TroubleCAR
64
Trouble

1997 Jeep Wrangler

Complaints: 401Avg mileage: 91,234 miSince: Apr 1996
6 deathsCrashFire25 injured

Problem Areas

Exhaust System: Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
42
Air Bags
23
Engine: Gasoline
23
Engine and Engine Cooling:Exhaust System
23
Air Bags:Frontal
22
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
15
Unknown or Other
15
Front: Retractor
13
Emission Control: Catalytic Convertor
12
Suspension
12

Complaints Over Time

Recent Complaints

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Oct 15, 1998BURLINGTON, WI
1 deathCrash2 injured

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING VEHICLE COLLISION, VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35MPH ON IMPACT,MOTORCYCLE CROSSED THE CENTER LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND STRUCK THE JEEP HEAD-ON, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED, INJURY TO CONSUMERS. *ET

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Nov 8, 1996BERNIE, MO
1 deathCrash

DRIVING 55MPH, RAN OFF ROAD INTO AN EMBANKMENT DURING CRASH 10:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, VEHICLE ROLLED THREE TIMES, DUAL AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD AND CHEST INJURIES, THEN DIED. *AK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Mar 22, 1999CHARLESTON, SC
CrashFire

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

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Jun 29, 2006SAVANNAH, GA
Crash1 injured

MY HUSBAND WAS REAR-ENDED WHILE DRIVING THE 1997 JEEP WRANGLER. HIS SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARD DURING THE IMPACT RESULTING IN HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE ROLL BAR AND AN EXAGGERATED FLEXION-EXTENSION OF HIS NECK AND BACK AS HIS THE SUPPORT (THE SEAT) BASICALLY DISAPPEARED. *NM

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
Dec 31, 2001LUDLOW, MA
Crash1 injured

CAR WAS PARKED AND IT JUMPED OUT OF GEAR INTO REVERSE AND HIT AIR PUMP AT THE GAS STATION. *AK

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Aug 15, 2001CINCINNATI, OH
Crash1 injured

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DIRECTLY INTO A SMALL CONCRETE POST. BUMBER WAS FORCED BACK CAUSING ENGINE AND FRAME DAMAGE. DRIVER HEAD STRUCK WINDSHIELD OF VEHICLE. DRIVER (COMPLAINANT) WAS OPERATING VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AND HAD NOT PLACED SEAT BELT ON AT TIME OF CRASH. FACE WENT INTO WINDSHIELD BREAKING WINDSHIELD AND COMPL. NOSE. IT WAS OPINION OF POLICE, DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL, AND OTHERS THAT THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITH SUCH A SEVERE FRONT END CRASH. DAIMLERCHRYSLER WAS WRITTEN TO AND A SUBJECT MET COMP AT DEALERSHIP AND TOOK COMPUTER READINGS OF VEHICLE. NO ANALYSIS WAS GIVEN TO COMPL EXCEPT FOR WRITTEN CORRESPONDANCE FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER (A.L. GILBERT -SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR) THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STRIKE THE APPROPRIATE "CRUSH" AND "CRUNCH" ZONES TO OPERATE AIRBAG. WE CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A FRONT END IMPACT INTO A POLE WITH 8000 DAMAGE AND THE DRIVERS FACE HITTING AND BREAKING THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT ENOUGH OF AN IMPACT TO CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. WE HAVE WRITTEN DAIMLERCHRYSLER TWICE ASKING FOR THE READINGS FROM THE COMPUTER AND NO ONE WILL RESPOND. WE ALSO STILL DO NOT KNOW IF THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IF ANOTHER ACCIDENT OCCURS WITH THE FRONT END. WE WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED IN OTHER JEEP OWNERS WITH SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AS TO HOPE AND REMEDY A POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING ON JEEP PRODUCTS. *AK

AIR BAGS
Jun 19, 2001STEELE, MO
Crash1 injured

WHTILE DRIVING OVER AN OVERPASS A VEHICLE MADE A LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF CONSUMER CAUSING A COLLISION, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SHOULDER STRAP DID NOT HOLD, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *SLC

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Aug 17, 1999FRANKLIN, VA
Crash1 injured

