1997 Jeep Wrangler Engine Problems

RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT THE JEEP I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS BUT WHEN I CALLED THE OWNER HE SAID ITS A BUY AS IS, NO WARRANTY, HE DIDN'T OFFER TO HELP WITH ANYTHING AND BEING DISABLED I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GET ENGINE FIXED, TRANSMISSION, CLUTCH, THE ENTIRE ELECTRIC SYSTEM, NO AC, NO HEAT OR DEFROST EITHER ALL THESE THINGS I FIXED BUT NOW AGAIN IN 2020 I STILL HAVE NO HEAT, NO DEFROST, JEEP IS IN YARD NOT RUNNING AND I STILL OWE RIGHT AT 900 ON THE JEEP, THE OWNER HAS BEEN VERY RUDE, MADE THREATS, AND NOW NOT TAKING MY FINAL 3 PYMTS ON JEEP, NEVER BEEN LATE, EVER!!!! HE RUNS A SHADY BUY HERE PAY HERE LOT AND I HAVE A TOP MECHANIC THAT LEFT HIS BUSINESS TO VOUCH FOR THE ODOMETER TAMPERING AS WELL AS HAVING THE MECHANIC TO FIX ALL THE LIGHTS ON PANEL THAT SHOWED ENGINE RUNNING HOT, HE TOLD THE MECHANIC TO FIX IT OR HE WAS NOT GETTING HIS PAY CHECK, I HAVE THE MECHANICS STATEMENT AND HE WILL TESTIFY IN PERSON. I HAVE SEVERAL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE SINCE QUITE TO VOUCH HE SOLD LEMONS, AND SALVAGED CARS. HE LOST HIS DMV LICENSE BUT STILL CONTINUES TO FRAUD PEOPLE.

NHTSA ID

11301864

Incident

Jun 9, 2017

WHEN COLD, JEEP STARTS AND RUNS FINE. AFTER ENGINE WARMS UP, OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP AND JEEP WOULD ALMOST DIE. IF I SHUT IT OFF AND TRY TO RESTART WHILE STILL WARM, JEEP WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME STARTING AND IF IT DID START, IT WOULD IDLE EXTREMELY ROUGH AND BARELY ACCELERATE. ONCE I GOT SPEED UP, IT RAN FINE UNTIL I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND IT WOULD ACT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WOULD BOTTOM OUT. DEALER PUT MANUAL GAUGES ON IT AND DETERMINED IT WAS THE OIL SENDING UNIT. OIL PRESSURE NOW HOLDS AT 20 WHEN AT IDLE. THE ISSUE WITH THE ROUGH IDLE AND LOSS OF POWER STILL PERSISTS AFTER THE ENGINE WARMS UP. AFTER READING ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. REALLY DON'T WANT TO WASTE MONEY TRYING TO GUESS AT WHAT IS THE ISSUE. AS MANY PEOPLE THAT THERE ARE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES, JEEP SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND ISSUE A RECALL. VERY DISAPPOINTED.

NHTSA ID

10760112

Incident

Aug 5, 2015

Mileage

135,000 mi

1997 JEEP WRANGLER EXHAUST MANIFOLD. CONSISTENT DECREASE IN POWER, STUMBLING, AND POOR GAS MILEAGE. AFTER A WRECK I NOTICED THE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. BOTH THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE AUTHORIZED JEEP DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS NOT DUE TO THE WRECK BUT DUE TO FACT IT WAS A COMMON WRANGLER PROBLEM, AND IT PROBABLY HAD STARTED PRIOR TO THE WRECK I JUST HADN'T NOTICED IT. BUT SINCE THERE IS NOT A RECALL THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE FIXED IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10234392

Incident

Sep 20, 2004

JEEP SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON HIGHWAYS WHILE GOING 55 MPH +., CAUSING A NEAR ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO COAST THROUGH LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE MEDIAN. AFTER 10-15 MINUTES, I RESTARTED THE JEEP AND IT RAN FINE, BUT USUALLY ABOUT 20-50 MILES, IT WILL OCCUR AGAIN.. VERY HAZARDOUS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10194125

Incident

Jun 19, 2007

CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE CAUSING POOR PERFORMANCE, EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION AND NOXIOUS ODORS. REPLACEMENT OF CONVERTER REMEDIED ALL THE PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10151148

Incident

Feb 18, 2006

Mileage

75,000 mi

SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE....CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON 4.0 L 6 CYL. JEEP HAS REDESIGNED PART. I FORMERLY WORKED WITH A 4X4 REPAIR SHOP, AND ALMOST EVERYONE THAT CAME IN WITH A 1997-2000 (OR SO) JEEP HAD SAME CRACKS. LEADING 4X4 MAGAZINES STATE "IT'S NOT IF IT CRACKS, IT'S WHEN". GIVEN THIS MANY COMPLAINTS, JEEP SHOULD BE PAYING TO FIX THEIR FLAW, NOT CONSUMERS. WILL REPLACE WITH AFTERMARKET COMPONENT, NOT JEEP'S. *JB

NHTSA ID

10145622

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

Mileage

40,000 mi

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON MY 1997 JEEP WRANGLER FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST ONE FAILED AT APPROX 55K MILES (OUT OF WARRANTY) AND CHRYSLER JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE DENIED EXISTENCE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, IN SPITE OF NUMEROUS REPORTS OF MANIFOLD FAILURE ON MANY INTERNET AUTOMOTIVE SITES. THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS SUPPOSEDLY REDESIGNED TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IT HAS NOW FAILED (MILEAGE IS NOW 110K, SO THESE ARE 55K PARTS!) AND MUST ALSO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS JUST CRACK IN A "NEW SPOT". CHRYSLER JEEP HAS BEEN TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE TO WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY AN ENGINEERING FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT, AND STICKING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH THE BILL AND ANY RESULTING SAFETY ISSUES! NOT A GREAT WAY TO BUILD YOUR CUSTOMER BASE! *NM

NHTSA ID

10131459

Incident

Aug 2, 2005

Mileage

55,000 mi

CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON 97 TO 2000 JEEP TJ WRANGLERS. MISSING EXHAUST "ACCORDING" MISSING RESULTING IN CRACKED MANIFOLD. RESULTING IN CAR FAILING US EPA SMOG GUIDELINES. IN SEARCH OF TJ OWNERS SHOWED MANY OWNERS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10098069

Incident

May 21, 2002

Mileage

90,000 mi

CONSUMER NOTICEDE A LOUD NOISE WHILE DRIVING AND EXHAUST FUMES COMING INTO THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE HAD MULTIPLE CRACKS ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK *TC

NHTSA ID

10090219

Incident

Dec 20, 2003

Mileage

45,000 mi

MY VEHICLE HAS RUN ROUGH, IDLING ROUGH, "BUCKING", LOSING COOLANT AND DRIPPING FROM THE TAILPIPE ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. I HAVE HAD MAJOR VALVE TRAIN PROBLEMS AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAMSHAFT REPLACED ALONG WITH THE GASKET, CYLINDER HEAD, CORE RETURN, RADIATOR AND NOW THE LATEST IS OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SENDING UNIT. OIL PRESSURE STILL SHOWING ZERO EVEN AFTER REPLACING SENDING UNIT! *AK

NHTSA ID

10060716

Incident

Oct 30, 2003

Mileage

73,000 mi

THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BROKE AND THE PART FROM IT CLOGGED UP , WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE POWER. *JB THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T EXCEED 50-60 MPH ALONG WITH RATTLING DUE TO AN INTERNALLY BROKEN CONVERTER. THE INTERIOR DOOR HINGE WAS INOPERATIVE. *SC

NHTSA ID

10055908

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

Mileage

110,000 mi

I BOUGHT THIS 1997 JEEP WRANGLER FROM A USED CAR DEALER IN JUNE 2002 WITH A LIMITED WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE PASED INSPECTION AND HAD NO PROBLEMS. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE WIRING HARNESS REPAIRED, THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED, THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, IT HAS A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE READING, THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD NEED TO BE REPLACED AND NOW THE STEERING LINKAGE OR STABILIZER BARS ARE FAULTY.

NHTSA ID

10070478

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

74,000 mi

I HAVE A 97 JEEP WRANGLER. I HAVE A PROBLEM EVERYTIME I START MY JEEP AFTER IT SITS FOR 20 MIN. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WANTS TO SHUT DOWN AND AFTER PRESSING THE GAS TO THE FLOOR IT FINALLY KICKS IN AND TAKES OFF. I LOSE POWER ALOT AND IT BACKFIRES . I HAVE HAD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD /CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED AND A BROKEN STUD IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO HEAD ASSEMBLY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 3 YEARS AND I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL DIFFERNT JEEP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ALL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS CAN TELL ME IS THAT THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE FOR ME TO PAY FOR . I'M STILL HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND NOW IT'S GETTING WORSE . WHAT CAN I DO? PLEASE HELP. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10049208

Incident

Oct 27, 2003

THERE WAS AN EXHAUST SMELL ENTERING THE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE MANIFOLD. *AK THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT STATE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10044271

Incident

Oct 14, 2003

Mileage

31,452 mi

1997 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT 4.0 LITER EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK NOTED AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES. MECHANIC STATED IT APPEARED TO BE WELDED, NO ONE HAD PREVIOUSLY WELDED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IN THIS YEAR TENDS TO CRACK. IS THERE A RECALL BY THE JEEP DEALERSHIP? IF SO, I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. ALSO THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR AS WELL AS O2 SENSOR EFFECTED AT THIS TIME. VEHICLE NOW HAS 81,000 MILES RUNS POORLY HAS VISUAL CRACK AT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS. THE ONLY RECALL I HAVE READ ABOUT IS THE AIR BAG BUT I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM JEEP EAGLE OR THE CHRYSLER COMPANY. CAN YOU HELP ME? WHO DO I CONTACT, AND IF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS COMMONLY KNOWN TO CRACK - WITHOUT CAUSE WHY WASN'T I OR POSSIBLY OTHERS NOTIFIED? WHO CAN I CONTACT? THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ACCORDING TO OTHERS IS MORE PROMINENT THAN THE AIR BAG RECALL. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047217

