Used 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Consumer Reviews

great

amazing vehicle

Piece of ****

My first American car (and I've had probably 8 or 9 foreign cars). I was always leery of buying an American car and that worry was definitly justified. I bought this p.o.* new and had problems with it within the first 15,000 miles. I should have sold it then but I thought that the problems would be over. Not so, they just increase exponentially with age. I'm glad I have AAA as I have to call them for a tow at least once a year. I can't even delineate the number of mechanical engine repairs I've paid for. Thank goodness, I'm planning on trading it in tomorrow; any dealer is a fool to give me 2 cents for it but I have my fingers crossed.

strong car

What else can go wrong

I have replaced fuel pump, power steering pump, water pump, radiator, rear end, and radio. The air conditioning was leaking water into the interior..sounds baffling. I guess that is another common problem in these jeeps. These repairs were all done at my "five star" jeep dealership. Thank God that I had purchased the extended warranty. I have 119, 000 miles on it now. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. Make sure you stay away from the V8 and four wheel drive. The interior door panels are falling apart. I think jeep makes a few crappy ones out there just so the dealers' service department can make a few bucks.

'96 Limited 4WD V8 - 153,000 miles

I bought used in '97 with about 10,000 miles. 143,000 miles and many road trips later, I have had virtually no problems. Other than routine maintenance, I've only done the front CV boots and an A/C recharge. This is the best car I have ever owned and I would definitely buy another. My only complaints are the gas mileage (14-15 city, 18-20 hwy), heated seats quit working last year ($1,000 to repair...don't need 'em that bad!), and some of my buttons on the radio don't work unless you press them really hard. Overall very happy with my Jeep throughout the years.

Like it.

Got it at 124000. It was a fleet car, well maintained and garaged. Several things were tuned up by dealer. So far I like it a lot. Knock on wood...Good handling in wet weather, especially helpful here in Seattle. Roomier than any sedan. Overall I like this car very much.

Happy Owner

Bought this vehicle with 11,000 miles on and now have 105,000 on it and still great car. Replaced A.C.compressor bracket and water pump. Evarything else was normal maintainence. Goes places in the snow other 4WD don't.

1996

Replaced AC core and catylatic convertor. Otherwise no problems. This vehicle has served our family of four well. From time to time we miss the second row captain chairs in our old van. Helps keep the kids from bothering each other. Overall, we have been very pleased with the car and its performance.

Love My Jeep

I have 118+K miles on my Jeep and the only thing that has gone wrong is the water pump. During last year's snow storm in Kentucky, I pulled out two 18 wheelers and 23 other cars and trucks. It's like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going, and going. I'm debating whether to keep it for another three or four years or trade it in on a newer model.

Rock solid reliabilty

I've had it for 5 years now and I'm up to 121K and it still runs great. Bought it with 48K on it. It has been extremely reliable. Replaced water pump at 100K and starter at 115K Put CV boots on @ 120K (BTW-that's pretty normal wear). Besides that, Only reg. maint. items required (brakes and oil). V8 has plenty of power; I get 15-16 back and forth to work and about 19 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a 4000lb SUV. It handles great for an SUV-much better than my friend's Explorer. Hope to get 200k out of it before I buy another.

If You Can Afford to Run It

In Australia the Jeep Grand Cherokee is sold as a premium vehicle with a price to match. Even 1996 models sell at dealers for over $18,000. My experience has not been a happy one; luckily the dealer gave me a 3 year unlimited warranty. All sorts of rattles, whines and leaks plague this car which the dealer seems unable to fix. My advice is admire someone else's Jeep and buy a Toyota.

Excellent Vehicle

I've had my Jeep for over two years now and have had no problems. I'm so impressed with Jeep. Reliability is a must for me and this has been an excellent vehicle for this military single parent. I'm a Jeeper for life!

Best of all

I've driven my Jeep from one end of the US to the other and city traffic in the meantime. It's got over 150k and still going strong with only minor repairs.

The Jeep is a nice SUV

I have had my problems with the Jeep. The two big item I had to get fixed was my A/C system when I first got it from the dealer(?) and my sound system. The radio cost like $400 plus to replace the warrenty paid for that stuff. Oh yeah the breaks wear down like every 14 months, other than that nothing big.

Still going strong

Some electrical issues (rear passenger door: new PL, PW motor), but the engine and transmission are still going strong with 202,000 miles. Overall, it has been a great SUV.

