RoadVitals

2001 Jeep Wrangler Powertrain (other) Problems

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

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) 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 Sep 1, 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.
6%
of 170 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.
1
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

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 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 powertrain

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

Body & structurePowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 1, 2016

I HAVE A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER WITH ONLY 89,000 MILES. THE ENTIRE FRAME AND UNDERCARRIAGE IS RUSTED OUT AND THE TRANSFER CASE HAS FALLEN OFF. I'M UNABLE TO DRIVE IT IS SO UNSAFE!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE ONLY 15 YEARS OLD WOULD BE IN THIS CONDITION!! I WILL BE GETTING AN ATTORNEY!! APPARENTLY THERE IS NOT PROPER HOLES FOR DRAINAGE IN THE FRAME AND IT HAS CAUSED THE WATER TO POOL AND RUST OUT THE FRAME. I STILL OWE $6000 ON THIS VEHICLE! I WILL NEVER BUY A JEEP AGAIN! I CALLED CHRYSLER AND BECAUSE IT'S SO FAR OUT OF WARRANTY AND NO RECALLS THEY ARE UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME...UGH

NHTSA ID
10903089
Incident
Sep 1, 2016
Mileage
89,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 11, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ID
10846132
Incident
Jan 15, 2016
Mileage
110,000 mi
Powertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Sep 2, 2015

WAS TRAVELING DOWN DIRT ROAD AT AT 20 TO 25 MPH, THEN HEARD DIFFERENT NOISE LIKE METAL SCRAPING. SHIFTING SEEMED A LITTLE HARDER BUT WAS STILL WORKING. AFTER RETURNING HOME I LOOKED UNDER THE JEEP AND FOUND THE TRANSMISSION SKID PLATE HAD RUSTED AWAY FROM THE FRAME AND ONLY 3 BOLTS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HOLDING THE TRANSMISSION IN PLACE. IF TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND IF BOTH SIDES BROKE LOOSE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY. I'VE DONE SOME CHECKING AFTER THIS HAPPENS AND LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AS WELL AS RUSTING OUT IN OTHER PLACES WITH JEEPS AND THINK THE MANUFACTURER HAS AND LEAST SOME LIABILITY WITH THIS ONGOING ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
10760948
Incident
Aug 28, 2015
Mileage
159,221 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 8, 2015

MY FRAME RUSTED OUT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON JEEP WRANGLERS. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING MY TRANSMISSION FLUID WHEN I FOUND THE ISSUE. THE PART OF THE FRAME WHERE THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT ATTACHES TO COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND NOTHING WAS HOLDING THE TRANSMISSION/REAR ENGINE MOUNT TO THE FRAME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10704494
Incident
Mar 17, 2013
Mileage
220,000 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Mar 21, 2015

I HAVE A JEEP THAT HAS A FRAME THAT IS RUSTED IN THE REAR TRAILING ARMS AND WERE THE TRANSMISSION IS HELD. NO INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED YET BUT IF THIS WERE TO BREAK ON THE ROAD COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WORK FOR HYUNDAI WHO HAS A RECALL ON QUITE A FEW CARS AND SUVS FOR THE FRAME ROTTING OUT ON CARS AS OLD AS 2000 I ALSO NO TOYOTA AND NISSAN AND OTHER MANUFACTURES HAVE RECALLS ON FRAMES WHY NOT JEEP I REALIZE IT MAY BE SPECIFIC TO SALT BELT AREAS BUT THOSE OTHER COMPANIES ARE FIXING THE PROBLEM. ALSO THE CLIMATE CONTROL MELTED COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE I KNOW THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10700852
Incident
Mar 21, 2015
Mileage
214,506 mi
Powertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Feb 11, 2015

SKID PLATE THAT HOLDS TRANSMISSION FELL FROM RUSTED FRAME. IF I WAS GOING ON FREEWAY AT 55 OR PLUS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD SITUATION....LOOKING INTO FRAME I SEE THAT THIS IS COMMON WITH WRANGLERS FROM LIKE 1997 TO 2002 AND IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT....YOU HAVE RECALLED MAZDAS, TOYOTAS AND OTHER 2000ISH VEHICLES DUE TO RUSTED FRAMES...THESE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FRAMES REPLACED BEFORE MORE FATAL THINGS HAPPEN....I AM LOOKING IN GETTING MINE REPLACED...BUT IF I DO AND THEN IT IS RECALLED DO I GET JEEP TO PAY ME BACK FOR MY REPAIRS??? *TR

