2016 Jeep Wrangler Engine Problems
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2016 Jeep Wrangler, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 44,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil cooler” (17% of reports).
- 88engine complaints
- 44,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil cooler: mentioned in 15 of 88 complaints (17%)
- Filter housing: mentioned in 6 of 88 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 48 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 88 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Jeep Wrangler engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Wrangler | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2025 Wrangler | 28 | 39% | — |
| 2024 Wrangler | 415 | 56% | 20,000 |
| 2023 Wrangler | 107 | 29% | 6,500 |
| 2022 Wrangler | 93 | 23% | 18,500 |
| 2021 Wrangler | 220 | 23% | 26,200 |
| 2020 Wrangler | 54 | 9% | 22,846 |
| 2019 Wrangler | 45 | 6% | 12,000 |
| 2018 Wrangler | 99 | 5% | 15,050 |
| 2017 Wrangler | 62 | 20% | 52,000 |
| 2016 Wrangler | 88 | 19% | 44,000 |
| 2015 Wrangler | 128 | 27% | 47,140 |
| 2014 Wrangler | 322 | 49% | 52,000 |
| 2013 Wrangler | 140 | 21% | 63,500 |
| 2012 Wrangler | 172 | 21% | 40,500 |
| 2011 Wrangler | 36 | 7% | 69,000 |
| 2010 Wrangler | 38 | 6% | 62,000 |
| 2009 Wrangler | 18 | 5% | 64,000 |
| 2008 Wrangler | 37 | 4% | 82,715 |
| 2007 Wrangler | 33 | 6% | 70,500 |
| 2006 Wrangler | 9 | 1% | 72,681 |
| 2005 Wrangler | 19 | 3% | 86,500 |
| 2004 Wrangler | 4 | 2% | 114,000 |
| 2003 Wrangler | 1 | 1% | 38,425 |
| 2002 Wrangler | 4 | 4% | 169,000 |
| 2001 Wrangler | 2 | 1% | 134,000 |
| 2000 Wrangler | 9 | 4% | 120,000 |
| 1999 Wrangler | 1 | 0% | 146,000 |
| 1997 Wrangler | 2 | 0% | 135,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2016 Jeep Wrangler will buck and jerk when on the highway. Iâll be going a steady speed, not changing speed. I feel the car slow down and stomp on the gas but it goes all the way to the floor and nothing happens. When I try to go into the break down lane, the steering wheel locks up and…
Anti-Lock Brake System stopped working rendering the car inoperable. The first incident: about 5 years ago the ABS engaged the brakes while driving almost causing a collision. This incident occurred in Guaynabo, PR. After this incident the ABS Module stopped working but the car was still operable…
While driving my vehicle on Monday, February 16, 2026 I heard a loud pop come from the front of the vehicle. Right after that smoke began to come through the hood vents. I stopped the vehicle to inspect and at that point the engine compartment was burning heavily. I could barely get out of the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Jeep Wranglers have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 88 owner complaints about engine for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler (19% of the 462 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Jeep Wrangler engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 44,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2016 Jeep Wrangler?
The most frequent phrase is “oil cooler”, in 15 of 88 complaints, followed by “filter housing” (6).
Other 2016 Jeep Wrangler problems
See all 2016 Jeep Wrangler problems or engine problems across all Wrangler years.