NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
My vehicle is suffering form the defect described in this recall notice - https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169208-9999.pdf However, my vin doesn't show as being recalled in the NHTSA lookup tool. This week the same experience was observed while driving over 50mph and hitting normal bumps in the road. A wild vibration/oscillation takes over the vehicle and presents a safety concern for myself, passengers, and motorists around me.
Just took my 2018 JEEP Wrangler Unlimited JL in for the improved steering feel recall. The jeep was working just fine until after the software update just miles after update lost all power and shut off and wouldn't restart. I couldn't even get it to turn over enough to put it in neutral to put it on a tow truck. Finally got it restarted, back to the dealer and was told fuel pump was out. Service Bulletin #S1808000167, FCA discusses the reasons that the vehicle won’t start or there is lost contact with the fuel pump control module.
Front Wheels/Axle Wobble when hitting irregularities in road between 48-65 MPH. Requires slowing down to almost a stop to dissipate the wobble.
I have a 2018 jeep wrangler jk unlimited sport. And it has been shaking controllably once I go over 40 mph or when I hit a bump. Sometimes it’s hard to control the vehicle when this starts to happen on the high way. I have checked for recalls but it’s not showing anything listed. But this is not safe for me or other people on the road near me. I have done repairs after repairs to try to fix this issue and I am still having this issue. Today it is heading back to the shop once again because I just had a bunch of work done and it’s still not fixed the shaking and now it’s starting to smoke.
i took to my local mechanic after noticing that the car shakes very time i hit bumps while driving my mechanic inspected it and noticed that there's a crack in the the weld in the front track bar bracket. same as the safety recall UA5 that FCA has for the same year and model jeep for that year and when i called them they said that mine was built after that by a month.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his wife noticed a strong burning odor coming from underneath the vehicle. . The contact's wife drove the vehicle out of the garage and parked outside. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch was fractured, had failed, and had a burning smell. The dealer also diagnosed that the engine RPMs rev up between shifts of the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware that the recall for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V028000 (POWER TRAIN) was completed on the vehicle in 2021 to prevent transmission clutch failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the dealer would need to disassemble the transmission and the clutch further for proof that the failure is related to the recall for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V028000 (POWER TRAIN). The manufacturer also advised the contact that he would need to commit $600 before the dealer disassemble the transmission and clutch. The contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and going over bumps in the roadway the vehicle was difficult to control. The contact stated that while merging onto the highway at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle drove over a small bump in the road and became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that he was able to safely slow down and pull to the side of the highway to avoid a crash. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the steering box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that an appointment be made to diagnose the vehicle. The failure mileage was 16,791. The VIN was invalid.
The steering wheel begins to shake violently, without warning, making controlling the vehicle hard to control. My vehicle was recalled for this and repaired once. However, the problem has began again. This time is has more violent shaking than the previous encounters, making controlling the vehicle almost impossible. No warning lamps or messages. It seems to worsen in cold weather.
Car spontaneously begins to violently shake, primarily after traveling over a bridge-road seam or other minor bump in road surface. The shake violently rattles car left to right, violently rattles steering wheel. Occurs at 55-60 MPH and above, when travel in excess of 60 MPH car becomes consistently undriveable at posted speed. Possible to recover if can slow down below 30 MPH, typically must stop car. Safety is high risk due to high speed and very high amplitude vibration, must navigate to safety to stop car (ex: on expressway). Unsure of vehicle control in icy conditions or curves. Have had fellow expressway drivers pull over to tell me they witnessed front tires jumping up and down. Car was just inspected, new tires installed, wheels balanced. Clean bill of health, and issue began. Took to manufacturer dealer, they did not convey any knowledge of issue. However knew what I meant by "death rattle". Technician is replacing steering damper. This is a known issue to NTSA and Fiat Chrysler. While no recall, FCA has posted a consumer satisfaction notice to cover the steering damper replacement, although repair shop claims this is a courtesy extended warranty coverage. The death rattle is no-joke violent and places occupants of vehicle at risk during recovery of death rattle and renders vehicle unfit for safe travel at speeds above 50 MPH. Thought you should know.
