Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 27 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 27, in the owner's own words
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM BRACKETS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AS A RESULT OF THE FRAME CORRODING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THIS CAUSED THE REAR BRAKE LINE TO BRAKE DRAINING THE MASTER CYLINDER. *TR
FRAME WAS ROTTED THROUGH FROM CONTROL ARM TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BRAKING ABILITY BECAME DIFFICULT AND HARD TO STEER. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH UNDER NORMAL ROAD AND BRAKING CONDITIONS, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE BRAKE PETAL WAS APPLIED TO AVERT AN ACCIDENT AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKE LINES BURST CAUSING BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK FROM BENEATH THE VEHICLE. THE NATURE OF FAILURE WAS PERMANENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO RUST ON THE BRAKE LINE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND EXPRESSED THEY HAD NO OBLIGATION TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM TO THE PUBLIC. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE SHOP FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.
DT: WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND ROAD CONDITIONS THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED. WHEN THE BRAKES LOCK THE WHEELS SKIDDED EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, BUT MORE OFTEN TO THE RIGHT. HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. NO REPAIRS WERE DONE BECAUSE DEALER DETERMINED NOTHING WAS WRONG. CALLED CHRYSLER, AND TRIED TO SPEAK TO AN ENGINEER AND THEY DID NOT WISH TO TALK TO CONSUMER. VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN SEVERAL CRASHES. *AK
HARD BRAKE LINE LEADING TO THE REAR AXLE BURST WITH A LOSS OF BRAKING. BRAKE LINE, AS IT PASSED OVER THE FRAME NEAR THE FRONT WHEEL WELL WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND CRUMBLING. WHEN REMOVING THE LINE FOR REPLACEMENT THE LINE ALSO BROKE IN HALF AT ONE OF THE CLIPS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME. *JB
1. IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKING DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINES 2. REPLACED RUSTED BRAKE LINES; 3. I SAVED OLD PARTS. *AK
JEEP SKIDDED ON WET SURFACE. ON REMOVING REAR DRUM I FOUND THE BRAKE ADJUSTMENT CABLE BROKEN. BRAKE SHOES WERE OK. IN MY OPINION THE BRAKE ADJUSTMENT CABLE WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 93 IN BOSTON, MA ON A RAINY DAY AT 6 AM. I BRAKED AND SWERVED TO AVOID A CAR AND THE BACK BRAKES ON 97 JEEP WRANGLER LOCKED AND THE BACK END CAME AROUND AND I IT THE ZIPPER LANE BARRIER. I ENDED UP FACING TRAFFICE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE. *AK
ON A MAINTAINED DIRT COUNTY ROAD THE BRAKES ON MY 1997 JEEP WRANGLER FAILED TO STOP MY CAR CAUSING A REAR END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR.I COULD FEEL THE PULSING OF THE ABS BRAKES BUT THE CAR REFUSED TO SLOW DOWN,IT PULLED ME INTO THE CAR INFRONT OF ME. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT FRONT BRAKES ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT WORK PROPERTY TO STOP VEHICLE, CONSUMER FEELS THAT BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE AND REQUESTS A DEFECT INVESTIGATION FOR POSSIBLE RECALL, DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *TT
CONSUMER STATES EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE IS NOT HOLDING CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL. *JB
FRONT BRAKES ONLY STOP THE VEHICLE, BACK BRAKES DO NOT ENGAGE. ON ICE, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP BECAUSE THE AUTO TRANS KEEPS THE REAR WHEELS TURNING WHLE THE FRONT SLIDES. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED SEVERAL TIMES. *AK
EXCESSIVE WEAR OF BRAKE PADS. THREE SETS OF PADS WERE REPLACED WITHIN FOUR MONTHS . DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART WAS NOT UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. *AK
VEHICLE HAS ANTI-LOCK BRAKERS ON ALL 4-WHEELS. ON SLICK ROADS,GRASS,MUD, SNOW, FRONT WHEELS LOCK UP AND YOU DONT HAVE ANY CONTROL AS YOU CANT STEER. THE LOCK IS WORKING ON FRONT BRAKES BUT NOT THE ANTI. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I DONT DRIVE IN SNOE. I HAVE REPORTED NUMEROUS TIME TO DEALER AND CHRYSLER. THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG BUT SERVICE MGR ALMOST WENT IN DITCH. LAST TIME I CALLED CHRYSLER THE LADY HUNG UP ON ME.
I CALLED CHRYSLER THIS A.M. AND THE GIRL HUNG UP ON ME SHE SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP ME. I HAVE HAD MY 1997 JEEP WRANGLER, SAHARA TO GARAGE I DONT KNOW HOW MANY TIMES SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT HAS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ON ALL 4-WHEELS AND ON SLICK ROADS THE FRONT WHEELS LOCK UP AND YOU CANNOT STEER IT THEN. IN SNOW, GRAVEL, GRASS ETC. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I DONT THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HANG UP ON ME AS I OWN DODGE 1999 TRUCK AND CHEROKEE LIMITED ALL BOUGHT NEW.
