Moisture and condensation inside headlight assemblies are the single most common complaint, with water pooling on the interior lens and persisting during rain or cold weather, visibly reducing light output. Owners report dealers' standard 20-minute heat test fails to clear condensation, yet dealers claim it meets Chrysler's guidelines anyway.
The HID headlights develop interior burn marks and frosting on the lens near the projector, progressively degrading brightness over several years. Dealers quote $1,300 per headlight assembly for replacement; lens polishing doesn't work.
Light output itself is inadequate—many owners say high beams only illuminate 30 feet ahead and aren't bright enough for safe rural night driving. Dealers tell customers this is the headlight design and bulb wattage, not a defect. Auto high-beam systems malfunction, either staying on (blinding oncoming traffic) or failing to activate in darkness.
HID bulbs burn out prematurely at roughly $250 per bulb; one owner reported repeated failures with the opposite side failing shortly after repair, suggesting electrical issues beyond the bulb.
Rear tail lights and license plate lamps fail due to water intrusion through poor seals—evident during rain, car washing, or normal operation. License plate lamp replacement requires a new harness; original lamps are discontinued. One customer reported dome light stuck on, traced to body control module failure. A failed Uconnect software update knocked out lighting systems along with defroster and seat controls.
Failure modes owners describe
Headlight condensation and moisture entrapment
Water, condensation, or ice accumulates inside headlight assemblies, reducing light transmission and visibility. The moisture persists for extended periods during driving and parking, particularly in wet or cold conditions. Owners report that heating the vehicle per Chrysler's guidelines does not fully resolve the issue.
When: Throughout vehicle ownership, recurring during rain or cold weather
Symptoms owners cite: Visible condensation, fog, or ice on interior of headlight lens; Reduced headlight illumination during night driving after rain; Water pooling inside headlight assembly; Moisture visible in left and/or right headlight
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers disassemble and reinstall headlights; heating test per manufacturer guidelines does not resolve. Some owners report dealers state moisture is within acceptable guidelines despite customer concerns.
Headlight optical degradation and burning
HID headlight lens covers develop burn marks, frosting, haze, or cloudy/granular discoloration on the interior surface near the projector portion. This burn damage progressively reduces headlight effectiveness and is attributed to heat from the HID bulbs. Owners report the condition worsens over several years of use.
When: 59,000 to 86,000 miles; progressive degradation over years
Symptoms owners cite: Dark spots or burnt areas visible on interior headlight lens; Frosted or hazy appearance inside lens; Cloudy (passenger side) or granular (driver side) discoloration; Reduced light output and visibility deterioration
Repairs/costs cited: Requires replacement of entire headlight assembly at $1,300 each. Dealer attempted lens polishing without success. One customer reported overheating headlamps with burning odor and marks on lens covers requiring replacement.
Insufficient headlight illumination and beam pattern
Headlights produce inadequate illumination for safe night driving. Light does not project far enough ahead of vehicle, illuminates only 30 feet or less, or exhibits poor lateral coverage. One customer reported driver-side and passenger-side illuminating different areas (trees vs. driveway). Dealers report this is due to headlight design and bulb wattage, not a repair issue.
When: Throughout ownership; varies by conditions and time of day
Symptoms owners cite: Insufficient visibility on unlit roads at night; Cannot see roadway clearly even with high beams; Asymmetrical light pattern between left and right headlights; Beam projects only 30 feet or less ahead; Poor illumination in rain or adverse weather
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have taken headlamps apart and recalibrated without improvement. Dealers state this is vehicle design and not repairable. Multiple customers report using high beams constantly to compensate.
Automatic high-beam malfunction
Auto high-beam system activates or stays on inappropriately, blinding oncoming traffic, or fails to activate when needed in darkness. One owner reports high beams remained on after shifter and software updates at dealer; issue recurred on country roads and freeways. Another reports high beams activate independently over speed bumps.
When: At night and low-light conditions; one incident after software updates
Symptoms owners cite: High beams stay on continuously, blinding other drivers; High beams fail to engage in dark conditions with no other vehicles; High beams activate independently without driver input; Malfunction occurs repeatedly
Repairs/costs cited: One owner scheduled dealer visit for software updates to both high-beam and braking system. No resolution documented in narratives.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One customer reported manufacturing response to complaint about high-beam malfunction; issue followed electronic shifter update and software recalls (specifics of what was updated not documented).
Headlight bulb failure and burnout
HID headlight bulbs fail and burn out prematurely. One owner reported bulb cost approximately $250 per bulb. Bulb lifespan is significantly shorter than bulbs in other vehicle models. One narrative reports bulbs fail when starting vehicle at night.
