IllustrationPOWER STEERING PRESSURE SWITCH FAILED (LOOSE AND LEAKING).
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
Power Train complaints
53 reportsDESIGN OF SKID PLATE OVER THE TRANSFER CASE AND EXHAUST CAUSES IT TO ACT LIKE A SHOVEL PAN CUTTING GRASS OFF ROAD AND DEPOSITING IT THERE CAUSING THE GRASS TO BURN.
THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER PULLED OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, IN 4WD, DISENGAGED WHILE CLIMBING STEEP HILL. THE ENGINE REVED UP THEN THE TRANMISSION RE-ENGAGED. THIS OCCURED WHILE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FULL TO THE UPPER MARK. PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR WHEN TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS OVER FILLED.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION WILL LOCK OUT 3RD GEAR WHEN TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT BETWEEN 20-35 MPH.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH AND SHIFTING GEARS, THE GEAR SHIFT CAME OFF IN DRIVER'S HAND, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. OWNER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM 3 OTHER TIMES. ALL TIMES THE PART WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP. *AK
I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY AND STARTING TO SLOW FOR THE MERGE AT THE END OF THE RAMP. I WAS IN FIFTH GEAR AND DOWNSHIFTING INTO FOURTH, WHEN I FOUND I COULD NO LONGER SHIFT. THE SHIFTER GOT STUCK IN NEUTRAL. LUCKILY THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AND THE LIGHT JUST AFTER THE MERGE WAS GREEN OR I WOULD NO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL OVER.…
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I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY AND STARTING TO SLOW FOR THE MERGE AT THE END OF THE RAMP. I WAS IN FIFTH GEAR AND DOWNSHIFTING INTO FOURTH, WHEN I FOUND I COULD NO LONGER SHIFT. THE SHIFTER GOT STUCK IN NEUTRAL. LUCKILY THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AND THE LIGHT JUST AFTER THE MERGE WAS GREEN OR I WOULD NO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL OVER. I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND POSSIBLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IT COULD HAVE ALSO HAPPEND ON THE HIGHWAY WITH WORSE POSSIBILITIES. THE JEEP HAS BEEN USED ONLY AS A CAR. NO OFF-ROADING OR TOWING. THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO MAINTAINED AS PER MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATION. I HAVE THAT DOCUMENTATION IF NEEDED.
POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT WOULD RESTART AFTER A FEW MINUTES. ON LAST INSTANCE, WHEN VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE ENGINE WENT TO 3000 RPMS AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO IDLE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH, WENT TO CHANGE GEAR WHEN STICK SHIFT CAME OUT ONTO CONSUMER'S HAND. SHIFT PULLED RIGHT OUT OF TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER THEN HAD TO TRY TO PUT SHIFT BACK IN AND DOWNSHIFTED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED SHIFT LEVER. *AK
4-WHEEL DRIVE INOPERABLE. IN ADDITION, DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT/GAS GAUGE FAILED, SHOWS TANK 1/4-1/2 FULL WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY OUT OF GAS/PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE VERY TIGHT AND SQUEAKY/ABS BRAKES SQUEAL LOUDLY/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING AND STICKS PRIOR TO RELEASING TO NEXT GEAR, AND SEAT BELT WA…
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4-WHEEL DRIVE INOPERABLE. IN ADDITION, DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT/GAS GAUGE FAILED, SHOWS TANK 1/4-1/2 FULL WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY OUT OF GAS/PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE VERY TIGHT AND SQUEAKY/ABS BRAKES SQUEAL LOUDLY/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING AND STICKS PRIOR TO RELEASING TO NEXT GEAR, AND SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM BUZZER SOUNDS AT TIMES UNEVEN AND LOUD WITH A SQUEAKING NOISE. *AK
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.