RoadVitals

2004 Jeep Wrangler

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
192
Latest Apr 15, 2023
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Mar 13, 2006
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
24
12 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 192 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler, most frequently naming the steering, suspension and brakes categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 47 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
06E022000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Mar 13, 2006
7,440 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.
The risk: LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN BRAKE LINE PRESSURE AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy: AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-323-0354.
BRAKE PARTS, INC.View on NHTSA.gov
06E011000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Feb 1, 2006
7,291 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN AFTERMARKET AIRTEX ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS INSTALLED FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN 1997-2004 JEEP WRANGLER; 1997-2001 JEEP CHEROKEE; 1997-2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE; AND 2000-2003 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES. THE PLASTIC ELECTRICAL GROMMET CONNECTORS AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP MODULE ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH AUTOMOTIVE FUELS AND MAY DEGRADE CAUSING A POTENTIAL LEAK PATH FOR FUEL.
The risk: IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FUEL LEAK COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy: AIRTEX WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 25, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AIRTEX CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT 1-800-880-3056.
AIRTEX PRODUCTSManufacturer number FP012506View on NHTSA.gov
04V048000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Feb 3, 2004
96 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A RECENT SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION WAS INADVERTENTLY OMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL.
The risk: THE VEHICLE OWNER WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION FOR THEIR VEHICLE.
The remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A CORRECTED TIRE CERTIFICATION LABEL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATIONManufacturer number D05View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 192
Body & structure
Filed Apr 15, 2023

My Jeep's frame is rusted. There are holes and cracks in the frame from the rust. The Jeep will not pass my states safety inspection because of the rust. Parts of the suspension that are attached to the frame are about to fall off.

NHTSA ID
11517197
Incident
Apr 1, 2023
Body & structure
Filed Feb 8, 2023

The frame has been compromised due to rust. The frame rusted from the inside out because the frame was not properly engineered from the factory. There are no weep holes at the lowest point on the frame. This causes water to sit in the frame and rust from the inside out. The rust appears without warning. This is an extremely dangerous because the frame can break without warning and cause loss of control. My vehicle is available to be inspected upon request.

NHTSA ID
11506269
Incident
Feb 8, 2023
Body & structure
Filed Dec 15, 2022

The frame on the Jeep TJ is prone to rot. Mine is so rusted that body shops refuse to repair it, claiming their insurance won't cover them. My Jeep has 123,233 miles and is otherwise in very good condition, but the frame has rust severe enough to make driving the vehicle unsafe. The Jeep Forum on the Internet is full of similar stories, so Chrysler has known about this problem for many years. You should make them recall the Jeeps and repair or replace the frame. A few years ago Toyota did a similar recall on their small pickup trucks.

NHTSA ID
11497639
Incident
Dec 15, 2022
Electrical
Filed Sep 23, 2020
Fire reported

DRIVING WHILE DARK, HAD SMOKE SMELL FROM INSIDE CAB. DRIVING IN DAYLIGHT LATER, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND STEERING COLOMN. SMOKE GOT MUCH WORSE, ENDANGERED DRIVING, AND COLUMN STARTED TO GET HOT. PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THE FOG LIGHTS WERE STILL ON DESPITE THE SWITCH, AND KEY BEING OFF. PULLED THE FUSE, AND RELAY, THEN PROBLEM STOPPED. I REMOVED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH ALSO HOUSES THE HEAD LIGHTS AND FOG LIGHT SWITCHES, AND FOUND THE CONNECTOR OVERHEATED, AND SHORTED INTERNALLY. WHILE WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT SWITCH, THE TURN SIGNALS AND FLASHERS QUIT WORKING. I TRIED A NEW FLASHER RELAY, BUT CAN ONLY ASSUME THE CONNECTOR IS THE MAIN FAULT, AS IT WAS PARTIALLY MELTED AND NOW BRITTLE FROM THE FIRE. AFTER TROUBLE SHOOTING AND MULTIPLE TIMES INSTALLING AND REMOVING THE CONNECTOR, IT HAS BEGUN TO CRACK AND FALL APART, FURTHER DISABLING OTHER SWITCHES. I'M CURRENTLY REPLACING THE CONNECTOR ONCE I AM ABLE TO LOCATE ONE. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR DISTRACTION AND POSSIBLE CRASH WHILE DRIVING, AND EVEN MORE SO, THAT A FIRE COULD OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED, LIKE IN MY GARAGE WHILE I SLEEP! EVERY THING ON THE JEEP IS STOCK, AND THE FOG LIGHTS ARE A OEM OPTION INSTALLED BY THE DEALER WHEN I BOUGHT IT NEW, FROM THE FACTORY. I'VE DONE NO MAINTENANCE EXCEPT TO REPLACE THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WHEN THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH FAILED 40K MILES AGO. THE CONNECTOR WAS FINE THEN, AND IT WAS ONLY A SWITCH FAILURE AT THAT TIME. THE JEEP HAS 135K MILES ON IT CURRENTLY. THE CURRENT TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS NOT AT FAULT SINCE I NOW KNOW THE CONNECTOR WAS WHAT WAS BURNING. I'VE READ OF SEVERAL INCIDENCES ON JEEP FORUMS WHERE SOMETHING SIMILAR HAS HAPPENED, WITH EITHER THE CONNECTOR, OR THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. I FEEL THIS IS A MULTIPLE SAFETY HAZARD, NOT ONLY WHILE DRIVING, BUT ALSO WHEN PARKED.

