IllustrationWHEN PUTTING VEHICLE IN PARK AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES IT WILL GO INTO REVERSE, BUT THE LEVER IS STILL IN PARK. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK AT TIMES THE CAR WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL, BUT THE LEVER IS STILL IN PARK. THE HEAD LIGHTS ALSO SHORT OUT AT TIMES. I HAVE TO MOVE THE BLINKER HANDLE TO GET THEM ON AGAIN.*YD
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 reportsTHERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM. HOPW MANY DOES IT TAKE TO GET SOME ACTION. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
CLUTCH, FLYWHEEL ALL RELATED PARTS FAILED, WATER LEAKING ON PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR, CLOCK AND RADIO BROKE DEALER CANT FIX, SEAT BELTS WONT RETRACT, SWAY BARS COME LOOSE
DRIVERS SEAT BELT COMES UNDONE AT ANY SPEED EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE IT - A FEW TIMES EACH TIME YOU DRIVE IT, REAR CENTER MOUNTED TAIL LIGHT DOES NOT WORK, TAILGATE HINGES ARE EXTRREMELY DIFFICULT TO SHUT CAUSING THE TAILGATE TO NOT BE CLOSED PROPERLY ALL THE TIME, FRONT TURN SIGNAL SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS WET…
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DRIVERS SEAT BELT COMES UNDONE AT ANY SPEED EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE IT - A FEW TIMES EACH TIME YOU DRIVE IT, REAR CENTER MOUNTED TAIL LIGHT DOES NOT WORK, TAILGATE HINGES ARE EXTRREMELY DIFFICULT TO SHUT CAUSING THE TAILGATE TO NOT BE CLOSED PROPERLY ALL THE TIME, FRONT TURN SIGNAL SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS WET OUT- DEALER NOTIFIED AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE SOCKET (NOT A STOCK ITEM), THE BULBS ARE FINE IN THE BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL. *AK
EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED 6/21/01, LOCAL JEEP DEALER HAD NO RECALL, NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING A BETTER AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT MANIFOLD WHEN ON 7/19/01,WHILE STOPPED W/ ENGINE RUNNING, THE PLASTIC HYDRAULIC LINE FOR THE CLUTCH MELTED FROM THE EXCESSIVE HEAT, AND CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK
A PIPE THAT COMES FROM ENGINE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED. WHEN DRIVING IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK
ON 09/07/99 AS MY JEEP WRANGLER WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF MY BANK IT PROCEEDED TO ROLL BACKWARDS OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, ACROSS A BUSY STREET, AND INTO A CANAL ( DITCH). IT LANDED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND WAS SUBMERSED. IT TOOK TWO TOW TRUCKS AND 3 HOURS TO PULL IT OUT. ONCE AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP THEY INVESTIGATED TO SEE WH…
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ON 09/07/99 AS MY JEEP WRANGLER WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF MY BANK IT PROCEEDED TO ROLL BACKWARDS OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, ACROSS A BUSY STREET, AND INTO A CANAL ( DITCH). IT LANDED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND WAS SUBMERSED. IT TOOK TWO TOW TRUCKS AND 3 HOURS TO PULL IT OUT. ONCE AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP THEY INVESTIGATED TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS THE GEAR SHIFT ( WHICH HAD BEEN IN THE PARKED POSITION) BUT NEVER GAVE ANY SPECIFICS. MY INSURANCE AND I ENDED UP PAYING A TOTAL OF ABOUT $9,000 DOLLARS. THE REPAIRS TOOK A MONTH AND A HALF, IN WHICH MY INSURANCE PAID FOR A RENTAL CAR. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT HAVING THE POWERTRAIN INVESTIGATED BY AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC THEY OFFERED TO "SELL" IT TO ME FOR $1000 DOLLARS. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AND NEVER TO THIS DAY HAVE RECEIVED A REPLY. AFTER READING THE ARTCILE IN THE NEWSPAPER TODAY ABOUT THE DEFECTS IN THE GRAND CHEROKEES IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT MY JEEP AND WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. THE SITUATIONS WITH OTHERS WAS EXACTLY LIKE MY EXPERIENCE EXCEPT THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE WRANGLERS YEARS 1995-1999 ALSO FOR SIMILAR ACCIDENTS. THAT JEEP WAS MY FIRST VECHICLE AFTER GRADUATING COLLEGE, I HAD ALWAYS WANTED ONE. IT WAS THE FIRST AND WILL BE THE LAST JEEP I EVER OWN AFTER THAT HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I AM JUST SO THANKFUL THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED.*AK
HEATER BLOWER FAILED TO BLOW ON FRONT WINDSHIELD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION .*AK
WHTILE DRIVING OVER AN OVERPASS A VEHICLE MADE A LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF CONSUMER CAUSING A COLLISION, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SHOULDER STRAP DID NOT HOLD, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *SLC
GAS GUAGE GIVES AN INACCURATE READING OF AMOUNT OF FUEL IN VEHICLE. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *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.