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

Engine spontaneously caught fire. It had been parked for hours before it happened. Everything under the hood was totaled

NHTSA ODI 11639631

I was driving on the highway and the engine caught fire. I’ve been looking for an engine to rebuild and all of them had previously been on fire. I believe the engine is defective for the jeeps that year, make and model.

NHTSA ODI 11471058

THE OIL FILTER HOUSING HAS A MANUFACTURE FLAW, WHICH CAUSES ENGINE OIL TO LEAK IN THE ENGINE BAY AND ONTO THE EXHAUST. THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE IN THEIR JEEP WRANGLERS. IT DOES NOT MATTER THE AGE OR MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MALFUNCTION HAS ACCRUED IN JEEP WRANGLERS WITH AS LITTLE AS 2K MILES ON THEM. THE MALFUNCTION IS NOT ONLY A HEALTH BUT SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS AND THEIR PASSENGERS. WHEN DRIVING THE CABIN FILLS UP WITH SMOKE FROM BURNING OIL AND HAS A HIGH POTENTIAL TO IGNITE AND CAUSE A FIRE. WHEN JEEP REPAIRS THIS ISSUE THEY USE A NEW PART NUMBER, AND NOT THE STOCK APPLICATION. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I'M FINDING THIS IS THE CASE WITH A NUMBER OF CHRYSLER FIATS BRANDS WITH THE PENASTAR 3.6L MOTOR. I MY HAVE THIS ISSUE NOW, AND HAVE HAD IT ON BOTH OF MY 2012 AND 2013 JEEP WRANGLERS. AGAIN, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF REPAROTA ONLINE WITH JEEP OWNERS WITH THE 3.6L PENASTAR MOTOR. 2012-2014. THE ISSUE WAS FIXED BY JEEP ENGINEERS IN MID 2015.

NHTSA ODI 11181489

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, A STRONG BURNING ELECTRIC ODOR WAS PERCEIVED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (WATERFRONT JEEP IN MORGAN TOWN, WV) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THE THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF COIL FAILURE OR AN ENGINE MISFIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,386. UPDATED 10/24/17*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI 10995879

WHILE BEING TOWED BY OUR RV ON A CITY STREET, A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE JEEP. THE TRANSFER CASE WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED 1 NOTCH TO ACCESSORY TO UNLOCK THE STEERING. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS NOT CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT. BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE FIRE DAMAGE, NO CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DETERMINED.

NHTSA ODI 10926270

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND LOST ALL POWER. ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THERE WAS LITTLE ABILITY TO STEER. AS SOON AS I PULLED OVER SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT FROM THE SIDES OF THE HOOD. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE NEAR THE FIREWALL. LUCKILY A POLICE OFFICER HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING BY. HE QUICKLY PUT OUT THE FIRE USING AN EXTINGUISHER FROM HIS PATROL CAR; HAD HE NOT BEEN THERE THE CAR WOULD HAVE QUICKLY BEEN CONSUMED. THIS HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I HAVE BECOME AWARE THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH WRANGLERS FOR MANY YEARS NOW. IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT CAUSES THESE FIRES; HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY THE LACK OF STEERING ABILITY COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN THE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH OF NOT JUST ME BUT OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI 10883888

VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING ENGINE AND DRIVING 30 FEET FROM INITIAL PARKED LOCATION. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND EXPLOSION OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD WHILE DRIVER WAS STILL IN VEHICLE. NO PREVIOUS INDICATION THERE WAS ANY ISSUE WITH VEHICLE. UPON DRIVER EMERGENCY EXIT OF VEHICLE, FURTHER EXPLOSIONS AND LARGE FLAMES ENGULFED THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE WITHIN MINUTES.

