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)

4 of 828 complaints match · Steering · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 19, 2017SteeringAirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

I WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON 10/2/2015 INVOLVING 2012 JEEP WRANGLER, MY VEHICLE JERKED TO THE RIGHT SUDDENLY CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL. THE JEEP WAS JERKED OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH ON THE RIGHT, HIT THE FRONT END OF THE DITCH AND WAS LAUNCHED AIRBORNE, THEN CRASHED ON THE CEMENT WALL OF A SECOND DITCH, BOUNCING TWICE BEFORE LANDING IN THE DITCH AND HITTING THE FRONT END OF THAT DITCH. I REPEATEDLY SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT ENGAGE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY SEAT BELT TENSIONER DID NOT ENGAGE, CAUSING ME TO BE THROWN FORWARD AND BACKWARDS REPEATEDLY. I SUFFERED A CLOSED HEAD INJURY AND HERNIATIONS TO MULTIPLE DISCS IN MY NECK AS WELL AS TRAUMA TO THE FACET JOINTS IN MY NECK, RESULTING IN SEVERE FORAMINAL STENOSIS AT MULTIPLE LEVELS THAT REQUIRES NEUROSURGICAL INTERVENTION. I SLAMMED MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL 4 TIMES, MY CHEST ONCE. THIS ACCIDENT FOREVER CHANGED MY LIFE. I HAVE REPEATEDLY CALLED FCA TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT, AM ALWAYS TOLD SOMEONE WILL CALL ME BACK. IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO YEARS AND NO ONE HAS CALLED ME BACK. I WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER AND TOLD SOMEONE WOULD COME LOOK AT MY VEHICLE TO INSPECT IT, NEVER HAPPENED. AS I FACE URGENT SURGERY TO MY SPINE WITH PAIN TO MY NECK RADIATING DOWN MY RIGHT ARM, ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS CHRYSLER. THEY RECALLED 2016-2017 JEEP WRANGLERS FOR FAULTY WIRING OF THE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE, AS WELL AS JEEP PATRIOTS AND COMPASSES MADE THE SAME YEAR AS MY VEHICLE ALONG WITH MILLIONS OF OTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLES. FCA REFUSES TO RETURN MY PHONE CALLS, HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE THEY IGNORING? THEY NEED SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY DON'T RECALL ALL VEHICLES BUILT WITH THE SAME COMPONENTS, KNOWING THERE ARE MORE VEHICLES NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THAT POSE A SAFETY RISK.

NHTSA ODI 11024190

May 31, 2015SteeringSeat beltsBody & structureCrash2 injuries2 deaths

2012 JEEP WRANGLER WAS A "POSTAL VEHICLE", IN THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. DRIVER ERROR OCCURRED, IN THAT DRIVER WAS ON RIGHT SHOULDER OF TWO LANE HIGHWAY, BUT PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC TO PERFORM "A 180" DEGREE TURN IN ORDER TO REVERSE DIRECTION. DRIVER DID NOT PROPERLY YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. WHEN ENTERING HIGHWAY, VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY ONCOMING, SPEEDING CAR. CRASH RESULTED. IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE THAT FEMALE PASSENGER IN BACK SEAT WHO WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELT WAS EJECTED (AND KILLED). SEAT BELT WAS TORN DUE TO FORCE. ROOF COVER WAS INSUFFICIENT TO STOP EJECTION. MALE PASSENGER IN BACK SEAT, ALSO BELTED, WAS ALSO KILLED. INJURIES TO TWO PASSENGERS IN FRONT SEAT. POSSIBLE DEFECTS INCLUDE THE DESIGN DEFECTS INHERENT IN RIGHT-SIDED STEERING WHEEL, AND ALSO THE SEAT BELT SHEARING, PLUS ROOF COVER FAILURE DURING CRASH.

NHTSA ODI 10722496

May 7, 2014SteeringCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECAME DETACHED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AFTER TRAVELING OVER A ROAD BUMP AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE SHOULDER BUT WAS NOT TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 10587005

Sep 13, 2013SteeringElectrical systemAirbags1 injury

ON OR ABOUT 10 AM ON 8-16-13 OUR AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON AND ALL STEERING WHEEL FUNCTIONS QUITE WORKING. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATTER THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE EDR SYSTEM REPORTED THAT, NO AIRBAG WENT OFF AND THERE IS NO RECORDED EVENT. THIS FROM JEEPS CORPORATE INVESTIGATION. THE SRS MODULE IS ALSO FINE AND HAS NOT TRIGGERED ANY EVENT. THIS LEADS BACK TO THE CLOCK SPRING AND A SHORT THAT THEY NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED AT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE KNOW PART THAT WAS FAULTED/FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10543474

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 →