1996 Jeep Cherokee Fuel System Problems

Your 1996 Jeep Cherokee was recalled for a fuel system issue. When you took it to the dealer to fix the recall, they started the work but couldn't finish because replacement parts weren't available. The dealer also damaged some bolts on your hitch during the process and warned you not to use the hitch until repairs were complete. After waiting about 4 weeks for parts to arrive, the dealer was able to complete the repair.

You received a safety recall notice (NHTSA 13V-252) in August 2013 for your fuel system, but nothing has been done to address it. You may need to follow up with your Jeep dealer to schedule the recall service, as no repair work appears to have been completed.

SPORADIC GAS LEAK FROM FUEL PUMP HOOKUP ON GAS TANK AT STARTUP. COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED EXCEPT AT RANDOM OCCURRENCES. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL PUMP FAILED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING AND EXPERIENCING LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PRESSURE READING WAS LOW ON THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STARTED EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF POWER AGAIN. THE MECHANIC CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER, BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC, AND THE PRESSURE READING ON THE FUEL PUMP WAS LOW AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE MECHANICS BECAUSE THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH OUT ANY WARNING VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THE FUEL TANK DISINTEGRATED AND CLOG THE FUEL LINE. FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED AT OWNER EXPENSE OF $1.000. *NLM

FUEL PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED ON 9/5/02. PICKED UP JEEP AND IT BROKE DOWN ON THE WAY HOME. WAS TOWED BACK TO SHOP. REPLACED FUEL PUMP 5 MORE TIMES IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS AND HAVE BEEN NOTICING A STRONG PETROL SMELL. LAST TIME THE MECHANICS TOLD ME TO PICK UP THE JEEP IT WOULDN'T EVEN START AND THE PETROL SMELL CONTINUED. NOW TOLD BY MANAGER AT THE CHRYSLER SHOP THAT AN INTERNAL MEMO WAS ISSUED IN 1997 STATING THAT 1996 CHEROKEES HAD ALREADY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM, INCLUDING FAULTY FUEL PUMP SYSTEMS AND CORRODED FUEL TANKS. THEY SAID THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO OTHER THAN REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AT MY COST. CHRYSLER IS HOLDING TRUE TO CHARACTER AND INSISTS THAT A JEEP WITH SO MANY MILES (IT'S A '96 WITH ONLY 58K MILES) WILL HAVE LOTS OF PROBLEMS. THEY DO NOT SEEM TO THINK IT IS STRANGE THAT SUCH A MEMO WAS ISSUED DETAILING CORROSION IN THE TANKS OF A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF '96 JEEPS ONLY ONE YEAR AFTER MANUFACTURING DATE. AM WORRIED ABOUT THE SMELL OF FUEL IN THE CAR AND SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE IMPACT ACCIDENT. DT

PUT 4 FUEL PUMPS IN VEHICLE, TOLD IT NEEDED NEW GAS TANK, PLASTIC TANK LINING IS SEPARATING AND CLOGGING FUEL PUMP. DT

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TURNING IGNITION SWITCH VEHICLE WOULD NOT START VEHICLE WAS SERVICE TECHNICIAN NOTICE FUEL PUMP NEED TO BE REPLACE CONSUMER IS NOW ON THIRD FUEL PUMP. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

CONSUMER STATES THE FUEL PUMP IS MALFUNCTIONING FOR THE 5TH TIME IN 10 MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START AND STALLS WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. DEALERS SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATES APPARENTLY THERE IS NOT ENOUGH GAS CIRCULATING TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*JB

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN. SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, BATTERY WAS DRAINED. PROBLEMS HAD RETURN. *AK THE REPLACED FUEL PUMP FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. *YH

THREE FAILURES IN 99 DAYS. FACTORY NEW PART EACH TIME. DEADLY. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

FUEL PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED WITH ORIGINAL PART. FAILED SECOND TIME WITHIN 3 WEEKS DUE TO FAULTY GAS TANK, AS ADVISED BY DEALER. CHRYSLER HAS HUGE BACKLOG FOR SAME PROBLEM AND HAD PRIOR RECALLED FOR JEEP CHEROKEE 95 & 96. (MINE IS A GRAND CHEROKEE). CAR CAN STOP LITERALLY AT ANY SPEED.*AK

FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED FIVES TIMES SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE, CONSUMER STATED FUEL PUMP FREEZES UP, AND VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. PUMPS USUALLY RUNS EFFICIENTLY FOR FOUR DAYS. *AK *SLC

A REPORT AIRED ON LOCAL TELEVISION STATION THAT INFORMED CONSUMER THAT A PROBLEM WAS FOUND IN ALL MODEL YEAR JEEPS CONCERING FUEL TANK NOT BEING PROPERLY PLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER HAD FUEL PUMP REPLACED A YEAR AND HALF AGO. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

THIS PARTICULAR MODEL WAS SUPPOSE TO COME FROM THE MANUFACTURER WITH A PLASTIC FUEL TANK. FOR SOME REASON MINE CAME WITH A METAL FUEL TANK THAT CORRODED VERY QUICKLY, BEYOND WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED FOR YEAR AND MILEAGE.THIS CORROSION LED TO THE FAILURE OF THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY AND THE FAILURE OF THE REPLACEMENT FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. THE AAA PERSON WHO TOWED MY VEHICLE MENTIONED THAT HE HAS TOWED A NUMBER OF JEEP CHEROKEES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

HEARSAY IS THAT THERE WERE TWO OTHER JEEP CHEROKEES BEING FIXED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME TIME.NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK

THE MAIN FUEL LINE WAS TOO LONG AND CHAFFED AND MELTED, UNNOTICES, ON TOP OF THE REAR END GEAR BOX. THE LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL WAS LEAKING OVER THE HOT GEAR REAR GEAR BOX AND SPLASHING ONTO THE HOT MEFFLER.

FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN SIX MONTHS THAT THE FUEL PUMP WENT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE CAR BACKFIRES AND POPS, EXCESSIVE FUEL IS GOING THROUGH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND IGNITING THE PIPES/FIRE UNDER THE CAR. *AK