WHILE 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

STEERING
Apr 7, 1999HOWELL, MI
Crash2 injured

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENT. REAR PASSENGER SEAT CAME LOOSE, STRUCK DRIVER IN HEAD, EJECTED FROM VEHICLE. SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? *AK

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Feb 10, 1999HOWELL, MI
Crash2 injured

VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO DITCH NOSE FIRST, ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
Jan 5, 1999ROLESVILLE, NC
Crash1 injured

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION, DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES AND JEEP VEERED TO THE LEFT, MAKING HEAD-ON IMPACT WITH A BRIDGE. AFTER FLIPPING SEVERAL TIMES ENDED UP OVER GUARD RAIL ON RIVER BANK BESIDE A TREE. DRIVER SUSTAINED MASSIVE SEVERE INJURIES AND PERMANENT DISABILITIES. NO RECALLS WERE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND DESTROYED. AIRBAG TEAM WAS CALLED AT TIME OF INCIDENT AND STATED TO LOOK AT VEHICLE WOULD ONLY BE A WASTE OF THEIR TIME AND OUR MONEY. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THERE WERE DEFECTS IN THE SRS, I THANK GOD I WAS NOT KILLED IN THIS CRASH BECAUSE OF OBVIOUS DEFECTS. *AK

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Sep 18, 1998ORWIGESBURG, PA
Crash1 injured

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. VEHICLE HAD DIRECT FRONTAL DAMAGE. ALSO ON FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF VEHICLE. DRIVERS SPEED AT TIME OF ACCIDENT WAS 45 MPH.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Jun 1, 1998FOXLAKE, IL
Crash1 injured

98V046000,97V080000,96V060000. VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AND THERE HAVE BEEN THREE RECALLS LISTED SINCE THEN. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALLS MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN THIS INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, AND THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK

AIR BAGS
Nov 14, 1997ROCHESTER, WA
Crash1 injured

UNSPECIFIED: DELAYED DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG IN ACCIDENT.

AIR BAGS
Apr 4, 1997REVERE, MA
Crash2 injured

AIR BAG DID NOT INFLATE IN A CRASH.

AIR BAGS
Jan 9, 1997BRYANT, AR
Crash1 injured

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG IN ACCIDENT, CAUSING INJURY.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Oct 2, 1996RAINSVILLE, AL
Crash1 injured

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS IN ACCIDENT.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Sep 4, 1996RAINSVILLE, AL
Crash1 injured

FELL A SLEEP AND RAN OFF THE ROAD, THE JEEP ROLLED OVER AND FLIPPED OVER ON FRONT AND BACK, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Dec 8, 1999FALMOUTH, ME
3 deaths

CAR HAS A BUCKING AND POOR PROFORMANCE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS UP LONG HILLS, MAKING 60MPH IMPOSSIBLE. IT HAS BEEN A POOR HIGHWAY PERFORMER, BUT HAS BECOME "ROUGH-MISSFIRING" VERY BADLY 3 TIMES IN THE CAR LIFE. FIRST 2 SERIOUS FAILURES I GOT A ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, RESULTING IN DEALER VISITS. NOW THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WAS "FIXED" IT IS NOT THERE, BUT THE FAILURE MODE IS. THE CAR EXHAUST PIPE END IS QUITE BLACK, DIRTY RUNNING? THE VALVES AND INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS ARE VERY DIRTY AND HAD TO BE CLEANED OR REPLACED WHEN INSPECTED THE LAST 2 TIMES. IT HAPPENED AT 5K, 12K, AND NOW AT 37K. THE CAR IS NOW ALMOST 3 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR OTHER REPAIRS TOTALING AT LEAST 6 TIMES. THIS IS MORE TIMES THAN MY LAST 10 YEAR VEHICLE HAD. (NOT JEEP) AM I NOW OUT OF HELP SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTEE AT 36K? I AM GETTING WORRIED THE CAR WILL NOT PERFORM TO 100K LIKE THIS AS IT MAY BE DAMAGED! WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF MY RIGHTS NOW? THANKS,, SS

AIR BAGS
Jun 24, 1998MONCKS COR, SC
1 death

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION RESULTING IN DEATH, PRIOR RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON AIR BAG UNIT.

Other Wrangler Years

Other Jeep Models