RoadVitals

2013 Jeep Wrangler Engine Problems

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

Data refreshed

Engine 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.
144
Latest Feb 26, 2026
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.
22%
of 649 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.
7
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 144 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 engine

The 25 most recent of 144, in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Feb 26, 2026

The oil filter housing is known to leak, crack or break in standard weather conditions. This can be exacerbated by extreme climate or by simply storing the vehicle outside of a climate controlled area. The hazards posed start with the slow but continuous leak of engine oil from the housing down the transmission and driveline to the ground. This is an environmental hazard to ground water and plant life. The oil can also contaminate roadways leading to slick spots in the road coupled with icy conditions this could cause for large scale vehicular incidents. Lastly if this issue goes unchecked and the oil leaks out of the engine entirely or to a low enough level it could cause the engine to seize in some shape or fashion. This would cause the aforementioned hazards to occur all at once culminating a catastrophic hazard event.

NHTSA ID
11720799
Incident
Dec 15, 2025
Engine
Filed Apr 13, 2025

Loud rattle noise on start up and ticking sound when running. Also using a little antifreeze. There is no antifreeze leaks.

NHTSA ID
11654360
Incident
Dec 15, 2024
EngineFuel system
Filed Mar 2, 2025

This vehicle is notorious for a common issue yet that same issue which has not been recalled is the reason my engine blew on the highway and Jeep has failed to notify owners of this issue or give some sort of reimbursement. My Jeep was cruising just fine when my engine suddenly blew, it was well maintained and taken care of. Despite the great care the oil housing unit which many others have complained about cracked leaking all the oil in a matter of minutes. This essential piece failing and releasing all the oil caused my engine to blow. Jeep is notorious for having a plastic oil housing unit with no heat shield since it is inbetween both engine bays. Having the unit where it is while creating the piece out of plastic seems like a text-book way to have catastrophic failure and further profit off complete engine failure. This material design flaw has now cost me nearly $800 come to find out I need a total engine replacement now which will be around $4000. This is completely unacceptable a vehicle was allowed to be put on the road with such a catastrophic design flaw and physically endangered me when this happened. In the attached files you can see the pooling of oil, I also have official reference from a local auto shop and screenshots of multiple online complaints.

NHTSA ID
11645875
Incident
Jan 29, 2025
EngineFuel system
Filed Jan 30, 2025

The components in the N28 / NHTSA 13V-234 recall did exactly what they were recalled for. My check engine light came on a few months back so I brought it to be diagnosed at a parts store and diagnostic scanner listed P codes for possible O2 sensor. I brought my 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sport into a Jeep dealership(#1) in Friday, November 1st, 2024 and upon the first inspection, they found a couple of issues and printed an quote for $127.33, I signed off on that quote. Then another hour or 2 passed by, they brought me a revised quote for over $600, which I was still okay with and signed off to have repaired. Then they offered to bring me home after hours of sitting in the lobby. The next day, I get a link to review the revised inspection and it was over $2400. The engine charge was over $1900 caused by the N28 recall. I asked them to just do the recall because I could not afford it the remaining. Upon looking into forums, documents & diagrams researching online specific to the N28 recall, I reached out to the manufacturer quite a few times by phone and email. I was working with someone who I thought would be helpful, since he suggested I call a different Jeep Dealership (#2) Service Dept. and speak with a mechanic there. I spoke with a mechanic at #2 and sent #1's inspection report, and #2 dealership's mechanic confirmed the issues are connected & caused by the recall. The manufacture's contact (that I thought was more helpful than the ones I spoke with prior) was emailing me. I reported back to the contact on November 14th, 2024 what dealership #2 said and he never responded. I followed up for a response on November 21st, 2024. I still have no response as of January 30th, 2025.

NHTSA ID
11639659
Incident
Jan 28, 2025
Engine
Filed Dec 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in TSB: 09-002014 Rev. B (Engine). The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ID
11629603
Incident
Dec 9, 2024
Mileage
95,000 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Apr 14, 2024

The oil pressure sensor, I was in traffic and the vehicle came to a stop with scared the hell out me and this has hall a couple of time and came to find out it was caused by the oil pressure sensor. Why this is not on recall

NHTSA ID
11582927
Incident
Jul 15, 2023
EngineFuel system
Filed Oct 11, 2023

fuel supply line going to the engine leaking gas directly onto engine. I started smelling gas and upon inspection found the leak. I googled it and found numerous links with people having the same issue. Definitely poses a safety hazard.

NHTSA ID
11549330
Incident
Oct 2, 2023
EngineFuel system
Filed Sep 4, 2023

The Fuel Supply Tube part #68141849AD cracked, causing fuel to leak into the engine bay when the car was started. The entire cabin filled with gas fumes so intensely my eyes would water.

NHTSA ID
11542431
Incident
Aug 29, 2023
Engine
Filed Aug 7, 2023

The car just shuts off without warning while driving. We’ve had this car for 6 months and had to put in the shop 4 times on different occasions without a resolution. This causes a major safety risk which could lead to a catastrophic accident. This has not been inspected by the manufacturer as of yet.

NHTSA ID
11537020
Incident
Feb 8, 2023
Engine
Filed May 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the check engine and traction control warning lights suddenly illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and decelerated to under 45 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the cylinder head oil plugs, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to a second dealer who diagnosed that the engine had experienced low compression leak and multiple misfires. The contact was informed that the cylinder head, engine valves, and springs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that that a VIN was not included in the Extended Coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 57,000.