I have experienced out of nowhere violent front end shake on 4 different occasions since purchasing a used 2019 Jeep Wrangler Sahara three (3) months ago. It cannot be reproduced as I cannot determine what exactly causes it to happen but on at least two occasions I was traveling along highway bridges. There are no warning lights or messages prior to the violent shake.I have had a tire store employee look at the vehicle and have been told the steering damper should be replaced however after researching my vin noticed that this has been completed at least once already according to the MOPAR site. It is very dangerous in my opinion as you will have to keep your wits about you to keep from losing control of the vehicle. Most recent occurence 2:00 pm Interstate 20. January 9, 2022
Sun visor and post fall out of ceiling into line of vision any time you touch the visor. Has happened multiple times just going over a bump. There are 100s of reports of this issues on various jeep sites. The clip that holds the visor in is defective and has happened on both driver and passenger side on my vehicle. This happens on all trim levels and both 2 and 4 door models of the Wrangler for any of the JL series of Wrangler. It has not been corrected to date.
My Jeep experienced sever wobbling, as if the front wheels were coming off. So, I took it to a repair shop and they said it was the "death wobble." When I took it to the Autonation Jeep Dealership, South, Columbus GA. I was told that they had a recall on that 2 years and 3 months ago, and since the 2 year warranty expired, there was nothing they could do about it. If a recall doesn't work, then isn't the dealership still required to fix a manufacturer defect? My Jeep had an additional recall, which the dealership performed last week, and the dealership thought this new recall (computer update) might fix the death wobble problem. When I picked up my Jeep last week after this second recall, my heat and A/C no longer worked--all controls on the Jeep no longer worked. The dealership said they just followed the procedure in the recall, and since the recall resulted in the loss of my heat, A/C and defrosting, that I needed to deal with Jeep USA. I have submitted my case to Customer Care (FCA US, LLC) at Jeep USA, and they are telling me they might be able to ship a part in 6 weeks. My car has no heater. No accountability. I need to be compensated for the damages they have caused to my Jeep! Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Both side seat release levers to let passengers in and out of the back seat keep breaking. Fast Google search online shows it is a wide spread two door issue. This is a major safety issue as it make egress hard making passengers need to climb over center console. In case of a fire this could cause much harm.
My jeep is wobbling violently on the highway and will not stop unless I come to a stop
While driving the instrument panel goes dark or blacks out completely it happens randomly, but often
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and experienced the death wobble. After slowing down, the shaking stopped and the vehicle drove as designed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
The vehicle intermittently fails to shift into gear when started. This also happens intermittently while driving (when stopped the engine turns off while the brake pedal is depressed. When the engine restarts to go forward it behaves as if it is in neutral and won't engage.) Additionally, on occasion, the instrument panel fails to function while in operation. There is a blog thread on this issue as experienced by others: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/service-shifter.24255/ ***Note, the date listed below is when we first began experiencing this issue. This is an ongoing issue which is experience 5 or more times per week. The vehicle has been in and out of the shop without resolution. The cost is out of pocket. The vehicle is currently sitting at the dealership shop considered "unsafe to operate" while we wait on a solution.
2018 Jeep JLU Sahara 3.6 - Several weeks prior to January 2022 I noticed the Electronic Stop Start ESS feature was no longer working. There was also a message indicating the ESS was not working due to the battery charging. I took the Jeep to my mechanic (Not Jeep dealership mechanic) on January 14, 2022. The main battery voltage was checked and was above 12.7 volts. The auxiliary battery was checked and was approx 10.5 volts. I decided to replace the the auxiliary battery. Once replaced the ESS system started to work again and all electronic features returned to normal. Sometime in November 2022 the ESS stopped working. The ESS error message returned indicating the ESS was not working due to the battery charging. In late December 2022 the Jeep had a dead main (original) battery. The main battery was jumped and the vehicle started and ran normally for about a week. The voltage was checked several times using the voltage meter in the settings menu. Each time the voltage showed reading above 14 volts. One week after the first dead battery the battery went dead again. It was jumped again and started. The vehicle remained on and in park for one hour and was then driven. During the test drive I stopped the Jeep momentarily in the roadway to check the ignition. The Jeep did not start and could not be jumped. As a result of the battery failure my vehicle was blocking the roadway and could not be shifted out of park and into neutral. This was a dangerous situation. Later the voltage on both batteries was checked. The main batt voltage was 10.5 and the aux battery was 10.8 volts. This is a 2018 Jeep JLU. The first aux battery failed and was replaced in January 2022. The second aux battery has failed and will be replaced in January 2023 along with the main (original) battery. Three battery failures in one year is not acceptable.
