Home · 2012 Jeep Wrangler 4-door 4xe · Complaints

What 828 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Jeep Wrangler 4-door 4xe

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (828)Crash / fire / injury (47)Transmission & drivetrain (282)Steering (204)Engine (172)Electrical system (147)Airbags (128)Fuel system (45)Brakes (44)Visibility & wipers (41)Body & structure (30)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (30)

6 of 828 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 9, 2019BrakesCrash

MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE PARKED IN SLIGHTEST INCLINE WITH PARKING BRAKE PULLED UP ROLLED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. TWO OF WHICH THE DRIVER WAS OUT OF THE CAR AND UNABLE TO STOP FROM ROLLING. VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE WHEN FINALLY WAS STOPPED BY TREE/BUSHES. OTHER OCCASIONS DRIVER WAS INSIDE VEHICLE BUT UNABLE TO GET PARKING BRAKE TO HOLD VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. FORCED TO TURN ENGINE OFF AND LEAVE IN GEAR TO KEEP VEHICLE STATIONARY. FIRST OCCURRENCE WITH DAMAGE JAN 2014. TAKEN TO DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. DENIED ANY PROBLEM FOUND. BLAMED POSSIBLY VEHICLE DRIVEN WITH BRAKE PULLED UP.

NHTSA ODI 11195308

Jul 2, 2018BrakesCrash

2012 JEEP WRANGLER WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. WITH NO WARNING AND WHILE MY FOOT WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PETAL THE JEEP BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. THE BRAKES DID NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE AND IT PROCEEDED FORWARD AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT.

NHTSA ODI 11105065

Nov 19, 2015BrakesCrash1 injury

DATE OF OCCURRENCE: 10/30/2015 AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES UNATTENDED, THE PARKING BRAKE SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, COMING TO REST AFTER HITTING A TREE IN THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD. THE LOCAL POLICE WERE NOTIFIED; NO REPORT FILED DUE TO THE ONLY PRIVATE PROPERTY INVOLVED. INJURIES TO THE OWNER WHEN TRYING TO CATCH THE VEHICLE INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: SEVERE FACIAL TRAUMA AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, DISLOCATED LEFT SHOULDER REQUIRING SURGERY, BROKEN 4TH AND 5TH RIBS, BROKEN BONE IN LEFT HAND.

NHTSA ODI 10794808

Nov 3, 2015Body & structureBrakesCrash

ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE BRAKE ENGAGED AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A BRICK SIGN WITH MY RIGHT SIDE AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND MY FRONT END IS COMPLETELY DESTROY.

NHTSA ODI 10787953

Jan 20, 2015Transmission & drivetrainBrakesFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CLUTCH EMITTED SMOKE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH BURNED OUT AND REPLACED THE UNIT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 10676600

Jul 22, 2014BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. THE IMPACT WAS NOT SEVERE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

NHTSA ODI 10615229

Working with the data? Download all 828 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Jeep Wrangler 4-door 4xe verdict →