My Jeep

I could live in this car. I sleep in it and eat in it and talk on the phone in it and my kids have changed clothes in it. I bought my first one and the car salesman wrecked it after I drove it 1 day and I refused to take anything but a like model. I had to settle for a different interior color but I was o.k with it. The square cargo space is roomy and the front seats are perfect for us. I love that it adjusts the seats and mirrors for us since my husband is tall, and I am not. Thankfully he does not drive it much.

Jeep

Great Vehicle. I love it

So far so good

We bought our Jeep new and have had it for 7 years and 90,000 miles. It is a pleasure to drive, particularly in the snow or for towing a boat. We like the way it handles and the power of the V- 8. We have been diligent in doing the regular maintenance and so far we have had few problems. We have had to replace the rear main seal ($325) and valve covers to fix minor oil leaks ($100). We had a sensor or two go out (covered under warranty) and recently replaced the watter pump ($400) Other than that it has been a great car so far.

BUY ONE!

I bought this vehicle September of 1995, and since then it has been a pleasure to drive. It has great handling, and NO blind spots! It also is extremely powerful with the V8 engine. The heated seats are great with my back, and the sunroof is just a pleasure. The trip computer is very informative, and has kept my Jeep moving. After 11 years of ownership, I have put 111,000 miles on this Jeep, and haven't had a single problem; it has not seen the inside of the Jeep dealership since the day i bought it (other than routine maintenance). I bought a Mercedes ML 2 years ago, but kept the Jeep, I ended up trading the ML back because it was no comparison, and now I drive the Jeep! Amazing vehicle!

Pretty Darn Good So Far...

I just bought myself a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited the 5.2L V8 about a month ago. So far it has been good to me. I got a really good deal on it and knew it needed a little work. I replaced the valve cover gaskets and the front right axle seals and now it's running very well. It could have a bit nicer interior, but much like Chrysler for the ninetys the interiors are a little cheap. The performance makes up for it though!! (At the cost of fuel) I Love It So Far!!!

More and more parts breaking down...

Bought it with 55k miles, now it has 112k, over about 3 years. Freakin' electronic parts are hugely expensive! Stuff keeps breaking down! Fortunately never the same thing twice (yet) I've poured tons of $'s into this thing. I want something with fewer electronics, and more reliability!

I hope the newer Jeeps are better!

I bought my Jeep with 47K miles and until recently it's been great. I now have 100K miles and several problems. The tranny is poorly design because I now have slippage. The interior door panel are garbage due to the poor choice of material(it shrinks in heat). I have to replace the distributor next, after just replacing the ball joints. If the ratings for the newer models are as bad, Jeep will soon be out of business.

Goin Strong

This is my first Jeep product. I bought this Jeep Charokee in 2000 with 95K miles. My wife thought I was crazy. It now has over 125K miles and still performing great.

10 years trouble free

Bought new in '96, now with 110K. Runs great, always starts. Have always done routine maintenance and that has paid off. Lately though I am putting more money into it each year. Recent radiator, AC leaks, 1st muffler/exhaust replacement last year. Good brakes, strong engine. Take care of it and it will do likewise.

The 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee

This is a great vehicle. As long as you take care of the basic maintenance it will run forever. The offroad performance is also very good. Highway is comfortable. I have the I6 4.0 engine. Power sunroof and leather seats. Black inside and out. The only thing that is a knock on the vehicle is the highway. There is some hesitation when going from overdrive to one of the lower gears. That is to be expected with the I6. But overall it isn't a big deal because if you lower the throttle even more the it can really move. The gas mileage is as follows. 60-67 23-24 mpg. 67-74 21-18 mpg. City speeds it is about 15-16 mpg. Great vehicle for Michigan, not to mention it was and still is made in Detroit.

Fun Car.....Poor Reliability

I bought my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 brand new and had absolutely no problems with it until I hit 70k miles. Then everything started to fall apart (radiator, thermostat, heated seats, shocks, hoses, belts, and a clicking noise is coming from the transfer case which make me afraid to take it in for fear that the dealer will tell me to replace the transmission). Other than that, it's been a great car, and I still get have as much fun driving it as I did the day I bought it.

My trusted Jeep

I love my Jeep. Yeah I've had some normal problems with a car that now has 155,000 miles on it like replace radiator, starter, window motor, and a couple of other things, but that's normal. Parts are really cheap for it and the car is easy to work on. The inline 6 cylinder is virtually bullet proof.

