to move at all. We had taken it to the mechanic, not being able to pinpoint why (because when we got there it was not doing that) they did a few test and a tune up. After a few days, same things have been happening again. Now when it happens it will take 45 minutes to 1 hour to get it to stay started fully (instead of on/off). We took it to a Jeep dealer (salerno duane Jeep-Eagle), they test drive it and tried everything they could not diagnose the problem. It is very dangerous and scary to drive it and frustrating too because no one seems to be able to pinpoint the problem. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Jeep Laredo a good car?
Based on 33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Laredo rates average: 36% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Laredo at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Jeep Laredo?
The transmission & drivetrain — 15 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission › park/neutral start interlock switch. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (4) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 1998 Jeep Laredo have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1998 Jeep Laredo. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Jeep Laredo?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 1995 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 2001 and 2000. See the full Jeep Laredo years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Jeep Laredo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 147,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.