When: Throughout ownership; failures at 59,000 miles and recurring; one failure at 4 years of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Headlight bulb burns out without warning; Both headlights fail in succession (one side burns out, then opposite side fails); Bulb failure during vehicle startup
Repairs/costs cited: Bulb replacement cost $250 per bulb or higher. Multiple narratives report repeated failures necessitating multiple replacements.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner states dealer insisted bulb failure is not covered under warranty despite 4-year ownership and luxury package including bi-xenon headlights.
Headlight rewiring failures
Headlight electrical failures require complete front light rewiring rather than simple bulb replacement. Two failures of the same side occurred within two years, suggesting either faulty wiring in the original installation or recurrent electrical defect.
When: Less than 2 months after purchase and again 2 months later
Symptoms owners cite: Headlight stops functioning; Dealer diagnoses as entire front light requiring rewiring, not bulb; Same side fails again shortly after repair
Repairs/costs cited: Requires complete front light rewiring. One owner questioned how this is possible on a vehicle less than 2 years old, suggesting faulty wiring.
Headlight assembly overheating
Headlight assemblies overheat, producing burning odor detected from front of vehicle. One narrative reports HID headlights overheating causing burning odor and subsequent bulb burnout. Heat damage to lens interior observed with markings on covers in front of bulbs.
When: 59,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Burning odor from front of vehicle; Headlamps become very hot; Driver-side headlight fails to illuminate; Markings on covers in front of bulbs
Repairs/costs cited: Headlights replaced; however, dealer identified unknown headlamp unit defect requiring additional replacement. Vehicle not fully repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware of failure.
Tail light and rear hatch light water intrusion
Water, window wash fluid, or moisture seeps into rear hatch tail light assemblies and license plate lamp housings, causing shorts and light failure. The seals do not hold and water enters when vehicle is parked or in motion, including during rain or car washing.
When: Throughout ownership; one at 4,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Rear hatch tail light fails to illuminate when brake pedal depressed; License plate lamp stops functioning; Passenger side rear hatch door signal light shorted; Water visible in light assembly; Burn marks visible in original license plate lamps from excessive heat
Repairs/costs cited: License plate lamp replacement requires new wiring harness and lamps; original lamps discontinued; estimated $260 for parts only. One tail light assembly replaced; one rear hatch signal light shorted due to water. One narrative notes excessive heat generation in license plate lamps.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer states owner must purchase new wiring harness and lamps ($260 parts only) for license plate lamp repair; original discontinued; appears to be design defect per owner.
Partial or no brake light illumination
Rear brake lights fail to fully illuminate when brake pedal is depressed. One narrative reports that only a section of the taillight extending to passenger and driver sides illuminates, not the lift-gate taillight section.
When: 4,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Taillight on rear lift gate does not illuminate when brake pedal depressed; Only partial taillight illumination on passenger/driver side sections; Insufficient illumination to notify other drivers of braking
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer stated vehicle was working as designed. No repair attempted.
Dome light failure and inability to turn off
Driver-side dome light fails to turn off when the on/off button is activated, causing the light to remain illuminated continuously.
When: 82,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Dome light remains on despite button activation; Light will not turn off
Repairs/costs cited: Independent mechanic diagnosed the issue as requiring body control module replacement. Vehicle was not repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer informed owner the vehicle was not under recall.
Multiple electrical system failures following software update
After a Uconnect system software update that failed during the update process, multiple electrical systems became non-functional, including lighting systems. Forced update from satellite signal rendered certain features useless.
When: During/after Uconnect software update
Symptoms owners cite: Defroster non-functional; Power seat controls non-functional; Lighting systems non-functional; Multiple electronic systems affected
Repairs/costs cited: Failed software update rendered multiple systems unusable; repair method not documented in narrative.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: FCA aware of this failure mode yet has not notified consumers, per complaint.
Turn signal malfunction and stickiness
Right turn signal will not reset and remains continuously active during vehicle operation. Air bag clockspring defect causes persistent turn signal indication when lever is in operation.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Right turn signal will not reset; Vehicle continuously indicates right turn signal when in operation; Traffic pulls out in front of vehicle assuming right turn is intended
Codes mentioned: Air bag clockspring (Jeep part 1NJ70DX9AI)
Repairs/costs cited: Defective air bag clockspring replaced by dealer.
Uneven or mismatched headlight brightness
One headlight noticeably brighter than the other, even though both are original or recently replaced. Inspection shows the headlights are visibly different in brightness output.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Left and right headlights output different brightness levels; Visual inspection shows noticeable difference between headlights
Excessive front lighting in operation
Vehicle illuminates more than 6 lights on the front simultaneously. This exceeds Michigan state law and other jurisdictions limiting lights over 300 candlepower to no more than 4 lights at one time, creating a blinding effect on oncoming traffic.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: More than 6 front lights illuminated at same time; Blinding effect on oncoming traffic
Synthesized from 37 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.