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)

2 of 828 complaints match · Electronic Stability Control (esc) · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 29, 2016AirbagsSeat beltsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash1 injury

I WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE COLLISION, WITH "MULTIPLE FRONT END IMPACTS" AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE RIGHT I HYDROPLANED (THIS IS MY BEST GUESS AND VEERED TO THE SHOULDER. THE STREET IS NARROW, WITH ONLY A VERY THIN SHOULDER. THE JEEP THEN WENT OFF THE ROAD, DROVE THROUGH A DEEP RAIN-FILLED DITCH, HIT THE FRONT END OF THAT DITCH, LAUNCHING THE JEEP AIRBORNE. DURING THAT IMPACT, THE FRONT AXLE WAS RIPPED OFF. I THEN LANDED IN ANOTHER DITCH (A CULVERT WITH 2 CEMENT WALLS), WHERE THE JEEP BOUNCED TWICE ON THE CEMENT WALL, CRACKING THE FRAME EACH TIME, THEN LANDED IN THE DITCH, WHERE I KEPT GOING UNTIL I HIT A SMALL CONSTRUCTION POLE. MY JEEP HAD THE ADDITIONAL SIDE AIRBAG PACKAGE. DESPITE THE SEVERITY OF THE CRASH, MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND MY SEAT BELT NEVER TIGHTENED. THIS RESULTED IN ME BEING THROWN FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS MULTIPLE TIMES (AT LEAST 3 THAT I RECALL). I SUFFERED A TBI, AND MISSED 2.5 MONTHS OF WORK. I HAD TO QUIT MY SECOND JOB. I HAVE ALSO HAD ONGOING NECK PAIN, INITIALLY THOUGHT TO BE MUSCULAR. AN MRI RECENTLY COMPLETED SHOWS DISK HERNIATION OF C3-C6.

NHTSA ODI 10862120

Jan 28, 2016Electrical systemLightsElectronic Stability Control (esc)1 injury

YESTERDAY WHEN DRIVING MY JEEP TO THE GAS STATION ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS STARTED TURNING ON AND THE JEEPS BATTERY LIGHT TURNED ON. KNOWING THAT IT COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE ALTERNATOR I HEADED HOME IMMEDIATELY. A BLOCK FROM MY HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION THE BATTERY FINALLY DIED THANKFULLY SOMEONE WAS ABLE TO PUSH ME OUT OF THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE IT WAS DARK OUT AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND IT IS THE ALTERNATOR. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR A PENTASTAR 3.6 L V6 ALTERNATORS BUT I'M BEING TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. BY SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDING MY VEHICLE FROM THE RECALL THEY HAVE RISKED MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THOSE AROUND ME.

NHTSA ODI 10822742

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 →