2016 Jeep Wrangler
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Service brakes is the leading concern among 460 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 26 Wrangler model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 28 involved a crash and 15 involved a fire. 38 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, frontal, driver clockspring/spiral cassetteMar 14, 2024
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.
An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 24V196000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, anchorageSep 26, 2019
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 19V680000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator moduleDo not drive until repairedJan 15, 2019
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 19V018000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, sensor/control module-inactiveOct 13, 2016
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).
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.
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.
Campaign 16V734000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleMay 11, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 16V288000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
460 reports, newest first.
Engine, Nov 1, 2022
P0302 code popped up all four rocker arms on left cylinder need to be replaced. Jeep had normal oil change 50k miles
Power train, Engine, Oct 24, 2022
I had an error message for the thermostat last week had that replaced. Now there is a puddle of oil coming from the oil coolant assembly. Replaced the thermostat awaiting mechanic for the oil coolant issue now.
Service brakes, Sep 21, 2022
Front driver side brake calliper locked while driving causing the vehicle to stir hard to one side and the wheel to overheat. After replacement, a few weeks later, the back left did the same this time causing the vehicle to pull, drive hard and smoke to be emitted from the wheel. Now several months later the front passenger side needs to be replaced too.
Service brakes, Sep 18, 2022
This in regard to my 2016 Jeep Wrangler. For the second time in less than 37,000 miles I have had a wheel speed sensor go out. (The first time, as I reported on an earlier NTSB complaint form, was the left front speed sensor.) This time it was the right rear speed sensor. I was driving in traffic when the ABS and Traction Control lights came on, along with my Jeep Wrangler braking on it's own. The lights would clear, only for it to have it happen again a few miles down the road. I took it in to a repair shop and their computer scan reported the right rear wheel speed sensor failed. I had the right rear speed sensor replaced which cured that problem. I have had wheel speed sensors fail twice in less than 37,000 when I have never experienced it even once in any other vehicle. Having your vehicle brake unexpectedly on it's own in Florida traffic is scary!
Air bags, Sep 7, 2022
Experiencing illumination of the airbag warning lamp. Upon further investigation the technician may found one or more of B1B Diagnostic Trouble Codes. Current "recall" or "extended warranty applies to 2011 to 5/2/2016. My vehicles build date is 6/2016. My question is was the faulty part possible used after 5/2/2016 in Toledo where my vehicle was built. The airbag clock spring seems to have been a issue for awhile. I seen "recalls" all the way back to 2007. I just wanted to figure out my vehicle is being excluded from the "extended warranty" when I am have the same issues as a vehicle built just one month before mine.
Steering, Electrical system, Air bags, Sep 5, 2022
My airbag light is on all the time and my horn stopped working.
Air bags, Aug 28, 2022, crash
was in a 4way stop approaching it actually .I was going eastbound the other motorist was going south bound. He made a right turnouts west bound lane but he took it without slowing down for stop sign he didn't stop at all .he drove onto my front bumper side head on at a fast rate ofspeed.his airbags deployed my did not. I had my seat belt on but my airbags did go off.i got jerked around violently my head has not stopped from hurting and been dizzy and nauseous lately
Steering, Suspension, Aug 24, 2022
Track bar mount welds sheared of the axle housing at 70 mph after hitting a pothole. Vehicle shot to the right almost putting me into a guard rail. Would have been a terrible accident if I did hit said guard rail. No warning lamps or indicators.
Service brakes, Air, Aug 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the ABS warning light illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Power train, Engine, Jul 25, 2022
Cold start, engage reverse and the engine idles really low and sometimes stalls. If I move the shifter to neutral the engine revs back up and does not stall. Rolling down the driveway and then engage reverse the problem does not occur. The issue has been getting worse whether its in the dead of winter or summer.
Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 21, 2022
Driving at 50 MPH on high-speed concrete highway during a thunderstorm, my ABS and traction control lights came on and stayed on for a few minutes. In those few minutes, my car started slowly fish-tailing, so I pulled on to the side of the interstate. I turned off the engine completely and restarted, as well as other resets, to try to turn the ABS and traction control lights off. I started on to the highway again and got up to 50 MPH again with both lights still on. Again, my vehicle started shifting in the lane, so I pulled off the highway again and turned the car completely off. After a few more minutes, I restarted the vehicle engine, both lights remained on, and I got on to an asphalt surface for the remainder of my trip. Within half a mile, both lights turned off and the vehicle felt more secure on the road way. For the remainder of my drive, both lights remained off, but I did go through at least 4 standing puddles of water with no other issues with traction.
Air bags, Service brakes, Air, Seat belts, Jul 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the air bags, seat belts, and ABS warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V288000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Air bags, Jun 8, 2022, crash
I ran into a truck that stopped in the middle of the road, The impact was hard. My airbags didnt deploy. My chest is hurting
Engine, May 6, 2022, crash
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 continued to lurch forward as the contact clipped the vehicle in front of him. As the engine continued to rev, the contact immediately shut off the ignition. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. Both the contact and the other driver were able to drive away from the scene. The dealer was notified and an appointment was made for a diagnostic. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that he would receive a callback, the contact had yet to hear back from the manufacturer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Other or unspecified, Apr 19, 2022
vehicle stalls while driving. sometimes can restart. sometimes takes a few minutes to restart. no issues prior. no known cause. on freeway doing 65 mph then lost all power. it was difficult to get to safety and i couldn’t move all the way off the road. it’s happened twice.
