1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026

67Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

6.5%Of all 1,028 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH286 · 27.8%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR87 · 8.5%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION67 · 6.5%

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE50 · 4.9%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM42 · 4.1%

Share of the 1,028 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE IN THE PARK POSITION, WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING, VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY JUMPED INTO REVERSE TWICE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED.AK”NHTSA complaint 853045 — filed 11/17/1999

“SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE IT JERKS THE VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO HELP.”NHTSA complaint 850897 — filed 10/15/1999

“TRANSMISSION HAS A FAULTY CONNECTOR LINE WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF ALL FLUID.”NHTSA complaint 609541 — filed 09/08/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee: 67 of 1,028 complaints on file (6.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee have in total?

1,028 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 172 involved a crash, 13 involved a fire, 112 reported injuries, and 24 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.