1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Seats Problems

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, UNOCCUPIED AND LOCKED. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE SEAT HEATER SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE SEAT TO CATCH FIRE. INTERESTINGLY, NO FUSES WERE FOUND TO BE BLOWN. THE SEAT CATCHING FIRE SPREAD TO THE PASSENGER DOOR PANEL. IT CONTINUED UP THE DOOR PANEL AND SPREAD TO THE DOOR TRIM, HEADLINER & VISOR. THE ENTIRE INTERIOR WAS SMOKE DAMAGED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED QUICKLY SO THAT'S WHY THE DAMAGE WAS NOT WORSE.

A DRIVERS SEAT FRAME WELD HAS FAILED, CAUSING THE SEAT TO BECOME UNSTABLE. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. *TR

I NOTICED MY SEAT LEANING TO THE SIDE. LOOKING UNDER THE SEAT, I SAW WHERE THE METAL RAILS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT, WHERE IT ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR MOUNT, TO HAVE COMPLETELY BROKEN AWAY FROM THE BOLTS. I NOW HAVE A ROCKING DRIVERS CHAIR. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE LAYING ON YOUR BACK. *TR

1998 JEEP CHEROKEE SE 2-DOOR - FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME BROKE AT THE FRONT-LEFT POINT WHERE IT MOUNTS TO THE RAILS ASSEMBLY. THE SEAT HAD BECOME A LITTLE WOBBLY IN BUMPY/UNEVEN AREAS ON THE ROAD (I LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF HILLS AND THE ROADS ARE NOT FLAT AND SMOOTH) AND ONE DAY, COMING OVER THE BUMP AT THE END OF A CONSTRUCTION ZONE THE SEAT MADE A POPPING NOISE AND I WAS JARRED TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR. NOW THE SEAT TOTTERS FROM SIDE TO SIDE DEPENDING ON WHAT WAY I AM TURNING OR THE ANGLE OF THE ROAD/BUMPS. TO CORRECT THIS I WILL EITHER HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW SEAT, WHICH WILL BE PRETTY DIFFICULT CONSIDERING THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY WIDE-SPREAD SO THERE ARE BASICALLY NONE OF THESE SEATS AVAILABLE, OR I WILL HAVE TO WELD THE SEAT FRAME BACK TOGETHER WHERE IT BROKE. THE LAST ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO PURCHASE AN AFTERMARKET SEAT, WHICH IS A LITTLE PRICEY AT $250USD. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND IT SEEMS THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HAS BECOME BROKEN AT THE BASE AND NOW WOBBLES AND IS JUST ABOUT UNUSABLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION AND ONLINE RESEARCH IT APPEARS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. THE JEEP DEALER WILL WANT $400+ TO REPAIR THIS. SINCE THESE SEATS BREAK WHILE DRIVING AND THANKFULLY FOR ME I WASN'T INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO KIND OF RECALL ON THESE. THE STEEL USED FOR THESE PARTS IS VERY CHEAP AND THIN AND BREAK WAY TOO EASILY. *TR

THE HEATED SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CONSUMER'S 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LTD MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT THE SYSTEM BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT IN THE LUMBAR REGION. *NM THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THE REFUSED TO PROVIDED ANY ASSISTANCE. *NM

CONSUMER HAS HAD THE DRIVER'S SEAT REPAIRED THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE ANCHORAGE BROKE. ALSO, PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BROKE. MANUFACTURER REPAIRED THE SEAT THE FIRST TIME. THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES CONSUMER REPAIRED THE SEAT. *AK

I SAT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND IT PITCHED BACK SO BAD I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO LAND IN THE BACK SEAT. I CHECKED A FEW JEEP CHEROKEE GOUPS ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT SEAT FRAMES HAD A TENDANCY TO BREAK. I THEN CALLED MY JEEP DEALERSHIP AND ASKED ABOUT A POSSIBLE RECALL. THE SERVICE WRITER RESEARCHED IT AND TOLD ME JEEP HAD NO HISTORY OF SEAT PROBLEMS AND HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF A PROBLEM. I REMOVED THE SEAT AND INSPECTED IT. AT FIRST IT LOOKED LIKE THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE SEAT FRAME HAD BROKEN ON THE FRONT RIGHT CORNER. I REMOVED THE SEAT BACK, FABRIC AND PADDING TO REPAIR THE FRAME, AND FOUND THAT THE SEAT FRAME HAD BROKEN NEAR EVERY WELD.