Power train, Apr 19, 2022
Torque Convertor is going bad. On a cold start, when you put Jeep in reverse, it will stall. This started around 50k miles. At first, I thought I did something wrong. Then it started happening more often. I contacted Jeep, but they said they could not do anything because the Powertrain warranty was expired by a couple thousand miles. This is dangerous when I have to back out of my driveway in the morning as it will stall and can take a few times for it to restart. There has been no warning lights or codes that pull up on my OBD2 scanner that would lead me to knowing what the issue is.
Tires, Apr 15, 2022
2016 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. THE CONSUMER STATED, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE TIRES DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALLS.
Steering, Service brakes, Apr 10, 2022
2016 Jeep JKU 78,000 miles NOT driveable because front end wobbles and steering wheel vibrates. Increasing to 60 MPH stops the wobble. This happened to me twice and someone else driving my vehicle. Had new tires installed and front end aligned - thought it was fixed but then the problem became worse. I just got back home after a 20 mile drive and the shaking and wobbling was horrific. I did not feel safe in this vehicle. Upon returning home the right front wheel began smoking so I grabbed a fire extinguisher just in case. The right front wheel was extremely hot to the touch. After cooling off and no fire, I conducted a visual inspection of the right front brake caliper and noticed it had circular markings on caliper in 3 different areas. I am not going to drive this vehicle again until the dealership can fix it.
Service brakes, Air, Mar 29, 2022, fire
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brakes failed to operate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a stop and the contact smelled rubber burning with a little bit of smoke. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic and was repaired. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the ABS module was sticking and needed to be replaced however, parts were on back order. The manufacture was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Air bags, Mar 11, 2022
Air bag light on saying it needs a clock spring I was just driving and light came on
Electrical system, Engine and engine cooling, Feb 28, 2022, fire
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon replacing the engine oil himself, he noticed that oil was leaking onto the transmission. The contact stated that there was no smell of oil burning or any smoke coming from the oil leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil filter housing was cracked. The dealer replaced the oil filter housing and repaired the vehicle; however, while the mechanic was test driving the vehicle, the vehicle caught on fire under the hood. There were no injuries sustained. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. There was no police report. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent an inspector who diagnosed that the fire started under the hood. The contact stated that he believed the fire started out as an electrical fire. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under warranty; and that the repair would be at his own expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,700.
Engine, Jan 21, 2022
The oil cooler housing exploded in my 2016 Jeep Wrangler. I put my car into reverse- I backed up and tried to put the car into drive. The car would not shift out of neutral for several minutes- 2 quarts of oil spilled onto the ground. My car eventually made its way to drive and has been steadily leaking oil since.
Power train, Jan 8, 2022
Torque Converter was replaced due to internal failure. Vehicle had 62k miles when torque converter was replaced. Issue arouse around 40k when vehicle would die when placed in reverse after cold start. AutoNation dealership did not cover cost since vehicle had went over 2k of the power train warranty. When I researched online, I came to realize that this is a common problem within the JK models which is upsetting to pay out of pocket cost for defect parts from the manufacturer.
Engine, Nov 18, 2021
I have a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 2016 that suddenly lost power in fast moving traffic with intermittent miss fire and blinking check engine light along with smoke and smell of burning oil. Looking into the engine from the top a large , deep pool of oil was sitting in the middle of the engine and working its way on to hot components of engine and exhausts and smoking. This could have easily become fire hazard in high temperature desert environment where running temperatures and hot exhaust pipes could start a fire. The engine miss fire and sudden loss of power was checked to be failing ignition coils and plugs that are supposed to be warrantied to 100K miles. The Pentastar V6 3.6 oil cooler was leaking badly and its effect could have been disasterous for the engine and car safety. The Oil Cooler faulty plastic design on this engine is a well known problem that Chrysler is refusing to address as recall on Wranglers sold . There are hundreds of complaints and cases of failure of this plastic component on the internet and the dealers are all well aware of it and happy to charge $2k for replacement. Chrysler and the dealer refused to admit the faulty oil cooler design and also would not accept ignition coil and spark plug replacement under the Std 80,000 miles California Emission Control warranty that come with all engines sold in CA. Chrysler is hiding this faulty design on Wranglers but accepted it on other Chrysler cars.
Engine, Nov 2, 2021
2016 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED SPORT. Vehicle has 41,500 miles. 3.6 Liter Pentastar V6. Gushing oil from oil cooler on to the exhaust and smoking to the point of catching fire. Known issue from what I am reading online. I guess Chrysler is waiting for one of us Jeep owners to die in a car fire!! $1200 to replace.....UNACCEPTABLE that a recall has not been forced on Chrysler!!!!