Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
In response to the latest on the recall of Jeep grand cherokees and Jeep liberties, I respectfully request a full review of the 1993 - 2001 Jeep cherokees rear impact safety. In NHTSA's initial request to Chrysler, this group of cherokees was included as a subject vehicle, noting you had only received 15 voq's and only (1) was for a Cherokee, one is too many. NHTSA also stated that "assessment of available data for the Cherokee did not establish an unreasonable risk." was the available data at the time acceptable? Or have you subjected the owners of these vehicles to a life of fear driving vehicle not properly tested. Why was there no rear end impact testing of the cars when they initially came on the market? The location of the gas tank is in exactly the same position as the grand Cherokee and the gas tank is also "plastic". …
I have a 1997 Jeep with 150,000 miles on it and I am having a lot of issues with it stalling out for no reason. It's been doing this for over a year. It started all of a sudden out of the blue. I have taken it to the repair shop over 20 times to try and get the problem resolved and they are not able to find the problem. They have even kept it over night and had it on machines to figure out why it stalls and am not able to figure it out. I have replace sensors, fuel filter, battery, not to mention so many other parts and nothing is stopping it from stalling out for no reason. I have spent so much money and I love my Jeep but I am real nervous to drive it that I might go to turn and the Jeep will stall while turning a corner and get t-boned by oncoming traffic. Or driving on the highway and all of a sudden it will sputter and stall out. …
Vehicle has hard starts and frequent hesitation and stalling, at all speeds city street driving as well as highway driving. I have had a new distributor cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil, installed, yet symptoms persist. Sudden deceleration at highway speeds is a seriously dangerous condition. My research suggests this is a common problem with the Jeep Cherokee xj. I narrowly escaped a crash on a busy interstate highway this morning at freeway speeds. Jeep ought to be aware of this problem, yet there seems to be no remedy for owners. I would at least like to know what the problem is. …
The Jeep shut down on the hwy,wouldn't start had get a tow. Spent over 500 dollars on repairs and tow ,four days later it did the exact same thing. Lucky I was home is time .waited two day's went outside and it started with no problem .im not driving it anymore its to much trouble.
Fuel tank indicator is giving false readings. The vehicle appeared to be stalling, it was refueled and was given no diagnosis at the gas station. The vehicle stopped responding to the pressing of the gas pedal for an unknown reason, the vehicle was refueled but was still given no diagnosis. The vehicle stopped again without warning in the middle of the street, obtained emergency fuel, then it was obvious that there was a fuel problem. (the fuel level registered wrong) the 20 gallon gas tank gets 15 to 18 mpg. The fuel level registers 7/8 tank after driving 100 miles currently. Both the manufacturer and the dealer refused to pay for repair and denied the recall #97V194000 .
Radiator & various ac parts needed replacement. Steering gave out in 2002. A screw went through an engine part. Recently, a joint connecting the axel to the steering mechanism had to be replaced. Fuel pump failed. Incredibly, it is inside the gas tank. I have since learned that Jeep gas tanks corrode on the inside, thus clogging the fuel pump. This is a very expensive repair because of the labor. There is still the possibility that this new fuel pump May also fail, because the gas tank was not replaced and the problem still exists. I\\\\\\'ve heard numerous similar complaints regarding the fuel system from other Jeep owners. There should have been a recall.
Went out to go somewhere and it had a hard time starting. As I began to drive down the road my Jeep started to backfire, all of a sudden it cut off and the steering wheel locked up and the lights went out it was dark so I could of been injured. When I got it to crank back my ABS light has been on ever since and we have bought about 5 hundred dollars in parts and tried everything we know to do even the mechanics we have asked about it have no answers for us, we can't afford to buy another vehicle and no one wants to buy it from us because of all of the problems we have had with our Jeep!
Plastic gas tank warped where fuel level sending unit is located on top of tank. Car was parked in garage overnight after a fill up. Next morning gasoline was noted on floor of garage which could have resulted in fire. Dealer stated tank warped in heat of d.c. Weather. Replacement cost was $800. I wonder if other similar eight-year old Jeep products will begin to show this failure, which could be the beginning of a dangerous situation for unsuspecting owners of Jeep vehicles with plastic gas tanks. Gas tanks aren't supposed to fail after only eight years of use.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Jeep Cherokee sport. While driving approximately 35 MPH the contact noticed the fuel gauge reading fluctuating. The contact stated he was unable to determine the accurate amount of fuel in the vehicle. The vehicle was included under NHTSA campaign id number: 97V194000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly) and had repairs performed prior to the contact assuming ownership of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The vehicle stalls unexpectedly when slowing down or coming to a stop. The check engine light is on, however; the code that comes up is for the ignition which was already repaired and not the issue causing at hand. This malfunction is freakishly common when I look it up online for this make, model, and year. This problem is very dangerous as it May or can cause death or serious injury if in intersection or busy road/highway. Please notify me of any solutions or information on this matter. We have also changed spark plugs as well as wires & coil.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles. The fuel tank mounted fuel level sending unit accuracy can degrade over time, indicating significantly more fuel in reserve than is actually present.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit.
NHTSA investigations
Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
ODI has completed an extensive analysis of rear crash fuel tank system integrity data for the subject Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles (SVs).As of June 2013, ODI knew of 56 post-collision fatal fires, 28 non-fatal fires, and 6 fuel leak incidents (totaling 90 incidents, 75 fatalities and 58 injuries) involving the SVs.Based on this analysis, ODI issued a Recall Request Letter (RRL) on June 3, 2013…
Faulty gas gauge indicators
There is no summary currently available
Fuel System complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 1997 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 141 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 1997 Jeep Cherokee, 36% of the model year's 390 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (52 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Jeep Cherokee fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 97V-194 (tank assembly, Nov 7, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Jeep Cherokee fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.