Jeep Wrangler reliability by year
66 recalls and 13,209 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2015. Year to avoid: 2018.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 18 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2023 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Wrangler aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Jeep Wrangler?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2015 Jeep Wrangler scores 7.0/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 446 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Jeep Wrangler year should I avoid?
The 2018 Jeep Wrangler scores 5.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 1,783 owner complaints with NHTSA, 6 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2018 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Jeep Wrangler should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2022 (avoid — the electrical system — 8 fire-related complaints and 2 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2021 (avoid — the electrical system — 8 fire-related complaints and 4 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2020 (avoid — the electrical system — 6 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2018 (avoid — the powertrain — 12 fire-related complaints on the powertrain); 2017 (avoid — the brakes — 7 fire-related complaints on the powertrain); 2016 (avoid — the electrical system — 7 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system). The cleaner years on the data are 2023. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Jeep Wrangler are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 66 recalls and 13,209 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Jeep Wrangler?
steering is the most-reported category — 3,342 complaints across 19 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.