1997 Jeep Cherokee Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1997 Jeep Cherokee most often describe a fuel gauge that reads higher than the actual level, and in many reports this leads to the vehicle running out of fuel or stalling without warning. A second large group of complaints concerns front brake rotors that warp and need repeated replacement. Stalling at speed and air bag behaviour round out the rest of the sample, and the median mileage of about 104,000 miles indicates that most of these reports arise on older, well-used vehicles.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge reads high, engine stalls or runs out of fuel

   • 112 complaints (29%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 7.1 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2013

   Owners describe a fuel gauge that shows noticeably more fuel than is actually in the tank; some say the reading fluctuates, and others say problems start once the level falls below half a tank. Many report hesitation or stalling without warning when the level is low, and one says the vehicle simply ran dry on the expressway. According to the complaints, some dealers declined to diagnose the problem, and several owners say they were told their vehicle identification number was not included in a related fuel-level sending unit recall and that repairs were therefore not covered. A few owners also describe fuel leaking after a fill-up, a warped tank around the sending unit, or corrosion inside the tank that clogged the in-tank fuel pump. Reported from roughly 46,000 to 140,000 miles, with several owners noting the symptoms at half a tank or below and one leak noticed the morning after a fill-up.

   Recall 97V194000

   What to check: Fill the tank and compare the gauge reading with the amount actually added, then check under the vehicle for any fuel smell or drips. Ask whether the fuel level sending unit recall (97V194000) was performed for this vehicle and whether the fuel pump or tank has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “About 6 months after the consumer purchased the vehicle it stalled and failed to restart. Consumer pushed vehicle to the nearest gas station and filled the gas tank and the vehicle started. The gas guage read 1/3. Consumer stated there was a recall on the fuel sending unit but, the vehicle identification number was not included.”

   NHTSA complaint #10026534, filed 2003-08, 55,000 miles

   “While driving the vehicle at an undetermined speed, the fuel light illuminated on the dashboard, then the vehicle stalled out. The consumer had made contact with the dealership on four separate occasions and the problem still occurred. Please provide any additional information.”

   NHTSA complaint #10052193, filed 2003-12, 100,080 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls or dies while driving

   Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the engine cutting out at speed, while slowing, or when coming to a stop, sometimes with the check engine light on. Many say they replaced spark plugs, wires, coils, distributors, sensors or the control module without resolving it, and some report that dealers or independent shops could not identify a fault. Some describe the stall as more likely in colder weather, and some say the engine would not restart until it cooled or the vehicle was refuelled. Mostly reported between about 80,000 and 165,000 miles, with several owners noting that colder ambient temperatures make it worse.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has a history of stalling and request any diagnostic or repair records for the ignition system and powertrain control module. A test drive that includes stops and slow-speed deceleration can help surface the symptom.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1997 Jeep with 150,000 miles on it and I am having a lot of issues with it stalling out for no reason. It's been doing this for over a year. It started all of a sudden out of the blue. I have taken it to the repair shop over 20 times to try and get the problem resolved and they are not able to find the problem. They have even kept it over night and had it on machines to figure out why it stalls and am not able to figure it out. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10836832, filed 2016-02, 150,000 miles

   “Went out to go somewhere and it had a hard time starting. As I began to drive down the road my Jeep started to backfire, all of a sudden it cut off and the steering wheel locked up and the lights went out it was dark so I could of been injured. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10473864, filed 2012-09, 149,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bags do not deploy, or deploy unexpectedly

   • 26 complaints (7%)
   • median 137,500 mi at 14.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2020

   Several owners report that the front air bags did not deploy in a collision (with a cow, a deer, or a rear-end impact), while others describe both front air bags deploying without a crash, in one case just after the vehicle was started. Some complaints mention an air bag warning light on before the event, and one owner reports not being able to tell whether a passenger-side air bag was fitted at all. Reported from about 96,000 to 248,000 miles, with the unintended-deployment reports on higher-mileage vehicles.

   Recall 00V105000

   What to check: Check that the air bag warning light comes on at start-up and then goes out, and ask whether the air bag control module recall (00V105000), which addressed corrosion from water and road salt, was completed on this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driven home from school at 60 mile per hour and hit a deer, about a 175 pound deer. It sent me into a ditch, then out of the ditch and I stop on a famers lawn. The air bag didn't go off. The police, and my doctor think I didn't have an airbag in the sbc airbad container. The front end, and left front quarter panel are total. To repair car I am looking at $5,100. Being the car was old and paid for I had removed the collison for the insurance coverage. I am also unemploped, with no unemployment checks. I am the first onwer of the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10096208, filed 2004-10, 190,000 miles

   “This vehicle was found not to have a passneger side air bag, the consumer took the vehicle to have a switch installed and was told that there is no passenger's side air bag. Dealr has not been contacted.”

   NHTSA complaint #849620, filed 1999-09
4. 4
   Brakes

   Front brake rotors warp and need repeated replacement

   • 51 complaints (13%)
   • median 215,138 mi at 21.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2018

   Complaints describe front brake rotors that warp, with pedal pulsation or vibration as the result, and several owners say rotors and pads were replaced repeatedly, sometimes within a few thousand miles. One owner says the brake pedal went all the way to the floor with a complete loss of braking power, and another describes a crash after the wheels locked. Dealers reportedly described the rotor wear as normal in some cases. Reported from very low mileage (under 3,000 miles in one report) up to about 215,000 miles.

   Recall 00V136000

   What to check: Check for pedal pulsation or vibration when braking from highway speed, and ask for service records showing how often the front rotors have been replaced. A recall (00V136000) addressed front rotor corrosion on vehicles in certain cold-weather states.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In less than 36,000 miles the vehicle was returned (4) times for warpage of front brake rotors. Rotors replaced completely (1) time. Dealer claimed that this was normal. I contacted (2) independent brake specialists and each indicated excessive heat was causing premature warpage. They suggested it be returned to the dealer for corrective action. I stopped a car wash to hand wash the vehicle and upon spraying the front wheels notice steam coming off the wheel. This indicates substantial over excessive heat. …”

   NHTSA complaint #710438, filed 1999-08

   “Brake problems; at 2900 miles the disc rotors and pads had to be replaced. The emergency parking brake was also adjusted. About a month later, driver was involved in a crash when going uphill and applying the brakes. The wheels locked up, driver had no control over Cherokee. Jeep went over to the left side of the road, hitting a telephone pole. This happened on dry road conditions. Dealer would not look at Jeep. Jeep has been repaired.”

   NHTSA complaint #823698, filed 1998-05

Buying note. These complaints mostly involve fuel gauge accuracy, stalling and brake rotor wear on a vehicle now well past 100,000 miles, so a pre-purchase inspection focused on fuel delivery, braking and any stall history is worthwhile. Ask for records of recall work, especially the fuel level sending unit, front rotor and air bag module campaigns.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.