2019 Jeep Wrangler Engine Problems

VEHICLE & INCIDENT: 2019 Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0L Turbo. While climbing an extended grade on Hwy 87, vehicle experienced a sudden sluggish throttle anomaly and rapid coolant temperature spike from ~215F to 255F under load. Vehicle was pulled off and shut down within ~20 seconds. SUSPECTED FAILURE MODE & UNDERHOOD FIRE: Upon opening the hood, pressurized coolant had sprayed across the engine bay from a split in the smaller rubber hose branch of the engine coolant outlet assembly (Mopar PN 68280797AC). The hose split longitudinally ~13mm with the center ~32mm from the hose end. The vehicle is equipped with a Baja Designs T-Fitting to replace 68280784A The hot, pressurized coolant sprayed directly onto the exposed, center section of the turbocharger between the compressor and turbine sections and on the turbine section itself. The coolant is suspected to have flash-ignited on contact with the turbo, creating an active under hood fire that began spreading to the hood insulation liner. The fire was successfully doused roadside with water, preventing a total vehicle burn-down. No other fuel sources were noted and the lines to the turbocharger were intact and did not show evidence of a leak. SAFETY CONCERN / HAZARD FOR NHTSA: 1. FIRE HAZARD: Pressurized factory coolant hoses and plastic junctions on the 2.0T GMET4 are routed in close proximity to the unshielded turbine housing. A hose rupture under normal grade-climbing thermal loads results in high-pressure atomized coolant hitting an ignition source well above its auto-ignition point. 2. COMPONENT DEGRADATION: Rubber lines near the engine outlet appear susceptible to heat-fatigue failure under high ambient/high load conditions, posing a sudden fire hazard at highway speeds. REPAIR: Roadside trim/re-clamp of the split hose allowed temporary transit. Replacing full hose assembly (68280797AC), upgrading radiator lines, and performing a full OAT coolant flush/vacuum refill. No oil contamination was noted after the incident.

NHTSA ID

11755697

Incident

Aug 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to safely move the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the ABS module had failed. The local dealer was contacted and advised that the replacement part was on backorder and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the replacement part was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 68,482.

NHTSA ID

11752102

Incident

Jun 7, 2026

Mileage

68,482 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Check Engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to O'Reily's, where a portable diagnostic machine was used; however, no fault codes were retrieved. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was an old warning light. In addition, the contact was informed that the vehicle could be driven. The contact stated that while driving to the residence, the check engine warning light turned off. The failure reoccurred, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled near the shoulder of the road. The contact became aware of smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that a good Samaritan stopped and assisted the contact. The contact and a good Samaritan became aware of fire coming from the engine compartment near the battery. The good Samaritan attempted to extinguish the fire with a sweatshirt, then used a jug of water from inside the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The Carvana dealer where the vehicle was purchased was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was then towed to a repair shop assigned by Carvana. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11744871

Incident

Jun 13, 2026

Mileage

65,000 mi

Jeep engine stopped running while driving on high way 20.Had to coast to stop in middle of side street.Jeep did start back up but would not go into drive until an hour of trying to get it into gear.Drove it home.Next morning I started jeep but would not go into drive.It was stuck in park.

NHTSA ID

11733878

Incident

Apr 25, 2026

I was driving my 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2.0T/AT to the gym with my spouse. No Check Engine Light, Jeep Temps were perfect. All gauges operated as it should, so there was no sign of trouble. The vehicle was OFF. We parked and walked into the gym and then into the 1 set of exercises, Someone yelled in the gym that someone's truck was on fire. We ran outside and Lo and Behold it was our Jeep. The Engine Compartment Was totally Destroyed. Please Look At the Pictures for Reference.

NHTSA ID

11732154

Incident

Apr 16, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11730372

Incident

Mar 9, 2026

Engine lights on Glass Recalibration failed multiple times. Engine failure when Jeep comes to a complete stop vehicle totally shuts down and needs to be restarted. When manufacture was contacted: not able to sell new engine. Resolution used engine with same issue. No real Resolution.

NHTSA ID

11724009

Incident

May 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine, and there was a backfire coming from the exhaust system. Additionally, there was a coolant intrusion in cylinder #3 and a burning in the head gasket. The contact stated that the engine overheated and the vehicle failed to restart after it was turned off. The catastrophic engine failure was attributed to coolant intrusion into the combustion chamber, which caused severe internal damage. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the engine was being replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ID

11721982

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

Mileage

61,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly and failed to exceed 40 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the vehicle later operated as needed; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,000.

