2002 Jeep Wrangler: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 139 complaints
139
Total Complaints
62,792mi
Median Mileage
Body
Top Issue
22
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
15,625
25th Percentile
62,792
Median Mileage
138,244
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Body
22
Suspension
16
Frontal
10
Unknown Or Other
8
Steering
7
Power Train
7
Tires
5
Engine
4
Front
3
Manual Transmission
3
Severity Assessment
22
Crashes
5
Fires
22
Injuries
1
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ALL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. AFTER INSPECTION BY DEALER DASH CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. PLEASE ADD FURTHER DETAILS.*AK"
"AT START UP, VEHICLE SHAKES AND SOUNDS LIKE INJECTORS ARE MISSING, NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET. *AK VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, HOWEVER DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. VEHICLE BOGGS AND RUNS ROUGH/HESITATES WHEN COLD. REAR PORTION OF SOFT TOP LOCATED NEAR BOTTOM OF TAILGATE HAS GAP. REAR W..."
"AT START UP, VEHICLE SHAKES AND SOUNDS LIKE INJECTORS ARE MISSING, NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET. *AK VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, HOWEVER DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. VEHICLE BOGGS AND RUNS ROUGH/HESITATES WHEN COLD. REAR PORTION OF SOFT TOP LOCATED NEAR BOTTOM OF TAILGATE HAS GAP. REAR W..."
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.
Body
22 complaints
25th: 82,000 mi
Median: 119,393 mi
75th: 148,360 mi
Suspension
16 complaints
25th: 112,340 mi
Median: 142,541 mi
75th: 150,000 mi
Frontal
10 complaints
25th: 12,400 mi
Median: 28,150 mi
75th: 32,590 mi
Unknown Or Other
8 complaints
25th: 12,250 mi
Median: 71,000 mi
75th: 140,879 mi
Steering
7 complaints
25th: 38,000 mi
Median: 74,900 mi
75th: 105,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
FL: 12
TX: 11
KY: 7
CA: 6
MO: 6
IL: 6
MI: 6
NJ: 5
PA: 5
TN: 5
Who Files Complaints?
28.1%
Original Owners
71.9%
Second+ Owners
Jeep Wrangler — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 105 | 6 |
| 1991 | 100 | 5 |
| 1992 | 100 | 7 |
| 1993 | 134 | 10 |
| 1994 | 184 | 17 |
| 1995 | 259 | 36 |
| 1997 | 548 | 46 |
| 1998 | 401 | 28 |
| 1999 | 262 | 16 |
| 2000 | 311 | 24 |
| 2001 | 235 | 25 |
| 2003 | 130 | 11 |
| 2004 | 281 | 27 |
| 2005 | 756 | 12 |
| 2006 | 852 | 9 |
| 2007 | 791 | 22 |
| 2008 | 1251 | 25 |
| 2009 | 492 | 10 |
| 2010 | 898 | 26 |
| 2011 | 672 | 16 |
| 2012 | 1275 | 35 |
| 2013 | 1027 | 24 |
| 2014 | 830 | 32 |
| 2015 | 632 | 21 |
| 2016 | 618 | 37 |
| 2017 | 405 | 25 |
| 2018 | 2566 | 38 |
| 2019 | 1036 | 16 |
| 2020 | 745 | 25 |
| 2021 | 1414 | 39 |
| 2022 | 556 | 28 |
| 2023 | 511 | 16 |
| 2024 | 1221 | 18 |
| 2025 | 87 | 4 |
Active Recalls (6)
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.
Switch
Campaign 02V075000 | 08/03/2002
THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH A REDESIGNED SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 8, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853
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.
Injectors
Campaign 02V104000 | 08/04/2002
THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A MANIFOLD SHIELD TO MODIFY THE AIR FLOW CHARACTERISTICS AND TO PREVENT THE ACCUMULATION OF DEBRIS IN THE AREA OF THE #3 CYLINDER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 13, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE
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.
General Vehicle Maintenance
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
- Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
- Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
- Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
- Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly
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