NHTSA ID
11360696
Incident
Sep 18, 2020
Mileage
135,000 mi
SteeringSuspension
Filed Mar 11, 2020
Crash reported1 injury reported

HIT A REGULAR BUMP IN THE ROAD, AT 35 MILES PER HOUR ON A STRAIT STRETCH OF ROAD AND THE ATTACHMENT POINT FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION PULLED AWAY FROM THE FRAME AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE JEEP, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE CENTER SECTION OF THE FRAME IS RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT ON BOTH SIDES, THE FRAME SHOULD BE THE LAST THING TO FAIL ON ANY VEHICLE, THIS JEEP HAS ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROADED OR ABUSED. FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS KNOWN TO LAST 200K MILES PLUS TO HAVE FRAME FAILURE AT 65K MILES IS NOT ONLY NEGLIGENT ON CHRYSLERS BEHALF BUT IT ALSO POSES A REAL SAFETY HAZARD TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVING THESE JEEPS DOWN THE ROAD AT 70-80 MILES PER HOUR WITH A FRAME THAT COULD FAIL AT ANYTIME. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE JEEPS AND CHRYSLER NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST, IN 10 YEARS MANY OF THESE VEHICLES WILL STILL BE ON THE ROAD AND THE PROBLEM WILL ONLY GET WORSE. PLEASE HELP

NHTSA ID
11317552
Incident
Mar 11, 2020
Mileage
67,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Mar 9, 2020

ON MARCH 8, 2020 WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE 75, THE RIGHT REAR (RR) TIRE ON MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER BLEW OUT. THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AT SAM'S CLUB IN MAY 2018. THE VEHICLE HAD A MATCHING SET OF TIRES ALL PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME (MAY 18) - BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN TA KO2. SIZE 31 X 10.5 R15. THE MILEAGE ON THE TIRE AT TIME OF BLOW OUT WAS ONLY 16,386 MILES. IT IS VERY CLEAR FROM PHOTOGRAPHS THAT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT TIME OF TIRE FAILURE WERE EXCELLENT - CLEAR, SUNNY, 57 DEG F. ROADS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. TIRE PRESSURE FOR REMAINING 3 TIRES WAS CHECKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER BLOW OUT OF RR, AND ALL 3 TIRES WERE FOUND TO BE SAME PRESSURE (35 PSI). THE TIRE WAS MARKED DOT BF60_AT11_1118. I AM AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER WITH +30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN AUTOMOTIVE DRIVELINE. THE WAY THE TREAD SEPARATED CLEANLY FOR FULL 360 DEG FROM SIDEWALL ON FRONT OF TIRE CLEARLY LEAVES ME BELIEVING THERE IS A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT IN THESE TIRES. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN TA KO2 TIRE ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID
11316948
Incident
Mar 8, 2020
Mileage
70,859 mi
Seat beltsSteering
Filed Jan 1, 2020

I HAVE A RIGHT HAND DRIVE 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. THE RIGHT SEAT BELT LATCH IS ALWAYS STICKING CAUSING MY SEAT BELT TO COME LOOSE. THE STEERING WHEEL STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHEN REACHING SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH,IF YOU HIT A BUMP, OR IF IT'S WINDY OR AN 18 WHEELER PASSES YOU ON HIGHWAY, THE JEEP WILL ROCK SIDE TO SIDE LIKE IT'S GOING TO TURN OVER. IT'S VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I HAVE CHILDREN TO HAUL AROUND.

NHTSA ID
11292490
Incident
Jan 30, 2018
Mileage
170,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Oct 25, 2019

PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT JAMMED IN 2004 JEEP RUBICON.

NHTSA ID
11271055
Incident
Aug 1, 2019
Mileage
44,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

101232

POWER TRAIN

Plate - Planetary

S2208000136

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Security Module Lock Out After Entering the PIN to Unlock The Wireless Control Module (WCM)

S2208000136

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Security Module Lock Out After Entering the PIN to Unlock The Wireless Control Module (WCM)

9004275

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER

KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not program to the vehicle, use the "AC" NIC level part and submit a part warranty.

9004275

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER

KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not program to the vehicle, use the "AC" NIC level part and submit a part warranty.

S2025000005

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illumination. Diagnostic Trouble Codes P0407 ? EGR Sensor B Circuit Low, or P0408 ? EGR Sensor B Circuit High Set

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Jeep Wrangler by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000—
2026820—
2025604060.8
202466611167.5
202333714265.9
202237615468.9
202190115365.6
202059912266.1
20197299259.8
20181,79914562.0
20173085370.1
20164555369.8
20154643369.3
20146514465.2
20136497461.6
201283110663.1
201148311663.7
201068511663.4
20093687459.6
20088739859.7
2007555101062.7
20067303152.8
20056492046.6
2004Viewing1923051.7
2003984052.7
20021086055.2
20011707057.2
20002515160.9
19992135156.7
19982656054.6
19974017053.4
1996210—
19952023362.9
19941514563.0
19931085563.0
1992776661.1
1991768460.6
19907971066.7
1989627970.4
1988506970.5
19873881074.2
1986111—
1985001—
1984001—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.