1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 979 complaints · 11 recalls
Most-reported system: FUEL SYSTEM (258 complaints · 26.4%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 111
  • Fires 17
  • Injuries 87
  • Deaths 4
Compare with 1996 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution FUEL SYSTEM appears in 258 of 979 owner complaints (26.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. FUEL SYSTEM: 258 complaints, 26.4% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 258 · 26.4% · 4 crash reports 4 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 221 complaints, 22.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 221 · 22.6% · 51 crash reports 5 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 129 complaints, 13.2% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 129 · 13.2% · 10 crash reports ENGINE: 70 complaints, 7.2% of reports ENGINE 70 · 7.2% · 2 fire reports STRUCTURE: 42 complaints, 4.3% of reports STRUCTURE 42 · 4.3% · 2 crash reports STEERING: 33 complaints, 3.4% of reports STEERING 33 · 3.4% · 5 crash reports SUSPENSION: 31 complaints, 3.2% of reports SUSPENSION 31 · 3.2% · 2 crash reports 1 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 30 complaints, 3.1% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 30 · 3.1% · 2 crash reports 4 fire reports AIR BAGS: 29 complaints, 3.0% of reports AIR BAGS 29 · 3.0% · 24 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 787 complaints, 80.4% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 787 · 80.4% · 92 crash reports 16 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
FUEL SYSTEM 258 26.4% 4 crashes · 4 fires
POWER TRAIN 221 22.6% 51 crashes · 5 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 129 13.2% 10 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 70 7.2% 0 crashes · 2 fires
STRUCTURE 42 4.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 33 3.4% 5 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 31 3.2% 2 crashes · 1 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 30 3.1% 2 crashes · 4 fires
AIR BAGS 29 3.0% 24 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 787 80.4% 92 crashes · 16 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-23 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1996; the first recall shown was reported in May 1997. 1996-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 1997-Q3: 54 owner reports 54 1997-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 1998-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 1998-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 1998-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 1998-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 1999-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 1999-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 1999-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 1999-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2000-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2000-Q2: 30 owner reports 30 2000-Q3: 47 owner reports 47 2000-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2001-Q1: 33 owner reports 33 2001-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 2001-Q3: 137 owner reports 137 2001-Q4: 29 owner reports 29 2002-Q1: 32 owner reports 32 2002-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2002-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2002-Q4: 22 owner reports 22 2003-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 2003-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2003-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2003-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2004-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2004-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2005-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2014-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2014-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2015-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1996 Jul 2024 Recall campaign 97V080000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V080000 Recall campaign 97V194000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V194000 Recall campaign 00V136000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V136000 Recall campaign 02V053000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V053000 Recall campaign 06E011000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E011000 Recall campaign 06E022000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E022000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 07E104000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E104000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Recall campaign 13V252000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V252000 Investigation PE01021 ● Investigation PE01021 Investigation EA01017 ● Investigation EA01017 Investigation PE02045 ● Investigation PE02045 Investigation EA02029 ● Investigation EA02029 Investigation DP09005 ● Investigation DP09005 Investigation PE10031 ● Investigation PE10031 Investigation EA12005 ● Investigation EA12005
  • Campaign 97V194000 was reported 305 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 00V136000 was reported 1,211 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 02V053000 was reported 1,705 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 06E011000 was reported 3,313 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 07E104000 was reported 3,235 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 3,927 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 13V252000 was reported 6,008 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1996-Q4 Owner reports 2
1997-Q1 Owner reports 2
1997-Q2 Owner reports 5
1997-Q3 Owner reports 54
1997-Q4 Owner reports 26
1998-Q1 Owner reports 14
1998-Q2 Owner reports 17
1998-Q3 Owner reports 26
1998-Q4 Owner reports 14
1999-Q1 Owner reports 44
