Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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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 2021 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 227 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.
The 25 most recent of 227, in the owner's own words
Engine fuel pump Cavitates and dies while at Idle or under power on highway. Fuel leaks out of the fuel tank vent in the Right Aft Fender well over the exhaust pipe. This is an intermitting problem.
At 47000 miles the oil cooler cracked, although the technician stated it did not cause the crankshaft: harmonic balancer pulley to be damaged, the mat issue did occur and documentation from other sources state one can cause the other. Replacement cost was substantial for a low mileage vehicle. Documented issues with the oil cooler failing on Jeep Wrangler JL, specifically the 3.6 L engine is easily obtainable. The dealership admitted replacing a lot of them. This is a manufacturer defect that should be resolved.
When driving about 50 miles per hour on the highway, it felt like my engine suddenly gave out and my dash turned off. When it came back in, there were multiple indicator lights and a message that read "Pull over safely and shift to Park." I did just that, but after that I couldn't get the car to turn back on or shift out of park. I had to have to towed to the dealer and it has been there since 10/13.
While towing a utility trailer on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration and could not maintain normal power while the driver was attempting to pass a semi-truck. During the incident, the semi-truck contacted the trailer and shredded one of the trailer tires. Three occupants were inside the vehicle. No injuries occurred, but the incident created a serious risk of a fatal collision. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed “Service Electronic Stability Control” and other warning lights, together with loss of power and transmission hesitation/slipping. The same concern has been reported to the dealership during approximately three service visits. The dealership previously replaced the air filter and attributed the warning lights to it, but the condition returned. Dated videos show the warning condition before and after that repair. The vehicle is currently back at the dealership for the recurring safety concern.
I have owned this vehicle since August of 2021 and consider myself very familiar with the normal operation and performance of the vehicles propultion system. From August of 2021 through December of 2025: - I could operate the vehicle at highway speeds in full electric mode - I could reliably tell when the vehicle would transition to the internal combustion engine and how the vehicle would respond when it transitioned (a smooth transition) - I could have confidence in how the vehicle would accelerate when the gas pedal was pushed. I had the 68C recall performed on 12/23/25 and since the recall, the vehicle's propultion system has not been the same to the point where it is a safety concern. - I cannot operate the vehicle at highway speeds in full electric mode and in many cases cannot operate in electric at lower speeds. - When the vehicle transitions to internal combustion, the engine climbs to an unsafe RPM, then reduces RPM in stages until transitioning back to full electric. This process repeates iteslf over and over as if the vehicle is trying to find the right balance between electric and gas. These transitions cause unreliable fluctuations in speed and power and put unecessary strain on the engine. - There are times when I will go to accelerate and nothing will happen for a couple of seconds. This is particularly dangerous at intersections. - There are times when I will go to accelerate and the vehicle will start in electric for a second and then immediately jump to 4500 RPM on the internal combustion engine, jetting the vehicle forward in an unsafe manner. The dealership noted the behavior, but cannot identify any codes and the official message from Jepp is that this is "Normal Operation." I've driven this vehicle for over 5 years and over 60,000 miles. I can confirm that this is not normal, this is not how it always has been, and there has been a change made to the performance of the vehicle since the recall. I have videos of the behavior.
