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Vehicle safety record

1997 Jeep Laredo Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 38 complaints about the 1997 Jeep Laredo with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system (12) and the engine & cooling (8). Those complaints describe 4 crashes and 2 injuries. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 1996 has 47 and the 1998 has 33.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical Laredo year, for its age

#106 most complained-about 1997 vehicle

Complaints
38
Recalls
0
Crashes
4
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Deaths
0

Most common 1997 Jeep Laredo problems

Share of all 38 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 1997 Jeep Laredo

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1997 Jeep Laredo. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

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38 complaints about the 1997 Jeep Laredo

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.

Electrical systemDriver assistanceFuel 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...

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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. Engine light stays on and it now won't pass smog tests. The front car shakes and needs tie rods. I am experiencing a complete loss. My only option is to scrap the vehicle since repairs would cost more than the vehicle is worth.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Electronic stability control (ESC) · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10849894
Fuel system

My 97 jeep grand cherokee laredo, is having stalling issues,i've changed numerous sensors, fuel pump, distributor, the vehicle will drive find for a couple of days then out of the blue it will just shut off while driving,have no problem at the moment of it starting back up,but this is getting frustrating with all the money and time I've spent trying to figure this problem out, and to find out that other are having the same issues.Please if any way possible. Someone needs to help myself and the other find a solution to these issues. *Tr

Filed Incident Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 10666961
Transmission & drivetrainBrakes

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated when the vehicle was placed into the reverse position it erroneously accelerated and the brakes became disengaged. The problem occurred several times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Incident Power train · Service brakesNHTSA 10627400
Electrical systemAirbags

I drive a 1997 jeep laredo it back fires and stalls going down the highway with no warning. It has stalled at a stop lights. And help up traffic have replaced sensors and now going to try changing fuel pump. Air bag light comes on and off how safe is that came close to being rear ended by a semi with my grand kids in vehicle because of it cutting out and loosing power at 55mph these jeeps are death traps and should be recalled before someone is killed and then its to late what is it going to take and how many complaints do you need to fix the problem. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Air bagsNHTSA 10572614
Fuel system

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 jeep laredo. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 13v252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) and stated that 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Filed Incident Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10560415
Electrical systemFuel system

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...

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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. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10525273
Engine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 jeep laredo. The contact stated the vehicle would stall at anytime while driving on the highway. The contact had to restart the vehicle in order for the vehicle to perform normally. The dealer was notified but was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairing the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 106,000.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10445584
Engine & coolingCrash

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....

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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. He even sent my truck to another garage for evaluation. It stalled on them too however they could not find the cause either. This is so dangerous and I cannot afford another vehicle. Please help and investigate. They're too many of us with this problem. *Kb

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10410513
Transmission & drivetrainCrash

I have purchased several jeep grand cherokees threw the years all being around the 1997 model with the v8. Every single one ive had had a a transmission problem and recently im having transfer case problems where it will not shift in 4 wheel drive as the other 2 I had something must be wrong and it winter and im without 4 wheel drive and maybe a bad transmission again if u could look into it please I would be grateful. *Ln

Filed Incident Power train · Traction control systemNHTSA 10379518
Engine & cooling

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...

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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. There is a recall but it doesn't cover 1997 jeeps. I saw the recall on the consumer affairs website. *Tr

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10226109
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. *Tr

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 10208224
Body, doors & structure

The jeep was shaking uncontrollable at 45 mph. The chase connected to the track bar mount broke due to metal fatigue. The problem has yet to be fixed.. After talking with a body shop 3/8'' steel plate welded to the chase would fix the problem. Warning it comes from metal fatigue!!!! The main problems seem to be the track bar mount and chase. *Nm

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 10174994
Engine & cooling

The temperature outside changing. The exhaust manifold breaks at the welds where it connects to the exhaust system. I have already fixed this problem once before, and now it has to be fixed again because of carbon monoxide leaking in to the vehicle when windows are up and heater is on. *Nm

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10144351
Body, doors & structure

The hood on my 1997 jeep grand cherokee laredo flew open on me while driving on the highway. I was exiting the highway on an overhead ramp and when I went over the expansion section the slight bump was apparently just enough for the hood to flip open. I was very fortunate the windshield did not break and late enough (10 pm) that there was no traffic on the highway. I was able to slow down and pull it over before I hit anything or drove over the side of the ramp, however, the damage to the hood and fenders cost $2,300 to repair! *Nm