1999-Q2 Owner reports 17
1999-Q3 Owner reports 26
1999-Q4 Owner reports 16
2000-Q1 Owner reports 17
2000-Q2 Owner reports 30
2000-Q3 Owner reports 47
2000-Q4 Owner reports 18
2001-Q1 Owner reports 33
2001-Q2 Owner reports 23
2001-Q3 Owner reports 137
2001-Q4 Owner reports 29
2002-Q1 Owner reports 32
2002-Q2 Owner reports 20
2002-Q3 Owner reports 15
2002-Q4 Owner reports 22
2003-Q1 Owner reports 20
2003-Q2 Owner reports 10
2003-Q3 Owner reports 12
2003-Q4 Owner reports 14
2004-Q1 Owner reports 10
2004-Q2 Owner reports 5
2004-Q3 Owner reports 2
2004-Q4 Owner reports 5
2005-Q1 Owner reports 7
2005-Q2 Owner reports 2
2005-Q3 Owner reports 5
2005-Q4 Owner reports 4
2006-Q1 Owner reports 5
2006-Q2 Owner reports 4
2006-Q3 Owner reports 3
2006-Q4 Owner reports 2
2007-Q1 Owner reports 5
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 4
2008-Q2 Owner reports 4
2008-Q3 Owner reports 4
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 3
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2009-Q4 Owner reports 4
2010-Q1 Owner reports 5
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 3
2010-Q4 Owner reports 6
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 5
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 4
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 3
2013-Q2 Owner reports 4
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 4
2014-Q1 Owner reports 7
2014-Q2 Owner reports 13
2014-Q3 Owner reports 14
2014-Q4 Owner reports 10
2015-Q1 Owner reports 11
2015-Q2 Owner reports 6
2015-Q3 Owner reports 17
2015-Q4 Owner reports 6
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 97V080000
Recall campaign 1 97V194000
Recall campaign 1 00V136000
Recall campaign 1 02V053000
Recall campaign 1 06E011000
Recall campaign 1 06E022000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 07E104000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Recall campaign 1 13V252000
Defect investigation 1 PE01021
Defect investigation 1 EA01017
Defect investigation 1 PE02045
Defect investigation 1 EA02029
Defect investigation 1 DP09005
Defect investigation 1 PE10031
Defect investigation 1 EA12005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (11)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V136000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    THE REDUCED STRENGTH CAN ALLOW THE CAST IRON WEAR SURFACE TO SEPARATE FROM THE HUB, REDUCING THE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE ROTORS WITH ROTORS THAT ARE COATED WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 02V053000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SECONDARY DETENT SYSTEM TO THE FLOOR SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. DAIMLERCHRYSLER SENT INTERIM NOTICES TO OWNERS CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM ON MARCH 22, 2002. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 23, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E011000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FUEL LEAK COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    AIRTEX WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 25, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AIRTEX CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT 1-800-880-3056.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E022000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN BRAKE LINE PRESSURE AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-323-0354.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07E104000

    Report date
    Component:
    VISIBILITY
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT(S) MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY SHATTERED GLASS.
    Remedy:
    SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND REIMBURSE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS FOR CURRENT INVENTORY AND AT A SPECIFIED RATE FOR REPLACING THEIR CUSTOMER'S GLASS. WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE'S WHOLESALE DIVISION, SERVICE AUTOGLASS TOLL FREE AT 1-888-246-6298. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 15, 2008.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E025000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V252000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
    Remedy:
    Owners may take their vehicles to dealers and the dealers will perform a free inspection of the rear structure. On vehicles in the recall that are not equipped with a tow hitch, Chrysler will install a Chrysler designed tow hitch free of charge, provided the condition of the vehicle can support proper installation. On vehicles in the recall that are equipped with an aftermarket tow hitch, Chrysler will assess whether the hitch and surrounding areas show evidence of sharp edges or other puncture risks. If so, Chrysler will replace the tow hitch with a Chrysler designed tow hitch free of charge, provided the condition of the vehicle can support proper installation. On vehicles already equipped with a Chrysler designed tow hitch, Chrysler will inspect the area around the tow hitch installation, and if any installation issues are identified, they will be repaired free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign numbers are N45 (for the Grand Cherokee vehicles) and N46 (for the Liberty vehicles).
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 97V080000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED MODULE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 97V194000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    OWNERS MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THEIR VEHICLE IS LOW ON FUEL INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH IF THE VEHICLE STOPS DUE TO NO FUEL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-22
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 979 complaints · page 1 of 40

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-22.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources