RoadVitals

1988 Jeep Wrangler Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Mar 12, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
18%
of 50 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Brakes
Filed Mar 12, 2010
Crash reported

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1988 JEEP WRANGLER. I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A FEW WEEKS. I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, IT FAILS AND RELEASES. EVERYTIME IT WOULD HAPPEN, IT WOULD HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY AND I WOULD SIMPLY RE-ENGAGE IT, EXCEPT FOR THIS LAST TIME IT HAPPENED. I HAD MY JEEP PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. WHILE I WAS AT SCHOOL, THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED AGAIN AND DISENGAGED. MY JEEP, THEN, ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AND HIT A TREE IN MY BACKYARD. THIS HAPPENED JUST THE OTHER DAY AND IT IS STILL IN THE SAME POSITION AS I FOUND IT WHEN I CAME HOME. I HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX IT YET. *TR

NHTSA ID
10319262
Incident
Mar 8, 2010
Mileage
98,261 mi
Brakes
Filed Oct 9, 2002

1989 AND NEWER HAVE BEEN RECALLED, WHAT ABOUT MY 1988? MR

NHTSA ID
768286
Brakes
Filed Jul 7, 2002
Crash reported

HAVE REPLACE PARKING BRAKE ASSY TWICE SINCE PURCHASED. CRASH WAS INTO MY HOUSE WHEN PARKING BRAKE DISENGAGED IN DRIVEWAY. *AK

NHTSA ID
763903
Brakes
Filed Sep 18, 2000
Crash reported

THE PARKING BRAKE ON MY JEEP HAS A TENDANCY TO DISENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. BEFORE I WAS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT, IT DISENGAGED IN A PARKING LOT AND CAUSED MY JEEP TO ROLL BACK ONTO A NEW FORD MUSTANG, CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE, AND APPEARING ON MY INSURANCE RECORD AS A FAILURE ON MY PART TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE.

NHTSA ID
731804
Incident
Apr 1, 1999
Brakes
Filed Mar 20, 1998

EMERGENCY BRAKE DISENGAGES BY ITSELF REGARDLESS IF ON A HILL OR NOT. *AK

NHTSA ID
533136
BrakesFuel system
Filed Feb 5, 1997

FUEL PUMP AND BRAKES RECALLED. OWNER INTERESTED IN RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER WITH REGUARD TO RECALLS.

NHTSA ID
546626
Brakes
Filed Jun 12, 1996

BRAKE FLUID LINE IS RUBBING AGAINST MUD FLAP, AND HAS WORN THOUGH IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
985621
Brakes
Filed Oct 30, 1995

HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE BROKE AT THE FITTING, PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. TT *JB

NHTSA ID
974161
Incident
Oct 28, 1995
Brakes
Filed May 3, 1995
Crash reported

EMERGENCY BRAKE LOOSE WHILE PARKED ON A HILL. TT

NHTSA ID
964761
Incident
Apr 12, 1995

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Fuel system16

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .