2021 Jeep WRANGLER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
911 owner complaints analyzed
15 distinct recall campaigns
19,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data snapshot: . 116 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 298 of 911 complaints (32.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 219 | 24.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 217 | 23.8% |
| Braking behavior | 64 | 7.0% |
| Engine operation | 60 | 6.6% |
| Transmission and shifting | 52 | 5.7% |
| Fuel system concerns | 19 | 2.1% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 298 |
| Steering | 248 |
| Engine | 214 |
| Suspension | 179 |
| Power Train | 137 |
| Unknown Or Other | 131 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 92 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 41 |
Electrical System: 298; Steering: 248; Engine: 214; Suspension: 179; Power Train: 137; Unknown Or Other: 131; Fuel/Propulsion System: 92; Vehicle Speed Control: 41
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 71 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 28 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 15 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 71; 25,000 to 49,999: 28; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (71). 795 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 100 |
| 2022 | 106 |
| 2023 | 220 |
| 2024 | 231 |
| 2025 | 144 |
| 2026 | 104 |
2020: 6; 2021: 100; 2022: 106; 2023: 220; 2024: 231; 2025: 144; 2026: 104
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 219 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 217 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 64 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 11365429 · 2020-10-20 (October 20, 2020)
WANDERING STEERING ABOVE 30 MPH WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT, EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE WHEEL. ORDERED FROM DEALER WENT TO THE SHOP FOR STEERING ISSUES AT 52 MILES AND BACK AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER, JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER AND STEERING IS WORSE, I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO DRIVE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11365429 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11372913 · 2020-11-03 (November 3, 2020)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE BECAME AWARE THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND FAILED TO STEER THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LINDSAY CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 15605 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY, WOODBRIDGE, VA 22191, [phone removed], WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE STEERING GEAR TO BE REPLACED AND THE STEERING MODULE UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS…
Owner-reported narrative. 225 miles reported. Look up ODI 11372913 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11406742 · 2021-04-06 (April 6, 2021)
' IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE OF MY 2 DOOR 2021 JEEP WRANGLER JL (ANNIVERSARY) THE REAR VIDEO CAMERA STOPPED WORKING AT START UP, AND CONTINUED TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE, DESPITE SOFTWARE REINSTALLS. ' TWO AND A HALF MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE AND WITH JUST 2000 MILES ON IT, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN I NOTICED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS AFTER I PUT ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, THE DASHBOARD LIGHT WOULD DIM SIGNIFICANTLY, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT AND DISTRACTING TO SEE THE SPEED AT WHICH I WAS DRIVING, OR THE CRUISE CONTROL. DIMMING MIGRATED QUICKLY …
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11406742 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11416684 · 2021-05-15 (May 15, 2021)
NAVIGATING STEEP DOWNHILL HAIRPIN TURNS TOTAL STEERING LOSS. GOT VEHICLE STOPPED, SHUTOFF VEHICLE RESTARTED AND HAD STEERING BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. CONTINUED ON TO GET OFF OF HILL. SMELL OF HOT ELECTRICAL IN CAB. TOOK TO DEALER VEHICLE HAS 6000 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP SINCE. LONG LIST OF CODES FOR COMMUNICATION FAILURES. WHEN CHECKED AT DEALERSHIP. TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATED AND COULD NOT MOVE VEHICLE UNTIL IT WAS SHUTOFF AND RESTARTED..
Owner-reported narrative. 6,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 11416684 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11418297 · 2021-05-24 (May 24, 2021)
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the rear of a vehicle parked on the street. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The…
Owner-reported narrative. 930 miles reported. Look up ODI 11418297 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11427442 · 2021-08-02 (August 2, 2021)
I was driving at night on a 4-lane highway at approximately 55 mph southbound in the left lane. My hybrid vehicle had less than 1% of battery power and was running using the gas engine. With no warning the vehicle suddenly experienced a sudden deceleration to less than 10 mph then a warning light came on stating "service charging system- place vehicle in P and start engine. Fortunately there were no vehicles in close proximity either in front, behind, or in the lane to my right, so I was able to make it over to the shoulder before it came to …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11427442 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11366230 · 2020-10-24 (October 24, 2020)
VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONLY AFTER 300 MILES. DEALER DIAGOSED THE PROBLEM WITH O2 SENSOR FAILURE AND VALVE COVER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE RAN VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL. SEARCH ON JLWRANGLERFORUMS SHOWS THERE ARE OTHERS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER.
Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11366230 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11423708 · 2021-07-07 (July 7, 2021)
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 41 mph, the hybrid mode failed to let the engine operate and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact mentioned that the power steering also ceased. The vehicle was restarted later under E-save mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic failed to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was partially diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module was disabled. The vehicle was not repaired. The …
Owner-reported narrative. 940 miles reported. Look up ODI 11423708 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11395249 · 2021-02-08 (February 8, 2021)
DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND "SERVICE SHIFTER" WARNING APPEARED ON AND OFF. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE WARNING CAME ON AND OFF. LIGHTS ON THE SHIFTER FLASHED. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE VALVE BODY IN THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY STATED IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE CAR CAN STOP SHIFTING ALTOGETHER WHILE DRIVING.
Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11395249 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11395429 · 2021-02-09 (February 9, 2021)
THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THIS JEEP MODEL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021, TO GET IT FIX AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. THE DEALER (PLANET DODGE IN MIAMI, FL) INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL FCA GROUP (FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILE -- OWNERS OF JEEP), WHICH I DID IN FRONT OF THEM, AND NO FIXING OR RESOLUTION. PART OF THE RECALL STATES HEATED DEBRIS EXPELLED FROM THE TRANSMISSION CASE MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS IN THE VEHICLE, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FIRE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11395429 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11433994 · 2021-09-23 (September 23, 2021)
2021 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FUEL TANK ISSUE. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO HADN'T DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AFTER 6 WEEKS. THE VEHICLE HAD 2,845 MILES.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11433994 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11515357 · 2023-04-04 (April 4, 2023)
I received a recall notice regarding my Jeep that states that it has a high pressure fuel pump ("HPFP") that could fail prematurely. This notice was sent on 10/13/2022 and my vehicle has still not been serviced. The notice states that a HPFP failure may introduce internally failed component debris into the fuel system potentially causing fuel starvation. The fuel starvation could cause loss of motive power, which can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. Also, it is possible that this issue could cause additional fuel system components t…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11515357 at NHTSA ↗