Jeep Years to Avoid by Model
Jeep years to avoid: the 2014 Grand Cherokee (2,369 complaints), 2018 Wrangler (1,789 complaints) and 2019 Cherokee (1,581 complaints) lead the list. All 6 Jeep models we track have at least one avoid-rated year; the cleanest records include the 2009 Grand Cherokee and 2010 Compass. Based on 39,629 NHTSA owner complaints, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
Jeep years to avoid, model by model
| Model | Years to avoid | Best years | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 201120122014201520182021202220232024 | 20092010 | 12,269 (2008–2025) |
| Jeep Wrangler | 2008201820192020202120222023 | — | 10,894 (2008–2025) |
| Jeep Compass | 2014201620172018201920202022 | 200920102013 | 3,493 (2008–2025) |
| Jeep Cherokee | 201420152019 | 202020212022 | 9,834 (2014–2025) |
| Jeep Renegade | 2015201620172018 | 20222023 | 2,182 (2015–2025) |
| Jeep Gladiator | 20202021 | — | 957 (2020–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history (see the methodology); counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The worst year for each Jeep model
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee: 2,369 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 · Full Grand Cherokee breakdown →
2018 Jeep Wrangler: 1,789 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2008, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 · Full Wrangler breakdown →
2019 Jeep Cherokee: 1,581 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2014, 2015 and 2019 · Full Cherokee breakdown →
2018 Jeep Compass: 927 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 · Full Compass breakdown →
2017 Jeep Renegade: 559 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 · Full Renegade breakdown →
2020 Jeep Gladiator: 478 NHTSA owner complaints · all avoid-rated years: 2020 and 2021 · Full Gladiator breakdown →
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Frequently asked questions
What Jeep years should you avoid?
By model: Grand Cherokee 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; Wrangler 2008, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; Compass 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022; Cherokee 2014, 2015 and 2019; Renegade 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018; Gladiator 2020 and 2021. Each verdict matches that model's own years-to-avoid page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
What are the best Jeep years to buy?
The cleanest federal records by model: Grand Cherokee 2009 and 2010; Compass 2009, 2010 and 2013; Cherokee 2020, 2021 and 2022; Renegade 2022 and 2023.
Which Jeep model has the most years to avoid?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee, with 9 avoid-rated model years (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) across 18 years on record (2008–2025).
How are Jeep years to avoid rated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road, compared with the rest of that model's own history and adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
Where does the Jeep data come from?
Federal records: 39,629 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Jeep models, plus NHTSA recall campaigns and manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.