2016 Jeep Wrangler Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

ABS and break lights on in car. Took to local repair shop and informed that the ABS control module has become defective. Attempted to purchase the required OEM part for repair in July of 2025. Was informed the part is on back order with no intended arrival date. Have continually reached out to local dealership since that time and part…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the ABS and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with ABS module failure. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the ABS module needed to be…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 70,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 47,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the factory oil filler adapter housing was made of plastic, which heated up, warped, and cracked over time. This structural failure caused engine oil to drip and spray across the entire underside of the vehicle, heavily coating the frame and the hot exhaust system. Due to the…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 111,000 miles

Oil Cooler leaking after multiple replacements causing engine stall while driving and lots of burning and smoke potentially leading to fire.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 62,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

I recently got into an accident in my 2016 Jeep Wrangler. My airbags never deployed however. Also my buttons on the left side of my steering wheel do not work and my horn does not work. After realizing all this I believe it is an issue with the clock spring. I did research and found in 2024 there was a recall for the clock spring but…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon attempting to alert a gateman using the horn, the horn failed to function. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the clock spring. The contact was informed that the clock spring needed to be…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 106,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 31,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving down the road in a snow storm when all of a sudden the vehicle started swirling all over the road. I pulled over and looked underneath and something was hanging down. I had no choice but to drive it slow less than 10mph to make it home as it was also making a hard jumping. Once there I had my mechanic come look at it and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

After I made a left turn onto a four-lane highway, the transmission stuck in first gear and I wasn't able to get over to the shoulder because of traffic passing on the right side. I was nearly rear-ended twice before finally being able to exit with a left turn. The engine light came on soon after this happened.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 37,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Replaced Totally Integrated Power Module. Car was totally disabled due to the failure of the this module. Part replacement was difficult because part was in demand due to high replacement rate.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Horn sounds only after a very forceful/purposeful push on the steering wheel horn pad and then only after a momentary delay (I suppose after "relays" are activated). Additionally, there is no option for a light, friendly "beep" (for instance to say "hello" to a neighbor or awaken another driver sitting at a light after it's turned green).Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 71,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

ABS modulator not working in jeep. Warning lights on dash currently are: ABS, traction control and brake light. Jeep dealer confirmed ABS modulator is defective. Unable to replace/repair due to backordered item as of 11/24. Stated possibly not available until 2/25. Jeep will randomly not shift gears while driving, speedometer not…Owner complaint, filed 2024

I was on a major city street behind a slow moving vehicle. I made a manuver to pass the vehicle in front of me and the car [VIN] on it's own. I could actually feel the gas pedal being pulled down (as my foot was still gently on the pedal). I immediately lifted my foot off the gas pedal. The car continued to accelerate. The car reached 36…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 42,070 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The sway bar on the 2016 Jeep Rubicon sway bar engages and you lose ability to steer. This has happened on the expressway to us, several time. I have read about this issue, there was a class action lawsuit that did not go anywhere. This is very dangerous to the people driving and also to people around them. IOwner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the contact attempted to blow the horn and no sound came from the horn. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to steer and the controls on the steering wheel were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 13,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (16).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

My daughter had her right hand pinky finger top semi amptuated with a tuft fracture with the rear passenger door of the striker and latch. This happened on jan 2019 and we paid over 10k in medical bills and her pinky is disfigured. We haven't reach out to lawyers but we do see a flaw with the striker and door setup with the 4 door jeeps…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 25,000 miles

Experience major lifting and fluttering of the hood at speeds at or over 65 MPH. Most severe when driving down two lane hwy and larger trucks like semis pass oncoming.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 35,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 27,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving on the highway going approximately 60 miles per hour, I felt something in the engine go quiet and I instantly had no gas pedal power. My foot was pressing on the gas pedal all the way to the floor board and the jeep would not speed up. I instantly put on my hazard lights. The jeep was still running but had no fuel power. I…Owner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated the EVAP canister error was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the filler neck going into the fuel tank was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 49,900.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 49,900 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The front passenger seatbelt wasn’t working properly and we noticed the belt was frayed so we ordered a new one from car parts direct. Today while taking the old belt out we noticed that the seatbelt unit itself wasn’t bolted into the jeep. It was bolted off to the side causing it to be crooked which is why the belt frayed because the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

I buckled my seatbelt and felt it slip as if it had come unbuckled. The seatbelt was latched, but the metal between the latch and the seat frame had broken in two. The only thing holding the seatbelt latch was the wire and it's covering. Vehicle was stationary when I noticed the problem.*dt the consumer provided photos of the defected…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 50,700 miles

Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (12).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The ABS Pump Module on Jeep Wranglers are not working and Stellantis/Wrangler has stopped making replacement parts. If you look on [XXX] you can see that this is a nationwide issue and impacts Wrangler models spanning over several years (so far I've seen from 2014-2019). I've been trying to get the part for over a year to no avail. Also…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Jeep Wrangler JK model with ABS issue. I had the "Brake" "ABS" and "Traction Control" light come on my dash. I took my Jeep to the dealership to diagnose the problem and have it resolved. I was told the "ABS Control Module" had a C2200 code that stated internal fault with the ABS Control Module. I had the dealership order one and I paid…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

2016 jeep wrangler. Consumer writes in regards to defective tire pressure monitor. The consumer stated, on multiple occasions, the tires developed cracks in the sidewalls.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Traction light came on and ABS light also came on.car stall and the car was about to turn ok by itself.,this happened while my was on her way home from work.so she told me and I went to check it out for sure the car did the same exact things as she explains.I took the car to the dealershipfor service which they service the car and flush…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 28,247 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Front frame cross member brackets cracked, major crack right side, crack left side. This is the most front frame across the front bottom below front of engine. Note a roadmaster towing base plate is attached to this area. This jeep is regularly towed behind a motorhome. Approx 45000 driving plus 40000 being towed. If baseplate came off…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 45,000 miles

When I was coming to a stop at a stoplight, my vehicle started to violently wobble almost having me to loose control. I was unable to slow down when pressing the brakes and almost hit vehicles in front of me.this has happened numerous times and I have had my tires rotated and alignment done just recently.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The headlamp assembly lenses have become warped and frosted due to excessive heat from the bulb and defective heat dissipation from the headlamp assembly . Poor visibility at night, as light output is significantly diminished creating a safety hazard..Owner complaint, filed 2023

As I was stopped at a stop light, for no reason at all the rear window exploded and shattered in pieces. Dealersip where I purchased the jeep would not help nor would jeep customer service at 800-847-9753 as a matter of fact they were defensive and rude.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 35,000 miles