VehicleVerdict

2012 Jeep Wrangler engine problems

The 2012 Jeep Wrangler has 178 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 14% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

178

Engine complaints

14%

Share of year

1

Crash-involved

0

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Wrangler engine complaints by model year378 complaints1987: 9 complaints1988: 8 complaints1989: 13 complaints1990: 11 complaints1991: 14 complaints1992: 8 complaints1993: 19 complaints1994: 29 complaints1995: 39 complaints1997: 122 complaints1998: 58 complaints1999: 53 complaints2000: 28 complaints2001: 26 complaints2002: 8 complaints2003: 7 complaints2004: 13 complaints2005: 40 complaints2006: 29 complaints2007: 62 complaints2008: 48 complaints2009: 23 complaints2010: 52 complaints2011: 42 complaints2012: 178 complaints2013: 144 complaints2014: 330 complaints2015: 128 complaints2016: 92 complaints2017: 62 complaints2018: 100 complaints2019: 46 complaints2020: 53 complaints2021: 212 complaints2022: 86 complaints2023: 96 complaints2024: 378 complaints2025: 22 complaints2026: 1 complaints
Wrangler engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

What owners report

“VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING ENGINE AND DRIVING 30 FEET FROM INITIAL PARKED LOCATION. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND EXPLOSION OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD WHILE DRIVER WAS STILL IN VEHICLE. NO PREVIOUS INDICATION THERE WAS ANY ISSUE WITH VEHICLE. UPON DRIVER EMERGENCY EXIT OF VEHICLE, FURTHER…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · January 11, 2016 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2012 Jeep Wrangler have?

NHTSA has 178 complaints about the 2012 Jeep Wrangler engine — 14% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.