On Dec. 31, 2021, we discovered the left rear brake had "frozen" the brake pads to the rotor, causing it to drag and smoke. My wife was alone in the car at the time. We managed to limp it to the mechanic and got it replaced. On Feb. 8, 2022, it happened again on the front right wheel. This time she was again alone, 2 hours from home, and it smoked so severely she thought the car was on fire. We got it towed to the garage and this time, with a history developed, we got the other 3 calipers replaced along with the parts they ruined. There is no doubt that her safety is at risk with faulty brakes, whether they freeze or fail to grab. The problem WAS confirmed by the mechanic and he showed me how he confirmed it. He fixed it; no other entities inspected it. FCA US LLC did verbally acknowledge brake problems with that model. Wheel drag and a "burnt" smell started in December, 2021; cause discovered 12/31/21. No other prior warnings.
Frame Welds failed, causing the lower control arm to completely detach from vehicle while driving on highway. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. Yes, my safety was put at risk. Dealer refused to acknowledge problem, did not wish to see photos or video. The repair was completed elsewhere. December 29th - While driving on the highway I hear a loud bang and pull over. Turns out my front lower control arm mount COMPLETELY BREAKS OFF my frame (See attached photos). I call my dealership (Zappone CDJR in Clifton Park NY), they can’t get me in for a few weeks due to their availability. I get a major favor and get an extremely reputable, nationally known, off-road manufacture to fix it for me. While I am there, they tell me - take it in to the dealership, a lot of your welds need to be looked at. Apparently someone attempted to touch up some of the welds by hand, but didn’t do a great job. I purchased this JLUR brand new, actually ordered it from factory so no outside work was done on it. Feb 21st - Finally get it in to the dealership, explain to them the situation and without even looking at it, I already get hit with the “well hopefully your lift didn’t cause it” by the service advisor (Jeff Coon). I even reference the TSB out about welds and get told “well TSBs aren’t covered under warranty its an out of pocket expense”. So I call the support center and get told the same thing frame is not covered under my extended warranty, and my standard warranty is out. Ultimately I get told “inspected frame from star cases and damage to frame is not a known issue and is caused by off reading abuse and aftermarket lift kit and would put pressure on welds. Technician found would not be considered factory warranty due to aftermarket lift kit installed.
My steering on my Jeep feels stiff occasionally. Hesitation/Resistance when trying to steer. This happens once in a while. More often on cold mornings, right after a cold start.
Multiple occurances of steering locking up(power steering failure?)all on cold mornings, turning left and around 35-40 mph 12/21/21: While driving down a straight 2 lane rd prior to dawn, I lightly steered my vehicle right to move from center of rd to right hand side. When I attempted to steer back left to correct the vehicle straight, I was unable to move the steering wheel at all to the left resulting in me driving into a mailbox & damaged both vehicle & mailbox. Vehicle drove home fine w/out further steering issue and problem couldn't be replicated. 1/11/22: Another cold morning(appr 32 degrees), warmed car up for 15 mins(to take kids to school). Came to a 30 degree left turn & again noticed the same issue of steering locked up and unable to turn left into curve until I used both hands/arms to apply a significant amount of physical force(again barely missing a mailbox). Then I couldn't correct back to the right w/out applying same force so ended up in oncoming lane of traffic. Thankfully there was not an oncoming vehicle since I had 2 kids in the car & could've had a head on collision. Steering started working again before vehicle even came to a stop. 1/27/21: Cold morning again, warmed car up as usual, & had the same steering failure on same left hand curve as on 1/11 but this time steering ability returned quickly and safely made through the turn. Oncoming vehicle but steering returned quickly enough to avoid issues. I've since learned that FCA has a new 'campaign' out for the steering assist categorized as a 'non-safety related' repair. I'm uncertain if the 'software update' will address my steering issue as the factors outlined in it are not the same as my circumstance & correspond with a different issue being reported with the steering.?
Vehicle failed to restart at the rest area with 18,000 miles on it. I called the service truck and made a report to the dealer the vehicle started within 15 minutes of setting . Went to dealership and had the Jeep checked out. They could not find any thing that was wrong. We were told it had to be malfunctioning to find the problem. Today we were at a grocery store stopped came back in the vehicle would not start. After about 15 minutes vehicle started, while leaving the parking lot the Jeep made a bucking hesitating movement. I Called the dealer they said the Vin number was not on recall. The 2018 jk Jeep has 22,000 miles on it. Found this U 87 recall on the powertrain Control module. Thank you
I bought the vehicle used in December of 2021. It has been out of warranty since July of 2021. At highway speeds, the vehicle wanders side to side and seems to pull to the right. It does it on interstates as well as local roads and it is more noticeable at speeds over 30MPH. FCA knows about the problem and has fixes available for vehicles still under warranty. I feel this is a dangerous situation, since I am unable to steer the vehicle in a straight line, and steering requires constant small adjustments just to stay in my lane.
