Jeep Wrangler
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Jeep Wrangler, model year by model year — ranked from 3045 federal NHTSA complaints across 2010–2023.
Steering instability is the single most persistent thread running through eight model years of Wrangler complaints, and 2018 is where it explodes into view: total complaint occurrences jump to 943 that year, and 743 of them — nearly 80 percent of everything reported — are a single complaint titled "Death Wobble at Highway Speeds." Related steering dampening and power steering complaints add another 86 occurrences on top of that, making 2018 by far the highest-volume year in the Wrangler's record despite only two problems being tagged safety-severity.
That same steering wander and death wobble pattern continues in 2019 (504 total, three safety-tagged) and resurfaces again in 2021, which carries the highest safety-severity count of any year at six, including death wobble, a steering dampener failure, and suspension shaking severe enough to be described as uncontrollable vibration — alongside a separate vehicle speed control malfunction. The 2020 model year adds a different electrical concern into the mix: instrument cluster failure, tagged safety-severity, drew 152 occurrences on its own, more than any other single complaint that year, alongside continued steering wobble.
Complaints never fully disappear even as volume eases — 2022 (218 total) and 2023 (253 total, spread across 42 distinct problems) both still list death wobble or steering shake in the top five, joined by engine stalling, unintended deceleration, and electrical shutdown complaints. Earlier years, 2016 and 2017, center on a different set of issues instead: ABS module failure, airbag deployment problems, and oil filter housing cracks, at lower overall volume.
Recall campaign 24V652 appears against every model year from 2018 through 2023, a rare thread of continuity suggesting the steering issue took Jeep years to fully resolve; 22V767 and 23V263 recur across several of the later years as well.
Given how consistently steering wander and death wobble show up across six of eight model years, a test drive at highway speed is the single most useful check a buyer can do here, more telling than the model year itself — remember these counts reflect owner-filed reports, not a measured failure rate, and confirming the relevant recalls were actually completed matters as much as when the Jeep was built.
Jeep Wrangler problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010worst | 487 | 21 | 11/4 | Fuel tank overflow during refueling due to faulty fuel sensor or filler neck Fuel system · 147 complaints |
| 2016 | 166 | 15 | 5/6 | ABS Module Failure Brakes · 47 complaints |
| 2017 | 107 | 30 | 1/10 | Oil Filter Housing Cracking Engine · 12 complaints |
| 2018worst | 876 | 12 | 2/5 | Death Wobble at Highway Speeds Steering · 743 complaints |
| 2019 | 369 | 10 | 3/4 | Steering wander and excessive play Steering · 228 complaints |
| 2020 | 288 | 10 | 2/4 | Instrument Cluster Failure Electrical · 152 complaints |
| 2021worst | 432 | 19 | 6/3 | Death Wobble Steering · 173 complaints |
| 2022 | 164 | 14 | 5/8 | Unintended Vehicle Deceleration or Loss of Power Fuel system · 28 complaints |
| 2023 | 156 | 42 | 5/18 | Engine Stall at High Speed Due to Powertrain Issues Transmission · 20 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2010–2023. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.