Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. 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. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
BOTH EXTERNAL RUBBER SIDE LATCHES FAILED ON 1997 JEEP WRANGLER. THE HOOD FLIPPED UP AND OBSCURED THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. THE HOOD WAS DESTROYED BY ITS IMPACT AGAINST THE ROOF. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN MANUFACTURED W/O THE STANDARD INTERNAL LATCH DUE TO SEVERAL PARTS CHANGES DURING THE MANUFACTURING YEAR. AN INTERNAL LATCH COULD NOT BE FITTED TO THE MIS-MATCHED HOOD AND GRILL. *JB
MY HUSBAND WAS REAR-ENDED WHILE DRIVING THE 1997 JEEP WRANGLER. HIS SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARD DURING THE IMPACT RESULTING IN HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE ROLL BAR AND AN EXAGGERATED FLEXION-EXTENSION OF HIS NECK AND BACK AS HIS THE SUPPORT (THE SEAT) BASICALLY DISAPPEARED. *NM
DT: WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND, A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS WESTBOUND, THE TURBULENCE BEHIND TRACTOR TRAILER CAUSED THE EXTERNAL HOOD LATCHES TO FAIL. THE SAFETY HOOK IN THE CENTER OF THE HOOD ALSO FAILED TO KEEP THE HOOD DOWN. THE HOOD FLEW UP STRIKING WINDSHIELD AND FOLDED OVER SHATTERING WINDSHIELD. LOST VISIBILITY HOWEVER MAINTAINED CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *NM
RIGHT FROM SHOULDER HARNESS IS LOOSE AND GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LATCH WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED CAUSING A HOLE TO BE TORN IN THE WEBBING OF THE HARNESS. *LA
LEVER TO PUSH SEAT FORWARD/BACKWARDS HAS A BLACK CAP THAT CAME OFF. METAL PIECE HAD IMPALED OWNER'S LEG WHILE BACKING OUT OF VEHICLE. POINT OF LEVER IS SHAPED LIKE AN ARROW AND IS 1 1/2 INCHES TALL. THIS IS SECOND TIME PROBLEM LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED.*AK
PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR - WATER SEEPS THROUGH AND IN COLD WEATHER ICES UP THE INTERIOR LATCH ASSEMBLY RENDERING THE DOOR UNOPENIBLE CONDITION PERSISTS UNTIL ICE MELTS. *AK
HOOD FLEW OPEN AT 30MPH. CHRYSLER REDESIGNED LATCH BUT NOT RECALLED. ORIGINAL HOOD LATCH NOT APPROPRIATE WITHOUT USE OF SIDE LATCHES, EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS.
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENT. REAR PASSENGER SEAT CAME LOOSE, STRUCK DRIVER IN HEAD, EJECTED FROM VEHICLE. SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? *AK
AT 9773 MILES AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL GAUGES INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER SHOWED ZERO. WHEN VEHICLE HITS BUMP WHILE DRIVING, GAGUES COME BACK ONLY TO EVENTUALLY READ ZERO AGAIN. ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE JULY 1998 AND DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. BEEN TO DEALER 8 TIMES SINCE INITIAL PROBLEM, AND STILL HAVE SAME PROBLEM AS OF APRIL 1999. NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE DEALER IS NO HELP AT ALL. EVERYTIME THEY FIX PROBLEM, HAPPENS A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER AGAIN. *AK
INSTRUMENT PANEL: ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ARE DRIVEN BY A MICROPROCESSOR, SUCH THAT IT TELLS THE PANEL WHAT THE GAUGES SHOULD READ. WHEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CPU FAILS, ALL GAUGES; FUEL/TEMP/OIL/VOLT AND TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AN D ODOMETER) FAIL SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS IS DISCONCERTING AT BEST, HIGHLY DANGEROUS (SAY IF ONE WERE ON A FREEWAY) AT WORST. ALSO, TRANSMISSION: THE 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION USED WITH THE 4.0L HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS SHIFTING INTO SECOND WHEN COLD. JEEP'S ANSWER FOR YEARS HAS BEEN "THEY ALL DO THAT" YET THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO USE THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND HAVE NO FIXED FOR THE PROBLEM TO THIS DATE. *AK
TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY FAILED. YH
HARD TOP SEAL IS TWISTED. YH
PULL STRAP/SEAT LATCH CONTINUALLY COMES LOOSE AND FAILS.
STRONG WIND CAUSED HOOD LATCH TO BREAK/FLY UP. (QCAW)
DOORS FAILED.
HOOD LATCHES ARE MADE OF RUBBER ALLOWING THEM TO GIVE WHEN MEETING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LATCHES FAILED TWICE ON WINDY DAYS WHEN MEETING LARGE VEHICLES ON ROADWAY.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .