Most common 1997 Jeep Laredo problems
Share of the 38 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Jeep Laredo complaints by model year
Best Laredo years: 2006, 1995, 1997. Years to avoid: 2002, 2001, 2000. Compare all years →
What 1997 Jeep Laredo owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
I own a 1997 Jeep Laredo & received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) no dealership so I drove 120 miles to nearest Jeep service dept. They kept the vehicle for 4 hours then stated the parts that were needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. The dealer was unable to provide an expected date for when the part would become available. It has been over a year and I never heard back. Since then I applied for the $100 gift card and they said I am ineligible since the item was already repaired. This Jeep has so many issues. Electrical short throughout entire vehicle that cuts out stereo, blinkers, running lights, brake lights, dash lights. Its not the fuses either. The drivers door hinges are rotting. The car now stalls daily even when going freeway speeds. The driver side seat motor has seized and no longer adjusts. …
Vehicle stalls and cut off at any speed. Sometimes it cranks back up ,other times immobile have to wait 20-30 mins to restart. Backfires. Blown out 2 mufflers. Spent hundreds of dollars on needless parts. Sensors, spark plugs,rotary cap etc. Still stalls,cut off in middle of traffic.inside lights will not work.had to remove fuse,lights remain on all the time. Very unsafe to me and my family. Never know when it will run or stop.stalling will cause serious rear end collision and maybe cause fire.with so many complaints,I am shocked there is no recall.these jeeps are unreliable,unsafe,embarrassing and oneday will cause serious accident .ABS light on,engine light never goes out.I have spent most of days at the mechanic.Jeep dealership will not intervene to resolve issue.
Engine & cooling
Stalling out issue. Went from intermittent to frequent. Stalls out while driving and while coming to a stop or leaving a stop. Have replaced 3 PCM's, 1/2 wiring harness, too many sensors to count, fuel pump, etc. Have spent thousands & the mechanic cannot figure it out. No codes either. Temperature & speed do not matter it just constantly stalls. Thousands of people have this same problem. When the vehicle stalls sometimes it will restart other times it will not. There is no lights, sounds, nothing when it stalls. It just cuts out. No steering either! Also the problem with the transmission which I have replaced once and need to again, and the fuse box in the engine has issues, and the differential I have replaced too. My mechanic has spent 6 years trying to fix this problem. He even had the dealership reprogram the computer to no avail. Chrysler will not even address the issue. …
I have a 1997 Jeep Laredo that I purchased over 2 years ago from a used car dealer. The stalling problem started around January 2008. At first it just stalls when on idle or when turning. Now it is stalling while driving on the freeway/highway. I was going 60mph on the highway and it just died. We have changed the crack sensor, the oil, coil, cap and rotor, transmission fluid. Oxygen sensor was changed a little over a year ago. I don't know what else to do. I have brought it to the mechanic 2x and he can't find the problem. No warning code shows on the dash. I searched the web and discovered I'm not alone. It is now April 2008 and I'm scared to drive my car. I don't have money to bring it to the mechanic to try and find the problem. What can we Jeep owners with the same problem do about this? There must be something we can do to get Chrysler to fix this problem. …
Brakes
As I try to brake I get this air lose feeling on my brakes as if I am not able to brake on time. And soon as that happens my ABS light goes on. I've taken in the car in and nobody seems to find a problem last time I took it in for that problem the mechanic had 3 other car same as mine with the same problem. I'm afraid to be on the freeway at high speed due to not knowing if I will be able to brake on time.
The ABS brakes do not work; when driving past 20mph and having to make a sudden stop, brakes did not work. Wife ran into house because of the brake failure, took vehicle for repair and it has been tested on the computer and it shows no problem but when driving brakes malfunction.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Jeep Laredo a good car?
Based on 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Laredo rates average: 36% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Laredo at the same age. It is one of the best Laredo years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Jeep Laredo?
The fuel & propulsion system — 12 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about storage › tank assembly. Next are the engine & cooling (9) and brakes (7).
How many recalls does the 1997 Jeep Laredo have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1997 Jeep Laredo. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Jeep Laredo?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 1995 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 2001 and 2000. See the full Jeep Laredo years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Jeep Laredo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 115,000 miles; 8% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.