Jeep Wrangler Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 2,359 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Jeep Wrangler. For the Jeep Wrangler, that's 0.5 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, close to the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2024, 2014 and 2021.
Engine complaints
2,359
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.5
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
19%
of 12,448 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
1
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Jeep Wrangler engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 60 | — | 4.8% | 13 | — | 12 |
| 2009 | 31 | — | 4.8% | 12 | — | 7 |
| 2010 | 53 | — | 7.7% | 21 | — | 11 |
| 2011 | 42 | — | 8.6% | 8 | — | 13 |
| 2012 | 179 | — | 21.4% | 14 | — | 26 |
| 2013 | 144 | — | 21.9% | 7 | — | 33 |
| 2014WORST | 330 | — | 50.2% | 16 | — | 33 |
| 2015 | 133 | 0.66 | 27.7% | 17 | — | 27 |
| 2016 | 93 | 0.48 | 20.6% | 6 | — | 21 |
| 2017 | 63 | 0.33 | 20.2% | 5 | — | 21 |
| 2018 | 99 | 0.41 | 5.5% | 11 | — | 62 |
| 2019 | 49 | 0.21 | 6.5% | 8 | — | 65 |
| 2020 | 61 | 0.3 | 9.9% | 9 | — | 114 |
| 2021WORST | 229 | 1.12 | 23.7% | 15 | 22V865000 | 127 |
| 2022 | 96 | 0.53 | 23.2% | 5 | 22V865000 | 116 |
| 2023 | 111 | — | 29.4% | 5 | 22V865000 | 43 |
| 2024WORST | 554 | — | 56.7% | 9 | — | 49 |
| 2025 | 32 | — | 38.1% | 2 | — | 33 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Jeep Wrangler engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 2,359 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Jeep Wrangler years to avoid for the engine
2024 Jeep Wrangler
554 engine complaints (56.7% of the year's 977). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
2014 Jeep Wrangler
330 engine complaints (50.2% of the year's 658). Most often described: oil consumption or oil leaks.
2021 Jeep Wrangler
229 engine complaints (23.7% of the year's 967), 1.12 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recall 22V865000.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Jeep Wrangler years to avoid.
Jeep Wrangler engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Jeep Wrangler model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 22V865000 · 2022-11-23 · 2021–2023 models
A loss of communication may cause an engine shutdown.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2024 Jeep Wrangler have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 554 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2024 Jeep Wrangler, 56.7% of all 977 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (161 complaints). 9 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2014 Jeep Wrangler have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 330 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Jeep Wrangler, 50.2% of all 658 complaints for that year. The most common description is "oil consumption or oil leaks" (158 complaints). 16 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2021 Jeep Wrangler have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 229 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2021 Jeep Wrangler, 23.7% of all 967 complaints for that year, or 1.12 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (58 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 22V865000. 15 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Jeep Wrangler years have the most engine complaints?
2024 (554), 2014 (330) and 2021 (229), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Jeep Wrangler engine problems?
In the 2,359 engine complaints, owners most often describe misfire or check-engine light (21.2%), smoke, burning smell or fire (20.3%) and stalling or shutting off while driving (20.1%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Jeep Wrangler model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration