Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
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).
On January 18th 2014 I was parked on the side of the road. The roads were somewhat icy and my Jeep was rear ended by a 2005 Hyundai santa fe. The damage sustained to the Jeep included a bent bumper and bent frame, resulting in the frame being pushed up against the fuel tank, causing the fuel pump to become faulty and a slight amount of fuel to leak out from the top. There is a current recall on this model year Grand Cherokee due to a potential fire being caused from rear-end collisions from the gas tank; however I did not become aware of the recall until after the accident occurred. Chrysler's poor handling of the recall and their poor notification system made it so that the Jeep was not able to be properly repaired. Now, because of the damage, the recall fix will not be allowed to happen because the rear bumper and frame received damage. The vehicle, as of now, has yet to be repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and hauling a trailer, the tow hitch fractured. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the hitch needed to the replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously inspected under NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000. .....updated 01/27/16
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure). The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician stated that there was corrosion around the attachment area that did not support proper installation of a hitch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 189,000.
My dealership would not address recall n45 without charging me to fix some corrosion damage. N45 is a safety recall. There's literally no reason why FCA shouldn't pay to fix the vehicle to make it safe again.
I don't know the date of when Chrysler had the recall on the fuel system. They were going to put on an (OEM) trailer hitch where appropriate, free of charge. The parts required were currently not available. I bought a trailer hitch and had it installed. I then took it to jeff wyler Jeep in fort thomas ky. They inspected it and passed it. (perform recall n45) I called your customer service and asked if I would be paid back for the part, they said no because it was not an (OEM) part. Please make this right, I have now taken off the part I bought, and asking you to either pay me for the part, which was $316.00 with labor, or set up a date and time to a dealer to put the right part on. That is all I am asking for, I have waited so long for this,and every day I worry about it being so dangerous. I don't think I am asking to much. I just want it fixed right, and the right part on. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repair. The vehicle was also included in two other recalls that the dealer did not mention for years nor did they explain the reason the repairs were not completed for NHTSA campaign numbers: 02V053000 (power train) and 97V194000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact was not experiencing a failure. Updated 12/03/15
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the part needed was not available. The contact was not able to have the vehicle serviced per the recall. Failure and current mileage was 180,500. Updated 12-26-13 updated 12/30/13 updated 07/18/16. The consumer stated the vehicle could catch fire upon a low speed rear impact updated 08/17/2017 updated 09/5/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repair. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Updated 11/20/15 updated 1/14/2016
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the front driver's side door was misaligned and would not close properly. The contact performed a temporary fix to the driver's side door which allowed the door to remain closed in a secure position. There was a technical service bulletin for the failure under NHTSA item number was 6089092 (structure:body:door:hinge and attachments). The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Dt: the contact stated that twice the driver's door had to be put back on. It had a defect in the body frame. The first time was in 4-04, the second time it was in 4-05. Currently, ABS brake system malfunctioned. A month ago, all of the pads on front and rear were replaced. Three days ago, the ABS light came on and would not go off. The contact took vehicle a service dealer, and they told him the control unit module and the hydraulic pump motor needed to be replaced at a cost of $2,300.00.
Related recalls
Structure
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The fuel tanks in these vehicles are at risk of failure and leakage in certain rear impacts.
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…
NHTSA investigations
HOOD LATCH
There is no summary currently available
Body complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the body & structure of the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 6% of the model year's 991 complaints. The component named most often is body (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 13V-252 (structure, Jun 19, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 145,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure 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.