2008 Jeep Wrangler Exterior lighting Problems

While driving at speed, vehicle electrical went haywire. Headlights went on and off. Horn sounding on and off, Wipers and washers going on and off, HVAC blower on and off. Pulled over vehicle and turned off and removed key and it still remained running, all horn, lights, and wipers still going on and off. Opened hood, removed negative battery terminal, and with that, car still ran! Was several minutes and car finally shut itself off. Scary that the car went completely haywire and would not shut off, even with key out, and battery disconnected!

NHTSA ID

11704890

Incident

Dec 13, 2025

Headlights stopped working. The Headlights are controlled by a computer. No relay, fuse, or anything that can be fixed at a parts store. We had to wait days for a computer to show up.

NHTSA ID

11486341

Incident

Aug 11, 2022

VEHICLE COMPONENTS BEGIN MALFUNCTIONING, WIPERS TURN ON, WIPER WASHER PUMP FLOODS WINDSHIELD, LIGHTS FLASH, HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY TURN OFF WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, HORN SOUNDS, CANNOT TURN VEHICLE OFF. TURN KEY TO OFF POSITION AND VEHICLE CONTINUES TO RUN CREATING AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WIPERS AND WASHERS BLIND DRIVER RANDOMLY. ONLINE RESEARCH ALL POINTS TO KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE THAT HAS WELL DOCUMENTED FAILURE RATE. THIS IS A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT DESERVES INVESTIGATION AND REMEDIATION.

NHTSA ID

11384771

Incident

Dec 21, 2020

Mileage

104,007 mi

THE HORN BLOWS ON ITS ON, THE WIPERS AND WASHERS COME ON BY THERE SELF, LIGHTS COME ON BY THERE SELF, AND THE ONLY WAY TO TURN THEM OFF IS DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. IT HAPPENS MOVING OR STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID

11376093

Incident

Nov 20, 2020

Mileage

80,000 mi

2008 JEEP WRANGLER HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH TIPM. WIPERS WILL COME ON, HORN WILL SOUND, WASHER FLUID SPRAYS, AND TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT (WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND THIS HAPPENS) INTERMITTENTLY AND WILL SOMETIMES CREATE A NO CRANK/NO START CONDITION AFTER THE MALFUNCTION HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND HAS BEEN SHUT OFF. DEFECT HAS BEEN TRACED BACK TO TIPM AND TIPM WAS REPLACED WITH AN AFTERMARKET REMANUFACTURED TIPM. PROBLEM RESOLVED AND NOW HAS REAPPEARED WITH ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS, SUCH AS WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN REVERSE WIPERS WILL GO OFF AND ENGINE WILL REV TO HIGHER RPMS THAN NECESSARY TO ALLOW FOR ACCELERATION. THE TIPM DEFECT CREATES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD WHEN IT INTERFERES WITH THE SHIFTING, ACCELERATION OF VEHICLE. MOST RECENT ISSUE WAS 11/09/2020; ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE 06/2019.

NHTSA ID

11373675

Incident

Nov 7, 2020

Mileage

135,000 mi

JEEP HAS MIND OF ITS OWN. NO START, NO HEADLIGHTS, WIPERS WORK ON THEIR OWN AND SPRAY ALL FLUID. JEEP SHUTS OFF DRIVING, THEN CANT SHUT ENGINE OFF WITH KEY.

NHTSA ID

11256813

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

WE WERE DRIVING IN THE NM MOUNTAINS AT NIGHT. THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WENT OUT. THE WIPERS STARTED RUNNING. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD. WE WERE LUCKY WE DIDN'T HAVE A WRECK. EVENTUALLY WE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED IT. THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON.

NHTSA ID

11060944

Incident

Jan 5, 2018

Mileage

88,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHER, SIGNALS, ESP DISABLE BUTTON AND INTERIOR LIGHTS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIPM IN THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED AFTER POWER WINDOWS STOPPED FUNCTIONING.

NHTSA ID

11048682

Incident

Nov 10, 2017

Mileage

87,000 mi

CAR AT RANDOM WILL NOT START, LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK OR RADIO WILL STOP WORKING ... CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON WITHOUT ANY ENGINE ISSUES ... TO PUMP FUEL IT TAKES 20 MINUTES TO FILL IT UP YOU CAN'T WALK AWAY OR IT WILL OVER FLOW ... JEEP LEFT ME SIT THE OTHER DAY AND NO GARAGE CAN TELL ME WHATS WRONG WITH IT... ITS NOT THE STARTER ...

