IllustrationDT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED A FAULTY READING. THE GAUGE INDICATED A QUARTER TANK OF FUEL WAS AVAILABLE HOWEVER THE VEHICLE HAD RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE FUEL GAUGE COMPLETELY FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED.
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
Fuel System, Other complaints
17 reportsMY VEHICLE HAS RUN ROUGH, IDLING ROUGH, "BUCKING", LOSING COOLANT AND DRIPPING FROM THE TAILPIPE ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. I HAVE HAD MAJOR VALVE TRAIN PROBLEMS AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAMSHAFT REPLACED ALONG WITH THE GASKET, CYLINDER HEAD, CORE RETURN, RADIATOR AND NOW THE LATEST IS OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SENDIN…
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MY VEHICLE HAS RUN ROUGH, IDLING ROUGH, "BUCKING", LOSING COOLANT AND DRIPPING FROM THE TAILPIPE ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. I HAVE HAD MAJOR VALVE TRAIN PROBLEMS AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAMSHAFT REPLACED ALONG WITH THE GASKET, CYLINDER HEAD, CORE RETURN, RADIATOR AND NOW THE LATEST IS OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SENDING UNIT. OIL PRESSURE STILL SHOWING ZERO EVEN AFTER REPLACING SENDING UNIT! *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. *AK THE GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED (GAS READ EMPTY), THE VEHICLE JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY. DIFFERENT MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED (THERE WAS PINK FLUID IN THE BATTERY AREA), THE BELT PULLEY HAD FALLEN OFF AND THE …
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WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. *AK THE GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED (GAS READ EMPTY), THE VEHICLE JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY. DIFFERENT MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED (THERE WAS PINK FLUID IN THE BATTERY AREA), THE BELT PULLEY HAD FALLEN OFF AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, AND THE BATTERY FAILED. *SCC *JB
I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD MY JEEP WAS NOT MADE ON THE RIGHT DATE UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GAGE/SENDING UNIT FOR THE LAST (ALMOST) THREE YEARS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY JEEP IS NOT COVERED WHEN SO MANY MORE ARE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY GAGE SOMETIMES DOES NOT SHOW EMPTY…
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I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD MY JEEP WAS NOT MADE ON THE RIGHT DATE UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GAGE/SENDING UNIT FOR THE LAST (ALMOST) THREE YEARS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY JEEP IS NOT COVERED WHEN SO MANY MORE ARE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY GAGE SOMETIMES DOES NOT SHOW EMPTY WHEN IT IS AND SOMETIMES SHOWES EMPTY 100 MILES INTO THE FULL TANK. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVAL OTHER JEEP OWNERS AND SOME OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. YET, THE DEALERSHIPS SAY EVEN THOUGH SOME JEEPS ARE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL OTHERS ARE NOT. CRAZY!
THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED. THE CONSUMER HAD COME ACROSS SOME INFORMATION RELATING TO A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, HOWEVER, HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN. *JB *SCC
MY FUEL GAUGE SHOWS 1/4 TANK WHEN EMPTY- THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL IN '98 (NHTSA # 97V194003 & TSB # 755) FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR VEHICLE. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND ALSO THE MANUFACTURER, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE- IF IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/Y…
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MY FUEL GAUGE SHOWS 1/4 TANK WHEN EMPTY- THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL IN '98 (NHTSA # 97V194003 & TSB # 755) FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR VEHICLE. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND ALSO THE MANUFACTURER, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE- IF IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, AND I HAVE THE PROBLEM (OBVIOUSLY), THENI DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL- THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO REPORT THIS. *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
FUEL SENDING UNIT FOR RESERVE FUEL TANK IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. FUEL UNIT DOES NOT SHOW PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY RECALL 97V194003. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK
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
A/C FAILED. YH
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.