"How reliable is the 2016 Jeep Wrangler?"

"Based on 618 NHTSA complaints, the 2016 Jeep Wrangler has a median complaint mileage of 36450 miles. The most common issue is Service Brakes."

"What are common problems with the 2016 Jeep Wrangler?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler is Service Brakes, accounting for a significant portion of the 618 total complaints filed."

2016 Jeep Wrangler: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 618 complaints

618

Total Complaints

36,450mi

Median Mileage

Service Brakes

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

17,979 25th Percentile

36,450 Median Mileage

63,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Service Brakes

101

Engine

Air Bags

Power Train

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Steering

Body

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I HAVE A 2016 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED WITH 20,000 MILES., TODAY I WAS GOING UP A HILL STOPPED AT A MAILBOX THEN STARTED TO TAKE OFF AND THE MOTOR STALLED WHILE IN DRIVE. IT CASED ME TO ROLL BACK ABOUT 3' BEFOR I COULD HIT THE BRAKE ALMOST CAUSED A ACCIDENT. I THEN RESTARTED THE JEEP PLACED IT BACK I..."

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.

Service Brakes 101 complaints

25th: 21,500 mi Median: 38,400 mi 75th: 52,469 mi

Engine 87 complaints

25th: 25,781 mi Median: 44,000 mi 75th: 71,000 mi

Air Bags 76 complaints

25th: 17,000 mi Median: 64,000 mi 75th: 77,000 mi

Power Train 72 complaints

25th: 12,500 mi Median: 31,000 mi 75th: 54,000 mi

Electrical System 52 complaints

25th: 17,750 mi Median: 37,000 mi 75th: 59,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 86 CA: 42 TX: 41 NY: 36 PA: 34 NC: 34 GA: 31 TN: 24 VA: 18 IL: 17

Who Files Complaints?

1.8%

Original Owners

98.2%

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
1999	262	68,512	Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	16
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
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.

Inflator Module

Campaign 19V018000 | 15/01/2019

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chry

Anchorage

Campaign 19V680000 | 26/09/2019

A separated or severed seat belt buckle strap will result in an inoperable seat belt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt buckle, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed November 19, 2019. Owners will received a second letter and the recall began March 26, 2020. Owners may contact FCA customer service a

Sensor/Control Module-Inactive

Campaign 16V734000 | 13/10/2016

If the ORC module does not receive a signal from the front impact sensor, both frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the front impact sensor wiring and relocate the impact sensor branch, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S76.

Inflator Module

Campaign 16V288000 | 11/05/2016

Failure of the air bag circuit may prevent the driver's frontal air bag from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring, wheel back cover, and column shroud, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S40.

Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette

Campaign 24V196000 | 14/03/2024

An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Dealers will replace the clockspring, steering wheel back cover, and steering column shrouds, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 27B.

Extend Your Brake Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Replace brake pads before they wear to the metal — rotors cost 3x more
Flush brake fluid every 2-3 years regardless of mileage
Don't ride the brakes downhill — use engine braking
Address any grinding, pulsing, or pulling immediately
Have brakes inspected during every tire rotation

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