2021 Jeep WRANGLER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Jeep WRANGLER has 1461 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 18.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (19% of all complaints), specifically: brand new 2021 jeep wrangler backup camera isn't working the day i purchased it. just got a black screen when i put the vehicle in reverse from a parked position. i've restarted the vehicle multiple times thinking it'd reset the screen but still no luck.. ⚠️ 39 fire reports filed.

39 fire reports 22 crash reports 4 injuries

1461

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

18.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

284 complaints

19%

• BRAND NEW 2021 JEEP WRANGLER BACKUP CAMERA ISN'T WORKING THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. JUST GOT A BLACK SCREEN WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE FROM A PARKED POSITION. I'VE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES THINKING IT'D RESET THE SCREEN BUT STILL NO LUCK.
• OUR 2021 JEEP STARTED SMOKING IN THE ENGINE AND WITHIN 10 MINUTES BURST INTO FLAMES. THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR / BURNED AND FIRE STATIONS HAD TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. MY DAUGHTER, DOGS AND I WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE CAR BUT VERY SCARY.
• MY 2021 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED SAHARA'S BACK UP CAMERA FAILED WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF MY PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW. IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS AS THEY COULDNT RECREATE THE PROBLEM AS THE BACK UP CAMERA WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. I PROVED PICTURES OF THE BLANK SCREEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 11 fire reports💥 6 crashes

“BRAND NEW 2021 JEEP WRANGLER BACKUP CAMERA ISN'T WORKING THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. JUST GOT A BLACK SCREEN WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE FROM A PARKED POSITION. I'VE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES THINKING IT'D RESET THE SCREEN BUT STILL NO LUCK.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

240 complaints

16%

• WANDERING STEERING ABOVE 30 MPH WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT, EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE WHEEL. ORDERED FROM DEALER WENT TO THE SHOP FOR STEERING ISSUES AT 52 MILES AND BACK AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER, JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER AND STEERING IS WORSE, I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO DRIVE.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE BECAME AWARE THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND FAILED TO STEER THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LINDSAY CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 15605 JEFFERSON D
• STEERING HAS EXCESSIVE PLAY. SEEMS TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE ON HOT DAYS. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO DRIFT LEADING TO CONSTANT CORRECTION WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“WANDERING STEERING ABOVE 30 MPH WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT, EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE WHEEL. ORDERED FROM DEALER WENT TO THE SHOP FOR STEERING ISSUES AT 52 MILES AND BACK AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER, JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER AND STEERING IS WORSE, I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO DRIVE.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

208 complaints

14%

• VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONLY AFTER 300 MILES. DEALER DIAGOSED THE PROBLEM WITH O2 SENSOR FAILURE AND VALVE COVER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE RAN VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL. SEARCH ON JLWRANGLERFORUMS SHOWS THERE ARE OTHERS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS
• LESS THAN 200 MILES ON CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING CAR ALSO SHAKING TOOK IT TO DEALER THEY REPLACED A SPARK PLUG THE NEXT DAY SAME THING THEY THEN REPLACED ALL THE SPARK PLUGS AND TOLD ME 2021 WRANGLERS WOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS BUT I DON'T NOTICE SAME PROBLEM ANYWHERE
• OUR 2021 JEEP STARTED SMOKING IN THE ENGINE AND WITHIN 10 MINUTES BURST INTO FLAMES. THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR / BURNED AND FIRE STATIONS HAD TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. MY DAUGHTER, DOGS AND I WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE CAR BUT VERY SCARY.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 10 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONLY AFTER 300 MILES. DEALER DIAGOSED THE PROBLEM WITH O2 SENSOR FAILURE AND VALVE COVER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE RAN VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL. SEARCH ON JLWRANGLERFORUMS SHOWS THERE ARE OTHERS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SUSPENSION

175 complaints

12%

• I PURCHASED THIS 2021 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2020. IT IS A TOTALLY STOCK VEHICLE WITH NO MODIFICATIONS OF ANY SORT. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD AT ALL, AND ONLY ON CITY STREETS, HIGHWAYS, AND INTERSTATES, NO ACCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING ON A NEARBY INTERSTATE IN JANUARY OF 202
• Since we purchased this jeep new it has been plagued with steering wandering and pulls to left or right without warning. It was dangerous to drive and unsafe for my family. After some researched I learned there was a technical service bulletin (8-003-21) for the 2018-2020 JL and supposedly the 202
• The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he had experienced the failure several times per day. The contact took the vehicle to the local deale

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“I PURCHASED THIS 2021 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2020. IT IS A TOTALLY STOCK VEHICLE WITH NO MODIFICATIONS OF ANY SORT. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD AT ALL, AND ONLY ON CITY STREETS, HIGHWAYS, AND INTERSTATES, NO ACCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING ON A NEARBY INTERSTATE IN JANUARY OF 202”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

133 complaints

• DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND "SERVICE SHIFTER" WARNING APPEARED ON AND OFF. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE WARNING CAME ON AND OFF. LIGHTS ON THE SHIFTER FLASHED. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE VALVE BODY IN THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE RE
• THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THIS JEEP MODEL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021, TO GET IT FIX AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. THE DEALER (PLANET DODGE IN MIAMI, FL) INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL FCA GROUP (FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILE -- OWNERS OF JEEP), WHICH I DID IN FRONT OF THEM, AND NO FI
• ONLY 500 MILES ON VEHICLE, WENT OFF-ROADING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WITHIN A SHORT TIME AFTER CLIMBING A STEEP HILL, SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER VEHICLE AND CLUTCH WENT TO FLOOR AND STAYED. TURNED JEEP OFF, PUMPED CLUTCH WHICH SEEMED FINE BUT SMOKE CONTINUED FOR A MINUTE. WENT UNDER VEHICLE AFTER SMOKE STO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND "SERVICE SHIFTER" WARNING APPEARED ON AND OFF. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE WARNING CAME ON AND OFF. LIGHTS ON THE SHIFTER FLASHED. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE VALVE BODY IN THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE RE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

SUSPENSION(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 1461 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: BRAND NEW 2021 JEEP WRANGLER BACKUP CAMERA ISN'T WORKING THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. JUST GOT A BLACK SCREEN WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE FROM A PARKED POSITION. I'VE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES THINKING IT'D RESET THE SCREEN BUT STILL NO LUCK.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: WANDERING STEERING ABOVE 30 MPH WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT, EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE WHEEL. ORDERED FROM DEALER WENT TO THE SHOP FOR STEERING ISSUES AT 52 MILES AND BACK AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER, JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER AND STEERING IS WORSE, I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO DRIVE.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONLY AFTER 300 MILES. DEALER DIAGOSED THE PROBLEM WITH O2 SENSOR FAILURE AND VALVE COVER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE RAN VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL. SEARCH ON JLWRANGLERFORUMS SHOWS THERE ARE OTHERS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SUSPENSION: I PURCHASED THIS 2021 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2020. IT IS A TOTALLY STOCK VEHICLE WITH NO MODIFICATIONS OF ANY SORT. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD AT ALL, AND ONLY ON CITY STREETS, HIGHWAYS, AND INTERSTATES, NO ACCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING ON A NEARBY INTERSTATE IN JANUARY OF 202
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)