NHTSA ID
10682834
Incident
Feb 4, 2015
Mileage
134,000 mi
Powertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Jan 6, 2015

FRAME RUSTED ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AT BRUSH GUARD/TRANS SUPPORT, AND TRANSMISSION DROPPED WHILE DRIVING. BOTTOM OF FRAME UNDER DRIVER/PASSENGER SEAT WERE BRUSH GUARD ATTACHES IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY AND THE FRAME HAS STARTED TO CRACK UP THE SIDES. I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE A CRASH SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FRAME COMPLETELY RUST AWAY ON A 14 YEAR OLD CAR.

NHTSA ID
10670534
Incident
Jan 4, 2015
Mileage
150,000 mi
Body & structurePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 18, 2014

REMOVED TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER TO REPLACE CLUTCH. FOUND COMPLETE BOTTOM OF FRAME RUSTED FROM INSIDE SO AS TO MAKE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SINCE HAVE FOUND THAT NEW FRAME IS NOT AVAILABLE AND IF A USED FRAME IS FOUND IT TO IS RUSTED AS TO BE DANGEROUS. HAVE CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I WORK IN COLLISION REPAIR AND FIND THIS TO BE A SERIOUS FAULT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY BEFORE A DEATH OCCURS. MY SON'S JEEP WOULD KILL HIM IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10583590
Incident
Apr 5, 2014
Mileage
90,000 mi
Body & structureBrakesInterior & seats+2 more
Filed Sep 1, 2005
Crash reported

I BELIEVE THE JEEP WRANGLER BUILT BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS SAFETY DEFECTS THAT CONSTITUTE A SERIES OF SAFETY HAZARDS. 1. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS AND ENGINE RPM ACCELERATING ON BREAKING. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY JEEP ENGINE RPMS RACED AND THE VEHICLE LEAPED FORWARD WHILE BREAKING AND COMING TO A STOP. SINCE THE PROBLEM DOES NOT HAPPEN WITH REGULARITY THE DEALERSHIPS CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. 2. FRONT SEAT BELTS. THE FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT SMOOTHLY, QUICKLY AND WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT IN THE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM. 3. FULL SIZE DOORS. THEY DO NOT CLOSE AND SECURE FULLY AS THE DOOR IS AJAR UNTIL YOU RE-CLOSE THE DOOR WITH FORCE. 4. BREAK NOISE. I GET A CONSISTENT CLACK NOISE WHEN APPLYING THE BREAKS. I HAVE HAD THE DEALERSHIP WORK ON THIS PROBLEM ON FIVE OCCASIONS TO INCLUDE A COMPLETE BREAK SERVICE. THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. 4. BUILD QUALITY. SINCE I BOUGHT THE WRANGLER I HAVE HAD THE RADIATOR REPLACED (IT LEAKED), ALL THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED (ROUGH IDLE), INSIDE RIGHT DOOR HANDLE ASSIST AND SNAP ON FRONT FLOOR MAT REPLACED, THE COMPUTER REPROGRAMMED (THEY SAID THE FACTORY DID NOT DO IT RIGHT), FUEL PUMP REPLACED (GAS LEAK), SEALS AROUND GAS TANK AND GAS CAP (VAPOR LEAK), AND THE REAR SEALS (WHICH WERE NOT COVERED UNDER MY CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY). 5. CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY. NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP NOR CHRYSLER WANTED TO ADDRESS THE BREAK PROBLEM WITHOUT ME PAYING FOR A BREAK SERVICE. *NM

NHTSA ID
10135068
Incident
Mar 30, 2005
Mileage
2,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)Transmission+1 more
Filed Mar 18, 2002

THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON 6 OCCASIONS, ON THE 5TH OCCURENCE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A 1-LB PRESSURE LEAK BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS RESET, HOWEVER THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, NOW THE ENGINE IS RUNNING ROUGH.*JB

NHTSA ID
564744
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 20, 2001

REAR AXLE SEAL BROKE AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES. REPAIRED AND REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS. TOOK BACK IN FOR REPAIR OF AXLE SEAL A MONTH LATER. 4 BOLTS WERE MISSING FROM THE REAR TRANSFER CASE UPON PURCHASING.*AK

NHTSA ID
742731
Incident
Aug 30, 2000

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 .