I HAVE E-MAILED YOU SEVERAL TIMES AND NO ANSWER. FRONT BRAKES ON MY JEEP LOCK UP ON SLICK ROAD AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL, ALMOST WRECKED SEVERAL TIMES. ANTI LOCK BRAKES DO NOT WORK ON FRONT. VEHICLE HAS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. I CANNOT GET ANY SATISFACTION FROM COMPANY. SERVIOCE MANAGER DROVE IT AND ALMOST WRECKED. ANOTHER MECHANIC DROVE IT AND SAID THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU COULD STOP IT ON SLICK ROAD WAS 4-WHEEL. I PAID $23,900.00 FOR IT AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT ON SLLICK ROADS. *AK
FRONT WHEEL LOCK UP ON SLICK ROAD-SNOW-MUD. I HAVE HAD IT TO GARAGE SEVERAL TIMES. VERY DANGEROUS, ONE MECHANIC WAS ABOUT TO WRECK TRYING IT OUT. OTHER MECHANIC SAID THAT YOU COULD NOT STOP IT ON SLICK ROAD EXCEPT WHEN IT WAS IN 4-WHEEL. FRONT WHEELS LOCK AND YOU CAN STEER. CHRY. FINALY SENT REP. IN THIS WEEK BUT HE DROVE IT IN LEVEL DRY FIELD, HE SAID THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. I DONT DRIVE IT IN SNOWY WEATHER, WILL CHRYSLER REIMBURSE ME OR PAY FOR DAMAGES IF I SHOUILD WRECK?
FRONT BRAKES LOCK UP ON SLICK ROADS AND THEN NO CONTROL. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK SEVERAL TIMES. TOOK BACK THE OTHER DY AND THE SHOP FOREMAN ALMOST WENT IN A DITCH. I DONT LET MY WIFE DRIVE AS IT IS DANGEROUS. IT HAS ANTILOCK BRAKES ON FRONT. THE SHOP MAN SAID THAT I NEED TO GET SOMEONE FROM FACTORY TO LOOK AT. I CANNOT GET ANY SATISFACTION FROM COMPANY. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER THE OTHER DAY AND HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO STOP THIS JEEP ON A SLICK ROAD. I WOULD LIKE FOR SOME FACTPRY PERSON TO LOOK AT IT. AS IT IS VERY DANGERPUS. I DO NOT DRIVE IT ON SNOWY ROADS AS YOU CANT STOP IT IN 2-WHEEL DRIVE. I WOULAPPRECIATE YOUR HELP ON THIS MATTER.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION, DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES AND JEEP VEERED TO THE LEFT, MAKING HEAD-ON IMPACT WITH A BRIDGE. AFTER FLIPPING SEVERAL TIMES ENDED UP OVER GUARD RAIL ON RIVER BANK BESIDE A TREE. DRIVER SUSTAINED MASSIVE SEVERE INJURIES AND PERMANENT DISABILITIES. NO RECALLS WERE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND DESTROYED. AIRBAG TEAM WAS CALLED AT TIME OF INCIDENT AND STATED TO LOOK AT VEHICLE WOULD ONLY BE A WASTE OF THEIR TIME AND OUR MONEY. I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THERE WERE DEFECTS IN THE SRS, I THANK GOD I WAS NOT KILLED IN THIS CRASH BECAUSE OF OBVIOUS DEFECTS. *AK
BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE GAS PEDAL ARE WITHIN ONE INCH OF EACH OTHER, WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL PASSES THE GAS PEDAL AND CAUSES CONSUMERS FOOT TO CATCH THE SIDE OF THE GAS PEDAL WHICH OVERRIDES THE BRAKE. THIS CONDITION CAUSED A CRASH IN JULY OF 97. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE JEEP. PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *SLC
COMPUTER/FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND ENGINE OIL FILTER FAILED.
THE TRUCK HAD SOME BRAKE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED FROM A SEAL LEAK AT THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE TRUCK DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO STOP. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS, PADS AND DRUMS FAILED.
4-WHEEL DRIVE INOPERABLE. IN ADDITION, DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT/GAS GAUGE FAILED, SHOWS TANK 1/4-1/2 FULL WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY OUT OF GAS/PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE VERY TIGHT AND SQUEAKY/ABS BRAKES SQUEAL LOUDLY/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE SHIFTING AND STICKS PRIOR TO RELEASING TO NEXT GEAR, AND SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM BUZZER SOUNDS AT TIMES UNEVEN AND LOUD WITH A SQUEAKING NOISE. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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