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HAS BECOME UNSAFE DUE TO BOLT SECURING FRONT LEFT OF SEAT TO VEHICLE BEING TOO SMALL FOR HOLE AND EVENTUALLY WORE THROUGH. NOW DUE TO STRESS FAILURE FROM POOR DESIGN THE SEAT IS UNREPAIRABLE. BASED ON OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, IT APPEARS FRUITLESS TO ASK DEALER FOR APPROPRIATE REPAIRS AT NO COST. THIS POOR DESIGN SHOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN ADDED EXPENSE TO OWNER. *JB

DRIVERS SEAT OF 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE CLASSIC FAILED. LEFT FRONT ATTACHMENT RAIL NUT WORKED IT'S WAY THROUGH THE RAILING CAUSING FRONT LEFT PART OF SEAT TO DISLODGE ITSELF FROM SEAT TRACK, WHICH ALLOWED SEAT TO FALL BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. NUTS WHICH ATTACH SEAT TO TRACK ARE SMALLER THAN BOLT HOLES CAUSING NUTS TO WORK THROUGH BOLT HOLES RESULTING IN SEAT TRACK AND SEAT BASE FAILURE. I EXPLAINED TO DEALER THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. DEALER DID NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF A NEW BASE, WHICH COST $350.00. THE NEW BASE INCLUDED LARGER ATTACHMENT NUTS WITH A NOTE STATING DO NOT USE OLD ATTACHMENT NUTS. THE NOTE AND LARGER ATTACHMENT NUTS REINFORCES THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THESE ATTACHMENT BOLTS, BUT REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR REIMBURSE CONSUMERS FOR THEIR EXPENSES RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. *NLM

CONSUMER STATES CAR SEAT MOUNTINGS BROKE OFF REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT 70,000 MILES VEHICLE FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO LOOSE DRIVER SEAT. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TT

THE SEAT FRAME ON THE FRONT DRIVE SIDE IS CONSTANTLY MOVING. THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO MANUEVER WITH A UNSTABLE SEAT TO SIT IN. THE SEAT TRACK WAS RECENTLY REPAIRED. THE DEALER IS AWARE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*JB

LEFT FRONT ATTACHMENT OF DRIVER'S SEAT TORE LOOSE. HOLE FOR ATTACHMENT BOLT WAS VERY NEAR EDGE OF PART ALLOWING (STARTING?) TEAR. *AK

: FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BOLT HAS CAME THROUGH THE LEFT PART OF THE FRAME OF THE SEAT WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT TO FALL BACK AND TO THE RIGHT, CONSUMER STRONGLY BELIEVES THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE, CUST TOOK VEH TO DLR, DLR STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE TO ANOTHER JEEP I SAW IN THIS SITE. CONSUMER SEEKS TO HAVE THE SEAT REPAIRED AT NO COST AS THIS IS CLEARLY UNSAFE IF VEH WAS TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BOLT HAS CAME THROUGH THE MIDDLE FRAME OF THE SEAT WHICH COULD CAUSE THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS IN THE EVENT THE OTHER BOLT SEPARATES. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

PARKED AND LOCKED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. ORIGIN OF FIRE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. PROBABLE SEAT HEATER DEFECT. ENTIRE INTERIOR DESTROYED. INVESTIGATION BY CHRYSLER COMPLETE. CHRYSLER SAID THEY COULD FIND NO REASON THE SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE BY ITSELF IN AN UNOCCUPIED OFF VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO VANDALISM AS THE VEHICLE WAS OPENED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SEAT HEATER WAS USED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR THE PRIOR WEEKEND AND ON THE DAY OF THE FIRE SMELT A BURNING ODOR WHILE DRIVING BUT ASSUMED IT COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE AFTER 3 HOURS. *AK

DRIVERS SEAT POWER RECLINER MOTOR FAILS. HAS BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES. LAST REPLACEMENT WAS A NEW DESGIN TO ELIMINATE PROBLEM. SEAT STILL FALLS BACK TO RECLINED POSITION WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. SEVERAL NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS DO TO BEING STARTED AND LOSING GRIP ON STEERING WHEEL. DEALLER STATES NO KNOWN FIX AT THIS TIME. PROBLEM FOR 13 MONTHS NOW. ARBITRATION SCHEDULED FOR 08/20/1999.

SEAT HEATING ELEMENTS FAILED. *YC

SEAT BACK DOES NOT ADJUST IN FULL UPRIGHT POSITION DUE TO DESIGN.