NHTSA ID

10971897

Incident

Apr 6, 2017

Mileage

6 mi

HEAD LIGHTS AND INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON .CAR IS NOT RUNNING. KEY IS NOT IN IGNATION. WHILE DRIVING CLOCK GOES DARK AND COMES BACK ON SPONTANEOUSLY. WHILE PARKED OVERNIGHT BATTERY IS DRAINED COMPLETELY. DIFFICULTY STARTING CAR NEED TO TURN KEY TO OFF POSITION AND LIGHTLY PUSH ON GEAR SHIFT LEAVOR, THEN VEHICLE WILL START. THE ALL HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE IS EITHER RUNNING OR PARKED IN OFF POSITION

NHTSA ID

10872595

Incident

Jun 5, 2016

Mileage

120,000 mi

HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT. DAUGHTER HAS TO DRIVE HOME WITH FOG LIGHTS. ENGINE FAN COMES ON AND OFF. TOOK TO JEEP THEY SAID IT WAS A SHORT AND IT WORKED FOR A MONTH, SAME THING. AFTER RESEARCH IT APPEARS THE TIPM IS BAD, LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ETC. ONLINE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OFF WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, AND CITY STREET AND ALSO AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK ALL DAY. IT IS RANDOM. I HAVE TAPPED ON THE TIPM MODULE AND THEN TURNED ON THE LIGHTS AND THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A DAY OR TWO AND THEN GO OUT AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE DECEMBER 2015, THE LAST TIME WAS MARCH 5, 2016.

NHTSA ID

10840108

Incident

Mar 5, 2016

Mileage

49,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING HOME LAST NIGHT DURING A SNOW STORM AT APPROX. 50 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE LIGHTS STARTED GOING ON AND OFF. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER AND STOP. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT IT WOULD NOT (THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLICKER ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY, THEY FINALLY STOPPED AFTER I TURNED THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON. I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT STARTED BUT THE LIGHTS STARTED THEIR ON AND OFF DANCE AGAIN SO I WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SHUTTING IT OFF AND MANAGED TO GET THE LIGHT TO STOP BY TURNING THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS OFF THEN ON AGAIN. AFTER APPROX. 15 TO 20 MINUTE I TRIED A RESTART AND IT STARTED WITH NO SYMPTOM'S SO I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

10808220

Incident

Dec 2, 2015

Mileage

148,000 mi

CAR PARKED AND STATIONARY AT HOME. OPENED THE REAR DOOR (WITH KEYS IN HAND, NOT IN IGNITION) AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED GOING AND THE RUNNING LIGHTS CAME ON. AFTER 1-2 MINUTES THE HORN STARTED BLOWING AND THE HEATER BLOWER MOTOR CAME ON. PUTTING THE KEY IN IGNITION OR NOT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. PULLED THE POSITIVE TERMINAL OFF OF THE BATTERY AND EVERYTHING STOPPED. RECONNECTED THE POSITIVE TERMINAL AND NOTHING UNUSUAL HAPPENED. TRIED STARTING THE CAR TO TEST AND THE KEY ACTIVATED THE DASH BUT WOULD NOT START THE ENGINE BUT NORMAL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. WHILE TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS (SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, PARK, ON, OFF, ETC) THE WIPERS (FRONT AND REAR), BLOWER, RUNNING LIGHTS AND HORN ALL CAME BACK ON AND THE ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT TURNING THE KEY FROM RUN TO START. WIPERS AND BLOWER SPEED CHANGED WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY CONTROLS. BLOWER SPEED COULD BE CHANGED THROUGH SWITCH, BUT WHEN BLOWER SWITCH TURNED TO OFF, BLOWER WENT TO HIGH SPEED. PULLED POSITIVE TERMINAL AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS FROM BATTERY WITH NO CHANGE ' EVERYTHING STILL RUNNING. HAD TO PULL WIRES OFF THE ALTERNATOR TO STOP EVERYTHING. THE HEATER BLOWER HAD STOPPED ON THIS VEHICLE A YEAR OR SO AGO AND AFTER TESTING AND REPLACING ALL BLOWER PARTS WITH NEW PARTS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIPM WAS AT FAULT. TIPM HAS NOT YET BEEN REPLACED (BUT WILL BE). IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN MOTION, IT WOULD HAVE (AT THE VERY LEAST) PANICKED THE DRIVER. I AM GOING TO RECONNECT THE BATTERY AND ATTEMPT TO VIDEO THE RESULTS.

NHTSA ID

10807321

Incident

Nov 28, 2015

Mileage

130,000 mi

ON 4 OCCASIONS, MY HORN AND WINDSHIELD WIPER HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY ACTIVATED. ON THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE, WE WERE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED BUT LUCKILY MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO CYCLE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND POWER RETURNED TO THE HEADLIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10676130

