1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 163 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake rotors” (17% of reports).
- 163service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 82,000median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Brake rotors: mentioned in 27 of 163 complaints (17%)
- Requesting reimbursement: mentioned in 11 of 163 complaints (7%)
- Brakes applied: mentioned in 11 of 163 complaints (7%)
- Front rear: mentioned in 9 of 163 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee at $1,350, and half of them between $1,250 and $1,900.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2002), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 163 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Jeep Grand Cherokee service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Grand Cherokee | 4 | 1% | 35,000 |
| 2021 Grand Cherokee | 3 | 1% | 34,000 |
| 2019 Grand Cherokee | 64 | 17% | 65,000 |
| 2018 Grand Cherokee | 32 | 4% | 73,750 |
| 2016 Grand Cherokee | 3 | 1% | 26,000 |
| 2014 Grand Cherokee | 17 | 1% | 9,176 |
| 2013 Grand Cherokee | 11 | 1% | 71,000 |
| 2012 Grand Cherokee | 30 | 2% | 32,500 |
| 2011 Grand Cherokee | 27 | 2% | 72,000 |
| 2010 Grand Cherokee | 2 | 2% | 17,886 |
| 2009 Grand Cherokee | 2 | 1% | 38,500 |
| 2008 Grand Cherokee | 2 | 0% | 47,000 |
| 2007 Grand Cherokee | 10 | 1% | 12,500 |
| 2006 Grand Cherokee | 12 | 1% | 24,000 |
| 2005 Grand Cherokee | 32 | 2% | 15,000 |
| 2004 Grand Cherokee | 142 | 11% | 16,300 |
| 2003 Grand Cherokee | 64 | 8% | 18,840 |
| 2002 Grand Cherokee | 153 | 10% | 19,000 |
| 2001 Grand Cherokee | 196 | 22% | 25,608 |
| 2000 Grand Cherokee | 418 | 29% | 26,960 |
| 1999 Grand Cherokee | 595 | 36% | 34,000 |
| 1998 Grand Cherokee | 152 | 15% | 47,250 |
| 1997 Grand Cherokee | 163 | 16% | 82,000 |
| 1996 Grand Cherokee | 105 | 12% | 112,000 |
| 1995 Grand Cherokee | 89 | 12% | 104,552 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 jeep grand cherokee. While driving approximately 45 mph on normal road conditions, the engine stalled intermittently. The vehicle restarted after several attempts and the engine and brake warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The indicators remained lit…
Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 chrysler jeep grand cherokee. The abs warning light came on when it snowed and the abs will not engage. This occurred since the contact purchased the vehicle, approximately 2 years ago. The repair shop could not t diagnose the failure. The dealer stated that if the abs…
Took jeep to dealer on jan 22 07 for abs light check. Was notified my dealer that there was a recall on my car for secondary detent system recall bo2. Dealer serviced detent recall malfunction. When i picked up the car the automatic shift lever would not go down to 1st and 2nd gear, it was being…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokees have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 163 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee (16% of the 991 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 82,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,350 (half paid between $1,250 and $1,900), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The most frequent phrase is “brake rotors”, in 27 of 163 complaints, followed by “requesting reimbursement” (11).
Other 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
See all 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Grand Cherokee years.