1997 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cherokee years
- About as many complaints as other years 10th of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 390 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Jeep Cherokee. That ranks 10th out of 19 Cherokee model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (85 complaints, 22%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 44 crashes, 7 fires, 27 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 390owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 44complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Jeep Cherokee problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 85 | 22% | 80,000 | “sending unit” (24%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 62 | 16% | — | “brake rotors” (18%) | — |
| Fuel System, Other problems | 52 | 13% | 82,000 | “gas gauge” (56%) | — |
| Power Train | 47 | 12% | 164,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 45 | 12% | 134,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 28 | 7% | 137,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 23 | 6% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 4% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 12 | 3% | 89,810 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 11 | 3% | 53,800 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 3% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 3% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 8 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 2% | 184,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 2% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 2% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 2% | 150,156 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 182,069 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 150,156 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 205,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Jeep Cherokee recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel; equipment:other:labels; visibility:rearview mirrors/devices; visibility:power window devices and controls; exterior lighting; fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: U.s. Drive right is recalling 107 my 1994-1998 right hand drive, 4-wheel drive jeep cherokee vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 101, 'controls and displays;' no. 108, 'lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment;' no. 111, 'rearview mirror;' no. 114, 'theft protection;' no. 115, 'vehicle identification number;' no. 118, 'power window system;' no. 120, 'tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars;' no. 208, 'occupant crash protection;' and no. 301, 'fuel system integrity.'
Risk: These vehicles do not meet the required standards.
Fix: U.s. Drive right will make all the required modifications. A representative will travel to the customer's location and make the modifications on site. The recall will be performed on a regional basis beginning march 2008. Owners may contact u.s. Drive right at 1-888-632-5936.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger and multi-purpose vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, or wisconsin, and the district of columbia. The front disc brake rotors can experience severe corrosion if operated for an extensive period in the "salt belt." if the rotors are not replaced, the corrosion can eventually compromise the structural integrity of the stamped steel center hub section of the rotor.
Risk: The reduced strength can allow the cast iron wear surface to separate from the hub, reducing the brake effectiveness of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will replace these rotors with rotors that are coated with a corrosion protection.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. Water and/or road salt in the proximity of the air bag control module could lead to corrosion.
Risk: Such corrosion can lead to illumination of the air bag warning light or could allow inadvertent deployment of the air bags.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag control module and locate the new module on the top of the transmission tunnel.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles. The fuel tank mounted fuel level sending unit accuracy can degrade over time, indicating significantly more fuel in reserve than is actually present.
Risk: Owners may not be aware that their vehicle is low on fuel increasing the risk of a vehicle crash if the vehicle stops due to no fuel.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires (EA12005) — opened Jun 12, 2012, closed Nov 14, 2014, led to recall 13V252000.
- Faulty gas gauge indicators (DP97003) — opened Jul 10, 1997, closed Nov 13, 1997, led to recall 97V194000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 jeep cherokee. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, both the driver side and passenger side air bags erroneously deployed. During the incident, the contact sustained a head injury which required medical emergency treatment. The cause of the failure was not…
Takata recall when i engage high beams or turn on my right blinker my hazards flash quickly in the back only. I have been pulled over multiple times due to this issue. Have had multifunction switch replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 jeep cherokee. Upon depressing the brake pedal, it traveled to the floorboard. The contact stated that there was a complete loss of brake power. The dealer (cueter chrysler jeep dodge ram in ypsilanti, michigan) was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not…
I went to a local dealer ship because i had looked up on this site my recalls one was brakes they did happily and would call me when the parts came in for the fuel it has been over a year and it's a 1997 how can they not get the parts to fix it yet i ran out of gas a total of 4 times on busy…
Vehicle has hard starts and frequent hesitation and stalling, at all speeds city street driving as well as highway driving. I have had a new distributor cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil, installed, yet symptoms persist. Sudden deceleration at highway speeds is a seriously dangerous condition. My…
Other Jeep Cherokee years
← 1996 Cherokee · 1998 Cherokee →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cherokee | 8 | 4 |
| 2023 Cherokee | 3 | 1 |
| 2022 Cherokee | 51 | 3 |
| 2021 Cherokee | 173 | 4 |
| 2020 Cherokee | 324 | 3 |
| 2019 Cherokee | 1,661 | 11 |
| 2018 Cherokee | 687 | 7 |
| 2017 Cherokee | 1,336 | 6 |
| 2016 Cherokee | 1,409 | 9 |
| 2015 Cherokee | 1,789 | 11 |
| 2014 Cherokee | 2,650 | 13 |
| 2006 Cherokee | 17 | 0 |
| 2001 Cherokee | 229 | 2 |
| 2000 Cherokee | 369 | 1 |
| 1999 Cherokee | 366 | 2 |
| 1998 Cherokee | 399 | 5 |
| 1997 | 390 | 4 |
| 1996 Cherokee | 447 | 6 |
| 1995 Cherokee | 608 | 6 |
See all Jeep Cherokee problems by year, every Jeep model, or the Jeep VIN decoder.
Similar Jeep models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, service brakes, hydraulic, fuel system, other problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 85 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Jeep Cherokee?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Jeep Cherokee a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cherokee model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.