Incident

Jan 10, 2015

Mileage

67,500 mi

JEEP WRANGLER STILL ACTS UP WITH ELECTRONICS. AFTER PICKING UP SOME GROCERY AS I OPEN MY PASSENGER DOOR MY HORN, BOTH WIPERS, WASHER FLUID SPRAYING OUT, AND LIGHTS STARTED GOING HAYWIRE. EVERYTHING TURNED ON ALL AT ONCE. I JUMPED IN AND TRIED STARTING IT UP MAYBE REST WHAT EVER SHORT MY BE EXPERIENCING, I WAS ABLE TO START IT BUT CONTINUE TO GO HAYWIRE AS I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, IT CONTINUE TO RUN. I JUMPED OUT TO POP THE HOOD AND PULLED A FUSE. THE ENGINE STOPPED AND CAR STOPPED GOING HAYWIRE. I WAITED ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE REPLACING THE FUSE. JEEP WRANGLER STILL HONKS HORN (BEEP) AND WIPERS SHIFT A LITTLE IN THE MORNING WHEN I OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR. SHOULD I BE CONCERN THAT THIS MALFUNCTION WILL CAUSE A FIRE OR POSSIBLE HARM? *TR

NHTSA ID

10655347

Incident

Nov 15, 2014

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT CAR WENT BERSERK LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, HORN CONTINUOUS SOUNDING, WIPERS BOTH FRONT AND BACK CONTINUE TO STAY ON WHILE SHOOTING WASHER FLUID. AS TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY I EXPERIENCE LOST OF POWER AND STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES HOPING TO REST THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY CONTINUE FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AND THEN STOP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10655346

Incident

Oct 31, 2014

Mileage

90,000 mi

ON THE 2008 JEEP WRANGLER DASHBOARD, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHES ON EVERY OTHER MINUTE WITH A CHIME, AN INDICATION THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MALFUNCTIONING OR INTERFERING WITH THE VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS.THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING ISSUE AND CONCERN FOR MANY 2008 JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BE CAUSED BY A FAULTY CLOCKSPRING WITHIN THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL. THIS FAULTY CLOCKSPRING IS THE CULPRIT FOR POTENTIAL AIRBAG FAILURE IN THE 2008 JEEP WRANGLER DURING AN ACCIDENT OR PREMATURE DEPLOYMENT WHEN SIMPLY DRIVING AROUND. DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY CONCERN OF THEIR FAULTY CLOCKSPRING THAT CAN CAUSE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS FROM PROPERLY DEPLOYING. ALSO ON A DIFFERENT ISSUE, ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS I GO TO START MY VEHICLE AND I WILL HEAR A CLICK AND THE VEHICLE WILL REFUSE TO TURNOVER, IT IS A RANDOM OCCURRENCE THAT IS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE. SOMETIMES MY JEEP WILL START AFTER 5 OR 6 TRIES, OTHER TIMES IT CAN TAKE A HALF HOUR FOR IT TO FINALLY START UP. I HAVE TRIED CHANGING THE BATTERY TO NO AVAIL AND AM HESITANT TO HIRE SOMEONE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE WIRING HARNESS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10548030

Incident

Oct 2, 2013

Mileage

66,500 mi

THE HEAD LIGHTS WILL NOT STAY ON WHEN TURNED ON. WHEN THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED ON THE COME ON THEN OFF AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON. THE HORN WILL BLOW WITH OUT PUSHING THE HORN BUTTON AND AT THE SAME TIME THE HORN BLOWS THE WINDSHIELD WASHER SPRAYER SPRAYS WATER. AFTER THE JEEP AS SIT FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT BEING STARTED THE MOTOR WILL NOT TURN OVER. THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIGHTS UP WHEN KEY IS TURNED ON BUT THE STARTER WILL NOT EVEN TRY TO TURN OVER THE MOTOR. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE MOTOR SEVERAL TIMES THE STARTER WILL EVENTUALLY START THE MOTOR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE "TIPM" IN 2007. THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH MY JEEP ARE THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT WERE OCCURRING WITH THE JEEP RECALLS IN 2007. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND RECALL THIS TIPM AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10470105

Incident

Aug 1, 2012

Mileage

49,285 mi

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT NIGHT, HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. THEY REMAIN OUT FOR OVER 5 SECONDS, MAY COME BACK ON JUST TO GO OUT AGAIN. IN OTHER INSTANCES SINCE STARTED, HEADLIGHT BEHAVIOR WILL BECOME SUDDENLY ERRATIC, ONE LIGHT WILL GO OUT WHILE OTHER REMAINS ON, OR BOTH MAY GO OUT. WHEN THIS EMERGENCY CONDITION OCCURS, HIGH BEAMS OR FOG LIGHTS MUST BE ACTIVATED TO MAINTAIN VISIBILITY, AND CONTROL OF VEHICLE. SINCE FIRST OCCURRENCE BOTH BULBS HAVE BEEN CHANGED BUT INCIDENTS CONTINUED TO OCCUR. HEADLIGHTS ARE STOCK BULBS. *TT

NHTSA ID

10462773

Incident

Jun 20, 2012

Mileage

79,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED. THE CONTACT USED THE FOG LAMPS IN ORDER TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIPM MODULE MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT REPLACE THE TIPM MODULE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ID

10425284

Incident

Sep 13, 2011

Mileage

50,000 mi