The chances of bent valves on a 1998 Jeep Cherokee 2.5L 4-cylinder engine after a timing chain break are
very high, bordering on almost certain. Unlike interference engines, where pistons and valves share the same space and collision is guaranteed, the 2.5L is considered an interference engine. When the timing chain breaks, the valves and pistons are no longer synchronized. This almost always leads to the pistons hitting the valves, bending or breaking them.
The immediate stop is further evidence supporting bent valves. If the engine had simply lost power without an immediate stop, there might be a slightly smaller chance of valve damage (though still significant), but a sudden stop strongly suggests a catastrophic event like piston-valve contact.
