IllustrationCONSUMER STATES EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE IS NOT HOLDING CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL. *JB
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 reportsTHE DIRVER'S SIDE MIRROR DOESN'T STICK WELL, SO WHEN YOU DRIVE AROUND IT EASILY MOVES, AND DRIVER CAN'T SEE THE CARS BESIDES HIM. HAS TO LOOK BACK WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS.*AK
LEAK ON PASSENGER SIDE. FLOOR GETS WET WHEN IT RAINS OR AIR CONDITIONER IS ON. MAUNFACTURER SAID THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CLOGGED VENTS. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO SO MANY OTHER JEEP OWNERS, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED MORE OF A DESIGN FLAW.*AK
PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR - WATER SEEPS THROUGH AND IN COLD WEATHER ICES UP THE INTERIOR LATCH ASSEMBLY RENDERING THE DOOR UNOPENIBLE CONDITION PERSISTS UNTIL ICE MELTS. *AK
DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS VIBRATIONS START AT 40 MPH AND ENTIRE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY , ACTUALLY BOUNCING FRONT END OFF OF ROAD MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RETAIN CONTROL. PROBLEM IS BEING REFERRED TO AMONG OWNERS AS "DEATH WOBBLE". ALL COMPONENTS CHECKED, REPLACED AND/OR REPAIRED WITHOUT ANY IMPROVEMENT. MAJOR PROBLEM FOR J…
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DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS VIBRATIONS START AT 40 MPH AND ENTIRE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY , ACTUALLY BOUNCING FRONT END OFF OF ROAD MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RETAIN CONTROL. PROBLEM IS BEING REFERRED TO AMONG OWNERS AS "DEATH WOBBLE". ALL COMPONENTS CHECKED, REPLACED AND/OR REPAIRED WITHOUT ANY IMPROVEMENT. MAJOR PROBLEM FOR JEEP OWNERS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL. COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 40 MHP.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ALL SPEEDS AND WHEN HITTING A BUMP/ HOLE VEHICLE STARTED VIBRATING AND SHAKING, VEHICLE WAS UNSTABLE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED 1/8" HORIZONTALLY, VEHICLE NOT SHOWING SIGNS OF OVERHEATING, DEALERSHIP AND TWO MUFFLER SHOPS CONTACTED--ALL INDICATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE '1997S STARTING AROUND 60K MILES. *AK
I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR,AT FIRST,I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN AND TRIED TO DOWN SHIFT WHEN THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR,IT WAS LOCKED UP TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT 5TH GEAR WAS CRACKED AND LOCKED UP ALL THE SHAFTS IN THE TRANSMISION. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING INTO S…
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I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR,AT FIRST,I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN AND TRIED TO DOWN SHIFT WHEN THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR,IT WAS LOCKED UP TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT 5TH GEAR WAS CRACKED AND LOCKED UP ALL THE SHAFTS IN THE TRANSMISION. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES AND THEY SAID THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. *AK
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LEAK FROM THE TRANSFER CASE AND OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. NLM
TRANSFER CASE BROKE APART FROM VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*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.