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EnginePart report

1997 Jeep Cherokee Engine Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
2%of 390 total for the year
Median mileage
150,156miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the engine of the 1997 Jeep Cherokee, 2% of the 390 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 150,156 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“The vehicle stalls unexpectedly when slowing down or coming to a stop. The check engine light is on, however; the code that comes up is for the ignition which was already repaired and not the issue causing at hand. This malfunction is freakishly common when I look it up online for this make, model, and year. This problem is very dangerous as it may or can cause death or serious injury if in intersection or busy road/highway. Please notify me of any solutions or information on this matter.”

NHTSA complaint #10480077, filed 2012-10, 183,188 miles

“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. I have replace sensors, fuel filter, battery, not to mention so many other parts and nothing is stopping it from stalling out for no reason. …”

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

“Vehicle has hard starts and frequent hesitation and stalling, at all speeds city street driving as well as highway driving. I have had a new distributor cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil, installed, yet symptoms persist. Sudden deceleration at highway speeds is a seriously dangerous condition. My research suggests this is a common problem with the Jeep Cherokee xj. I narrowly escaped a crash on a busy interstate highway this morning at freeway speeds. Jeep ought to be aware of this problem, yet there seems to be no remedy for owners. I would at least like to know what the problem is. …”

NHTSA complaint #10872145, filed 2016-06, 195,000 miles

“1997 Jeep grand Cherokee laredo 4.0l i6 began stalling in 2010 under seemingly random conditions. Replaced several parts (spark plugs, wires, distributor cap & rotor, ignition coil, PCM) over the past four years to no avail. The difference currently is that the stall now only seems to occur at temperatures less than 65-70 degrees f. The colder the environment, the worse stall probability. Colder temps also increase probability vehicle will not start after a stall. Vehicle will always fire up on a cold start. …”

NHTSA complaint #10627898, filed 2014-08, 130,000 miles

“Vic display show coolant sensor bad. Online investigations reveal many owners have experienced the same problem over the years. Their trial solutions have ranged from replacing the coolant temperature sensor, the coolant level sensor, replacing connecting wiring to the vic, and to removing the vic to repair solder joints and cracks at the circuit board that is located in the vic. Most report that the first three attempted remedies did not resolve the defect. Some report success in re-soldering joints on the circuit board. …”

NHTSA complaint #10508248, filed 2013-04, 150,156 miles

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026222%
2022815%
20212816%
20204614%
201945927%
201815523%
201726019%
201631422%
201536420%
201451619%
200173%
2000123%
199910%
199841%
199762%
199641%
199530%
199410%

Other parts of the 1997 Jeep Cherokee

Fuel system
141 complaints
Brakes
75 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
47 complaints
Engine cooling
45 complaints
Air bags
28 complaints
Electrical system
23 complaints
Vehicle speed control
15 complaints
Equipment
12 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
11 complaints
Steering
11 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
10 complaints
Suspension
9 complaints

← All problems reported for the 1997 Jeep Cherokee

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology