1997 Jeep Cherokee Engine Problems

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. POSSIBLE REMEDIES (FROM MY RESEARCH) INCLUDE MULTIPLE PARTS AND MANY HOURS OF LABOR: O2 SENSOR, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, PLUGS, WIRES, CAP, ROTOR, FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, ENGINE CONTROL MODULE, ALTERNATOR, NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH, BALLAST RESISTOR, TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, TORQUE CONVERTOR, POWER CONTROL MODULE, TRANSMISSION CONTROL SOLENOID, ETC. WHAT IS CAUSING ALL OF THESE VEHICLES TO STALL DANGEROUSLY?

NHTSA ID

10872145

Incident

Jun 2, 2016

Mileage

195,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID

10837786

Incident

Feb 16, 2016

Mileage

120,000 mi

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. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY AND I LOVE MY JEEP BUT I AM REAL NERVOUS TO DRIVE IT THAT I MIGHT GO TO TURN AND THE JEEP WILL STALL WHILE TURNING A CORNER AND GET T-BONED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. OR DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL SPUTTER AND STALL OUT. I HAVE READ THAT "MANY" JEEPS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE FROM THE SAFETY CAR SITE LOOK INTO THIS AS THERE WILL BE A FAMILY IN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE DRIVING AND THE PROBLEM COULD OCCURE AND CAUSE A DIASTER IN SOMEONES LIFE. I HAVE DRIVEN IN DIFFERANT ARES ON THE ROAD, HIGHWAY, RESIDENTIAL AREAS, GOING THE SPEED LIMIT, AND ALSO GOING 15 MILES AN HOUR AND IT WIL STALL OUT. I HAVE AGAIN SEEN SO MANY POSTING REGARDING THIS ISSUE SO THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THESE JEEPS ...PLEASE, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS.

NHTSA ID

10836832

Incident

Jan 13, 2015

Mileage

150,000 mi

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. STALL OCCURS AT VARYING SPEEDS (INCLUDING AT IDLE), BUT ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH STALL BECOMES WHAT SEEMS LIKE A MISFIRE. BELIEVE I HAVE NARROWED THE PROBLEM DOWN TO AN INTERMITTENT CONNECTION IN THE WIRING HARNESS, EITHER AT THE GRAY PCM CONNECTOR (CLOSEST TO BODY), OR IN THE WIRE LEADING TO THIS CONNECTOR. PUTTING ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE WIRES UNDER THE PCM IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO HICCUP OR STALL. ONLY CODE EVER SHOWN RELATED TO STALL WAS THE UNSPECIFIC P0351 IGNITION SYSTEM CODE. FORTUNATELY, IF A STALL OCCURS AT HIGHER SPEEDS, ENGINE/VEHICLE SPEED MUST STILL DROP TO A CERTAIN LEVEL BEFORE POWER STEERING/BRAKING ARE LOST. OTHERWISE VEHICLE WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. NEVERTHELESS THIS IS STILL A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10627898

Incident

Mar 1, 2010

Mileage

130,000 mi

CAR WILL NOT START ANYMORE, IT USED TO TURN OFF AT LIGHTS, OR STOP SIGNS. NOW IT JUST WONT TURN ON AT ALL. I SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. WHAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT COSTING ME A FORTUNE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10584296

Incident

Apr 21, 2014

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. THE LATTER,--REMOVING THE VIC AND REPAIRS AT THE CIRCUIT BOARD-- IS AN INVOLVED PROCESS AND REQUIRES EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND REPAIR TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT. ALL REPORT THAT THIS CONDITION LEFT UNRESOLVED COULD LEAD TO THE ENGINE OVERHEATING AND/OR FAULTY DATA SENT TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, AND POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE. WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS DEFECT, A RECALL OR A MANUFACTURE REPAIR BULLETINS, SHOULD BE ISSUED AT THE MANUFACTURER'S EXPENSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10508248

Incident

Apr 24, 2007

Mileage

150,156 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10480077

Incident

Oct 11, 2012

Mileage

183,188 mi

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. WHEN I GOT IT TO CRANK BACK MY ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON EVER SINCE AND WE HAVE BOUGHT ABOUT 5 HUNDRED DOLLARS IN PARTS AND TRIED EVERYTHING WE KNOW TO DO EVEN THE MECHANICS WE HAVE ASKED ABOUT IT HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR US, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND NO ONE WANTS TO BUY IT FROM US BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD WITH OUR JEEP! *TR

NHTSA ID

10473864

Incident

Sep 8, 2010

Mileage

149,000 mi

I OWN A 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4.0 L6 TWO WHEEL DRIVE WITH 165,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 AND THE ENGINE DIED. THANKFULLY I WAS ON AN EMPTY HIGHWAY AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES SINCE. I STILL HAD POWER BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO MANY 1990'S JEEPS, WITH NO REAL KNOWN CAUSE OR CURE. I CHANGED THE OIL, SPARK PLUGS AND CLEANED THE FUEL LINES. I WILL ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE PCM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS INSTANCE AND I AM FRUSTRATED THAT NONE OF THE MECHANICS THAT I HAVE BEEN TO, EVEN DEALERS, COULD FIND THE PROBLEM, AND JUST ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD. IF A CURE FOR THIS PROBLEM IS FOUND I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10216994

Incident

Feb 1, 2008

Mileage

165,000 mi

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ON. TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055380

Incident

Jan 20, 2004

Mileage

164,000 mi

ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ON. DEALER STATED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055379

Incident

Jan 20, 2004

Mileage

164,000 mi

RADIATOR & VARIOUS AC PARTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. STEERING GAVE OUT IN 2002. A SCREW WENT THROUGH AN ENGINE PART. RECENTLY, A JOINT CONNECTING THE AXEL TO THE STEERING MECHANISM HAD TO BE REPLACED. FUEL PUMP FAILED. INCREDIBLY, IT IS INSIDE THE GAS TANK. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT JEEP GAS TANKS CORRODE ON THE INSIDE, THUS CLOGGING THE FUEL PUMP. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR BECAUSE OF THE LABOR. THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS NEW FUEL PUMP MAY ALSO FAIL, BECAUSE THE GAS TANK WAS NOT REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I\\\\\\'VE HEARD NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM OTHER JEEP OWNERS. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10069497

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

Mileage

74,000 mi

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. *JB

NHTSA ID

10052193

Incident

Aug 15, 2003

Mileage

100,080 mi

ENGINE STALLS WHEN FUEL LEVEL IS 1/2 TO 1/4 FULL, ESPECIALLY SO WHEN MAKING TURNS. THERE ARE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF OTHER JEEP CHEROKEE OWNERS WHOM I HAVE SPOKE TO THAT ALSO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. JUST VISIT ANY OF THE JEEP OWNERS INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS SUCH AS JEEPFORUM.COM, JEEPSUNLIMITED.COM, OR JEEPIN.COM AND DO A SEARCH. YOU WILL FIND A SUPRIZING NUMBER OF RESULTS. *PH

NHTSA ID

10030528

Incident

Jul 31, 2003

WHILE DRIVING, THE "MANIFOLD EXHAUST" CRACKED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10025000

Incident

Nov 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE OVERHEATED DUE TO FAULTY RADIATOR. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND DID NOT WANT TO HONOR EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID

10024919

Incident

Jun 25, 2003

THE MANIFOLD CRACKED. *JG *JB

NHTSA ID

10006299

CONSUMER STATED WHEN TURNING VEHICLE OFF, THE COOLING FAN CONTINUED TO RUN UNTIL BATTERY WAS DRAINED COMPLETELY WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO BE UNDRIVEABLE.*JB

NHTSA ID

10002578

Incident

Dec 1, 2002

1997 JEEP CHEROKEE. EHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO OWN 98 AND 99 CHEROKEE'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER STATES IT IS COMMON. MAKES FOR HARD STARTING POOR FUEL MILLAGE AND A FIRE HAZARD. VERY EXPENSIVE FIX. SHOULD BE A RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10000463

Incident

Dec 1, 2002

Mileage

42,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO BOG DOWN SO HE PULLED OVER, CONSUMER THEN NOTICED VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *SLC

NHTSA ID

567265

Incident

Jul 29, 2002

AFTER RETURNING FROM THE GROCERY STORE, I PARKED THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. 30 MINUTES LATER, I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND THE TOP OF THE HOOD WAS BLACK & BLISTERED. WE DIALED 911 TO REPORT THIS AND THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON, MA SENT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THEY WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THE HOOD RELEASE BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN MELTED BY THE HEAT. THEY FORCIBLY OPENED THE HOOD AND HOSED DOWN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT UNTIL IT HAD COOLED TO A SAFE POINT. THEY FILED A REPORT AND THE POLICE ALSO FILED A REPORT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL CHRYLSER DEALER THAT SAME DAY. ON MONDAY, JULY 22, 2002 I NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY MET LIFE. THEY SENT AN APPRAISER THAT WEEK WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY DEBRIS ENTERING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. I NOTIFIED CHRYSLER MANUFACTURING COMPANY AT THEIR CONSUMER COMPLAINT NUMBER AT 9AM MONDAY JULY 22ND THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ENGINE FIRE IN MY 1997 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. I ALSO RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER IS RECALLING OVER A MILLION SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FROM 1999 TO 2002 BECAUSE OF A MANIFOLD PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE. MANY OF THESE CARS WERE JEEP CHEROKEE MODELS. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME BY THE MECHANIC AND INSURANCE APPRAISER THAT THIS IS WHY MY CAR HAD AN ENGINE FIRE. TODAY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT, JULY 29, 2002. CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS NOT RETURNED MY CALLS OR GONE TO SEE THE CAR AND REVIEW THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FIRE. I AM NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF MY CAR CAN BE SAFELY REPAIRED AND AVOID A RECURRENCE OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU CAN INVESTIGATE MY COMPLAINT AND REVIEW THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FIRE IN MY VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF IT SHOULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. CAN IT BE REPAIRED SO THAT THE ENGINE FIRE DOES NOT RECUR DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE DESIGN.

NHTSA ID

764866

Incident

Jul 20, 2002

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 20-5406-593. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900664

Incident

Aug 26, 2001

WAS DRIVING 65MPH AND HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO PRIVIATE MECHANIC, AND WAS INFORMED THAT BOLTS HAD EITHER SHEARED OFF OR WERE BROKEN OFF ON RIGHT SIDE MOTOR MOUNTS. THIS CAUSED ENGINE TO DROP ONTO FRAME. FIRST TIME VEHICLE WAS DIABLED. CURRENTLY, THIS WAS SECOND TIME. ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

894059

Incident

Jul 11, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

749741

Incident

May 23, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

749740

Incident

Apr 23, 2001