All Jeep Cherokees make the popping sound discussed on the show today. It is the cheap hard plastic dash moving when the body twists as it goes over an uneven surface.
Yes – I agree with bravoch – as the proud owner of a 2000 cherokee, I find that part of the “charm” is that with every bump in the road comes a loud crack from my dashboard. So not only can I feel every bump that the tank, er, cherokee drives over, I get to hear it too!
I had a similar problem and it only took me two hours to figure out. I originally thought it was the dash moving, however it turned out to be much less complex. It was the clip on my key chain tapping the plastic as it swung back and forth from the bump.