U.S. public vehicle records

2016 Jeep WRANGLER problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

459 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

40,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2016 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 237 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 119 of 459 complaints (25.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	171	37.3%
Transmission and shifting	43	9.4%
Engine operation	41	8.9%
Steering behavior	35	7.6%
Electrical and battery issues	21	4.6%
Fuel system concerns	5	1.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes

119

Engine

Air Bags

Power Train

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Steering

Service Brakes: 119; Engine: 88; Air Bags: 76; Power Train: 73; Electrical System: 54; Unknown Or Other: 54; Vehicle Speed Control: 34; Steering: 26

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 79; 25,000 to 49,999: 64; 50,000 to 74,999: 59; 75,000 to 99,999: 20; 100,000 to 149,999: 11; 150,000 and above: 4

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (79). 222 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2016: 37; 2017: 33; 2018: 26; 2019: 70; 2020: 65; 2021: 31; 2022: 30; 2023: 26; 2024: 34; 2025: 65; 2026: 42

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 171 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 43 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 41 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10850112 · 2016-03-16 (March 16, 2016)

I HAVE A 2016 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED WITH 20,000 MILES., TODAY I WAS GOING UP A HILL STOPPED AT A MAILBOX THEN STARTED TO TAKE OFF AND THE MOTOR STALLED WHILE IN DRIVE. IT CASED ME TO ROLL BACK ABOUT 3' BEFOR I COULD HIT THE BRAKE ALMOST CAUSED A ACCIDENT. I THEN RESTARTED THE JEEP PLACED IT BACK IN DRIVE AND IT WOULDN'T MOVE! IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I ALSO TRIED REVERSE STILL WOULDN'T DO NOTHING. SO I ROLLED TO A FLAT SPOT IN THE ROAD CHECK THE TRANS FLUID, IT WAS GOOD THEN TURNED IT OF CHECKED THE OIL, IT WAS GOOD TO. THEN STARTED I…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10850112 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10850113 · 2016-03-16 (March 16, 2016)

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10850113 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10882593 · 2016-07-05 (July 5, 2016)

THE CONNECTION OF THE GEAR SHIFTER TO THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION BREAKS, LEAVING YOU STUCK IN WHATEVER GEAR IT WAS LAST IN, AND BASICALLY STRANDED. I PERSONALLY WAS IN A PARKING GARAGE WHEN IT OCCURED, OTHERS HAVE BEEN ON AND OFF ALL KINDS OF ROADS. SEE THIS LINK FOR THE COLLECTION OF OTHERS HAVING THIS PROBLEM: HTTP://WWW.WRANGLERFORUM.COM/F202/16-JKU-MANUAL-6-SPEED-BROKEN-SHIFTER-1625138.HTML

Owner-reported narrative. 17,980 miles reported. Look up ODI 10882593 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10887435 · 2016-07-21 (July 21, 2016)

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION'S SHIFT LEVER BECAME LOOSE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THE LEVER WOULD ROTATE 360 DEGREES AROUND ITS CENTER AND EVENTUALLY COME COMPLETELY OFF OF ITS MOUNT. WHEN ROTATED, THE OFFSET IN THE SHIFT LEVER BEING AT A NEW ANGLE WOULD LEAD TO SHIFTING BEING OBSTRUCTED BY THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER'S LEGS AND SEATS. AFTER COMING OFF OF ITS MOUNT WHILE STATIONARY GEAR SELECTION BECAME IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT REPAIR. DEALER WOULD EVENTUALLY COMPLETE A REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. ITEMS NOTED ON THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 6,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10887435 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10892834 · 2016-08-03 (August 3, 2016)

MY 2016 MANUAL JEEP RUBICON UNLIMITED (APPROX 14K MILES) DROVE/SHIFTED FINE ON MY WAY TO WORK (ABOUT 3 MILES, VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC) LAST NIGHT, BUT WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE JEEP TO HEAD HOME, THE STICK-SHIFT WAS ALL CADDY WOMPUS AND I STRUGGLED TO GET IT INTO GEAR TO BACK OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE. IT FELT LIKE IT HAD TWISTED SIDEWAYS AND FALLEN DOWN. TO GET IT INTO 1ST GEAR, I HAD TO SHOVE IT FAR TO THE LEFT TOWARD THE STEERING WHEEL, AND FOR 2ND GEAR, I HAD TO PRACTICALLY JAM THE SHIFTER INTO MY LEG. FINDING NEUTRAL AND REVERSE WAS TRICKY--THE WHOL…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10892834 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10958904 · 2017-03-06 (March 6, 2017)

2016 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON UNLIMITED. PRIOR TO PURCHASE, THE TRACTION LIGHT WAS ON. NOT EVEN 5 MILES AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE HAS EXTREME SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE VEERS TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT THE STEERING WHEEL TURNING TO THE RIGHT, REAR TRACTION SLIPPAGE, AND A LIT TRACTION LIGHT ON THE DASH. THIS HAPPENED ON A DRY, SMOOTH, STRAIGHT- STRETCH OF HIGHWAY (65-70MPH) COMING HOME FROM PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE LIT TRACTION LIGHT WAS PROBABLY T…

Owner-reported narrative. 120 miles reported. Look up ODI 10958904 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10898206 · 2016-08-24 (August 24, 2016)

JEEP LEAKS EVERYTIME IT RAINS. LEAKS ON BOTH SIDES BUT PASSENGER SIDE IS THE WORSE. SOAKS THE FLOORS AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. DRIPS OUT FROM UNDER THE DASH AS WELL ON PASSENGER SIDE. WATER CAN CAUSE ELECTRICAL ISSUES UNDER THE DASH, MOISTURE IN FLOOR AND SEAT CAUSE THE WINDOWS TO FOG UP AT TIMES WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF, AND PRESENCE OF A MILDEW SMELL WILL EVENTUALLY TURN INTO MOLD. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SHOP MANY TIMES AND STILL NOT REPAIRED.

Owner-reported narrative. 660 miles reported. Look up ODI 10898206 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11360442 · 2020-09-22 (September 22, 2020)

VEHICLE WITH APPROXIMATELY 58000 MILES WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. WHEN TURNING THE KEY TO ON, A HISSING SOUND AND A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE CAME FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE JEEP. TURNED OFF VEHICLE, AND EXITED THE CAR TO SEE A TWO FOOT WIDE PUDDLE OF GASOLINE UNDER THE CAR. . REPAIR SHOP INDICATED FAILURE OF PRESSURIZED GAS LINE COMING FROM TOP OF THE GAS TANK. IF AN IGNITION SOURCE HAD BEEN PRESENT THE CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 14 MILES THAT DAY WITH NO ISSUES, THE FAILURE IN THE GAS LINE WAS SUDDEN AND…

Owner-reported narrative. 58,810 miles reported. Look up ODI 11360442 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11434513 · 2021-09-27 (September 27, 2021)

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated the EVAP canister error was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the filler neck going into the fuel tank was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 49,900.

Owner-reported narrative. 49,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 11434513 at NHTSA ↗