2018 Jeep Wrangler Reliability Report

Engine-compartment fires lead this mixed category. There are 4 fire reports, including one blamed on faulty wiring while the Jeep was parked. Violent front-end shaking above 55 mph after small bumps also appears here, often on unmodified, low-mileage Jeeps. Other reports cover failed intake camshafts with long part backorders, leaking engine oil coolers, and radiators leaking where the plastic meets the aluminum. Dark instrument clusters, broken sun visor clips, and intermittent no-starts round out the list.

The front end goes into a violent shake, widely called death wobble, after a bump, pothole, or bridge joint at 50 to 70 mph. The steering wheel and the whole vehicle oscillate until the driver slows sharply, sometimes to 35 mph or less. Reports come from unmodified Jeeps, some with as few as 27 miles. The shake often returns after the steering damper recall or a stabilizer replacement, and dealers frequently find nothing wrong. One crash report describes a sudden hard pull to the right.

Door hinges, door bottoms, spot welds, and frame welds rust early, and paint bubbles on the doors and hood. Some reports describe rusted frame welds on brand-new Jeeps. Owners cite service bulletins on the problem but say dealers and Jeep turn down goodwill repairs. Roof complaints follow: soft-top latches shear off at highway speed, and a rear soft-top window separates and leaks. The category's 1 injury came from a sharp, unfinished Freedom Top panel edge.

The 3.6L V6 develops ticking, rough running, and misfires, with codes such as P0300 and P0304. Shops trace these to worn camshafts, lifters, and rocker arms. Failures appear as early as 42,609 miles, repair quotes run into the thousands, and replacement camshafts are backordered. Coolant loss is a second pattern, including cracked radiator plastic, a cracked coolant reservoir, suspected head gasket failure, and an antifreeze smell from the vents. Plastic oil coolers leak and can drain the engine without triggering a low-oil warning.

Sun visors fall out of their ceiling mounts while driving. They drop into the driver's view or hang by their wiring. Both sides fail, often more than once, and repairs after the warranty ends come out of the owner's pocket. Windshields crack easily, including from a small rock chip and while the defroster runs. Rear defroster cables are reported smoking and shattering the tailgate glass. Other complaints cover wipers that stay dead after new parts and a defroster that clears only the center of the windshield.

ABS modules fail, bringing on ABS and brake warning lights, a soft pedal, or sliding stops. The replacement part is on national backorder, and some owners report waiting close to a year or longer. Front calipers stick, overheat, and smoke, which makes the Jeep shake or drift. The 3 crash reports describe brakes that would not stop the car, including a failed vacuum booster at 2000 miles. Dealers often find no fault.

In serious crashes, including a rollover and a run-off-road impact, the side and seat bags reportedly fail to deploy. Both crash reports involve injuries, and seat belts are also reported locking or failing to restrain. An intermittent air bag warning light is the more common complaint. It appears at mileages from 13,000 to 87,000, and dealers are slow to diagnose it. Another report pairs a passenger air bag warning with a stall at highway speed at 831 miles.