Incident

Jul 28, 2003

Mileage

60,000 mi

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED TWICE IN 20,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITS A PROBLEM, CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE DOES NOT. I FOUND A BOATLOAD OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SAME "JEEP" PROBLEM BUT NO ONE WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *PH

NHTSA ID

10038766

Incident

Dec 18, 2001

Mileage

82,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. *AK THE GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED (GAS READ EMPTY), THE VEHICLE JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY. DIFFERENT MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED (THERE WAS PINK FLUID IN THE BATTERY AREA), THE BELT PULLEY HAD FALLEN OFF AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, AND THE BATTERY FAILED. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10024874

Incident

Jun 24, 2003

Mileage

73,629 mi

MY 1997 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT THAT HAS 52000 MILES ON IT DEVELOPED CRACKS AND BREAKS IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WITH THESE CRACKS AND BREAKS EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF EXHAUST FUMES LEAK INTO THE CAR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET THIS PROBLEM APPARENTLY IS VERY COMMON. THERE ARE MANY PICTURES OF THE EXACT CRACKS AND BREAKS ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD FROM MANY DIFF PEOPLE. IT WAS SUGGESTED IN ONE FORUM THAT JEEP FIXED THIS ISSUE IN THE 2000 MODEL JEEP.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037550

Incident

Jun 1, 2003

EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED IN THREE PLACES. STRONG FUMES ENTERING VEHICLE, COULD CAUSE DRIVER TO PASS OUT BEHIND THE WHEEL. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME DEFECT ON YOUR WEBSITE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10029270

Incident

Jul 13, 2003

Mileage

71,000 mi

I BOUGHT MY 1997 JEEP WRANGLER IN JUNE, 2002 FROM A USED CAR DEALER IN BALTIMORE, MD WITH AN AS-IS WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE HAD PASSED INSPECTION AND WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. IT HAD 64,000 MILES ON IT AND APPEARED TO BE GOOD. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS JEEP. FIRST THE WIRING HARNESS, THEN THE TRANSMISSION, NOW A DIAGNOSIS TO REPLACE THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD, REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND HAS A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE, AND POSSIBLY THE STABILIZER BAR OR STEERING COMPONENTS. THIS JEEP IS COSTING ME MORE IN REPAIRS THAN THE ACTUAL VALUE OF IT. I FEAR THAT IT IS UNSAFE AND THAT I M FACING MORE EXPENSES IF I KEEP IT, BUT I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE AS FAR AS LEMON LAW PROTECTION, RECALLS, HELP!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10023888

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

74,000 mi

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS COMPLETELY FAILED DUE TO SEVERE CRACKING AT 54,000 MI/ ALTHOUGH THIS IS APPARENTLY A DEFECT IN '97 JEEP EXHAUST MANIFOLDS (BASED ON NUMBER OF PROBLEMS REPORTED ON INTERNET AND MANIFOLD HAS BEEN REDESIGNED) CHRYSLER WILL PROVIDE NO ASSISTANCE IN THE REPAIR WHICH IS OVER $900.

NHTSA ID

10007646

Incident

Feb 14, 2003

Mileage

54,000 mi

DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO MY REQUESTS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART UNDER "IMPLIED WARRANTY" OR ANYTHING ELSE, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR PROBLEM WEBSITES (AND YOURS) ARE FULL OF REPORTS OF EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILURE IN LATE '90'S MODEL WRANGLERS. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NO RECORD OF THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGHT THE PART HAS BEEN REDESIGNED. THE DEALER HERE HAS BEEN GREAT, BUT CAN'T DO MUCH WITHOUT MANUFACTURER SUPPORT. HERE'S HOPING THAT WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THIS PART, CUSTOMERS CAN GET SOME SATISFACTION! DT

NHTSA ID

770312

Incident

Sep 1, 2002

EXHAUST HEADER CRACKED AT 4 LOCATIONS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. JEEP DEALER SAID THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND STILL WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. DT

NHTSA ID

770247

Incident

Sep 12, 2002

THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED CAUSING FUMES TO ENTER THE CAR. ALSO THE MANIFOLD SUPPORTS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WHICH COULD FALL OFF IF CRACK WOULD BREAK COMPLETELY. THERE MUST BE AN ENGINEERING DESIGN DEFECT BECAUSE THE PART HAS BEEN REDESIGNED. I ALSO WAS TOLD THE USED JUNK YARD PARTS WERE CRACKED SO I COULDN'T BUY A USED MANIFOLD. NOT ONLY THE COST OF THE MANIFOLD BUT THE SAFETY ISSUES WITH A FAILED MANIFOLD HAVE ME VERY CONCERNED. NLM

NHTSA ID

767727

Incident

Jul 14, 2000

TERRIBLE RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SOUNDS LIKE PART OR PARTS HAVE SHAKEN LOOSE. NO PERFORMANCE LOSS NOTICED YET, BUT VERY ANNOYING.*AK

NHTSA ID

766599

Incident

Jun 1, 2002