NHTSA ID
11520282
Incident
Feb 1, 2023
Mileage
57,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 20, 2023

At around 85k miles the vehicle began developing a loud tick. It appears every vehicle with this motor or similar motor with the same internal Valve Rocker Arms have this problem. This Jeep problem is so bad that the parts are on a 2 month back order and every dealer admits they have a problem. The repair isn't cheap and entails the entire top of the motor to be exposed and virtually rebuilt. For a vehicle with only 85k miles this is a terrible situation that jeep has put their owners in. This is clearly an issue that should be rectified by the manufacturer.

NHTSA ID
11518049
Incident
Apr 10, 2023
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 16, 2023

The oil cooling housing. There was sludge around it and the lines from below the jeep ruptured. causing oil to leak all over the transmission bell. This caused smoking and over all engine. My dad a certified ASE mechanic has looked at it multiple times and fixed various components related to the cooling/heating system.

NHTSA ID
11507605
Incident
Feb 14, 2023
Engine
Filed Jan 31, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while at a stop light the vehicle started to stall while accelerating. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the crank shaft sensor was replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was notified of the cylinder #2 misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall. The failure mileage was 114,000.

NHTSA ID
11504767
Incident
Apr 6, 2022
Mileage
114,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 18, 2023

Motor rocker arm failed possibly damaged motor. Engine oil cooler cracked. Leaking oil over my exhaust. Possibly causing fire.

NHTSA ID
11502378
Incident
Jan 10, 2023
Engine
Filed Dec 6, 2022

when while I’m driving the vehicle will turn off . I already have this situation happened to me so many times while there’s cars next to me or in face of me

NHTSA ID
11496190
Incident
Nov 30, 2022
Engine
Filed Oct 3, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a DTC reader and recovered a code for a misfire in cylinder #6. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that her vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided a case number. The contact was also provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 89,800. The contact has made several calls to customer service submitting claims and denied. The vin number was not included in the service bulletin and the contact believes several vins are missing from the list.

NHTSA ID
11487683
Incident
Apr 1, 2022
Mileage
89,800 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 22, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the thermostat was replaced several times. However, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning illuminated and several chimes were heard. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that engine oil was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed that the radiator needed to be replaced. The part was replaced; however, the contact stated that upon parking the vehicle, the failure reoccurred and the engine oil leaked out onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer, Perkins Motors (1205 Motor City Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80905) where it was diagnosed that the engine cooler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID
11485869
Incident
Aug 25, 2022
Mileage
45,000 mi
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 23, 2022

ABS and check engine light. I am a rural mail carrier, because my ABS light is on it causes my jeep to not accelerate pulling away from mailboxes therefore putting myself and other drivers at risk. The problem has been reproduced at the dealer. Warning lights illuminated at 19687 miles and are still on to this day, no resolution from Jeep. Jeep engineer came to dealership and could not say what was wrong with vehicle.

NHTSA ID
11470704
Incident
Jun 19, 2014
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jun 7, 2022

My vehicle suddenly stops running as I'm driving down the road. This is an reoccurring problem that happens every few days. This does not issue a code nor does the check engine light come on. There is no rhyme or reason to the issue. Electrical does not go out only the ability to push the gas pedal. I have to pull over and turn off the jeep. It comes back on and runs after waiting 10 minutes. This is a hazard and can cause a wreck. It's an common problem with Jeeps as reported on the forums.

NHTSA ID
11467951
Incident
May 22, 2022
Engine
Filed May 25, 2022

For the past 2 years my Jeep has been stalling a lot, have taken it to 2 mechanics and 2 times to the dealer. None of them know what’s going on because there’s no light coming on, except for the first time it happened the ETC light came on but went away a few minutes later.

NHTSA ID
11466115
Incident
Feb 20, 2020
ElectricalEngine
Filed May 22, 2022

When driving down the road, the Jeep stops running. This is very dangerous and happens while driving at 55 mph. I’ve taken it to a mechanic and it will not throw a code. We’ve replaced the fuel pump, ignition, battery and alternator. Reading the forums and other online resources shows this is a common problem with multiple solutions. Jeep should recall any parts identified with this issue and be able to help correct this known issue. This is very unsafe. I do not have the money to spend and have no reliable transportation for employment. This has been such a hardship during such trying economic times.

NHTSA ID
11465674
Incident
May 22, 2022
BrakesDriver assistanceEngine
Filed May 18, 2022

Car surges at times when braking. Increased brake pressure to stop vehicle causes engine to accelerate rapidly when pressing hard to stop vehicle. Dangerous situation. This has happened numerous times when trying to stop at a traffic signal.

NHTSA ID
11465084
Incident
May 17, 2022
Engine
Filed May 3, 2022

The oil filter housing assembly was found to be cracked during a routine oil change. The oil could leak into the transmission and eventually catch fire. A mechanic has confirmed this is the issue. It will cost approximately $800 to repair. The mechanic indicated he has seen this in the majority of Jeep Wranglers he has serviced and he doesn't understand why a recall has not been issued on this part. This part is made of plastic and can easily crack.

NHTSA ID
11463197
Incident
May 3, 2022
Engine
Filed Jan 6, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact about TSB: 09002-14. The contact was referred to a dealer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the #6-cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000. Consumer stated he had to pay to have the work done even though there is a service bulletin put out by Jeep referring to this problem specifically.

NHTSA ID
11446442
Incident
Dec 1, 2021
Mileage
116,000 mi
BrakesElectricalEngine
Filed May 18, 2021
Fire reported

I just left my house and drove 2 miles at 25mph. My brakes went out then my vehicle caught fire with me and my two children inside. It is being inspected by insurance but there were no warning signs besides my brakes going out.

NHTSA ID
11417664
Incident
May 16, 2021

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

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