Jeep
Jeep Wrangler years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2018, 2021 and 2024. Best years: 2016 and 2017.
The 2018, 2021 and 2024 Jeep Wrangler draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2018 has 1,823 complaints (203 for each year on the road), 2021 has 940 complaints (157 for each year on the road) and 2024 has 728 complaints (243 for each year on the road), against a median of 87 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2024 is stalling (279 reports).
- 7,535complaints
- 51recall campaigns
- 13model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2018
Most reported: death wobble (517 reports, median 8,000 miles) and suspension (342 reports, median 9,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: death wobble (182 reports, median 20,000 miles) and suspension (180 reports, median 22,778 miles).
2024
Most reported: stalling (279 reports, median 13,000 miles) and hybrid system (132 reports, median 10,553 miles).
Best years
2016
Most reported: brake wear (136 reports, median 58,000 miles) and airbag (77 reports, median 64,000 miles).
2017
Most reported: brake wear (76 reports, median 37,000 miles) and airbag (26 reports, median 18,350 miles).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2018 has the most complaints of any Jeep Wrangler year here: 1,823 of 7,535 (24%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Death wobble leads in 4 of the 12 model years and has the most reports overall, 1,075. Pooled across the years, half of the 654 owners who gave a mileage for death wobble were under about 10,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Jeep Wrangler complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 43 of its 309 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 6 of the 11 model years where owners report death wobble have a recall on the same system: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 1,323, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 1,009 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: OSX, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
JL
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 avoid | 1,823 | 203 | 14 | Steering wheel shakes or the "death wobble" (517) | 9,600 |
| 2019 | 742 | 93 | 9 | Steering wheel shakes or the "death wobble" (156) | 12,300 |
| 2020 | 610 | 87 | 12 | Steering wheel shakes or the "death wobble" (68) | 30,791 |
| 2021 avoid | 940 | 157 | 15 | Steering wheel shakes or the "death wobble" (182) | 22,556 |
| 2022 | 397 | 79 | 15 | Battery dies or the car will not start (74) | 17,800 |
| 2023 | 365 | 91 | 14 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (80) | 14,217 |
| 2024 avoid | 728 | 243 | 11 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (279) | 16,000 |
| 2025 | 67 | new | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (20) | |
| 2026 | 10 | new | 3 |
Year by year
2026 Jeep Wrangler
10 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 1 report involved a crash. 3 recalls, including 26V-531 on the backup camera and 26V-456 on the wheels.
2025 Jeep Wrangler
67 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: stalling (20 reports), misfire (13 reports) and hybrid system (13 reports). 3 reports involved a crash. 4 recalls, including 25V-741 on the electrical system and 26V-363 on the steering system.
2024 Jeep Wrangler avoid
728 owner complaints, 243 for each year on the road (2.8 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (279 reports, median 13,000 miles), hybrid system (132 reports, median 10,553 miles) and dead battery (118 reports, median 13,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 25V-741 on the electrical system and 24V-871 on the electrical system.
2023 Jeep Wrangler
365 owner complaints, 91 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (80 reports, median 10,000 miles), dead battery (79 reports, median 20,000 miles) and hybrid system (72 reports, median 15,000 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 14 recalls, including 25V-741 on the electrical system and 24V-652 on the electrical system.
2022 Jeep Wrangler
397 owner complaints, 79 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: dead battery (74 reports, median 34,000 miles), hybrid system (67 reports, median 22,716 miles) and death wobble (61 reports, median 15,871 miles). 13 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 15 recalls, including 25V-741 on the electrical system and 24V-652 on the electrical system.
2021 Jeep Wrangler avoid
940 owner complaints, 157 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: death wobble (182 reports, median 20,000 miles), suspension (180 reports, median 22,778 miles) and stalling (149 reports, median 18,000 miles). 20 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 15 recalls, including 26V-363 on the steering system and 25V-741 on the electrical system.
2020 Jeep Wrangler
610 owner complaints, 87 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: death wobble (68 reports, median 28,000 miles), infotainment (67 reports, median 56,000 miles) and suspension (51 reports, median 20,800 miles). 16 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 25V-741 on the electrical system and 24V-676 on the backup camera.
2019 Jeep Wrangler
742 owner complaints, 93 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: death wobble (156 reports, median 12,500 miles), suspension (132 reports, median 13,400 miles) and power steering loss (54 reports, median 12,500 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 19V-201 on the steering system and 24V-676 on the backup camera.
2018 Jeep Wrangler avoid
1,823 owner complaints, 203 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: death wobble (517 reports, median 8,000 miles), suspension (342 reports, median 9,000 miles) and power steering loss (117 reports, median 11,000 miles). 22 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 14 recalls, including 18V-343 on the steering system and 24V-676 on the backup camera.
2017 Jeep Wrangler best
309 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (0.4 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (76 reports, median 37,000 miles), airbag (26 reports, median 18,350 miles) and stalling (22 reports, median 26,000 miles). 19 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 19V-680 on the seat belts and 18V-524 on the electrical system.
2016 Jeep Wrangler best
460 owner complaints, 42 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (136 reports, median 58,000 miles), airbag (77 reports, median 64,000 miles) and stalling (48 reports, median 43,000 miles). 28 reports involved a crash and 38 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 19V-018 on the airbags (do not drive) and 24V-196 on the airbags.
2015 Jeep Wrangler
471 owner complaints, 39 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (129 reports, median 50,300 miles), airbag (73 reports, median 58,500 miles) and misfire (41 reports, median 66,630 miles). 15 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 19V-018 on the airbags (do not drive) and 19V-680 on the seat belts.
2014 Jeep Wrangler
613 owner complaints, 47 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: oil leak (124 reports, median 56,000 miles), airbag (69 reports, median 67,000 miles) and brake wear (68 reports, median 55,000 miles). 18 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 19V-018 on the airbags (do not drive) and 19V-680 on the seat belts.
Recalls that cover several model years
The instrument panel cluster may experience an internal short circuit and fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
The wiring harness for the rearview camera and the center brake light may short circuit, which can disable the rearview camera image and center brake light.
The high voltage battery may fail internally and lead to a vehicle fire while parked or driving.
The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.
The electric hydraulic power steering pump wiring may overheat and cause a vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked with the ignition in the "Off" position.
The driver's seat belt buckle mounting strap may fracture and separate from the seat frame.
Compare the Wrangler with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Wrangler vs Ford Bronco2021 to 2023
- Wrangler vs Jeep Gladiator2020 to 2022
Questions
What Jeep Wrangler years should you avoid?
The 2018, 2021 and 2024 Jeep Wrangler draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2018 has 1,823 complaints (203 for each year on the road), 2021 has 940 complaints (157 for each year on the road) and 2024 has 728 complaints (243 for each year on the road), against a median of 87 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2024 is stalling (279 reports).
What are the best years for the Jeep Wrangler?
The 2016 and 2017 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2016 has 460 (42 a year) and 2017 has 309 (31 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Jeep Wrangler?
Death wobble, with 1,075 reports across the 13 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
How many recalls does the Jeep Wrangler have?
51 recall campaigns cover the Jeep Wrangler model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 24V-652 on the electrical system, covers 7 model years.
How many Jeep Wrangler complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for death wobble on the Jeep Wrangler?
On 6 of the 11 model years where owners report it: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.