Vehicle shuts down and looses all power and battery controls without warning. My [XXX] daughter was driving the jeep when this happened. Was unable to get vehicle into N for over an hour. Fuses and relays inside the under hood fuse block were extremely hot. After finally getting it into N, we removed from the travel lanes of the 4 lane highway. I had jeep towed to house and waiting to hear back from dealer as to when I can have it towed in. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2021 Jeep 4XE is not safe after the 68C battery recall, this recall has caused the combustion engine to start intermittently even though I am in hybrid or electric mode, when this happens, the jeep will not respond to the accelerator pedal for a few seconds while the computer figures out what to do, when pulling away from a stop sign or turning left in traffic this lag has made it very difficult to drive in traffic. I feel the 68C recall has made this vehicle unsafe to drive unless you know it's going to lag and make driving corrections because of it. At this point I will not let anyone but myself drive it for fear they will experience the lag and end up in an accident because of it. I have had it back to the dealer 2 times and they acknowledge my complaint but since it has no codes they can't or don't know h0w to fix it. They have contacted Stellantis and they advise the jeep is operating as designed. It didn't do this prior to the 68C recall. Not sure what to do at this point but I now have a vehicle that I bought because I liked the performance of the Hybrid system but now that performance is compromised to the point, I feel it's not safe, and Jeep cant seem to rectify the issue even though the dealer acknowledges its and issue
I purchased my 2021 used with 29k miles in April 2024. Since then I have had to deal with three recalls but one of particular concern- 68c, meant to reduce the incidence of fire caused by the battery cell separators. Since then I have experienced a very noticeable change in how the Jeep drives. There is a large gap in available power, the gas engine sometimes kicks in unexpectedly at high RPM, other times I press the accelerator to the floor with no response, and at times there is a severe lag between the time I need to accelerate and the time that power is available. Overall not only did the recall fundamentally change the vehicle I purchased it also introduced unsafe driving characteristics because it is less predictable in its response.
Since the 68C recall, my 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe has not behaved normally and has become increasingly unpredictable. Even with a mostly or nearly full battery, it frequently will not operate in pure electric mode at lower speeds, particularly on even slight inclines. The gas engine can suddenly start when I am expecting electric operation, sometimes accompanied by hesitation, lurching, or an abrupt change in power delivery. I have genuine safety concerns with the vehicle because I cannot reliably predict how it will respond to accelerator input. There have been instances of reduced or delayed power followed by sudden engagement, which is especially concerning when pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, merging, or maneuvering on a hill. These problems began following the 68C recall, and the vehicle's current behavior does not feel normal, consistent, or safe.
After the safety recall 68C, the vehicle no longer operates as designed. In electric only mode, the gas engine engages, which is bad for the engine. This fails to give the engine time to prepare for short sudden use. When driving, the high voltage battery will lag or not produce power as it did prior. This can cause an accident (which it almost did already for myself). The acceleration lags before engaging. This vehicle performed properly prior to this software (1/1/2026) update. I don't trust or feel safe in my vehicle at this juncture. I seek the manufacturer to correct this for the safety of those who drive these vehicles.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated, and the vehicle was driving sluggishly with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the coolant reservoir was cracked and was leaking coolant. The coolant reservoir was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start due to battery failure. No further information was available. The local dealer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 56,700.
When using electric mode, repeatedly and consistently, when I try to accelerate (for example to get onto a highway) despite having the acceleration fully depressed, the car does not accelerate. After some time, the gas powered engine will rev, the RPM will shoot up and then the car will start to accelerate. If I slow down the electric engine will take back over, but then if I try to accelerate again the same thing will occur. I have videos of the dashboard confirming electric mode, delay to accelerate and eventual activation of the gas motor and RPMs. This same issue was noted by Jeep technicians after the fix for a previous recall on the battery. This is dangerous, If I am not able to accelerate I can not safely drive change lanes, go onto highways, or avoid danger. it has been occurring, but my first video is from Feb 2026, and most recently July 2026.
The harmonic balancer on the motor failed and flew off the motor causing catastrophic damage to the radiator. The failure resulted in immediate disabling of the vehicle, which could have happened at high speeds or on a highway with limited access. The part that flew off the motor was also a large piece of solid metal that luckily landed in the bumper cavity, but if it would have left the engine compartment, would most certainly be a fatal projectile. Once taking it to the dealership, they told me that this is a known problem with the Hemi 392 motor. Research shows this has been an issue since 2003 with this motor. The motor is found in several different Stellantis vehicles. There were no warning signs of the failure prior to it occurring.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge rose significantly, indicating that the engine was overheating. The coolant temperature warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there were metal shavings inside the engine cylinders, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage 131,000.
