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Model file · JeepUpdated · 15 sources

Selling a junk or non-running Jeep Comanche

Fourteen of the 53 complaints Jeep Comanche owners have sent NHTSA name the seat belts, and eight of those are on the 1988 model year alone. No other part of the truck comes close. That count runs through October 10, 2026.

A gray Jeep Comanche regular-cab pickup with darker gray lower trim and worn paint, parked on gravel beside a house with beige siding
Photo: Captainpisslord · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Built
1985-1992
Complaints to NHTSA
53
Year with the most complaints
1989 (12)
Component named most
Seat belts (14)
Recall campaigns
11
Engines
2.5 four, 2.8 V6, 4.0 six
Successor
Jeep Gladiator (JT)

If your Comanche has stopped running or needs more than you want to put into it, you can sell the whole truck as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, small pickups included, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

AMC years and Chrysler years

Wikipedia lists the Comanche as a compact pickup built from 1985 to 1992 and related to the Cherokee. American Motors built it through 1988, then Chrysler took over. Engines were the 2.5-liter AMC 150 four, the 2.8-liter GM V6 and the 4.0-liter AMC six. In the truck's second year on the market, the V6 gave way to the fuel-injected 4.0 straight-six, rated at 173 hp and 220 lb-ft: 50% more power and 47% more torque than the V6.

1985-1988: where the recalls pile up

The 1986 appears in six of the 11 recall campaigns and the 1987 in five. Several touch fuel and throttle. On 1986 trucks a fuel line fitting could come loose and spill gasoline (85V139), and an accelerator cable bushing could disconnect, dropping the engine to idle (86V146). On the 1987, a stud on the intake manifold could chafe the fuel hose (86V160), and campaigns covered the throttle body (87V035) and the cruise control module (87V022).

Steering couplers left too long in an acid etching bath could fall out of tolerance on 1986-1987 trucks (86V159). Brake booster vacuum canisters on 1985-1987 trucks could leak after a bumper impact (88V106).

The 1987 has the only complaint with injuries before 1990: one crash, one fire, three people hurt. The 1988 has 10 complaints, and 8 of them are seat belts.

1989-1992: brakes and idle speed

The 1989 has the most complaints of any year, 12, led by power train and tires at 3 each, plus 2 fires. The 1990 has 11, with 3 crashes, and splits them among the parking brake, hydraulic brakes and speed control. Parking brake complaints total 5 across the truck's life.

Recall 90V177 covers 1989-1990: a throttle position sensor could cause a high idle right after starting. Its 165,000 vehicles may include other models. Recall 98V005 replaced brake rotors on 1990-1991 vehicles sold or registered in certain states, Michigan, New York and Massachusetts among them. Its 293,369 vehicles take in passenger and multi-purpose models beyond the Comanche.

In 1990, Wikipedia says, the Jeep-Eagle dealers' council asked Chrysler to drop the Comanche and let them sell a version of the Dodge Dakota.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Complaint totals are owner filings to NHTSA through October 10, 2026. The agency's file starts at the 1985 model year and ends at 1992; EPA's runs 1986-1993. A later model year has had fewer years for owners to report on it. One recall campaign can span several years.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesFiresRecall campaignsNamed most
19852001Seat belts
19866006Seat belts, engine cooling
19875115Engine and engine cooling
198810000Seat belts (8)
198912021Power train, tires
199011302Parking and service brakes
19915101Parking brake
19922100Service brakes

Fix it or sell it?

Start with your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. Then get the repair quoted on paper and set that number beside the local going rate for a Comanche that runs, same year and engine. If the quote eats up most of what the truck is worth, selling wins.

Brakes show up again and again in this truck's file: the pawl, the booster canisters, the rotors, and five parking brake complaints. If that's what stopped yours, see bad or seized brakes. If it has sat for years, this guide covers what to check first.

Selling your Comanche whole

  1. Gather the VIN, mileage and what's wrong. Say which engine it has and whether it's two- or four-wheel drive.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Describe the spot. Driveway, field or shop, plus whether the wheels turn, helps the tow truck plan the load.
  4. Leave it together. Keep the engine, the transmission, the wheels and the bed on it.
  5. Bring the title to the pickup, along with a photo ID. No title? Read selling with no title.

More on trucks in our junk truck guide, or compare the Gladiator and the J-Series pickup.

Questions people ask

Which Comanche model year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 1989 leads with 12 (count taken October 10, 2026). Next come the 1990 at 11 and the 1988 at 10. Every year's count is small, and a newer model year has had fewer years in which owners could file, so a small figure does not prove a truck ran trouble-free.
Why do so many Comanche complaints mention seat belts?
Seat belts are named in 14 of the 53 complaints, more than any other component. Eight of those 14 are on the 1988 model year. NHTSA's file counts what owners reported; it does not say why.
Was there a recall on the Comanche parking brake?
Yes. Campaign 86V147 covers the 1986 model year: the park brake pawl may have been improperly hardened and could give way under load. The remedy was new park brake assemblies. The campaign lists 41,073 vehicles, a count that may include other Jeep models.
Will you take a Comanche that won't start or roll?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickups count. Pickup is free anywhere in the US. Tell us whether it rolls, whether it's two- or four-wheel drive, and where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Jeep Comanche, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 85V139: fuel line fitting, 1986 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 86V031: certification label, 1986 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 86V146: accelerator cable bushing, 1986 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 86V147: park brake pawl, 1986 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 86V159: steering linkage couplers, 1986-1987 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 86V160: fuel supply hose, 1987 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 87V022: cruise control module, 1987 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 87V035: throttle body, 1987 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 88V106: brake booster vacuum canisters, 1985-1987 nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 90V177: throttle position sensor, 1989-1990 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 98V005: brake rotors, 1990-1991 nhtsa.gov
  14. EPA fuel economy data (Comanche model years 1986-1993) fueleconomy.gov
  15. Wikipedia: Jeep Comanche (production, engines, owners, discontinuation) en.wikipedia.org