2019 Jeep Wrangler Reliability Report

Uncontrollable front-axle shaking after bumps at highway speeds is the main complaint, and it is often worse above 55 mph and in cold weather. The fix is usually a replacement steering damper, which is often on backorder, and some drivers are told to stay under 55 mph until the part arrives. A legal settlement extended coverage for this problem. Rear axle and differential failures also show up, including an axle that broke on the highway with no warning, with replacement assemblies on national backorder. Axle locker warnings and cracked coil spring pocket welds appear too.

Sun visors that drop out of their mounts while driving are the most frequent complaint here. They swing into the driver's view or catch on the steering wheel. Dealers call the problem known and charge to replace the whole assembly. Other reports describe instrument clusters going blank with no replacement part available for months, total shutdowns where no modules communicate, death wobble returning after the recall repair, clutch recall work with no remedy, rusting frame welds, and weather alerts that cover the screen and cannot be turned off.

Two problems lead this category. Sun visors fall out of their brackets on bumps or during normal use and block much of the windshield, and some visors have been replaced more than once and still failed. In snow and freezing weather the defroster clears only the center of the windshield, so the edges and wipers ice over and drivers have to pull over. Dealers often say the defroster works as intended. Other reports describe windshields that crack easily from pebbles and rear glass that shatters while the car is parked.

Poor frame welds and corrosion account for most of these reports. Welds show spatter, slag, pits and small holes, and rust can appear within the first months of ownership, even in dry climates. Paint bubbles and peels around the door and hood hinges, and dealer repaints do not stop it from coming back. Isolated reports include a water leak at the mirror area, windshield bolts found loose, rear glass that shattered, and a soft-top panel that came loose at 50 mph and flew into traffic.

Sudden loss of power with no warning light is the most serious pattern. Some engines stall on the highway and will not restart, and one seized with a blown piston. Another engine revved high and stalled for months before the dealer replaced it at about 21,421 miles. A bulletin covers coolant leaks from loose inlet tube fasteners on 2.0L turbo engines, and the cooling fan can get loud with the A/C running. One report describes an engine fire with an injury. Clutch slipping under the open recall also appears here.

Airbags that fail to deploy or deploy late in crashes are the core complaint in this small group. One report describes no deployment in a tree impact at 15 to 20 mph. Another describes a late deployment in a near head-on collision while the seatbelt did not lock. These two crashes account for three injuries. A separate report describes the passenger airbag sensor sometimes reading off with an adult in the seat after a dealer installed an aftermarket trailer brake system.

Seatbelt retractors fail in both directions. A rear belt locked and kept tightening on a child until it had to be cut, and the replacement part was backordered for months. Another belt stopped retracting, and a driver's belt did not tighten during hard braking. One rollover crash report says the belt released the driver. Two of the three reports involve injuries. One complaint notes that a recall covers this part on some 2019 Wranglers, but that VIN was not included.