Your vehicle report
1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 991
- Received Nov 1996 to Aug 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly148 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle rolls backward out of park96 complaints · 9.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early62 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #13V252000Chrysler 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.
- Recall #02V053000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 112 crashes, 17 fires, 89 people injured, 5 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
- Front brake rotors warp and wear early
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noise
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 87 |
| 1998 | 71 |
| 1999 | 104 |
| 2000 | 115 |
| 2001 | 223 |
| 2002 | 89 |
| 2003 | 59 |
| 2004 | 22 |
| 2005 | 18 |
| 2006 | 15 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 17 |
| 2011 | 11 |
| 2012 | 11 |
| 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | 44 |
| 2015 | 40 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 991 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 148 | 15% | – | NHTSA recall #97V194000 |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 96 | 9.7% | – | NHTSA recall #02V053000 |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 62 | 6.3% | – | NHTSA recall #00V136000 |
| Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving | 41 | 4.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 40 | 4.0% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 31 | 3.1% | – | NHTSA recall #13V252000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 30 | 3.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 22 | 2.2% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 21 | 2.1% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 18 | 1.8% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 18 | 1.8% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 17 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 15 | 1.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 14 | 1.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 1.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 14 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 14 | 1.4% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 14 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 13 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 12 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #13V252000June 19, 20131,560,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly; structure
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.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy
Owners may take their vehicles to dealers and the dealers will perform a free inspection of the rear structure. On vehicles in the recall that are not equipped with a tow hitch, Chrysler will install a Chrysler designed tow hitch free of charge, provided the condition of the vehicle can support proper installation. On vehicles in the recall that are equipped with an aftermarket tow hitch, Chrysler will assess whether the hitch and surrounding areas show evidence of sharp edges or other puncture risks. If so, Chrysler will replace the tow hitch with a Chrysler designed tow hitch free of charge, provided the condition of the vehicle can support proper installation. On vehicles already equipped with a Chrysler designed tow hitch, Chrysler will inspect the area around the tow hitch installation, and if any installation issues are identified, they will be repaired free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign numbers are N45 (for the Grand Cherokee vehicles) and N46 (for the Liberty vehicles).
NHTSA recall #02V053000February 15, 20021,620,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
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.
Inadvertent movement of the vehicle could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install a secondary detent system to the floor shifter assembly. Daimlerchrysler sent interim notices to owners concerning this problem on march 22, 2002. Owner notification began september 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #00V136000May 10, 2000589,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
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.
The reduced strength Can allow the cast iron wear surface to separate from the hub, reducing the brake effectiveness of the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will replace these rotors with rotors that are coated with a corrosion protection.
NHTSA recall #97V194000November 7, 1997360,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
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.
Owners may not be aware that their vehicle is low on fuel increasing the risk of a vehicle crash if the vehicle stops due to no fuel.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit.
NHTSA recall #97V080000May 16, 1997125,000 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
The electrical circuit design allows the potential for an inadvertent air bag deployment upon vehicle ignition shut down.
Unexpected air bag deployment Can result in occupant injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module with a newly designed module.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN