RoadVitals

1998 Jeep Wrangler Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance 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.
11
Latest Mar 7, 2016
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.
4%
of 265 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.
3
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 forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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 driver-assistance

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

Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Mar 7, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO DISPLAY THE SPEED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

NHTSA ID
10840221
Incident
Mar 4, 2016
Mileage
124,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 8, 2015

WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL SPEED INCREASED AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO SHUTTING OFF SPEED CONTROL OR BY HITTING THE BRAKES CAR COULD NOT BE STOPPED ONLY PUSHING IN CLUTCH WHILE THE ENGINE RACED UNCONTROLLABLY AND PULLING OFF THE INTERSTATE ONTO SIDE OF ROAD TURNING OFF KEY STOPPED THIS . WHEN STARTED BACK UP ENGINE STILL RACING. SAME THING HAPPENED ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO NEVER USED SPEED CONTROL AGAIN UNTIL THIS

NHTSA ID
10762100
Incident
Sep 6, 2015
Mileage
90,900 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jan 1, 2007
Crash reported

I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND APPROXIMATELY 3 CAR LENGTHS AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE ALREADY STOPPED AT THE LIGHT I BEGAN BRAKING AND HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE FLOOR BOARD AND WHILE PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I LIFTED THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM THE FLOOR AND REAPPLIED IT AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP UNTIL IT RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO IDLE UP REALLY HIGH AS IF IT WERE TRYING TO DRIVE ITSELF. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK PEDAL AND AFTER I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND PULLED THE EMERGENCY BREAK THE VEHICLE STOPPED IDLING UP HIGH. *NM

NHTSA ID
10177441
Incident
Dec 31, 2006
Mileage
97,061 mi
AirbagsDriver assistanceExterior lighting
Filed Feb 6, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE TACHOMETER SHOWED NO READING. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN MOTION FOR THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THE PROBLEM MAY BE RELATED TO THE CLOCK SPRING, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A LOCAL DEALER. THE TURN SIGANL WOULD NOT CNACEL, THE DEALER REPALCED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. UYPDATED 03/28/06. *JB

NHTSA ID
10149515
Incident
Feb 1, 2006
Mileage
60,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistanceInterior & seats+2 more
Filed Apr 1, 2004

VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING AN ERRATIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND AIR BAG LIGHT OPERATION. INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER ROLLED BACK TO ZERO, AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. ALSO, AT 82,000 MILES LEFT TURN SIGNAL ENGAGED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, AND AT 78,000 MILES WHEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS OPENED WHILE THE TRUCK WAS STILL RUNNING THE DEFROSTER LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO TWO JEEP DEALERS AND SAID THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. *LA

NHTSA ID
10061182
Incident
Feb 24, 2004
Mileage
78,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 17, 2001
Crash reported

I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, TWO CARS WERE ALREADY AT FULL STOP, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND MY CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP APPROXAMETELY 10 FEET BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ALL THE SUDDEN MY ENGINE STARTED LIKE MY FOOT IS ON GAS INSTEAD OF THE BRAKES, I PUSHED ON THE BREAKS AS HARD AS I CAN WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE, I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT HAPPEN. I DROVE THE CAR THIS AFTERNOON, IT IS DRIVING FINE. I WENT TO A PARKING LOT AND I APPLIED THE BREAKS THEN PUSHED GAS AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. MY BREAKS ARE FINE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEN AND WHY IT HAPPENED, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY BREAKS EWRE FULLY APPLIED, AND THE CAR WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE IT MOVED ON ITS OWN. SKID MARKS WERE VISIBLE, BUT THE CAR KEPT MOVING.*AK

NHTSA ID
742596
Incident
Mar 17, 2001
Driver assistanceSeat beltsSuspension+1 more
Filed Nov 28, 2000

1. THE TRANSMISSION HAS STARTED JUMPING IN AND OUT OF 3RD GEAR IN THE 32 TO 50 MPH RANGE. BUBBLES ARE PRESENT IN THE FLUID INDICATING A SEAL IS FAILING. REPAIR ESTIMATE AT THIS TIME IS OVER $1000. THIS FAILURE IN SNOWY DRIVING CONDITIONS CAUSES VEHICLE CONTROL PROBLEMS.2. PASSENGER SEAT BELT RETRACTS INTERMITTENTLY. THE PASSENGER WILL LEAN FORWARD AND BACK MAY NOT NOTICE THE SEATBELT HAS NOT RETRACTED. THIS CAN CERTAINLY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. 3. SUDDEN ACCELERATION AT IDLE. VEHICLE IDLE WILL JUMP FROM 1.5K TO 3K WITHOUT WARNING. OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. 4. ANTI-SWAY BAR LINK FAILURE. THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST INSIDIOUS FAILURE. THE STABILIZER BAR LINK BALL WILL CORRODE IN THE SOCKET AND CAUSE IT TO SEPARATE. THE RUBBER BOOT AROUND IT COVERS THE FAILURE. WHEN AN EMERGENCY TURN IS REQUIRED, THE JEEP WILL SWAY VIOLENTLY. I TALKED TO THE CHRYSLER PARTS ATTENDANT AND HE SAID HE SELLS ABOUT 12 A WEEK TO THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOTICE THE FAILURE. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT NOTICE THIS, IT IS A TIME BOMB. THE PARTS ATTENDANT TOLD ME I WOULD BE BACK SOON TO REPLACE MORE. WHAT HE SAID IS TRUE.

NHTSA ID
736981
Incident
May 24, 2000
AirbagsDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Apr 28, 2000

DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CAUSED ALL THE GAUGES TO FAIL AND AIR BAGS TO SHUT DOWN. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID
861152
Incident
Apr 27, 2000
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Sep 8, 1999

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND CRUISE CONTROL.

NHTSA ID
609684
Incident
Nov 15, 1998
AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed May 4, 1999
Crash reported

CONSUMER HAD STARTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHEN THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, CAUSING CONSUMER TO DRIVE THROUGH A WALL AND HIT A HOUSE . DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ID
837449
Incident
Apr 30, 1999
AirbagsDriver assistanceElectrical+2 more
Filed Oct 10, 1998

CLOCK SPRING IN STEERING COLUMN SHORTED OUT ALSO, ENGINE CONTROLLER, AND HORN FAILURE.ALSO AIR BAG AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON.

NHTSA ID
781114
Incident
Sep 23, 1998

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

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .