Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
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).
Driving about 50mph and the front end felt like it was coming apart. Steering wheel shaking bad and wheels felt wobbly. I have had this problem before and noticeably when I hit a bump or pothole at or above 45mph. What scared me the most I was coming up on traffic and had to brake. Braking while the vehicle is wobbly is very scary and feels as if the whole thing is coming apart.
I own a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought as a 'demo' in March, 1997. In it was a space saver spare. This Jeep has full time 4-wd. Last Thursday, 5/6/2004, I had my first flat tire ever with this car, and I mounted the space saver spare. I drove about 20 miles before I had to stop due to the front differential's heat and resulting blue smoke as it burned up inside. In your database, there is a recall for 1996 Jeep Grand cherokees with full time 4-wd: recall number is 98V006000. Jeep/Chrysler has given me no satisfaction when confronted with this information -- that my 1997 had the same issue as the 1996's, that they sold me a defective "booby trapped" car, and that I shouldn't be liable for any damage caused by the defect that they, in fact, knew about and said nothing to 1997 owners. So far, damage to the vehicle has been $516, but May reach $1500-$2000 before it's fixed. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee equipped with Goodyear wrangler radial (p) tires, size p235/75r15. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began to shake. The contact pulled over and noticed that all four tires were out of round and had bubbles on the sidewalls. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the tires were replaced with another set of the same tires. A week later, the failure occurred again. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was 163,097 and the current mileage was 165,660.
About 6 weeks ago my back right wheel actually fell off coming down the road at about 35mph. After I looked - one of the studs where the lugs go on actually broke and the other studs were stripped which caused the lugs to fall off. All studs replaced after that.luckily I was close by my mechanic this morning when it was about to happen again - the back right wheel. There was a stud that was broken and the rest of the lugs were very loose.
To whom ever I am speaking too, I recently purchased a vehicle at a local public auction. It has the Firestone wilderness r15 tires that were on the recall. I was wondering if I can still get the recall, and get new tires. These tires are not safe, and I encounter a bumpy ride. The vehicle I bought is a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the car was a theft recovery, so the Firestone tires were on the car, so no recall could of been done. The tires May still be dangerous, and I was wondering what to do to get new ones. Thanks, I would be thankful to hear back from you.
When making a hard turn, either left or right with transmission / 4-wheel drive in neutral, wheels and ignition locked up. Consumer states this occurs when being towed behind a 36 foot motor home, first incident happened after making a hard right turn and was discovered after about 2 miles, second incident happened after traveling approximately 75 milesconsumer stopped and started again having made a hard right turn.
Vehicle was going 50-55 MPH and consumer noticed road was feeling rough and uneven. Left front tire suddenly blewout. There were no signs before it happened. Consumer has a 1997, Grand Cherokee, aftermarket tires with 24000 miles on them, and size p225/75r15. Tire was a Firestone wilderness ht, dot number vdhhawr 179.
Rear end went out and vehicle was inoperable. Contacted dealer and wheel bearings were replaced. Rear end has been replaced twice already. Keyless remote failed. Fuel gauge failed. Buzzing noise when unlocking the doors. Transfer case leaking. Rear end makes noise, dealer rebuilt differential. Left front wheel makes noise.
I had a uniroyal tire explode inside the vehicle. The tire was being used as a spare inside a 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee. When it exploded it bent the rear hatch hinges out 2 inches and shredded all the plastic trim pieces causing over two thousand dollars in damages. Thank god there wasn't anyone in the vehicle.
At 45 MPH on smooth highway tire suddenly blew out and we immediately pulled over. The tire was demolished to the point we could not tell what the cause was or the tire repair man. This tire had approxiamately 2000 miles only on it at the time . (tiresize: 16)( dot number: tire size: 16 )
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2% of the model year's 991 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires 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 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 163,000 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.