New transmission at 80K mi and recalls

Numerous recalls, new transmission, new ball joints, new CV boots, bad gas gauge and condenser went out before 81k miles. My wife was driving it when the front driver seat became posessed and proceeded to fully recline on my 2 year- old's legs! It also seems to burn through front tires despite frequent alignments. Some rust forming under liftgate (not good for a garage-kept car).

My next car will also be a jeep!!!!!!

Some normal things hav gone wrong with it, but most have been after 90,000 miles, and are expected. I love the jeep and I want to buy American cars, while many people gave me a hard time about doing that- my American car has outlasted their foreign cars.

I love my Jeep Grand Cherokee

This 96 Jeep has never broken down or left me stranded, has only had general maintenance as demanded by age and is the best car I have ever owned. I will never sell it (I have had offers), it will simply wear out. Except for a couple of dings & scratches caused by other drivers, it is in excellent condition, inside and out. I love it!!I service regularly and always take it to a Jeep de

Best of the beasts

I liked the 1996 so much that I now keep it in the garage as my reliable spare. It is great on and off road. For the do it DIY guy, this is the perfect vehicle. The downfalls of the vehicle are the transmission, the air conditioning, and the rear wiper. The remainder of the vehicle is superb.

Excellent Value

My Forest Green over Tan Cloth Laredo is a very sharp color combo. It is a 4x2(but it will go off-road) and an Inline-6. The six, while super- durable, is a bit underpowered for this heavy of a Jeep, but it can do the job. It now has 130k miles and still runs strong. I replaced the spark plugs, wires, oxygen sensor, and distributor cap and rotor myself and saved $200. But $900 for new radiator, hoses and belts from the dealer! Now it needs new brakes and the e-brake is worn completely out. But this is normal stuff for 130k, and when properly maintained, will last 200000+ miles.

Love it.

This car has been bullet-proof. I have had no problems and can fully rely on it to get me where I need to go comfortably. I have been told (per my mechanic) that the straight-6 2wd version of this car is in a different league than the v8 4wd, which tend to come with many more mechanical problems. Fuel economy is between 18 and 23...no complaints!!

I LOVE MY JEEP!

The jeep had 56K miles on it when I bought it. It has been a great vehicle. It now has 163K miles and has never left me stranded. The only repairs have been to replace the front wheel bearings at about 130K miles and again at 161K miles My daughter has a '93 Cherokee Sport and that is what inspired me to buy a Jeep. I just bought a 1999 Jeep Grand and I most likely will continue to stay in the Jeep family.

GOOD YEAR

I am at 99000 miles. I have the 318 V8 which is not a gas milage engine but the power is good and I tow a 5500lb travel trailer in the summer. I have replaced the brakes at 65000 and the right rear axle at 90000 also a power steering pump bolt broke at 68000. All in all I have been satisfied with my GCL. I owned two K5 Blazers and I prefer driving the Jeep. I don't know how the 2004 models are holding up so I will put another 100,000 on this one.

Reliability

Like vehicle, unfortunatley I can't because of reliability issues and high maintenance costs.

Maintain it

I love my Grand Cherokee! It is a very spacious and comfortable SUV. The Jeep is great off-road. Being a Jeep expert, make sure the Jeep has been maintained. Both the Inline-6 and V8 have seen 300k miles in many instances. The drivetrain and suspension are of less quality. The trannys are prone to break, some at 90k miles and others at 200k miles. Never get a tranny flush or a radiator flush! Both components will likely fail. The 1993=1998 Grand Cherokee (ZJ) is maintenence-intensive. Mine has 135k miles, has required a new steering box, starter, battery, steering stabilizer, many brake components, shocks, and various bushings in the front suspension. Great Vehicle for the expert.

sweet car

I have had this car for almost two years now and have recently reached 111,000 miles. Within these past two years, I have put a little money into keeping this thing running smooth, but I understand its a jeep, and old jeep and these things will happen. Mine has the 318 V8 which makes this thing fast and makes towing heavy trailor loads a breeze. The spare tire in the back gives me more vertical space than if it were mounted under the car, and vertical space is what I need.

Jeeps are the best

They are fun to drive. They have lots of power and go anywhere. They're nice to go on vacation in because of the smooth ride.

