"How reliable is the 1999 Jeep Wrangler?"

"Based on 262 NHTSA complaints, the 1999 Jeep Wrangler has a median complaint mileage of 68512 miles. The most common issue is Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe."

"What are common problems with the 1999 Jeep Wrangler?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1999 Jeep Wrangler is Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe, accounting for a significant portion of the 262 total complaints filed."

1999 Jeep Wrangler: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 262 complaints

262

Total Complaints

68,512mi

Median Mileage

Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

45,000 25th Percentile

68,512 Median Mileage

109,250 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe

Electrical System

Air Bags

Interior/Under Dash

Unknown Or Other

Body

Instrument Cluster/Panel

Exhaust System

Automatic Transmission

Wiring

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ENGINE MISFIRES WHILE SHIFTING UP THROUGH THE GEARS. I FEELS LIKE PLUGS BREAKING DOWN OR POOR FUEL MIXTURE, WHEN AT AN IDLE THERE IS POPING FROM THE TAIL PIPE. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER TWO TIMES THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE SAME CONDITION. IT WAS THERE WHEN I RECIVED THE JEEP NEW A..."

"I WAS CHECKING MY OIL ON THE VEHICLE, WHEN A MODERATE WIND CAUSED THE HOOD TO BE BLOWN BACK AGAINST THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE HOOD TO BE DENTED. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE HOOD SUPPORT ROD DID NOT CATCH IN ANY WAY, AND IF THE HOOD DID NOT FALL ALL THE WAY BACK ..."

"THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. I HAVE RETURNED IT FOR SERVICE 4 TIMES, AND NEED TO BRING IT BACK IN AGAIN. FIRST THEY SAID IT WAS A SOLENOID. THEN THEY TRACED ALL OF THE WIRING. THE TIME AFTER THAT THEY REPLACED THE MODULE. NEXT THEY REPLACED ALL OF THE SPARK PLUGS (RECALL SERVICE). TH..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 34 complaints

25th: 46,744 mi Median: 53,300 mi 75th: 66,425 mi

Electrical System 27 complaints

25th: 55,000 mi Median: 85,000 mi 75th: 128,000 mi

Air Bags 16 complaints

25th: 49,000 mi Median: 69,500 mi 75th: 146,331 mi

Interior/Under Dash 13 complaints

25th: 52,075 mi Median: 79,500 mi 75th: 87,500 mi

Unknown Or Other 9 complaints

Median: 128,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

OH: 26 TX: 18 FL: 17 VA: 17 MA: 15 RI: 15 CA: 13 PA: 11 MI: 11 NJ: 10

Who Files Complaints?

35.1%

Original Owners

64.9%

Second+ Owners

Jeep Wrangler — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	105	120,000	Conventional	6
1991	100	115,000	Engine	5
1992	100	137,000	Tank Assembly	7
1993	134	96,500	Fuel Pump	10
1994	184	120,000	Fuel Pump	17
1995	259	90,000	Parking Brake	36
1997	548	74,000	Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	46
1998	401	71,300	Air Bags	28
2000	311	91,912	Manual Transmission	24
2001	235	89,000	Body	25
2002	139	62,792	Body	22
2003	130	26,895	Suspension	11
2004	281	47,000	Steering	27
2005	756	49,450	Fuel System, Gasoline	12
2006	852	36,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	9
2007	791	61,800	Steering	22
2008	1251	64,500	Air Bags	25
2009	492	51,600	Air Bags	10
2010	898	49,500	Fuel/Propulsion System	26
2011	672	53,325	Air Bags	16
2012	1275	42,000	Power Train	35
2013	1027	50,000	Power Train	24
2014	830	47,000	Engine	32
2015	632	37,200	Engine	21
2016	618	36,450	Service Brakes	37
2017	405	22,500	Service Brakes	25
2018	2566	6,700	Steering	38
2019	1036	5,500	Steering	16
2020	745	1,219	Steering	25
2021	1414	18,000	Electrical System	39
2022	556	18,500	Electrical System	28
2023	511	13,000	Electrical System	16
2024	1221	14,500	Engine	18
2025	87	-	Electrical System	4

Active Recalls (5)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Campaign 06E022000 | 13/03/2006

LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN BRAKE LINE PRESSURE AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-323-0354.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 06E026000 | 23/03/2006

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Fuel Pump

Campaign 06E011000 | 01/02/2006

IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FUEL LEAK COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

AIRTEX WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 25, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AIRTEX CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT 1-800-880-3056.

Equipment

Campaign 04E041000 | 07/06/2004

SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE COCKPIT COULD CAUSE INJURY BY STRIKING PERSONS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE OR COULD BECOME A DISTRACTION OR AN OBSTACLE TO OTHER DRIVERS, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

BESTOP WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE A REPAIR KIT AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 16, 2004. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BESTOP CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT (800) 845-3567.

Unknown Or Other

Campaign 99V117000 | 06/05/1999

IF THE LEFT SIDE SCREW LOOSENS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES MAY NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED ON. IF THE RIGHT SIDE SCREW LOOSENS, THE DEFROSTER BLOWER MOTOR MAY NOT FUNCTION.

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE GROUND SCREWS, DRILL A NEW PILOT HOLE ADJACENT TO THE ORIGINAL HOLE, AND THE SCREWS WILL BE REINSTALLED IN THE NEW HOLES.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28