1997 Eagle Talon problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Eagle Talon, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Eagle Talon vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 9 | 38% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 29% |
| Suspension | 5 | 21% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% |
| Structure | 2 | 8% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“There is a safety recall for the transfer case. I have all the symptoms transfer case failure. There is oil leaking and the transfer case locks up, making it impossible to drive the car, the wheels will not budge. I have talked to two dealerships. Neither will honor the recall because it has been performed before. I…”
Power Train · filed Mar 13, 2009
“Dt: the contact owns a 1997 eagle talon. On june 14, 2005 contact's vehicle was involved in a hit and run accident while going 20-25 mph. Upon impact, front air bags deployed, but contact sustained airbag burns. He sustained injuries, strain in neck, burns on arm, and on rights hand two finger became numb. The…”
Air Bags · filed Jul 18, 2005
“A recall for the transfer case was issued. The consumer vehicle identification number was included, however the dealer refused to repair the vehicle. Please provide additional information. *jb”
Power Train · filed Nov 1, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
65 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Eagle Talon. The 10 most recent:
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
3100519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
3100319 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
3100619 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
31-005-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
31-003-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
31-006-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
Subject regarding generic scan tool (gst), publication no. 81-170-00008 provided with this technical service bulletin to provide reference information when using generic scan tool on obdii vehicles. *tt
1801201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Eagle Talon has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Eagle Talon?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.