Finally Give Up

82000 miles. Since new have replaced: rear axel vent (twice); PW motor; Intake MANIFOLD gasket; Tranny Cooler line (leak); Peeling dr panels; leaky AC Accumulator line; Wtr Pump; Oil Sensor Sending unit (twice); CV boots; Now tranny starts slipping due to bad clutch seal(wanted to fix) but transfer case starts to leak. Had eeeeeenough! traded in for a 4runner. Did rigorous maintenance, all by my self except tran fluid including wtr pump. Overall, I see DC has a good product design team, but there is no body puting the product together, and had zero quality control. "The Jeep Thing" can only go so far. Sure, "There is Only One", it perfectly described my feeling, plus "ONCE is enough"!!

Good and Bad

For the most part I love my jeep. However, I bought it with about 78,000 miles and got to about 100K before starting to have problem after problem. All my issues center around the serpentine belt...we've replace every motor or compressor attached to it as well as the tensioner arm (too many times to count). We've also had to replace the CV joints and boots on both sides. I think it's a bad design and that's why so many of us have had to replace items working off the serpentine belt. We get one thing fixed that's attached to the serpentine belt and then something else on the belt needs to be fixed...sigh...

Wouldn't buy another Jeep!

Repeated, repeated, repeated problems with the A/C...have replaced virtually every part at least once. Interior door panels began peeling off almost immediately after I bought it. The radio never worked even after being "repaired" twice by the dealer. Jeep service at several locations is terrible. Rear wiper quit working within a year of purchase. And on..and on..and on..

Hot Dang!

I recently purchased a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the 5.2L V8 and 4x4. It has 133,000 miles on it as of now and I have had it just about a month. So far I have had no problems with the vehicle and I bought it for a very good price. I have had to replace the valve cover gaskets and front right axle seals, but I knew that would have to be replaced upon purchasing the Jeep. So far so good!! Hopefully I purchased a good one! Only two owners and fairly good overall condition.

Never again!!!

I purchased this Jeep shortly after college with 78,000. The car ran wonderfully for another 15,000 miles but then the problems started happening and they never really stopped for 5 years. First it was the transmission which cost $1800 just to fix the clutches. Then the water pump, the alternator, the battery, the fuel pump, O2 sensor, gear shift panel broke, the ignition casing went faulty and then finally the radiator went bad and I had enough. I did not fix it I just donated the vehicle to a local charity. I will never buy a Jeep again and I will never buy an American car again. I gave it a chance and it failed me miserably.

194,000 and still running

Bought my Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 182,000 on it for $1250.00. Had to rebuild the transmission in April of 2010, but since then it has been running great.

A Great Car for it's Time

I've had this car for nearly 5 years now and have really been quite happy with it. I did need to replace the AC compressor twice... a common problem, I've read. Other than that, if you are perhaps a bit more aggressive in changing differential, transmission, and transaxle fluids then the manufacturer recommends, these are great cars on and off the road. Other minor problems: Mirror memory Seatbelt sensor ABS sensors (adjustment needed only)

Worthless

I thought I was buying a reliable rough and tough vehicle. I was sorely wrong. I bought it with 50k miles on it. At 68k the transmission went out, radiator cracked and brakes went out. The warranty co. did not pay because they said this was normal wear and tear on jeep cherokees. I am at 70k and my water pump, fan clutch and idle clutch just went out. In less than a year I have spent $3000 in repairs. I have a Ford Aerostar that has over 100k miles on it and have never had a problem with anything. I will never buy a Chrysler product again! Dont waste your money on this piece of junk!!!!!

Tired of this jeep

I love this jeep but I am tired of having one thing after another go wrong. I've had the transmission rebuilt, the motor in the rear door replaced, the rear window on the drivers side can't be rolled down because it doesn't like to go back up. I've got an oil leak and am constantly putting oil into it. The AC leaks and has been recharged twice since I've owned it. I recently had the fuel pump and distributor cap replaced along with the drive shaft. And it's going back to the shop tomorrow to figure out what the loud "click click click" noise is that causes lots of staring, possibly the CV joint, who knows how much it'll cost this time. I think it's time for a trade in.

Happy Grand Cherokee Owner

I purchased my Grand Cherokee new in October 1995. Although mileage is a low 66,000, it has been a very reliable vehicle. The Grand Cherokee performs just as well today as the day I purchased it. Jeep Quadratrack and stength of V8 engine proved to be a very good combination both on road and off. Thumbs up to Jeep!

Love it!

I love my Jeep Gr Cherokee. It has been very reliable and fun to drive for 90,000 miles. It had less than 30,000 miles when I bought it.