Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train254
- Service brakes, hydraulic163
- Fuel system, gasoline150
- Fuel system, other117
- Engine and engine cooling81
- Structure61
- Electrical system56
- Steering47
- Fuel/propulsion system46
- Suspension43
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 89 injuries and 5 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 50 1997 Grand Cherokee vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 40 people died inside them, and 24 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee failed the safety check 2.08% of the time — 30% more often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 174,428 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
74 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 41% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm44
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen35
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde18
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan16
- Remvertraging / remwerking parkeerrem onvoldoende11
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld11
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse10
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht8
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
53 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 382 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
38 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 50% arrived as used imports, 47% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 14.7–16.6 L/100 km (about 14–16 mpg US), CO₂ 338–382 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Cherokee · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 16.9 | 12.0 | 14.7 |
| Grand Cherokee · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 18.8 | 13.8 | 16.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
| 2013220 26 Jun 2013 | Structure Chrysler Canada has determined that an opportunity to incrementally improve performance in certain types of low-speed impacts may exist in certain vehicles. The… |
| 2002067 8 Apr 2002 | Other As a Customer Satisfaction Campaign DaimlerChrysler has initiated the following action: With certain Grand Cherokees, if a driver has not placed the shifter lev… |
| 2000143 29 Jun 2000 | Brakes On certain vehicles originally retailed in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, the composite front disc brake rotors may fail due to corrosion. The cas… |
| 1997208 21 Nov 1997 | Fuel System THE FUEL TANK MOUNTED FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT ACCURACY MAY DEGRADE OVER TIME, INDICATING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FUEL IN RESERVE THAN IS ACTUALLY PRESENT. THIS COUL… |
| 1997102 21 May 1997 | Seats And Restraints THE CIRCUIT DESIGN IN THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE MAY ALLOW THE POTENTIAL FOR INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN. CORRECT… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The fuel tanks in these vehicles are at risk of failure and leakage in certain rear impacts.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IF A DRIVER HAS NOT PLACED THE SHIFTER LEVER FULLY INTO THE "PARK" POSITION AND LEAVES THE VEHICLE RUNNING, THE VEHICLE MAY UNEXPECTEDLY MOVE REARWARD AFTER SEEMING TO BE STABLE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, OR WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS CAN EXPERIENCE SEVERE CORROSION IF OPERATED FOR AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD IN THE "SALT BELT." IF THE ROTORS ARE NOT REPLACED, THE CORROSION CAN EVENTUALLY COMPROMISE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE STAMPED STEEL CENTER HUB SECTION OF THE ROTOR.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FUEL TANK MOUNTED FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT ACCURACY CAN DEGRADE OVER TIME, INDICATING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FUEL IN RESERVE THAN IS ACTUALLY PRESENT.
THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DESIGN ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Jeep told its dealers about the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635721 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISION IN DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES AND LABOR OPERATION TIMES FOR RE TRANSMISSIONS. *TT |
| 634272 | FLASH PROGRAMMING FAILURE RECOVERY. *SLC |
| 634077 | SUBJECT REGARDING OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR GLASS REPLACEMENT. *SLC |
| 625650 | SUBJECT REGARDING OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR GLASS REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 621898 | AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE ATF+4. *TT *MJ |
| 620071 | SUBJECT REGARDING ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES CAUSED BY AN EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM LEAK. *TT |
| 620066 | SUBJECT REGARDING GENERIC SCAN TOOL (GST), PUBLICATION NO. 81-170-00008 PROVIDED WITH THIS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO PROVIDE REFERENCE INFORMATION WHEN USING GENERIC SCAN TOOL ON OBDII VEHICLES. *TT |
| 620059 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIRBAG / CLOCK SPRING SERVICE FOR VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2002 MODEL YEAR JEEP LIBERTY. *TT |
| 618049 | SUBJECT REGARDING WIRE SPLICE REPAIRS. *SB |
| 615688 | SUBJECT REGARDING CHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHORS. *TT |
| 613419 | INFORMATION REGARDING EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR REFRIGERANT LEAKS IN THE A/C EVAPORATOR COIL ON SUBJECT VEHICLES. *TT |
| 612160 | SUBJECT ON THE CHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHORS. *MJS |
| 610635 | SUBJECT REGARDING CHILD SEAT TETHER ANCHORS. *TT |
| 610005 | EXPERIENCING SPARK KNOCK AND ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION DUE TO INTAKE MANIFOLD PAN GASKET OIL LEAK. *TT |
| 609995 | THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES A REVISED WIRE SPLICE PROCEDURE AND RELATED PARTS. *TT |
| 609988 | SUBJECT REGARDING MISDIAGNOSED LEAK DETECTION PUMP SYSTEMS WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P1494, P0442 P0455, OR P0456. *TT |
| 6092304 | SUBJECT REGARDING NON-DEPLOYED AIRBAG HANDLING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 6089800 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION IS NOW OFFERINB AIRBAG ON / OFF SWITCHES FOR SELECTED VEHICLES. *TT |
| 6089311 | CONCERNS WITH A/C EVAPORATOR ODOR. *NLM |
| 6089145 | CONDITIONS ON OBD II MISFIRE MONITOR. *NLM |
| 6089123 | THIS BULLETIN INVOLVES A/C CYCLE TO "OFF" WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS TURNED OFF. *NLM |
| 6089092 | CONCERNS WITH DOOR CHECK ROLLER REPAIR. *NLM |
| 6089038 | INFORMATION ON TIRE AND WHEEL RUNOUT. *NLM |
| 6089000 | INFORMATION ON TRANSMISSION COOLER REVERSE FLUSHING WITH COOLER BYPASS KIT INSTALLED. *NLM |
| 6088991 | THIS BULLETIN INVOLVES OVERDRIVE UNAVAILABLE IN EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES, BYPASS KIT INSTALLATION, INHIBITOR PROGRAMMING. *NLM |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires
HOOD LATCH FAILURE
HOOD LATCH
ROLL-AWAY IN REVERSE WHEN PARKED
INADVERTENT ROLLAWAY IN REVERSE PARK
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation