1997 Jeep TJ Sport from North America - Comments

Catalytic converter broke at 40k.

Fuel pump went at 45k.

Suspension links and rear diff went at 50km.

Clutch went at 55km.

Master Cylinder went at 55km.

Paint peeling off rear exterior mirrors (Jeep would not replace these)

Water leaking into front and back of vehicle.

Transmission replaced.

Rear gear of transmission still "crunches" into place - I had it in 5 times for this and Chrysler told me that it was normal?!

Radio overheats after an hour and doesn't work.

Four wheel drive will not engage anymore.

Overall, this car was worse than the VW Golf I had before. This car was rated below average by consumers reports for reliability. But I ignored the report and purchased it anyway. It was the best car and most fun car I had ever had, but a year after I purchased it - the whole thing seemed to fall apart.

The acceleration is fierce - and will beat most cars from a standstill. I was able to hit 150km/hr in third gear - an accomplishment that most cars can't even match!

Even though this is by far the funnest vehicle I have ever bought - don't touch it! Don't take it offroad unless you want to pay for someone in a reliable Toyota Four-runner to haul you out!

One point to note is that the resale on these cars is amazing - I bought mine for $20k and sold it 2 years later for $15k on a trade in!

OK, you bought it with 3200 miles on thew clock. You don't know what the previous owner did to it and how they treated it. If it's such a bad car (which it's not) they why is the resale value so high?

Jeep has one of, if not the best 4X4 system (s) ever. You just about can't beat it. Toyota and Nissan are just now starting to catch up. Sure they're Japp. cars and they're known for their reliability. if you treat a Jeep with respect, it will last you for ever. This means not driving it like a damn sports car. And as you say you got to 150 km/h in 3rd gear? You probably maxed out and caused serious engine damage. No wonder the converter went out, it's not meant to be taken up that high for that long. I'd love to see a 4-runner or an X-Terra go straight up a mountain with 2 ft of snow. They can't! They're mainly meant for everyday street driving and every once and a while offroad use. Jeeps can do both for ever and ever and ever with respect and care Only in a Jeep!!!

I have a 1997 Jeep TJ Sahara. I have had the following problems.

- exhaust manifold, replaced with a Borla Stainless

- rear diff failure, replaced with a Jasper rear-end

- multi-function switch (blinker, brights, etc)

- clutch pedal linkage, which was a plastic grommet! Fabricated a metal linkage

- catalytic converter.

But, even with these repairs, it is twice the vehicle of my 99 GMC Jimmy. The Jeep is a blast and is the most capable off road vehicle out there. I will always own a Jeep, there is no vehicle that can match it... when it is maintained properly.

150km/h in third? Obviously if you abuse your power-train and drive-train like that it's going to break.

I have to agree that my jeep is the most fun to drive vehicle that I've ever owned (and I've owned quite a few).At the same time I would also agree that Chrysler has dragged the Willys Overland/Kaiser/AMC name though the mud!Quality is severely lacking in any new Jeep especially in the electronics area. My 1947 Cj2a might be a whole lot slower than my TJ, but when it comes to which will outlast the other... My old Willys would win every time hands down. When someone asks me about owning a jeep this is what I say. Although the new ones are nicely appointed and do ride a bit better than the YJ or CJ's if you want one that will last forever buy an AMC cj7 or cj5 and just take care of it!

They just need more care. For instance, rear diff will never fail if properly maintained. They are prone to pinion oil seal leak, which leads to bearing failure.

Your Jeep does not have a V6 - it has a 4.0 liter in-line six.

I'm amazed at how many people don't even know what kind of engine is under their vehicle's hood.

To the guy with the CJ2A. I love 'em too, but really most everything I've read suggests that 60,000 miles is about the limit before the engine needs a rebuild. Same with many older engines. Most people would consider that a pretty poor performance for a modern TJ.

I know what you mean by the electronics issue, though. Thing is, the less you have, the better but newer vehicles are forced by the feds to have all kinds of safety and electronic features that weren't forced onto a 47 Willys. So keep these things in mind in your criticism of Chrysler. Many of the changes that are so criticized in a current JK were the product of government meddling and were shoehorned into TJs and especially JKs. Any Jeep just runs too far afoul of gov regulators' and consumer groups' ideas of what the perfect vehicle should look and perform like.