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2016 Jeep Wrangler

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
53 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical5
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA459
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA18 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2016 Jeep Wrangler is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Wrangler 4WD, is EPA-rated at 18 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 459 complaints, most often about the service brakes.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Wrangler 4WDGas4WD3.6L 6-cyl172118$3,450
Wrangler 4WDGas4WD3.6L 6-cyl172118$3,450
Wrangler Unlimited 4WDGas4WD3.6L 6-cyl162018$3,450
Wrangler Unlimited 4WDGas4WD3.6L 6-cyl162118$3,450

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36927, 36928, 36929, 36930.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Jeep Wrangler is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (5)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

27B
1,831 vehicles
ProblemChrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain right hand drive 2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Debris contamination may cause the clockspring to fail, preventing the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash.RiskAn air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the clockspring, steering wheel back cover, and steering column shrouds, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 27B.
NHTSA campaign 24V196000reported Mar 14, 2024Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis)
▲high

Seat Belts

VA6
11,463 vehicles
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2018 Jeep Wrangler right hand drive vehicles. The driver's seat belt buckle mounting strap may fracture and separate from the seat frame.RiskA separated or severed seat belt buckle strap will result in an inoperable seat belt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixFCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt buckle, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed November 19, 2019. Owners will received a second letter and the recall began March 26, 2020. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is VA6.
NHTSA campaign 19V680000reported Sep 26, 2019Chrysler (FCA US LLC)
!critical

Air Bags

V01
Do not drive1,413,222 vehicles
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.RiskIn the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.FixOwners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V01.
NHTSA campaign 19V018000reported Jan 15, 2019Chrysler (FCA US LLC)
▲high

Air Bags

S76
182,743 vehicles
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured June 16, 2015, to August 14, 2016. In certain crash conditions, the front impact sensor wiring may be pulled until it detaches before a signal can be received by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC).RiskIf the ORC module does not receive a signal from the front impact sensor, both frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixChrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the front impact sensor wiring and relocate the impact sensor branch, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S76.
NHTSA campaign 16V734000reported Oct 13, 2016Chrysler (FCA US LLC)
▲high

Air Bags

S40
7,196 vehicles
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Right Hand Drive Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured February 16, 2010, to May 2, 2016. The clockspring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the air bag circuit to fail.RiskFailure of the air bag circuit may prevent the driver's frontal air bag from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixChrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring, wheel back cover, and column shroud, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S40.
NHTSA campaign 16V288000reported May 11, 2016Chrysler (FCA US LLC)

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly — Seat belt buckle bracket failure closed

On July 17, 2019, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 19-008 after receiving three Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports alleging the driver's side seat belt buckle separated from the seat frame, rendering the seat belt non-functional. The VOQs involved model year (MY) 2015 and 2016 Jeep Wrangler (JK platform) that were configured for right-hand drive (RHD) use. On August 8, 2019, ODI issued an information request (IR) letter to FCA.The scope of the IR included all JK Wrangler produced for sale in the U.S. (both left- and right-hand drive), and amongst other things, requested any reports or allegations of driver's seat belt bracket failures on

Opened Jul 29, 2019 · closed Dec 12, 2019 · action PE19008

Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module — Electrical overstress closed

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with

Opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · action EA19001

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
459complaints filed

28 involved a crash · 15 a fire · 38 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 37 · 2017: 33 · 2018: 26 · 2019: 70 · 2020: 65 · 2021: 31 · 2022: 30 · 2023: 26 · 2024: 34 · 2025: 65 · 2026: 42

Most-cited components

Service Brakes119
Engine88
Air Bags77
Power Train73
Electrical System56
Unspecified54

What owners describe

“Torque Convertor is going bad. On a cold start, when you put Jeep in reverse, it will stall. This started around 50k miles. At first, I thought I did something wrong. Then it started happening more often. I contacted Jeep, but they said they could not do anything because the Powertrain warranty was expired by a couple …”Apr 19, 2022 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“2016 Jeep JKU 78,000 miles NOT driveable because front end wobbles and steering wheel vibrates. Increasing to 60 MPH stops the wobble. This happened to me twice and someone else driving my vehicle. Had new tires installed and front end aligned - thought it was fixed but then the problem became worse. I just got back ho…”Apr 10, 2022 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brakes failed to operate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a stop and the contact smelled rubber burning with a little bit of smoke. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic and was …”Mar 29, 2022 · Service Brakes, Air · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
2 DR 4WDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★☆☆28%
4 DR 4WDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★☆☆28%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Compare the 2016 Wrangler with

2016 Honda CR-V →2016 Chevrolet Equinox →2016 Nissan Rogue →

Other Wrangler model years

A

2027 Jeep Wrangler

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2026 Jeep Wrangler

3 recalls · 9 complaints

F

2025 Jeep Wrangler

6 recalls · 70 complaints

F

2024 Jeep Wrangler

14 recalls · 900 complaints

F

2023 Jeep Wrangler

16 recalls · 346 complaints

F

2022 Jeep Wrangler

16 recalls · 386 complaints

F

2021 Jeep Wrangler

17 recalls · 915 complaints

F

2020 Jeep Wrangler

13 recalls · 607 complaints

F

2019 Jeep Wrangler

9 recalls · 736 complaints

F

2018 Jeep Wrangler

14 recalls · 1,815 complaints

F

2017 Jeep Wrangler

5 recalls · 309 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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