1997 Jeep Wrangler Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Wrangler years
- About as many complaints as other years 18th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 401 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Jeep Wrangler. That ranks 18th out of 32 Wrangler model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (109 complaints, 27%), typically at around 73,000 miles. Complaints mention 32 crashes, 5 fires, 25 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 401owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 32complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Jeep Wrangler 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 109 | 27% | 73,000 | “exhaust manifold” (41%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 53 | 13% | 73,815 | “transfer case” (11%) | — |
| Air Bags | 46 | 11% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 39 | 10% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 35 | 9% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 31 | 8% | 72,798 | — | — |
| Structure | 29 | 7% | 95,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 27 | 7% | 115,949 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 22 | 5% | 84,758 | — | — |
| Visibility | 21 | 5% | 34,800 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 17 | 4% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 4% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 14 | 3% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 9 | 2% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 1% | 157,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 65,518 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 0% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0% | 113,077 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Jeep Wrangler recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle. The driver's side air bag 'clock spring' wiring harness can break when turned to the 'full lock' turn position.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the air bag may not deploy increasing the risk of serious injury to the occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the clock spring in these air bags.
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.
Air bags
Problem: The air bag electronic control module (aecm) software contains an error which can delay the air bag deployment in certain crash situations.
Risk: Delayed deployment can cause increased injury to front seat vehicle occupants in a collision.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module on these vehicles.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
There have been 2 instances of the stem leaking air seemingly out of nowhere on 2 of the 5 tires within a year of installation. Both leaks were noticed after I had finished a drive. The service center we purchased the tires from has repaired 1 of them a few months ago and is currently repairing the…
Fuel guache govea inaccurate reading and drops to empty when the tank is half full. Contacted the local jeep dealer twice on having this part replaced and each time they tell me they will call me back but they have not.
I experienced sudden acceleration when at a complete stop with foot on break. Throttle went very high and propelled car forwarded even when pushing the breaks penal down as hard as i could. There is no way i pushed down on the wrong pedal. The breaks could not hold the car stopped. This is…
After hitting bumps in the road the steering seems like it wobbles entire vehicle.
Right after i bought the jeep i started having problems but when i called the owner he said its a buy as is, no warranty, he didn't offer to help with anything and being disabled i had no other choice but to get engine fixed, transmission, clutch, the entire electric system, no ac, no heat or…
Other Jeep Wrangler years
← 1996 Wrangler · 1998 Wrangler →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Wrangler | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 Wrangler | 71 | 4 |
| 2024 Wrangler | 741 | 11 |
| 2023 Wrangler | 368 | 14 |
| 2022 Wrangler | 404 | 15 |
| 2021 Wrangler | 949 | 15 |
| 2020 Wrangler | 613 | 12 |
| 2019 Wrangler | 743 | 9 |
| 2018 Wrangler | 1,824 | 14 |
| 2017 Wrangler | 311 | 5 |
| 2016 Wrangler | 461 | 5 |
| 2015 Wrangler | 476 | 3 |
| 2014 Wrangler | 657 | 4 |
| 2013 Wrangler | 654 | 6 |
| 2012 Wrangler | 835 | 9 |
| 2011 Wrangler | 485 | 10 |
| 2010 Wrangler | 686 | 10 |
| 2009 Wrangler | 372 | 6 |
| 2008 Wrangler | 873 | 7 |
| 2007 Wrangler | 558 | 8 |
| 2006 Wrangler | 730 | 3 |
| 2005 Wrangler | 650 | 1 |
| 2004 Wrangler | 192 | 1 |
| 2003 Wrangler | 98 | 0 |
| 2002 Wrangler | 108 | 2 |
| 2001 Wrangler | 170 | 3 |
| 2000 Wrangler | 251 | 1 |
| 1999 Wrangler | 213 | 1 |
| 1998 Wrangler | 265 | 2 |
| 1997 | 401 | 3 |
| 1996 Wrangler | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 Wrangler | 202 | 1 |
See all Jeep Wrangler 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 Wrangler?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, power train, air bags problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 109 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Jeep Wrangler?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Jeep Wrangler a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Wrangler 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.