Service axle locker system
Severe death wobble at speeds above 60 mph , have had this looked at several times by dealer but problem persists
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the front of the vehicle was wobbling violently. The contact mentioned that the steering wheel was shaking to the point the contact was unable to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not yet diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
2018 JLU - Sport While driving at any speed over 40 mph, when trying to turn with the road, the steering wheel locks up and will not allow me to turn it. This has almost caused me to crash into other vehicles and/or structures as I can not maintain my lane, with my *child* in the vehicle. Colder weather seems to make this worse. Also, there is excessive play and extremely loose steering while driving, the vehicle will not maintain a straight line, the driver must constantly micro manage the steering wheel. No warning lamps or messages. I have not taken it to the dealership because they want to charge over $100 for a diagnostic fee. I should not have to pay this charge as this is a known SAFETY issue. There is a recall for this issue on others with the same year, make & model but my VIN is not included in this. After speaking with MOPAR last week, I was informed that I would have to pay for any repairs out of pocket and hope that my VIN makes it on the list one day!
While driving 65 mph on interstate highway, Jeep front end began vibrating and violently shaking during lane change. Surrounding vehicles noticed erratic condition and yielded. Regained control as vehicle slowed below 45 mph. Issue repeated itself twice the same day. Stock vehicle, 11,600 miles on odometer. Unsafe condition.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the backup camera was inoperable on several occasions. There were no warning lights illuminated. The backup camera would randomly work as designed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 7,800.
2 times now the stearing has felt as though it locked up while driving . Both times I have noticed it was a colder morning say 30f . Very scary when it happens
My Steering wheel keeps locking up and I am unable to turn the wheel. My power steering fluid is fine cause I had it checked. The only way to unlock the steering wheel is to step in the brake. I believe it has something to do with the power steering pump. I have set up an appointment with Jeep for service. I recently had my jeep inspected and it passed. No warning lights have come up. It’s a very scary experience as I almost got into an accident as I was not able to turn the wheel until I stepped on the brake.
My Jeep has began to shake violently on two recent occasions 11/18 and 11/23 at highway speeds. I tracked back to see if something was in the road, but all I found was a small imperfection about 1 inch tall in the road seam. The vehicle began to shake so violently that it took all I could do to keep from colliding with neighboring cars. The internet calls this “death wobble “ and it was supposed to be repaired by the dealer under recall. I had the work completed over a year ago and the vehicle is still affected.
Steering sticks going around a curve… Feels like someone is holding the wheel.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage for 10 days. The contact stated that as he opened the garage door, he saw smoke. The contact looked around but he could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that he opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed that the fuse box and the fuse wires had burned. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The independent mechanic arrived at the contact's residence and diagnosed that the fuse box and the fuse wires had burned. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent an investigator who diagnosed the vehicle. The manufacturer sent a letter to the contact stating that based on the investigator report, no issues were found and the failure was not a manufacturer defect. The dealer informed the contact that the fuse box and fuse wires needed to be replaced and he would be responsible for the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,100.
I was driving to work at approximately 7:50 am when the outside ambient temperature was below freezing (approximately 30 degrees Fahrenheit). The vehicle was operating normally until I came to a long, sweeping, and gradual curve on a road that I take every day to get to work. As I entered this curve to the right, driving at approximately 60mph, my steering locked up causing the Jeep to drift into the other lane of traffic. After 2-3 seconds of steering lock, the wheel released and I was able to jerk the vehicle back into my lane. Normal operation resumed, until I came to a similar curve, just up the road, when the lockup happened again. Again, the curve was long, sweeping, and gradual, and I was driving at approximately 60mph.
This morning while taking my Jeep to work, the steering was locked up on me. I had roughly 15 degrees of movement on either side. I had to take a turn and use every bit of my strength to turn the Jeep until I could physically feel my steering loosen up and then drove normal. I always use my remote start and let it warm up before driving on cold mornings. It doesn't have any mods on it either that aren't from Jeep.
Rust is forming along the bottom of all of the doors (4 of them) and on or around some of the hinges. The rust seems to be forming inside of the door and what is visible from the outside looks like the paint in bulging slightly.