NHTSA ID

11674246

Incident

Jul 17, 2025

Mileage

111,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted. The contact continued to drive, but the power steering became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle became extremely hot, and the cells popped and damaged the battery. The contact stated that the check engine, power steering, and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 49,700.

NHTSA ID

11672434

Incident

Jul 8, 2025

Mileage

49,700 mi

LIKE EVERYONE ELSES JEEP WHILE DRIVING, ALL THE WARNING SIGNALS, BELLS, WHISTLES START GOING OFF. LOSE POWER STEERING, LOSE POWER, PUT JEEP IN PARK, CANNOT GET IT TO GO BACK IN DRIVE. SOEMTIMES WILL NOT START JUST LOOK IT UP ON TICTOK

NHTSA ID

11665621

Incident

Jun 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the water temperature gauge rose and failed to return to a normal engine temperature. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and became aware that the third reservoir tank was empty. The contact waited until the engine had cooled down, added coolant, and then continued driving the vehicle. The contact became aware of coolant leaking around the water pump. The dealer was informed of the failure however, the contact had not heard from the dealer. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11660847

Incident

May 11, 2025

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a bulletin about coolant leaks in Jeep Wranglers with 2.0L engines: Bulletin: 07-001-20 REV. A, dated April 9, 2020 Vehicles affected: Jeep Wranglers built before November 30, 2019 with a 2.0L I4 DOHC DI Turbo Engine or 2.0L I4 DOHC DI Turbo Etorque Engine Issue: The coolant inlet tube fasteners may become loose, causing a coolant leak Solution: Remove the coolant inlet tube fasteners, clean the threads, add Thread Loc, and reinstall Tightening torque: Tighten to 11N∙m (8ft. lbs.) A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and potentially lead to engine failure.  Engine fan was not shutting off after leaving a covered parking garage and an engine alert appeared and displayed that the engine was overheating. Had my jeep towed home. We were able to see that the main coolant reservoir was empty and that there was dry coolant all around the engine. Our jeep has not been fixed and is not drivable. Need guidance as there isn’t a recall on this but a known issue, and you have a bulletin out about it.

NHTSA ID

11618709

Incident

Oct 2, 2024

Every light started blinking and the auto start started flashing and said auto start disabled. The jeep slowly started to die. I pulled over off the high way thankfully in a safe spot and it locked up. The steering wheel locked the shifter couldn’t move. Turned the car off and back on it was clicking but not turning off. Had to get it towed. There were no loud noises no oil leaking nothing. No indicators before hand of the Jeep needing oil change or misfiring. Got it diagnosed and they said my engine seized up and I had blew a piston. WITH NO WARNING or indicator of anything in the months weeks days prior. My engine light never came on.

NHTSA ID

11615294

Incident

Jul 19, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power. The contact pulled over the shoulder of the roadway, but the vehicle failed to restart. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11615012

Incident

Sep 13, 2024

Mileage

70,000 mi

So driving about 50-55mph, the dash lights lite up like a christmas tree. Everything from ABS, shifter lock, sway bar, airbags, traction control, aux battery and some other things that i can't remember. Engine lost power, power steering and unable to shift out of park. I took to my local dealer, I didn't buy it from them, and they diagnsoed the issue of a faulty ABS module. This module has been in the stage of "engineering" for over a year. I spent $900 on one ABS module that was available out of 5 in the US from another dealer and to get 20 minutes down the road only to have it happen again. The vehicle was at the dealer for 5 weeks. The new part was to become available on May20th. Two days ago the service manager called to tell me that they pushed the date to Aug 20th. This will be almost 2 years in this process with this part. The manager then proceeded to tell me it will probably be longer as Jeep went to a new vendor and it is redoing the part. I know of hundreds of other owners in the same boat. Jeep star techs say they can't diagnose past this part so I am paying on a big paper weight since November 23. I have started a case with Jeep customer care only for them to say they can't do anything financially or anything other than help expedite the issue. This is a lost cause as it is still being developed 2 years later. My GM of the dealership said he has 4-5 others at his lot in the same boat and a number of other owners with vehicles like myself at the house. I feel the need for someone to put pressure on the vendor to help with getting a recall on this situation.

