1997 Jeep Cherokee: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 496 complaints
496
Total Complaints
125,000mi
Median Mileage
Tank Assembly
Top Issue
60
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
80,750
25th Percentile
125,000
Median Mileage
157,250
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Tank Assembly
51
Fuel System, Other
41
Rotor
29
Frontal
18
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
18
Automatic Transmission
18
Engine
17
Fuel Pump
16
Gasoline
12
Vehicle Speed Control
12
Severity Assessment
60
Crashes
7
Fires
30
Injuries
1
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"A FUEL LEAK WAS EXPERIENCED BECAUSE THE FUEL LINE HAD DISCONNECTED. *AK"
"VEHICLE STALLS WITH NO WARNING AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED, VEHICLE HAS TO BE TOWED. THIS IS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK"
"ON NORMAL WEATHER CONDITIONS, WHEN ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND CLOSING THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR, THE REAR QUARTER PANEL WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE EXPLODED. *AK"
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Tank Assembly
51 complaints
25th: 48,729 mi
Median: 58,126 mi
75th: 75,313 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
CA: 67
NY: 34
TX: 33
FL: 32
PA: 31
VA: 25
MA: 24
OH: 24
MD: 20
NC: 20
Who Files Complaints?
44.2%
Original Owners
55.8%
Second+ Owners
Jeep Cherokee — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (10)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Campaign 08V056000 | 06/02/2008
THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARDS.
U.S. DRIVE RIGHT WILL MAKE ALL THE REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS. A REPRESENTATIVE WILL TRAVEL TO THE CUSTOMER'S LOCATION AND MAKE THE MODIFICATIONS ON SITE. THE RECALL WILL BE PERFORMED ON A REGIONAL BASIS BEGINNING MARCH 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT U.S. DRIVE RIGHT AT 1-888-632-5936.
Headlights
Campaign 09E025000 | 11/05/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
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.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E065000 | 17/07/2006
LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 09E012000 | 07/04/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Campaign 06E022000 | 13/03/2006
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.
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.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E026000 | 23/03/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
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.
Fuel Pump
Campaign 06E011000 | 01/02/2006
IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FUEL LEAK COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
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.
Rotor
Campaign 00V136000 | 10/05/2000
THE REDUCED STRENGTH CAN ALLOW THE CAST IRON WEAR SURFACE TO SEPARATE FROM THE HUB, REDUCING THE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE ROTORS WITH ROTORS THAT ARE COATED WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION.
Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
Campaign 00V105000 | 11/04/2000
SUCH CORROSION CAN LEAD TO ILLUMINATION OF THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT OR COULD ALLOW INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE AND LOCATE THE NEW MODULE ON THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL.
Tank Assembly
Campaign 97V194000 | 07/11/1997
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.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT.
General Vehicle Maintenance
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
- Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
- Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
- Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
- Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly
Vehicle Rankings
Looking for a replacement?
Based on the data above, here are relevant options.
Affiliate link
Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28