IllustrationDRIVER SIDE SEATBELT CONNECTOR IS BROKEN. *YC
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
Seat Belts complaints
35 reportsTHE SEAT BELT WON'T RETRACT THEREFORE THE BELT GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LATCH. THE BELT BECOMES FRAYED AS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGE. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE. AFTER 4 VISITS TO THE DEALER, THE PART WAS REPLACED ON 9/9/1998 AT 46,889 MI.
WHILE LEAVING WORK STILL IN PARKING LOTAND DRIVING TOWARDS AN EXIT, ANOTHE RVEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT AND CONSUMER REARENDED THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S CHEST HIT STEERING WHEEL, BUT SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN ACCIDENT. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT, AND WHEN EXITING VEHICLE THE EXCESS IS EITHER IN THE DOOR OR NEAR THE LATCH. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINTS DO NOT RETRACT, CAUSING THE METAL TO TEAR A HOLE IN THE SEAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RESTRAINTS. THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT WILL NOT RETRACT. ALSO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE RESTRAINTS. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTATED. *AK
SEAT BELT CATCHES ON DOOR LATCH, DOOR CLOSES ON THE BELT AND WILL WEAR A HOLE IN THE BELT MATERIAL. QCAW
SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT FULLY WHEN RELEASED, ALLOWING THEM TO BE CAUGHT IN DOOR LATCH. VISIBLE DAMAGE TO BELTS - THREAD SEPARATIONS.
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT OFFER RESTRAINT IN NORMAL OPERATIONS.
RIGHT FROM SHOULDER HARNESS IS LOOSE AND GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LATCH WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED CAUSING A HOLE TO BE TORN IN THE WEBBING OF THE HARNESS.
UNSPECIFIED: DELAYED DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG IN ACCIDENT.
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.