NHTSA ODI 10820178

PARKED IT AT 7:30 PM AND WOKE UP AT 2:30AM AND IT WAS ON FIRE

NHTSA ODI 10726400

I HAVE HAD AT LEAST 100 TIMES WHERE MY JEEP HAS STALLED AND JUST STOPPED RUNNING. IT HAS HAPPENED WHEN I HAVE SLOWED DOWN, AND HAS STOPPED IN INTERSECTIONS. IT HAS STOPPED WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP ETC. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. IT SCARES ME , AND MAKES ME FEAR FOR MY LIFE. I HAVE CHANGED THE WAY I DRIVE BECAUSE OF IT, WITH THE FEAR OF WORRYING MY JEEP WILL JUST STOP RUNNING , WHEN I PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD THE SWITCHES IN THE CAR NOT WORK, AND FUNCTION ERRATICALLY. LIGHTS STAY ON, WHEN TURNED OFF, AFTER TURNING THEM OFF NUMEROUS TIMES, THEY FINALLY GO OUT. I HAVE HAD MY BREAKS RESPOND ODDLY, AND GET WEAK. I HAVE HAD THE HEATER NOT COME ON, THEN TURN SWITCH AGAIN AND IT WORKS. HAVE HAD DEFROST SOME ON WHEN DEFROST WAS OFF. NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS, MALFUNCTION. I DON'T BOTHER WITH JEEP, AS MY MILEAGE IS OVER 36,000- NO MORE WARRANTY, BUT THESE THINGS BEGAN, ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO INTO JEEP OWNERSHIP. THESE PROBLEMS USED TO BE INFREQUENT, BUT NOW THIS POWER FAILURE HAPPENS OFTEN. SOME DAYS IT HAPPENS 4-5 TIMES. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER, I DO NOT WANT TO BE INJURED OR KILLED, DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO DO NOT WANT MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSE'S HURT ,BECAUSE OF IT EITHER. I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND FIND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE, IT IS COMMON. I ALSO HAVE A WHISTLE IN THE BRAKE LINE, VACUUM I THINK??? IT CAUSES THE BREAKS TO NOT BE STRONG AT TIMES. I HAVE HAD MY BRAKES COMPLETELY REPLACED AND THIS CONDITION PERSISTS, IT ALSO SEEMS MANY WITH MY MODEL OF JEEP EXPERIENCE THIS AS WELL. ALL OF THE HINGES ON THE DOORS ARE RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT, AS WELL, I SEE THE PAINT BUBBLING UP . *TR

NHTSA ODI 10712723

REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT TIME OF IMPACT OR AT ALL. NOTICED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK AS WELL AS THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED SOME SERIOUS INJURIES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10655196

THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN FOR LESS THAN 15 MINUTES. UPON PULLING UP TO THE STOP LIGHT, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM THE HOOD THEN VENTILATION. AFTER GETTING KIDS OUT OF THE CAR, I USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR. ONCE THE EXTINGUISHER WAS EXHAUSTED, THERE WAS STILL SMOKE AND SMALL FLAMES. AT THIS POINT, THERE WERE FLAMING PIECES DROPPING FROM UNDERNEATH. I THEN GOT SAFELY AWAY AND WAITED UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. THE FIRE WAS SIGNIFICANT. IT MELTED THE FRONT END BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10651542

AFTER COMMUTE OF 35 - 40 MINUTES FROM WORK I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND CLOSED THE DOOR DOWN FOR THE NIGHT AS USUAL AND WENT INSIDE . I DID SMELL A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL BUT THOUGHT IT WAS RELATED TO OUTSIDE FRIDGE THAT FAILED. AFTER BEING INSIDE A FEW MINUTES WE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE GARAGE. I WENT TO CHECK IT OUT AND FOUND THE STARTER ON THE JEEP WAS SPINNING ON ITS OWN. MY WIFE NOTICED SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES UNDER JEEP. I MANAGED TO GET JEEP OUT OF GARAGE AND FIRE PUT OUT AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE FIRE WAS BASICALLY CONTAINED TO THE AREA AROUND THE STARTER AND RELATED WIRING/HOSES. THE JEEP DEALER PICKED UP THE JEEP AND HAS IT NOW. I CONTACTED JEEP FACTORY CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE REP WITH THE SPECIFICS OF THE INCIDENT AND WAS TOLD MY FILE WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE "SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS" DEPARTMENT. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS INCIDENT WOULD BE HAD WE NOT HEARD THE NOISE COMING FROM THE GARAGE OR IF MY COMMUTE HAD BEEN AN ADDITIONAL 20 -30 MINUTES LONGER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10565078