Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it doesn't change from heat to defrost or other setting. It appears that the blend doors on the main heater bay are the problem and I also have checked online and find this a common problem and quite expensive to repair. This created a very dangerous situation while driving in a snow storm and not having the vehicle keep up to the demand on the windshield. I was traveling with my 3 young children and the potential for serious injury was high. It also appears that Jeep is aware of the situation and isn't willing to fix the problem. Potential death and serious injury are great and this is poor judgment for public safety.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the passenger side became wet from the air conditioner. The failure occurred on the rear passenger side. The contact could not remember what was done to remedy the failure in 1997. The failure occurred again summer 2009 as there was water build up on the front passenger side where the air conditioner was in use. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000 and the current mileage was approximately 142,000.
Upon being towed by motor home, steering wheel locked up three different times, causing premature wear of tire tread. Consumer has contacted dealer. The front of vehicle has about 1/2 degree camber and dealer stated there is nothing that can be done except to change the entire axle and that would either make problem worse or stay the same. Consumer states that he puts the transfer case in neutral and the transmission in park whenever towing vehicle, however on several occasions the steering wheels were found in locked position causing severe damage to the tires, consumer states that vehicle had been towed 40000 miles before this problem started occurring, on one occasion consumer states he had a difficult time getting steering lock to release and found the wheels were cocked about 10 or 15 degrees to the right and the front tire was in shreads, even the steel cord was torn, possible …
I contacted the dealer for the evaporator/condenser problem on the air conditioner on the vehicle- the customer service rep. At Chrysler told me that the mileage was too high and there is nothing he can do for me- but he immediately tried to sell me a new vehicle at a "special price". This is the 3rd time that Jeep/ daimer Chrysler has failed to cover anything under the recall conditions. The first time was a brake problem that I clearly stated was a mfg. Defect- they insisted that it was my driving habits, paid out of pocket for the repair. 2nd problem was a wiring harness problem that the dealer had problems finding and then attempted to charge $$$$ for the repair- again out of pocket repair for what I feel was a mfg. Defect or oversight on the wiring harness assembly. So I will definitely make this my last Chrysler/Jeep purchase for me and my family.
Air conditioner not blowing cold, freon recharged by auto dealer, one year later. The same problem, was told very expensive to fix, and it was cheaper to recharge every year. Recharged againjune 2001, and again on June 2002. Talking with other Jeep owners, they had the same problem. It doesn't seem normal that the evaporator in a 3 year old Jeep should fail. I have owned Chrysler products for 20 years & never had this problem. I should have reacted sooner, but I figured it was out of warranty, and now I have learned of others with the same problem. Dt
I have a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the paint is just popping off the top as well as some spots on the hood. Also the bumpers and other trim on the vehicle has this white chalky residue on it and nothing will make it go away. Is there any recalls for this type damage or will you file this complaint so there will be a recall. I also had to have the ac evaporator replaced at my expense. Where do I go to get my reimbursement since I now know this was a recall?
Something in front of vehicle is causing noise, dealer stated possibly a differential problem, but consumer could drive an additional 6000 miles before needing repairs, however he also stated that it was possible for a defective bearing to freeze while driving. Serpentine belt replaced. Front brakes replaced. Air conditioner does not cool properly, dealer found no leaks.
Driver's seat heater felt very hot in one spot. This continued for several weeks before the seat heater stopped working. I have heard of other incidents where there were burn marks in the seat , but I this case there appears to be none. I contacted daimler Chrysler which refused to do anything despite the fact that this problem occured two years ago and was repaired at my expense.
The fuel sending unit replaced 4 times(car stops in traffic),power steering pulley disentigrated while driving(had no steering), front and rear axles have been rebuilt or replaced 2times,transmission has been replaced,transfer case has been replaced,air conditioning condenser and hoses replaced 3times,and numerous other problems......
Ac drain has stopped up 4 times over the lifetime of the car resulting in lots of water to overflow on the carpet of the car causing damage to the carpet. According to the service dealer, "the drain May clog up at any time." what is the problem with this drain? I've never had a car do that before.
AC & Heater complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2% of the model year's 991 complaints. The component named most often is appliance › air conditioner (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 123,000 miles.
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.