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#BS-1989-JEECHE-1720

1989 Jeep Cherokee

Based on reports from 287 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
287
Crashes
13
Fires
19
Recalls
6
TSBs
20
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 287 complaints, 13 crashes, 19 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 5.8x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

hard to start

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

engine rattles when i come to a stop

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

jerking hesitating

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited SlipHIGH

67 owners reported service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip issues — failures commonly reported around 139K miles.

!Inspect the Speed ControlMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

0–30K
30–60K
60–90K
4
90–120K
4
120–150K
4
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (4 reports) • Median: 139K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip (67 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip67 (23%)
Speed Control34 (12%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder11 (4%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components10 (3%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors8 (3%)
Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control7 (2%)
Brakes7 (2%)
Other6 (2%)

1989 Jeep Cherokee: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 23% of all reports filed for the 1989 Jeep Cherokee, with 67 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 139,267 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 139K-mile mark.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 1989 Jeep Cherokee, with 34 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1989 Jeep Cherokee, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1989 Jeep Cherokee, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

23
00
7
01
8
02
5
03
2
04
1
06
2
07
1
08
4
13
1
14
2
15
2
16
1
19

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1989 Jeep Cherokee. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

90V177000Mar 1991

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

MALFUNCTION OF FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM THROTTLE POSTITION SENSOR COULD CAUSE INTERMITTENT HIGH ENGINE IDLE SPEED IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING ENGINE.

91V003000Mar 1991

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

THERE MAY BE HYDRAULIC FLUID CONTAMINATION FROM CONDENSATION FORMATION THAT CAN PLUG THE ABS BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP FILTER; STRESS CORROSION OF THE MASTER CYLINDER SNAP RING HAS BEEN TRACED TO CHLORINE LEAKING FROM THE LOW PRESSURE HYDRAULIC HOSE WHICH MAY CAUSE IT TO BREAK; FRONT BRAKE HOSE TO TIRE INTERFERENCE WHICH MAY CAUSE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE HOSE.

96V260000Apr 1997

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS). THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT CAN EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE BRAKE ACTUATOR PISTON SEAL WEAR WHICH COULD CAUSE PUMP-MOTOR DETERIORATION.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Jeep Cherokee is the 2019 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

1989 Jeep Cherokee vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

287

Class avg

49

5.8x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical special purpose vehicle 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 287 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Jeep Cherokee Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973
View all Jeep Cherokee years →

1989 Jeep Cherokee: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1989 Jeep Cherokee?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1989 Jeep Cherokee is related to the service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, with 67 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1989 Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The 1989 Jeep Cherokee has 287 complaints, 13 crash reports, and 19 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 5.8x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1989 Jeep Cherokee problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1989 Jeep Cherokee have any recalls?
Yes, the 1989 Jeep Cherokee has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Jeep Cherokee problems start?
Based on 12 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 139,267 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 287 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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