Jeep · Wrangler · 2016
2016 Jeep Wrangler: problems & reliability
NHTSA has logged 462 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The most-reported problem area is the brakes (29% of complaints), followed by engine and airbags. Make sure every open recall has been fixed by a dealer before you buy.
Common 2016 Jeep Wrangler problems
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Brakes problems
133 owner complaints to NHTSA (29% of all complaints for this model year) involve the brakes, including 3 crashes, 5 injuries. One owner reported: “Park Brake was set and parked against the curb. Jeep started to move on its on with no one in the driver or passenger seat. It rolled over the curb and started over the hill pulling me along side it as I was reaching for an empty bottle in…”
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Engine problems
88 owner complaints to NHTSA (19% of all complaints for this model year) involve the engine, including 1 crash, 4 fires. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon the approach of a stop sign with his foot on the brake pedal, the engine had begun to rev without warning. With the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard, the vehicle…”
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Airbags problems
77 owner complaints to NHTSA (17% of all complaints for this model year) involve the airbags, including 20 crashes, 1 fire, 27 injuries. One owner reported: “I was in a high speed impact collision rear ended at full speed and thrown into vehicle in front of me, me and my husband both suffered facial trauma as airbags did not deploy and both front seats twisted ans broke backwards in backseat…”
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Transmission & powertrain problems
74 owner complaints to NHTSA (16% of all complaints for this model year) involve the transmission & powertrain. One owner reported: “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…”
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Electrical system problems
57 owner complaints to NHTSA (12% of all complaints for this model year) involve the electrical system, including 1 crash, 7 fires, 1 injury. One owner reported: “Pulled into parking space. Applied brakes and came to a complete stop. Could hear engine revving up.. Thought ok, that gas pedal seem to be pressed. Look at my foot wasn’t pressing the pedal. Looked at floor mats. It was laying flat on…”
Owner complaints by area
| Area | Complaints | Share | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 133 | 29% | |
| Engine | 88 | 19% | |
| Airbags | 77 | 17% | |
| Transmission & powertrain | 74 | 16% | |
| Electrical system | 57 | 12% | |
| Speed control & acceleration | 36 | 8% | |
| Steering | 28 | 6% | |
| Body & structure | 18 | 4% |
462 complaints filed with NHTSA in total, reporting 28 crashes, 15 fires, 38 injuries. A complaint can involve more than one area.
2016 Jeep Wrangler recalls
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Air bags › Frontal › Driver clockspring/spiral cassette
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain right hand drive 2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Debris contamination may cause the clockspring to fail, preventing the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash.
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Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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 at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is VA6.
Full recall summary
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2018 Jeep Wrangler right hand drive vehicles. The driver's seat belt buckle mounting strap may fracture and separate from the seat frame.
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Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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. Chrysler's number for this recall is V01.
Full recall summary
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
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Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured June 16, 2015, to August 14, 2016. In certain crash conditions, the front impact sensor wiring may be pulled until it detaches before a signal can be received by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC).
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Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Right Hand Drive Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured February 16, 2010, to May 2, 2016. The clockspring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the air bag circuit to fail.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. To check whether a specific car’s recalls have been repaired, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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Specifications
- Drivetrains
- 4WD
Other Jeep Wrangler years
About this data
Problems, complaint counts, recalls and crash-test ratings come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public databases, last checked 2026-11-03. Complaints are reports from owners and have not all been verified by NHTSA.
How we score reliability: every model year starts at 100. Points come off for the number of owner complaints (on a log scale, up to 40 points), for each safety recall (2 points each, up to 15) and for complaints involving crashes, fires, injuries or deaths (up to 15). Popular vehicles get more complaints simply because more are on the road, so compare scores between similar vehicles. More about our method.
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