NHTSA ID

11589352

Incident

Jan 14, 2024

It started about 4 months ago and continues to get worse and more frequent but it starts shaking and wobbling violently at high speeds especially if you hit a bump it’s almost impossible to keep it in the road. It’s very scary and dangerous. After googling I heard about the death wobble which Chrysler has recalled some of the same models as mine. Any information or help you could give us would be appreciated. It also just started overheating when sitting idle probably not related but don’t understand why mine is having so many problems it’s not old enough

NHTSA ID

11579423

Incident

Feb 5, 2024

Took jeep to dealership it had 36,000 miles They worked on it for 40,000miles service And to ck wobble on jeep Mechanic took jeep for test drive it exploded luckily he new how to escape I don’t know what the cause of it was insurance are taking care of it

NHTSA ID

11549050

Incident

Sep 5, 2023

Engine caught on fire

NHTSA ID

11530384

Incident

Jul 3, 2023

After coming to a complete stop every time, the Auto Start/Stop kicks in and when it is time to accelerate the Jeep stalls, takes itself out of drive, lights start flashing, radio goes off, and windshield wipers start going. After getting through the disorientation of everything happening and cars honking at you or jamming on breaks to not hit you; one will need to re-step on the break, put the vehicle in park, restart the Jeep (if it starts, sometimes it takes 3 times pushing the start button or it may need a jump started. This is such a dangerous situation. I bought the Jeep in Oct of 2019. Had Batteries (both) replaced in Jan 2021. Still under warranty i took back to them this past Saturday, they said the main battery needed a 117 minute charge and the smaller battery was fine. they let it sit for 45 minutes and it started right up for them. The next morning same thing, struggling to turn over. I am again going to take to dealership as much as i do not want to as this is an on going issue not getting resolved.

NHTSA ID

11522303

Incident

May 5, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH uphill, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle lost power steering functionality. Additionally, the stereo and the windshield wipers engaged independently. A message indicating a shifter column failure was displayed, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to exit the highway and pulled into a driveway, where she parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine continued running after pressing the Start/Stop button several times to turn off the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine revved up significantly while the accelerator pedal was not depressed. The contact pressed the Start/Stop button again, and the vehicle turned off. The contact then restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed; however, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon using an OBD reader, codes indicating lost communication with ABS control module, torque request signal from PCM denied, CAN communication messages missing, invalid data from ECM/PCM, Lost communication with SCM/CANC and implausible missing transmission message, were read. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11520954

Incident

May 7, 2023

Mileage

75,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the engine continued to rev up quickly, immediately followed by an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact stated that metal shards were seen coming from the vehicle onto the roadway. The contact was veered to the side of the roadway and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the parts for the repair had not yet been developed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11519735

Incident

Mar 30, 2023

Mileage

50,000 mi

2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport - while driving the steering wheel locks up and all lights on dashboard come on. Several error messages "Auto Park Disabled", "Speed Control Messaging Unavailable", "Service Antilock Brake System", "Service Transmission Continue in DRIVE. Do Not Shift or Turn Off Engine" - to name a few. The car will not shut off, I had to remove a fuse to get the truck to turn off. No dealer or mechanic can assess or fix. Major Saftey concern. There needs to be a recall. Im out thousands of dollars trying to fix. My warranty expired the truck is a lemon. 04/16/2023 UPDATE- Letter from Attorney Gen. Off. of Illinois along with consumer complaint online form that states- Consumer had recall repairs done, issue still not fixed. Wants class action lawsuit. Requesting an exchange or refund for repairs, monetary compensation for pain & suffering, from anxiety and missed days at work from being stranded.

NHTSA ID

11516362

Incident

Dec 22, 2022

It has happened several times since we got the vehicle. There are times we are on the freeway and we press the gas but the car slows down and makes a horrible sound then after a little while we wiggle the shift handle and move it around to make it go. It has been very scary. Also the car has turned off when stopped at red light. We called the dealership and they just turned off the auto start. They told us we do not have extended warranty and that was it. Also the steering wheel gets locked up. We just pray that nothing happens to us. Could you advice please.

NHTSA ID

11515786

Incident

Aug 29, 2020

While driving with no warning the fuse array went bad causing the Jeep to lose all power including power steering and started jerk and pulsate. Everything turned off and left the vehicle stranded for several minutes in the middle of a dark street at night. Hazard lights did not work as well during this time. After continuously pushing the start button it started back up with the dashboard showing all different warnings with the clearest one in the middle of the dash reading “stop safely the vehicle will shut off soon” the vehicle was taken to the local dealership where it did the same thing for them. Later it was confirmed by them it was the fuse array.

NHTSA ID

11505511

Incident

Jan 31, 2023