Vehicle incident 09/23/08 approx. 2:55-3:00 p.m. On highway 90, milton, fl driving a 1997 jeep cherokee, 4 cars in total were involved I was stopped far back in a line of cars waiting for a red light to turn green. The line began to move up slowly, I let my foot up from the brake and within seconds the jeep accelerated forward, I immediately applied pressure to the brakes the car slowed temporarily but continued to surge forward in a jerking hopping motion. My vehicle impacted the car ahead of me. I looked down to make sure I was applying pressure to the brakes; my passenger was already checking as well. Seeing that I was (my foot never touched the gas pedal during any of this) and that the car was still pushing forward I was forced to turn off the ignition to stop the vehicle. The officer did not cite me though of course my vehicle was still responsible. The officer in her report stated that she believed the impact, to the car my jeep struck, was at 45 mp/h because of the amount of damage to the rear end. This of course was not possible since I was at a stopped position starting to coast forward; the extent of the damage was due to the jeep hitting the car multiple times as it continued to accelerate while I was braking. After the incident the car was taken to the dealer, no overt cause was found. Through personal research I have found similar incidents linked to the cruise control system (even when not turned on), because of this we are in the process of having it disconnected. My family is extremely tentative to drive the vehicle till this problem is resolved.
1997 Jeep Cherokee: sudden unintended acceleration
6 of the 390 complaints about the 1997 Jeep Cherokee describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
While reversing , vehicle suddenly accelerated at a very high speed and impacted a tree.
The vehicle was parked but running. When the driver opened the door the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The consumer requested reimbursement for medical bills. *scc
The vehicle was parked but running. When the driver opened the door the vehicle suddenly accelerated without prior warning. *nlm. *ak consumer sustained injuries from being dragged. *tt
Was shifting into reverse when vehicle suddenly accelerated backwards. Had foot on brakes at time & not able to stop. Before acceleration , a loud roaring (like revving) sound heard. Had hit brick wall. Taken vehicle to dealer to check out.
While traveling at 33mph, vehicle suddenly accelerated, spun out of control and rolled over twice before being stopped by some small evergreen tree.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1997 Jeep Cherokee sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 1997 Jeep Cherokee?
6 of 390 owner complaints about the 1997 Jeep Cherokee (2%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 2015.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Jeep Cherokee?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Jeep Cherokee
Fuel gauge 83Stalling 30No deployment 15Brake failure 9ABS 7Fuel leak 7Hesitation 7Loss of power 7Check engine light 6Fire or smoke 6Fuel pump 6Premature wear 6Won't start 6Grinding brakes 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1997 Jeep Cherokee?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history