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10142305
Body, doors & structure

Drivers side front door became hard to open/close on or around 09-30-05. 10-05-05, Hinge (bottom hinge) weld on jeep body broke completely loose and now door wont close completely. Not repaired yet. *Nm

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10140428
SuspensionCrash2 injuries

Front end wobble after hitting (mild) bumps. I have had over $2,000 worth of work done on my vehicle and replaced some parts twice over the last 10 months. The jeep dealer told me after this last time there was no way to fix the probelm and there had been several jeeps in the last few weeks with the same problem. They had replace stabilzer shocks, struts, and in their words "everything but the axle and steering" I have to pull of of he road becuase the front end wobbles out of control, and subsequently

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 10133660
Body, doors & structure

The left driver side door hinge broke from the door. *Ak *ts *jb

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 10022720
Fuel system

WHILE AT A STOP, FUEL LEAKED OUT OF THE TANK. *JB

Filed Incident Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 10017569
Wheels & tires

This vehicle is driven by my teenage son and daughter. In teaching them about the vehicle, I stressed that it is important to follow the manufacturers instructions carefully in the event of a flat tire. Jack placement can be important for safely changing a tire and preventing damage to the vehicle. When my daughter did have a flat, neither she nor adult friends were able to change the tire using the jack placement diagrams provided in the manual and sewn next to the jack itself. The jack would only lift the...

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car an inch or so when placed on the axle as shown. I talked to the dealer and they said that the diagrams were incorect and that the jack must be placed under the leaf springs. When I contacted the manfacturer, they said that the dealer was wrong and the diagrams were correct. When I sent them a picture of the jack fully extended and of the height this would lift the axle ( which was insufficient to lift the tire off the ground) and requested a corrected diagram to place in the vehicle, they would not respond. My contention is that changing a flat tire is such a rare ocurrance for a teenager or anybody else, they can not remember what is the proper jacking method without a proper diagram to look at. In my daughters original flat they attempted dangerous methods to raise the vehicle when following the diagrams did not work. I am just asking for a corrected page for the manual and a corrected diagram for the jack area. I tried to work with them without contacting the nhtsa and received no answer. I think it is a safety issue and should be addressed. Dt

Filed TiresNHTSA 769251
Fuel system

Fuel gauge indicates false reading of gasoline. Thge dealership is aware of the problem.*Ak

Filed Incident Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 8005458
Body, doors & structure

Door on the vehicle will not stay on due to hinges. Dealership is aware of problem.*Ak dealer repaired insdide door shell and replaced the pins and bushings. *Slc

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 8005045
Fuel system

A fuel leakage located on top of tank. Dealership is aware of problem.*Ak

Filed Incident Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 8003497
Brakes

Brake debris was coming off brake pads onto front wheels. Dealer notified, and unwilling to assist in this matter. Please provide any further details on this matter . *Ak

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 883422
Steering

The first time I was at a stop light and making a left turn on green and the car turned completely around. The second time I was going up a ramp and the wheels locked. I could not turn the steering wheel. *Ak

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 732055
Engine & cooling

While checking vehicle under hood because of noise engine stalled without indication. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information. *Ak

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 862242

Jeep Laredo: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
200170021Visibility & wipersF
200081031Engine & coolingF
199960041BrakesD
199833091Transmission & drivetrainD
199738040Fuel systemC
199647050Transmission & drivetrainD
199520023AirbagsC
199416011Transmission & drivetrainB
199326013BrakesC
All Laredo years

1997 Jeep Laredo vs rivals

VehicleComplaintsRecallsCrashesGrade
1997 Jeep Laredo3804C
1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee1,38011156DCompare
1997 Jeep Cherokee1,38010156FCompare
1997 Jeep Wrangler411732DCompare
1997 Jeep Wagoneer202CCompare
1997 Jeep Grand Wagoneer110ACompare

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 1997 Jeep Laredo

Does the 1997 Jeep Laredo have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1997 Jeep Laredo right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Jeep Laredo?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the fuel system (12), engine & cooling (8), body, doors & structure (7).

How many complaints has the 1997 Jeep Laredo had?

38 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 7, 1997 and the latest on March 16, 2016. Of these, 4 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 1997 Jeep Laredo a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 40 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Jeep Laredo year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Jeep Laredo years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 1997 Jeep Laredo has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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