IllustrationCONSUMERS HEARD LOUD MUFFLER NOISE. WHEN VEHICLE WAS DECELERATING IT WOULD START TO STALL. REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD AT A WELD. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
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 reportsCRACKS DEVELOPED IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. PATCHED/WELDED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIRS SHOP. LESS THEN 20,000 MILES, OTHER CRACKS APPEARED IN A DIFFEERENT LOCATION. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. BUT, REPAIRS WOULD STILL BE DONE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD HEARD LOUD NOISES AND NOTICED A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. FUMES/ODOR WERE GETTING INTO VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
ALL THREE FAILURES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. THE LATEST BEING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER FAILURES REPORTED. *AK
THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A "DESIGN" FLAW WITH ALL INLINE 6 CYL ENGINES. FURTHER MORE, THEY COULD REPAIR IT, BUT IT WOULD EVENTUALLY BREAK AGAIN. EVERYONE I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THAT HAS/HAD A JEEP AS ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM.
INTERMITTENTLY, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER WAS TOLD THAT CLOCK SPRING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 98V046000, AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT INCL…
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INTERMITTENTLY, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER WAS TOLD THAT CLOCK SPRING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 98V046000, AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE THIS VEHICLE DUE TO VIN. *AK *ML
EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE SEVERAL LARGE CRACKS, LUCKILY THE PROBLEM WAS CAUGHT BEFORE IT BROKE OFF. I STILL HAVE THE PART IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO EXAMINE IT. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER BY PHONE NUMEROUS TIMES AND ALSO SENT A LETTER WITH PHOTOS OF THE FAILED PART. THEY SAID IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I TALKED W…
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EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE SEVERAL LARGE CRACKS, LUCKILY THE PROBLEM WAS CAUGHT BEFORE IT BROKE OFF. I STILL HAVE THE PART IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO EXAMINE IT. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER BY PHONE NUMEROUS TIMES AND ALSO SENT A LETTER WITH PHOTOS OF THE FAILED PART. THEY SAID IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I TALKED WITH TWO MECHANICS WHO TOLD ME THE PART WAS PROBABLY DEFECTIVE SINCE THE JEEP WAS LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. I'M NOT SURE WHEN IT ACTUALLY STARTED TO FAIL, BUT A MECHANIC NOTICED IT IN AUGUST 1999 AND THAT'S WHEN I HAD IT REPAIRED.
NOTICED OIL LEAKING. HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT THE DEALER WHO PUT A NEW SEAL ON. AFTER A SECOND SEAL WAS PUT ON, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE TORQUE TURNING CHECKED ON THE REAR PINION GEAR. WAS TOLD THAT THE BEARINGS WERE ALL BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THEY HAD TO REBUILT THE REAR END. *AK *ML
CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT PRIOR TO30,000 MILES, HAD TO BE REPLACED ! GASKET CRACKED AT ONLY 37.500 MILES, LEAKING WATER INTO ENGINE, HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR HAS ONLY 37.500 HIGHWAY MILES !!!
I HAVE ONLY INCLUDED THE ONE DATE I CAN REMEMBER THAT JEEP WAS IN THE REPAIR SHOP. BUT, TO THIS DATE, AFTER JEEP WARMS UP AND THEN IS SHUT OFF FOR APPROX 20 MINUTES, IT HESITATES ON ACCELERATION. DEALER SAID COULDNT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. OIL GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO, THEN ENGINE KNOCKED & I SHUT OFF. DEALER SAID OIL PRESSURE OK, COULD…
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I HAVE ONLY INCLUDED THE ONE DATE I CAN REMEMBER THAT JEEP WAS IN THE REPAIR SHOP. BUT, TO THIS DATE, AFTER JEEP WARMS UP AND THEN IS SHUT OFF FOR APPROX 20 MINUTES, IT HESITATES ON ACCELERATION. DEALER SAID COULDNT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. OIL GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO, THEN ENGINE KNOCKED & I SHUT OFF. DEALER SAID OIL PRESSURE OK, COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROB. IT STILL DROPS BELOW 20 SOMETIMES, BUT NOT ZERO AGAIN. I HAVE HAD MANIFOLD BOLTS REPLACED TWICE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED ONCE. WATER LEAKS ON PASSENGER SIDE & DRIVERS SEAT BELT GETS CAUGHT IN DOOR LATCH.
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.