2017 Jeep Wrangler engine problems
63 of the 309 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Jeep Wrangler name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 27 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 63 reports a crash · 5 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 4
Half of the 30 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 31,000 and 72,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
309 complaints in all about the 2017 Jeep Wrangler, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Jeep Wrangler engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Oil leak coming from the oil housing unit, plastic cover on the oil cooler was cracked and the leak shows symptoms of a rear main seal leaking when in fact it is not. Vehicle was driven under normal conditions. Completely stock at this time
We were parked, with motor running and got a slight whiff of the sweet anti freeze scent. Took it to a shop who said we had a very small hole near the top of the radiator. After research, we see this is a highly reported problem. On a 3 year old vehicle?
I had been driving about 2 hours when I noticed a smell. I stopped the vehicle and got out to take a look. I first walked to the back of the vehicle and found nothing. I turned around and started for the front of the vehicle when I noticed smoke coming out of the hood.
Faulty radiator had to be replaced. The vehicle has always maintained regular maintenance and never had accidents or issues. The temp started overheating and upon inspection the mechanic stated the radiator was causing it. My research online shows many others have experienced this issue.
Loss of heat due to heater core clogged with casting sand from engine manufacturer
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications27 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Jeep Wrangler names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2017 Jeep Wrangler?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 63 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (20% of everything owners filed about it), and 27 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2017 Jeep Wrangler?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 5 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2017 Jeep Wrangler?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 52,000 miles; half of them between 31,000 and 72,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.