Jeep Renegade Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 2,182 NHTSA complaints, the Jeep Renegade years to avoid are 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 — the worst logged up to 7.3× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by engine failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated caution
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 511 | 348 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2016 | 428 | 276 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2017 | 559 | 435 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 439 | 303 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 77 | 32 | 4 | SOLID |
| 2020 | 62 | 39 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2021 | 63 | 21 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2022 | 23 | 13 | 2 | BEST |
| 2023 | 20 | 7 | 2 | BEST |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Jeep Renegade. Full methodology.
Common Jeep Renegade problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Jeep Renegade are engine, electrical, fuel. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Excessive oil consumption
· Jeep Renegade 2015–2020Corroborated by 11 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 571 engine complaints across 2015–2020, typically 80,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $8,946.
Engine stalling while driving with electrical issues
· Jeep Renegade 2016–2018Corroborated by 17 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 396 electrical complaints across 2016–2018, typically 40,000–85,000 miles.
Fuel pump failure causing loss of power
· Jeep Renegade 2016–2020Corroborated by 8 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 258 fuel complaints across 2016–2020, typically 60,000–95,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2015 Jeep Renegade: 511 owner complaints on federal record, 348 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Jeep Renegade.
2016 Jeep Renegade: 428 owner complaints on federal record, 276 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Jeep Renegade.
2017 Jeep Renegade: 559 owner complaints on federal record, 435 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Jeep Renegade.
2018 Jeep Renegade: 439 owner complaints on federal record, 303 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Jeep Renegade.
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FAQ
What years of the Jeep Renegade should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Jeep Renegade years to avoid are 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by engine issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Jeep Renegade?
The 2022 and 2023 Jeep Renegade show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Jeep Renegade verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Jeep Renegade's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Jeep Renegade before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Jeep Renegade reliable?
The Jeep Renegade's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 2,182 NHTSA owner complaints, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 rate "avoid", while 2022 and 2023 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Jeep Renegade?
The most-reported problem area for the Jeep Renegade is engine, followed by electrical and fuel. Confirmed failures include excessive oil consumption, engine stalling while driving with electrical issues, fuel pump failure causing loss of power. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Jeep Renegade across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Jeep Renegade, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.