1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand Cherokee years
- About as many complaints as other years 13th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 991 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That ranks 13th out of 32 Grand Cherokee model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (254 complaints, 26%), typically at around 95,000 miles. Complaints mention 112 crashes, 17 fires, 89 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
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- 991owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 112complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Jeep Grand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 254 | 26% | 95,000 | “jumped park” (7%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 163 | 16% | 82,000 | “brake rotors” (17%) | $1,350 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 150 | 15% | 95,000 | “sending unit” (25%) | — |
| Fuel System, Other problems | 117 | 12% | 107,057 | “gas gauge” (43%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 81 | 8% | 119,000 | “exhaust manifold” (6%) | — |
| Structure problems | 61 | 6% | 142,500 | “fuel gasoline structure” (41%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 56 | 6% | 151,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 47 | 5% | 141,200 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 46 | 5% | 166,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 43 | 4% | 105,834 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 36 | 4% | 135,298 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 36 | 4% | 115,002 | — | — |
| Equipment | 29 | 3% | 108,604 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 28 | 3% | 110,002 | — | — |
| Visibility | 28 | 3% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 16 | 2% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 15 | 2% | 158,289 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 1% | 150,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 13 | 1% | 100,003 | — | — |
| Seats | 12 | 1% | 108,934 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 8 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 5 | 1% | 100,003 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 0% | 225,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 0% | 132,520 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 0% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure; fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The fuel tanks in these vehicles are at risk of failure and leakage in certain rear impacts.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Owners may take their vehicles to dealers and the dealers will perform a free inspection of the rear structure. On vehicles in the recall that are not equipped with a tow hitch, Chrysler will install a Chrysler designed tow hitch free of charge, provided the condition of the vehicle can support proper installation. On vehicles in the recall that are equipped with an aftermarket tow hitch, Chrysler will assess whether the hitch and surrounding areas show evidence of sharp edges or other puncture risks. If so, Chrysler will replace the tow hitch with a Chrysler designed tow hitch free of charge, provided the condition of the vehicle can support proper installation. On vehicles already equipped with a Chrysler designed tow hitch, Chrysler will inspect the area around the tow hitch installation, and if any installation issues are identified, they will be repaired free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign numbers are N45 (for the Grand Cherokee vehicles) and N46 (for the Liberty vehicles).
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, if a driver has not placed the shifter lever fully into the "park" position and leaves the vehicle running, the vehicle may unexpectedly move rearward after seeming to be stable.
Risk: Inadvertent movement of the vehicle could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a secondary detent system to the floor shifter assembly. Daimlerchrysler sent interim notices to owners concerning this problem on march 22, 2002. Owner notification began september 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
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.
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.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: The electrical circuit design allows the potential for an inadvertent air bag deployment upon vehicle ignition shut down.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module with a newly designed module.
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.
- Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires (PE10031) — opened Aug 23, 2010, closed Jun 14, 2012.
- Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires (DP09005) — opened Nov 6, 2009, closed Aug 23, 2010.
- Hood latch failure (EA02029) — opened Oct 16, 2002, closed Feb 10, 2004.
- Hood latch (PE02045) — opened May 17, 2002, closed Oct 16, 2002.
- Roll-away in reverse when parked (EA01017) — opened Nov 1, 2001, closed Dec 18, 2002, led to recall 02V053000.
- Inadvertent rollaway in reverse park (PE01021) — opened Jun 28, 2001, closed Nov 1, 2001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, prompting her to attempt to stop the vehicle. After which, with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to…
I purchased this vehicle and noticed the fuel gauge was fluctuating excessively so i check if there were any recalls for this vehicle . When entering vehicles vin # it states 0 opened recalls for this vehicle, not sure if it was previously repaired. Please help me resolve this issue. Electrical…
The horn on my 1997 jeep grand cherokee stopped working a year ago, affecting my ability to warn others of safety issues. Mechanics tell me the horn "button" is embedded in the safety airbag in the steering wheel and can only be fixed by replacing the entire, costly airbag. That can be hundreds of…
Ecm has a fault circuit board per dealer and needs replacing . Causes completer power failure and engine will quit running , all electrical goes out -- no lights at night or emergency flashers -- and power brakes fail to work . This happens at any time , stopped or on the road .
Vehicle will stall at time when just driving along on city streets
Other Jeep Grand Cherokee years
← 1996 Grand Cherokee · 1998 Grand Cherokee →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Grand Cherokee | 25 | 6 |
| 2025 Grand Cherokee | 76 | 4 |
| 2024 Grand Cherokee | 249 | 16 |
| 2023 Grand Cherokee | 397 | 21 |
| 2022 Grand Cherokee | 264 | 13 |
| 2021 Grand Cherokee | 409 | 12 |
| 2020 Grand Cherokee | 240 | 3 |
| 2019 Grand Cherokee | 370 | 7 |
| 2018 Grand Cherokee | 855 | 10 |
| 2017 Grand Cherokee | 364 | 5 |
| 2016 Grand Cherokee | 311 | 8 |
| 2015 Grand Cherokee | 1,366 | 9 |
| 2014 Grand Cherokee | 2,381 | 18 |
| 2013 Grand Cherokee | 804 | 9 |
| 2012 Grand Cherokee | 1,644 | 10 |
| 2011 Grand Cherokee | 1,640 | 6 |
| 2010 Grand Cherokee | 118 | 5 |
| 2009 Grand Cherokee | 138 | 2 |
| 2008 Grand Cherokee | 734 | 4 |
| 2007 Grand Cherokee | 1,108 | 5 |
| 2006 Grand Cherokee | 1,280 | 4 |
| 2005 Grand Cherokee | 2,051 | 3 |
| 2004 Grand Cherokee | 1,295 | 8 |
| 2003 Grand Cherokee | 762 | 4 |
| 2002 Grand Cherokee | 1,476 | 10 |
| 2001 Grand Cherokee | 883 | 4 |
| 2000 Grand Cherokee | 1,447 | 6 |
| 1999 Grand Cherokee | 1,638 | 4 |
| 1998 Grand Cherokee | 1,028 | 4 |
| 1997 | 991 | 5 |
| 1996 Grand Cherokee | 893 | 6 |
| 1995 Grand Cherokee | 719 | 4 |
See all Jeep Grand Cherokee problems by year, every Jeep model, or the Jeep VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners most often report power train, service brakes, hydraulic, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 254 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Grand 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.