IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED REALLY HARD AND TOSSED CONSUMER AROUND A LITTLE. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *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
What owners actually said
401 reportsAT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE LOST POWER. WILL JERK REALLY HARD, AND PRESSING ON ACCELERATER HAS NO AFFECT. DEALER REPLACED FUEL RAIL, AND A WEEK LATER PROBLEM REOCCURED. *AK
UPON FILLING GAS TANK A GUSH OF GAS COMES FROM TOP CENTER OF TANK, CAUSING GAS TO RUN OVER THE SIDE OF VEHICLE AND THE GROUND. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE IS EQUIPED WITH THE GEN-3 SEATBELTS WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO COME UNLATCHED TO EASILY.*AK
THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT A PIECE OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS FLOATING AROUND, AND COULD BLOCK THE EXHAUST. DRIVER STATED VEHICLE STALLED AT 65 AS A RESULT. CONSUMER WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN 18 WHEELER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FREEZE PLUG CRACKED ON PERFECT DAY OF 70 DEGREES. ENGINE COOLANT LOST. THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT - 02 MPH IN REVERSE. :) IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, PERMENENT ENGINE DAMAGE COULD HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO OVERHEATING AND LEADING TO SEIZING.
ENGINE WAS VERY LOUD, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I ASKED IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WRANGER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALLS. CONTACTED A FEW JEEP CLUBS VIA THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CRACKING OF EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ON WRANGLERS IS VERY COMMON, TO…
Read full complaint
ENGINE WAS VERY LOUD, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I ASKED IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WRANGER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALLS. CONTACTED A FEW JEEP CLUBS VIA THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CRACKING OF EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ON WRANGLERS IS VERY COMMON, TO THE POINT THAT YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOUR'S DOESN'T CRACK, AND THAT THE MANIFOLD HAS SINCE BEEN REDESIGNED. I CONTACTED THE CRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER ON THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND IF IN FACT THE MANIFOLD WAS REDESIGNED AS I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WASN'T JUST INSTALLING ANOTHER DEFECTIVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THERE ARE AFTERMARKET EXHAUST MANIFOLDS THAT CARRY AN UNLIMITED WARRANTY AND ARE IN FACT LESS EXPENSIVE, UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS A HEAVY DEMAND FOR THEM WITH A LONG WAIT. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH ANY INFORMATION, JUST BOILER PLATE RESPONSES THANKING ME FOR CONTACTING THEM. I ORDERED A NEW REPLACEMENT EXHAUST MANIFOLD FROM THE DEALER, AND WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP, BOTH THE SERVICE AND PARTS MANAGERS INDICATED THAT THEY NEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WRANGLER EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKING. WHEN I ASKED IF THE MANIFOLD WAS REDESIGNED, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW. WHEN I GOT HOME AND OPENED THE BOX CONTAINING THE REPLACEMENT MANIFOLD, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS INDEED REDESIGNED! THEY ADDED BELLOWS THERMAL EXPANSION JOINTS IN THE FIRST AND SIXTH EXHAUST PIPES. APPARENTLY THE LENGTH OF THE MANIFOLD COUPLED WITH THERMAL EXPANSION, JUST RIPS APART THE MANIFOLD. WHILE I DID NOT HAVE A FIRE IN MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AS SOME HAVE HAD, THE UNDERSIDE OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS BLACK FROM THE LEAKING EXHAUST, AND WAS INDEED EVIDENT IN THE CAR WHEN DRIVING. REPEATED CONTACTS TO THE INTERNET CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE ENDED WITH THEM CUTTING OFF COMMUNICATION. I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE OLD AND THE REDESIGNED MANFOLD. I AM VERY DISAPOINTED IN HOW CHRYSLER HAS HANDLED THIS ISSUE.*AK
FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INDICATES SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FUEL IN RESERVE THAN ACTUALLY PRESENT. RECALL 97 V 194 000 HAS BEEN ISSUED ON VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
I HAVE AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN THIS JEEP. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 3RD GEER. IT HAS NEVER BEEN USED OFF ROAD. ITS MY DAUGHTERS CAR. SHE USES IT TO GO TO COLLEGE AND BACK HOME.*AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT FRONT BRAKES ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT WORK PROPERTY TO STOP VEHICLE, CONSUMER FEELS THAT BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE AND REQUESTS A DEFECT INVESTIGATION FOR POSSIBLE RECALL, DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *TT
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.