IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THIS VEHICLE SWERVED AND LOST CONTROL, WENT INTO A DITCH FRONT FIRST AND FLIPPED OVER. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DECLARED TOTALED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
1997 Jeep Wrangler
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Jeep Wrangler do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 265.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Wrangler years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 71 of 401 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
32 crash reports5 fire reports19 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
46 reportsWHIKE DRIVING AT 65MPH ON INTERSTATE TRANSFER CASE CAME APART AND FRONT DRIVESHAFT FELL OUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED,WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON, WASHER SQUIRTED, DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BUSTED THE WINDSHIELD, AND THE FACE OF THE PASSENGER. HER JAW IS BROKEN IN THREE PLACES AND HER FOUR UPPER TE…
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WHIKE DRIVING AT 65MPH ON INTERSTATE TRANSFER CASE CAME APART AND FRONT DRIVESHAFT FELL OUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED,WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON, WASHER SQUIRTED, DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BUSTED THE WINDSHIELD, AND THE FACE OF THE PASSENGER. HER JAW IS BROKEN IN THREE PLACES AND HER FOUR UPPER TEETH WERE REMOVED FROM THEIR SOCKETS. SHE REQUIRED EXTENSIVE RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, AND IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL. NOOTHERS OBJECTS OR VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED. THE DRIVER BEAT THE AIRBAG DOWN AND SAFELY PARKED THE CAR IN THE MEDIAN. WHY DID AIRBAGS DEPLOY AND WITH SUCH FORCE? *AK
CONTACTED CHRYSLER CONCERNING MY PROBLEMS, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT MY AIRBAGS THE FIRST TIME, I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE SENT ARBITRATION PAPERWORK AND NEVER WAS. WHEN I CALLED BACK, I WAS TOLD THAT AN INSPECTOR SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT TO LOOK AT MY CAR BEFORE IT WAS REPAIRED AND THAT I…
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CONTACTED CHRYSLER CONCERNING MY PROBLEMS, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT MY AIRBAGS THE FIRST TIME, I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE SENT ARBITRATION PAPERWORK AND NEVER WAS. WHEN I CALLED BACK, I WAS TOLD THAT AN INSPECTOR SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT TO LOOK AT MY CAR BEFORE IT WAS REPAIRED AND THAT IT WAS "TOO LATE NOW" TO DO ANYTHING. I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT AN INSPECTOR OR ANYONE ELSE COULD BE INVOLVED WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED CHRYSLER. I AM FURIOUS AND FRUSTRATED AND NEED HELP WITH THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. *AK
AT 9773 MILES AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL GAUGES INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER SHOWED ZERO. WHEN VEHICLE HITS BUMP WHILE DRIVING, GAGUES COME BACK ONLY TO EVENTUALLY READ ZERO AGAIN. ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE JULY 1998 AND DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. BEEN TO DEALER 8 TIMES SINCE INITIAL PROBLEM, AND STILL HAVE SAME PROBLEM …
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AT 9773 MILES AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL GAUGES INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER SHOWED ZERO. WHEN VEHICLE HITS BUMP WHILE DRIVING, GAGUES COME BACK ONLY TO EVENTUALLY READ ZERO AGAIN. ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE JULY 1998 AND DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. BEEN TO DEALER 8 TIMES SINCE INITIAL PROBLEM, AND STILL HAVE SAME PROBLEM AS OF APRIL 1999. NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE DEALER IS NO HELP AT ALL. EVERYTIME THEY FIX PROBLEM, HAPPENS A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER AGAIN. *AK
FUEL PUMP FAILED.
RON FORD REPORTS THAT THE STEERING MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND VEHICLE GOES STRAIGHT AHEAD WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN. DEALER CONTACTED, AND NO ATTEMPTS MADE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, HIT A BOULDER, AT 35-40 MPH, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. NO RE…
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RON FORD REPORTS THAT THE STEERING MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND VEHICLE GOES STRAIGHT AHEAD WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN. DEALER CONTACTED, AND NO ATTEMPTS MADE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, HIT A BOULDER, AT 35-40 MPH, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. PROVIDED FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO DITCH NOSE FIRST, ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
DURING VEHICLE COLLISION NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG.
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING VEHICLE COLLISION, VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35MPH ON IMPACT,MOTORCYCLE CROSSED THE CENTER LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND STRUCK THE JEEP HEAD-ON, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED, INJURY TO CONSUMERS. *ET
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. VEHICLE HAD DIRECT FRONTAL DAMAGE. ALSO ON FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF VEHICLE. DRIVERS SPEED AT TIME OF ACCIDENT WAS 45 MPH.
Official recalls
398V046000 · Air Bags:frontal
Mar 10, 1998
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY INCREASING THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING IN THESE AIR BAGS.
97V080000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
May 16, 1997
THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DESIGN ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED MODULE.
96V060000 · Air Bags
Apr 8, 1996
THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (AECM) SOFTWARE CONTAINS AN ERROR WHICH CAN DELAY THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN CERTAIN CRASH SITUATIONS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DELAYED DEPLOYMENT CAN CAUSE INCREASED INJURY TO FRONT SEAT VEHICLE OCCUPANTS IN A COLLISION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE ON THESE VEHICLES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.