10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
12,574 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission problems

transmission problem

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1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #34

Aug 012001

Grand Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When vehicle is driven for a good amount of time transmission will get stuck in fourth gear. Consumer has to shut vehicle off for a while before transmission will come back to normal.

- Bridge Water, MA, USA

problem #33

Aug 012000

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission gets stuck in 4th gear.

- Bridgewater, MA, USA

problem #32

Aug 031999

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission locked in park, only way to get it out was to press hard on gas pedal, this caused vehicle to dash forward, consumer felt this was very unsafe because consumer didn'Y know when it was going to dash forward.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #31

Jul 172001

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When shifted the transmission has a 5 sec lag time to shifting. If the Jeep has been parked for more than 2 days the time is more than 20sec. Transmission has also been in "D" but actually it was in "2".

- Newark, CA, USA

problem #30

Jul 052001

(reported on)

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
In response to recent reports about 1997 Grand Cherokee transmissions going into reverse without selecting reverse--my Jeep's transmission seals deteriorated early with pieces of the seals found in the gear fluid; could cause blockage of scavanger system or interference with gears themselves--possible cause or explanation; contacted Jeep and local dealership--they denied everything.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #29

Mar 071999

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • miles
When left in park, with the engine running, this 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee has on multiple occasions (perhaps six or eight times) slipped out of park and moved both forward and backward on it's own. On several occasions there was no driver in the car when it began moving. In the latest episode, in may of 2001, my wife was knocked to the ground as she attempted to reenter the car which she had left in park. The Jeep moved backward until coming to rest on a hedge and a cable tv box on the street next to our home. The damages were about $200. My wife was bruised, but not seriously injured. What should we do" is there a recall? will this be reported to Jeep"

- West Plam Beach, FL, USA

problem #28

Jul 042001

(reported on)

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been taking my Jeep back to the dealer since about 7000 miles with a hesitation problem. They said they checked engine, transmission, and other items with no sucess in locating the problem. Now, a few months ago I started having problems with it wanting to just take off like a bullet, as soon as you barly get it into reverse. I explained to crystler, that now, I wonder if the whole time they couldn't find the problem if it was my transmission. At 55000 miles I understand things start going wrong, but not the transmission. I felt that if it needed repair they should pay for it, or at least waiver the labor. So I took it to a transmission specialist, he replied " if you were my wife you wouldn't even drive it any further, it's that bad" so now it still sits in the garage gitting fixed,1 1/2 weeks as of today, and I still don't have it back. The specilist told me the whole transmission would need rebuilt, due to burnt out clutches in 1 St gear, and reverse, and burnt out tourque converter. With a grand total of $2326.70. Then I saw the issue on cnn about the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and I really felt that applied to our Jeep. Please help. The dealership kept telling me alot of crazy things, like "you must not be excellerating properly" and with the reverse, "everyone has to keep there foot on the break when putting it in reverse" well I never had a vehicle that would just shoot off like a rocket in reverse. Thank you lise greathouse.

- Oil City, PA, USA

problem #27

Jun 212001

Grand Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
At 07:45am husband parked vehicle, placed drive selector in "park', engaged emergency brakes, left engine idling. Wife, jo, entered vehicle. As she was engaging safety belt the car suddenly accelerated to a very high RPM and, simultaneously, jumped into reverse gear. The Jeep struck a parked sedan and apparently the im[pact switched the gear into forward. Wife was unable to control and the Jeep struck a house. Husband opened door and turned off engine w/ ignition key. Engine stopped.. emergency brakes remained engaged throughout. Police report confirms "not the driver's fault".investigation by insurance adjuster/repair shop ongoing.

- University Park, TX, USA

problem #26

Jun 222001

Grand Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving on highway vehicle jumped from drive to neutral with no prior warning. Vehicle was not shifting gears on its own. Contacted dealer.

- Eastern, PA, USA

problem #25

Aug 011999

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
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.

- Johnstown, PA, USA

problem #24

Jul 052001

(reported on)

Grand Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When applying gas pedal vehicle feels as if it is pulling in reverse. This happens at highway speeds. Dealer has not seen vehicle. Consumer states vehicle bucks and pulls back while driving.

- Old Greenwich, CT, USA

problem #23

Mar 272001

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While consumer was travling at 55mph transmission malfunctioned. Consumer was told there was a complete mechanical breakdown in the transmission.

- Harrisville, MI, USA

problem #22

Dec 122000

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Jeep will not assist (it is beyong warranty) in any relief of a transmission with only 30000 miles - local dealer estimates cost of repair at $2,400.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #21

May 172000

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The transmission was slow to connect and the RPM's were going up and no movement was occurring.

- Fond Du Lac, WI, USA

problem #20

May 131999

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
I have had the following failures: Fuel guage/ brakes (3) times/engine mount, and water pump, brought the vehicle in (5) times before they fixed the transmission, rear windshield wipers quit working, and then restarted. Also cd player died. Is this a lemon?

- Medford, MA, USA

problem #19

Oct 201997

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
I was driving my vehicle home from my son's school...there were no passengers in the car. I pulled into my flat driveway and stopped at the end of it to retrieve my mail from my mailbox. After the vehicle was completely stopped, I put the transmission into park; released my foot from the brake pedal; took off my seatbelt; opened the door; and got out. Everything seemed normal at this point. However, after taking about five steps away from the vehicle towards my mailbox, the vehicle slipped out of park into reverse and started driving backwards....all by itself. Afraid that the vehicle would run into another car, or a house, or worse, my instinct told me to try and stop it. I ran towards the front of the vehicle as it was moving backward and tried to get in (in order to put the brake on). In my effort to do so, however, the door of the moving vehicle knocked me down onto the street and completely ran over my left leg, breaking my femur bone in two places. As I was unable to move, screaming in severe pain, the vehicle continued backing up on its own onto my front lawn, through a ditch, over a cable T.V. box, through an empty field, finally stopping when it tried to go across a rather deep ditch. The motor, however, continued to run.

- Goldsboro, NC, USA

problem #18

Mar 011999

Grand Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
When driving at any speed vehicle wouldn't shift properly from first to second gear, and was shifting very hard. Lock on the driver's side door isn't locking properly. Also, water pump was replaced/ driver's side window motor went out, and there was a leakage in the sun roof which caused water to leak into vehicle on driver's side.

- Young Town, OH, USA

problem #17

Jun 221999

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Constant RPM fluctuation, hesitation under load, shifting from overdrive to drive during freeway speeds, chronic.

- Marysville, WA, USA

problem #16

Sep 011998

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission body valve failed on two occasions 9-01-98 & 11-01-98.

- Mission Vi, CA, USA

problem #15

Jun 031999

(reported on)

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
After being parked for a period of time transmission did not respond well. When placed into gear it would take 10 to 15 seconds to respond and go into the gear. Dealer has been contacted.

- Westchester, OH, USA

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