2021 Jeep Wrangler problems & reliability
900 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Jeep Wrangler, alongside 15 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
9 complaints report injuries (14 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Jeep Wrangler vehicles were involved in 89 fatal crashes with 38 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 299 | 33% |
| Steering → | 247 | 27% |
| Engine → | 213 | 24% |
| Suspension → | 178 | 20% |
| Power Train → | 137 | 15% |
| Unknown OR Other | 129 | 14% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 92 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 41 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 23 | 3% |
| Service Brakes → | 23 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 21,000 miles (middle 50% between 10,000 and 33,000 miles), based on 101 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Engine · filed Aug 5, 2026
“I am writing to express my concern regarding the handling of the urgent safety recall affecting my Jeep Wrangler. This recall has been classified as an urgent fire and safety risk, yet no remedy is currently available. The recall notice stated that owners would receive notification regarding the remedy by July 9. As…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 4, 2026
“2021 jeep wrangler 4xe unlimited rubicon. Death wobble steering stabilizer has been replaced. 4 Alignments in a week . Was told that it was my tires nope not the case . I can’t not drive my jeep at all . Now the transfer case is leaking the track bar that I told the mechanics it needed to be replaced . The mechanic at…”
Suspension · filed Jul 31, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Underhood fires
Preliminary Evaluation PE24024 · opened Sep 6, 2024 · open
- Loss of Motive Power
Recall Query RQ24012 · opened Jul 5, 2024 · open
- High pressure fuel pump failure
Engineering Analysis EA23001 · opened Mar 17, 2023 · open · led to recall 24V957
Technical service bulletins
1,029 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The 10 most recent:
CORE – HEATER
113271 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2026
CORE – HEATER
113270 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2026
THROTTLE BODY – NONE
112639 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2026
THROTTLE BODY – NONE
112640 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2026
Motor - blower with wheel
112862 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
Motor - blower with wheel
112863 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
BOLT - HEX FLANGE HEAD
112842 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2026
Check Engine Light (CEL) Illuminated with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0106 Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor Performance Setting In The Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
S2609000009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2026
Heater - electric coolant
112856 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2026
Heater - electric coolant
112857 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler has 15 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Jeep Wrangler?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 21,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.