IllustrationTHE SEATBELTS IN MY CAR DO NOT FASTEN PROPERLY. THERE IS A GAP, NEXT TO THE CLIP, THAT IT GETS STUCK IN DUE TO ITS BAD DESIGN. FOR FEAR OF FAILURE, IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, I AM REPLACING ALL OF THEM.
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 reportsWHEN DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT UNLATCHED. CONSUMER NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *AK
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. *LA
DEPRESSING RED SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON DOES NOT RELEASE BELT. TWO HANDS ARE REQUIRED TO DISENGAGE CLIP FROM LATCH. PROCESS CANNOT BE DONE IN TIMELY MANNER.*AK
SEAT BELTS IN THE FRONT TO NOT RETRACT FULLY MOST TIMES. THIS CAUSES THE SEAT BELT TO GET CAUGHT BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE LATCH, THUS VISIBLY WEAKENING THE SEAT BELT. CONCERN IS THAT THIS WEAKENED SEAT BELT WILL NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING MY GORGEOUS BODY FROM FLYING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. *AK
FRONT SEAT BELTS COME UNLATCHED RANDOMLY. SEAT BELTS ARE FASTENED, THE AUDIBLE "CLICK" IS HEARD, THEN RANDOMLY, WILL COME UNLATCHED WITHOUT PROVOCATION OR WARNING. *JB
SEATBELT DOES NOT FULLY RETRACT, CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO GET CAUGHT IN DOOR.
TYPE 3 SEATBELTS INSTALLED AND THEY COME OPEN IF YOU LEAN ON THEM OR IF A OBJECT IN YOUR POCKET PRESSES ON THEM WHILE IN MOTION. DT
GEN 3 SEAT BELT RELEASED SEAT BELT WHEN I LEANED OVER AND HIT IT WITH MY ELBOW. THE CAR WAS PARKED AT THE TIME THAT IT HAPPENED.*AK
VEHICLE IS EQUIPED WITH THE GEN-3 SEATBELTS WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO COME UNLATCHED TO EASILY.*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.