IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THIS VEHICLE SWERVED AND LOST CONTROL, WENT INTO A DITCH FRONT FIRST AND FLIPPED OVER. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DECLARED TOTALED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *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 reportsCONTINUOS PROBLEM WITH CAR CUTTING OUT AND BACKFIRING WHEN ATTEMPTING ACCELERATION AFTER WARMING UP THEN COOLING DOWN 20MINUTES
VEHICLE HAS WAS REPAIRED TWICE UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL CONCERNING FUEL SENDING UNIT TWICE. CONSUMER STILL MISREADS THE AMOUNT OF FUEL . THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD DEVELOPED CRACKS & HOLES & HAD TO BE REPLACED. HAD TAKEN TO MECHANIC & WAS INFORMED A POSSIBLITY MANIFOLD WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN IT CAME FROM MANUFACTURER. *AK
FUEL TANK MOUNTED FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT ACCURACY DEGRADED OVER TIME INDICATING MORE FUEL IN RESERVE THAN IS ACTUALLY PRESENT RESULTING IN COMSUMER RUNNING OUT OF GAS. NLM
SERVICE CENTER CAN NOT REMOVE REAR WHEELS TO REPLACE TIRES. *AK
MULTIPLE FAILURES SINCE SEPTEMBER, 1998. AFTER WARM-UP, THEN 20 MINUTE COOL -DOWN, CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE, BACKFIRES AND OFF TO NOTHING, THEN CATCHES AND GOES. HAVE REPLACED FUEL PUMP, ENGINE CRANK SENSOR AND $700 TUNEUP DONE- NO LUCK
FOR GUAGE PROBLEM, ALL DASH GUAGES INTERMITTENTLY DROP TO ZERO AND AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. HITTING A BUMP OR TOP OF DASHBOARD FIXES PROBLEM. FOR #2, OIL PRESSURE DROPS TO ZERO WHEN IDLING IN TRAFFIC IN WARM WEATHER OR AFTER LONG PERIODS OF HIGHWAY DRIVING.
FUEL GAUGE CONTINUES FALSE READING AFTER DEALER REPAIRS. *AK
ENGINE HARNESS BAD IN VEHICLE.VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR LOTS OF PROBLEMS SINCE NEW.THE LATEST IS THE HARNESS PROBLEM.THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES, AND IS AT PRESENT TIME IS STILL AT DEALER.THEY HAVE HAD IT GOING ON THREE WEEKS NOW.NO ONE CAN FIND THE PROPER PARTS OR A CORRECT WAY OF FIXING IT.I HAVE CONTACTED…
Read full complaint
ENGINE HARNESS BAD IN VEHICLE.VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR LOTS OF PROBLEMS SINCE NEW.THE LATEST IS THE HARNESS PROBLEM.THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES, AND IS AT PRESENT TIME IS STILL AT DEALER.THEY HAVE HAD IT GOING ON THREE WEEKS NOW.NO ONE CAN FIND THE PROPER PARTS OR A CORRECT WAY OF FIXING IT.I HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER MORE TIMES THEN I CARE TO RECALL,BUT STILL THE SAME ANSWER THAT THEY ARE TRYING EVERYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.THIS LAST TIME 2 WIRES IN ENGINE HARNESS MELTED,I FEEL THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE.IF YOU CAN HELP IN ANYWAY I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT,THANK YOU JAMES HAVEN. *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.