IllustrationWHILE STARTING. ENGINE STARTS ACCELERATES AND DIES.
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
9 reportsVEHICLE WOULD LOSE PRESSURE AND WOULD HESITATE. EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. THIS CAUSED A LEAKAGE. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND INFORMED CONSUMER HE COULD HEAR/ SEE CRACK. HAD THROTTLE SENSOR REPLACED. CONTACTED DISTRICT MANAGER, MARK HIGHLAND, AND WAS INFORMED THAT EXHAUST MANIFOLD WOULD BE REPLACED IF OWNER PAYED FOR MAINTENANCE…
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VEHICLE WOULD LOSE PRESSURE AND WOULD HESITATE. EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. THIS CAUSED A LEAKAGE. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND INFORMED CONSUMER HE COULD HEAR/ SEE CRACK. HAD THROTTLE SENSOR REPLACED. CONTACTED DISTRICT MANAGER, MARK HIGHLAND, AND WAS INFORMED THAT EXHAUST MANIFOLD WOULD BE REPLACED IF OWNER PAYED FOR MAINTENANCE. IT WAS AN ALTERNATIVE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING UP HILLS VEHICLE ONLY TRAVELS UP TO 45 MPH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONTINUOS PROBLEM WITH CAR CUTTING OUT AND BACKFIRING WHEN ATTEMPTING ACCELERATION AFTER WARMING UP THEN COOLING DOWN 20MINUTES
IN THE MORNING THE VEHICLE WOULD BACKFIRE ANDWHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AFTER IT SITS FOR 20 MINUTES. NOW THE DEALER HAS REPLACED A EXHAUST MANIFOLD /CATALYTIC CONVERTER/TPS SENSOR/AIR INTAKE HOUSING,A BROKEN STUD IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO HEAD ASSEMBLY, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR AND I GET THE SAME REPLY I CAN'T…
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IN THE MORNING THE VEHICLE WOULD BACKFIRE ANDWHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AFTER IT SITS FOR 20 MINUTES. NOW THE DEALER HAS REPLACED A EXHAUST MANIFOLD /CATALYTIC CONVERTER/TPS SENSOR/AIR INTAKE HOUSING,A BROKEN STUD IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO HEAD ASSEMBLY, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR AND I GET THE SAME REPLY I CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM OR IT'S IN THE COMPUTER. THIS WAS ALL TAKEN CARE OFF, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXSISTS. I'VE TALKED ATO A LAWYER AND HE COULDN'T HELP ME. MAYBE YOU CAN AS THIS DOES CAUSE A FLAME TO COME OUT OF THE INTAKE. AND NOW IT'S GETTING WORSE NOW IT'S WHEN I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD A 25 - 30 MPH. WHAT CAN I DO? PLEASE HELP, SCARED TO DRIVE IT MIGHT EXPLODE THE ENGINE WHILE I'M DRIVING WITH MY SON OR GIRLFRIEND. *AK
VEHICLE'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD SUDDEN UNWANTED ACCELERATION, THE CAR COUL NOT STOP. THE DRIVER PUT IT IN NEUTRAL THEN IT SLOWED DOWN. *AK
THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKES PEDAL ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER THAT WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO SLAM ON BRAKES HIS FOOT WAS ON BOTH PEDALS. THS CONDITION RESULTED IN A SMALL ACCIDENT. *AK *JB
STOPPED BEHIND THREE OR FOUR VEHICLES AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE CONSUMER FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAIL. *AK
APPLIED BRAKES, VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, AND TRANSMISSION WILL DOWN SHIFT WHILE DRIVING TO A COMPLETE STO. *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.