Drove 20 miles to Walmart, drove fine no lights no issues, parked went in came out to someone putting out the fire.
My 2021 Jeep Wrangler 3.0L EcoDiesel experienced a failure of the engine oil cooler that allowed engine oil and engine coolant to cross contaminate. The oil cooler on this engine sits between the oil and coolant passages, so an internal failure of that component mixes the two systems. The failure first occurred in September 2025 while the vehicle was in use, and coolant intrusion into the oil system has recurred in 2026. This condition is a safety concern because it can cause engine overheating and sudden loss of engine performance or engine failure while driving. On one occasion the vehicle overheated within approximately one mile of leaving a service facility. Low oil pressure was also observed (as low as 9 psi), which risks engine damage and loss of power in traffic. The manufacturer (FCA US LLC / Stellantis) initial XXX November 7, 2025 the arbitrator ruled in my favor, finding the oil cooling system failure "was more likely a result of a Manufacturer defect" and that my modifications "did not cause the oil cooling system failure," and ordered the manufacturer to repair it. FCA's own [XXX] owner dashboard showed the Powertrain Limited Warranty active (expiration 10/07/2026 or 100,000 miles) as recently as May 18, 2026; yet by XXX a Stellantis dealership reported the vehicle under a complete vehicle restriction and refused to diagnose it, leaving a known engine defect unrepaired. I am reporting this so the potential safety defect in the EcoDiesel oil cooler and the resulting engine overheating and failure risk are on record, and because the manufacturer has not repaired a defect that an arbitrator determined to be a manufacturing defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I went to start my Wrangler 4XE today and had a "Service Charging System" error. The gas part of the Jeep was running, so I proceeded to drive it. I noticed when I came to a stop, the car would not accelerate, then when it did it was violent and bucking. At a stop light it sounded like it was going to stall so I turned it off and then it would not turn back on at all. I finally got it to turn back on and drove it a little further, at one point I went to accelerate and had the pedal all the way to the floor and it would not advance. I brought it to Auto Zone and had a new 12V battery put in, but it did not fix the issue. After a quick search, it seems like this is a common problem with Jeep 4XE High Voltage Battery systems. Jeep has recalled the battery at least 3 times now and I've taken it for the first two recalls already. It was extremely distressing to try to accelerate and it not move, and could have seriously been a safety issue if I continued to drive the car. I was in another state, Jeep has no 24/7 service to call other than roadside assistance, so I had it towed to Brubaker Jeep in Lancaster PA, but I live in Virginia and had to rent a car to get home.
I took my car to the dealership to complete the 04b recall. When I got my car back from this recall: 1. The car says driving in electric mode but it uses gas. 2. The car while driving on the highway will hesitate for a split second.. very dangerous. 3. When going on a small hill(example: bridge on turnpike over griffon road) will all of a sudden hesitates and will not get any more power. 4. Multiple times when getting off the turnpike the car slowed to 20mph and would not go any faster for about 15 seconds.. all this while in electric mode.. even more dangerous... I took the jeep back to the dealership, they have had the car for 6 weeks and acknowledge the problems..but Stellantis keeps saying this is normal.. not normal, did not happen before the recall.
Since the 68C recall from Jeep, my vehicle has not been functioning properly. The 68C recall was issued because the high-voltage battery cells have a defect that causes them to short-circuit and catch fire. To avoid replacing hundreds of thousands of expensive batteries all at once, Jeep implemented a "fix" via a software flash. The new software "fix" heavily restricts how much power can be drawn from the high-voltage battery to keep it from getting warm. If you push the pedal enough to draw more than roughly 40–50% power—or if the battery temperature hits a strictly lowered threshold—the software abruptly chokes the electric motor and fires up the ICE engine to compensate. Because the electric motor just lost its punch, the computer frantically fires up the gasoline engine to make up the difference. Because there is an inherent delay while the gas engine starts up and matches the transmission speed, it engages with a sudden, frustrating lurch or surge. This is just one of the many problems i have found since jeeps "fix" has been implemented. Basically Jeep elected to reduce the capacity of the battery to avoid costly replacement of the real issue with the battery. This has resulted in a driving safety concern with the surging and hesitation. Also now I can no longer drive exclusively in the electric mode; electric mode is basically non-existent.