I'm describing this is a steering problem, but it may easily include suspension as well. I've experienced the so-called death wobble several times since buying this Jeep. I had chalked it up as being part of having 4WD (though operating in 2WD), but I never had this problem with a much older Jeep, and it doesn't seem like it should be acceptable. Twice on this day traveling around 60 MPH, the steering began to shake with the whole vehicle wobbling. I was able to stop it after slowing down below about 40 MPH or so. I haven't found a common culprit, though it's been triggered by hitting bridge expansion joints on the highway... particularly if I'm not going perfectly straight. I'm fearful of driving over 55 MPH, and I don't think that's acceptable. While I kept control, I don't know if that will always happen. I fear losing control and possibly rolling over. It has not been reproduced or confirmed. It has not been inspected. No warning lamps or messages showed.
Paint bubbling and Rust accumulation on all 4 doors and door hinges, hood and hood hinges and varius body panels. Jeep has been taken to a Jeep dealership and no further communication from Jeep on if this is going to be corrected or not. Engineers should know not to put steel and aluminum together without proper coatings or protections.
While driving around the speed of 55 or high the steering wheel seems to lock up and you can't turn it. This is extremely unsafe as it has almost caused major accidents.
When driving, at random times my dash lights all come on and the following components say that they're unavailable: ABS Electronic Stability Control Sway Bar Disconnect Stop/Start Blind Spot Alert I will then lose my power steering. My speedometer, RPM, and fuel gauges will drop to 0. This has happened both when driving around the neighborhood and while driving on the highway. I have been to two different dealers three different times and they have been able to reproduce and confirm the issue. But they have been unable to fix the problem. Researching the issue myself, I have found several examples of other owners having this same problem. Examples can be found on carcomplaints.com and jlwranglerforums.com. I don't know how many other cars must have this issue before action is taken by the manufacturer, but I consider the loss of power steering and the airbag system a significant safety issue. My vehicle is available for inspection at any time.
The sun visors regularly fall out of their sockets obstructing view of the road. It's surprising, alarming and distracting when it happens. This is a well known issue and Jeep refuses to create a recall. Many, many people with the issue reporting it here: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/sun-visor-fix.44865/
The right side sun visor broke. One month later the driver side visor broke. Both by the mounting stem.
I was driving my wife's vehicle at the time of this incident. While driving at highway speeds (55+ mph) I went over a cracked/uneven section of the roadway. The steering column began to vibrate and jump in my hands. The front wheels were rattling and bouncing, making it difficult to control the steering path of the vehicle. It was only after slowing down the speed of the vehicle that the rattling / jumping of the steering column stopped. The uneven section of road I had gone over hadn't been that severe enough, I thought, to cause any damage. I drive over that same route several times a week and it was no different than before, other than I was driving the Jeep. I asked my wife if this had ever happened to her before. She said it had, but it stopped and she thought it may just be a wearing or broken steel belted radial tire. We were getting the tires replaced soon. After getting new tires, the problem is persisting. The mechanic did not find any damaged wheels or tires, the steering didn't appear loose or damaged. After checking this site for vehicle recalls, but finding none, I was perplexed. After conducting further research I found out about the "Death Wobble" and FCA's Customer Satisfaction Notification V41 Steering Damper fix.
Entire vehicle continues to shake violently about 1/3 of the time after hitting a bump at highway speeds. Shaking has become increasingly prevalent and pronounced, and it lasts for a longer duration when unable to slow down under 45 mph while driving. Vehicle shake has been noticed by other drivers, who signaled about the issue while driving. Manufacturer recall has been completed twice, but issue continues to get worse.
Driving 72 mph on interstate, crossed a bridge and as I exited the bridge hit a rough spot and the 2018 Jeep Wrangler I was driving, suddenly the front end started vibrating vigorously and the steering wheel starting vibrating so bad I almost lost control of the vehicle. Finally I slowed down to 40 mph and the vibration stopped. I am afraid to drive the vehicle at a high rate of speed on the interstate because of the possibility of having a wreck. This need to be taken care immediately by the company at no charge to me. The vehicle only has 5500 miles on it. I bought it new.
Driving 72 mph on the interstate when I exited a bridge, there was a bump in the road. The front started to vibrate vigorously and the steering vibrated so hard that I almost had a wreck. Slowed down to 40 mph and the vibrating stopped.
STEERING WHEEL ASSIST SEEMS TO BE FAIOLING WHEN VEJICLE IS IN MOTION. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING STIFFENS UP OR ACTS AS IF THE CAR IS TURNED OFF.
Vehicle has 13,000 miles on it and manual transmission keeps popping out of second gear. This has almost cause 5 rear end collisions.