1. The vehicle caught fire during normal operation. It is a 2021 Jeep Wrangler (VIN [XXX]) subject to FCA US Recall 21D / NHTSA Campaign 26V363000, which identifies the electric hydraulic power steering (EHPS) pump and its wiring as a fire source that can overheat and ignite. The exact failed component has not yet been confirmed by diagnostic, but the fire is consistent with the defect described in that recall. The vehicle is intact and available for inspection — it was towed to Waxahatchie Jeep, an authorized Stellantis dealer in Waxahachie, TX, on June 19, 2026 and remains in their custody under repair order [XXX]. 2. The vehicle caught fire while being driven on the highway between Waxahachie and Ennis, Texas, with two occupants returning from a Boy Scout trip, my husband, the driver, and our [XXX] son. The driver was forced to take evasive action, steering off the roadway into a service station to get the occupants clear and stop the fire from spreading further. This created a serious risk of burns, of a collision during the evasive maneuver, and of harm to the occupants and other motorists. 3. Has the problem been reproduced…? No. No diagnostic has been performed. The vehicle has been in the authorized dealer’s custody since June 19, 2026 ([XXX]), but the manufacturer has not completed an inspection or diagnostic. The underlying defect is the subject of an active recall (21D / 26V363000) affecting more than one million 2021–2025 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles, for which the manufacturer has stated no remedy is yet available. 4. The vehicle was towed by AAA to Waxahatchie Jeep on June 19, 2026 and has remained there since. It has not yet been formally inspected or diagnosed by the manufacturer. 5. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the fire. The first indication of a problem was smoke from the engine area at which point the driver immediately pulled off the road and saw a plume of smoke coming from the exhaust. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.
When accelerating the vehicle will not go or it will start to move then essentially stop, seconds later it starts moving. There is a delay and it’s extremely dangerous when there is oncoming traffic and/or the drivers behind you don’t realize what is happening. My jeep is a 4xe and this does happen frequently since the last “fix” for the recalls
The primary component involved is the high-voltage charging system, specifically the charging port and connector interface. The vehicle previously experienced a confirmed failure involving a scorched charging port and a melted pin, which required replacement. The same symptoms have since returned, including heat at the charging interface and a burning odor. The vehicle is currently located at an authorized dealership and is available for inspection upon request. This condition presents a safety risk due to the potential for electrical overheating and possible fire hazard. In addition, the vehicle has experienced repeated loss of power while driving, which creates a risk in traffic conditions and could impact driver control and safety. The issue has been previously confirmed by the dealership, which replaced the charging port due to thermal damage. However, upon recurrence of similar symptoms, the dealership has refused to diagnose or service the vehicle, preventing further confirmation at this time. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized dealership on multiple occasions for related issues, including the prior charging system failure. The manufacturer has not directly inspected the vehicle but has been contacted for assistance. Prior to the charging system failure, symptoms included heat at the charging connector and a burning odor. The vehicle has also exhibited electrical system irregularities and repeated loss of power while driving beginning after recall-related service in or around August 2024.
Vehicle has gone through the 68C update and the car sometimes hesitates in stop and go traffic. Also the vehicle hesitates on acceleration almost causing an accidents more times than I can count.
Driving on the highway smoke came from under the hood in the right hand side forcing my family out on the highway keep ingulfed in flames and burnt to a crisp
The engine is overheating at idle speed and there's a phamtom coolant leak. We just bought this in January and are already having major issues. Seems to be a problem with the plastic coolant reservoir being near a very hot engine.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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