Problems · by component

1998 Jeep Wrangler air bags problems

45 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Jeep Wrangler cite air bags, 17% of all 265 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
45
17% of all complaints
Crashes
12
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON AND SPEEDO AND TACH STOPS WORKING. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THIS IS OCCURING ON NUMEROUS JEEPS OF THIS YEAR. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL? IF SOMETHING ISN'T DONE ABOUT THIS I WILL BE GETTING A LOT OF JEEP OWNERS TOGETHER AND FILING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!! IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. I JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ITS HAPPENING TO THE MAJORITY ON THIS YEARS WRANGLERS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 16, 2021Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11408403
“MY SON WAS KILLED WHEN THE 98 JEEP WRANGLER LOST CONTROL AND FLIPPED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE THIS VEHICLE WAS BUILT IN 1998. MANY COMPLAINTS SINCE THE YEAR OF 1998 AND NO RECALL OR FIX? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 5, 2012Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10454229
“INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES OUT - SPEEDOMETER AND TACH, OR ALL OTHER GAUGES GO OUT, AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. APPEARS TO BE MANY DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS SAME FAILURE WITH THE WIRING HARNESS/INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PROBLEM SINCE 1998. NUMEROUS SERVICE BULLETINS BUT NO RECALLS! WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM AND IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 20, 2009Electrical system, Air bagsODI 10281261
“AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE TACHOMETER/ SPEEDOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO... ALL OTHER GAUGES DISPLAY PROPERLY AND I HAD NO POWER LOSS.....IT WAS REALLY TENSE BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW HOW FAST I WAS GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY.... I CANNOT GET THIS REPAIRED BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A CODE TO CHECK (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON) THIS HAS HAPPEN 5 TIMES SINCE OCTOBER 2007.... AFTER RESEARCHING I FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM..... *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 16, 2008Air bags, Electrical systemODI 10215169
“MY GAUGES ON THE DASHBOARD CONSISTENTLY GO TO "0" WHILE DRIVING MY 1998 JEEP WRANGLER. MY SPEEDOMETER,TACHOMETER, BATTERY STATUS, OIL, AND ENGINE TEMP ALL GO TO THE LEFT AND THE RED AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. THIS ESPECIALLY OCCURS WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS. IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING, WHEN I NEED GAS, OR IF MY AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN MY FACE OR IF IT WILL DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY OTHER REPORTS CONCERNING THIS SAME ISSUE THAT IT IS INCUMBENT ON THE GOVERNMENT OR JEEP/CHRYSLER TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION! *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 20, 2006Electrical system, Air bagsODI 10162936
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE TACHOMETER SHOWED NO READING. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN MOTION FOR THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THE PROBLEM MAY BE RELATED TO THE CLOCK SPRING, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A LOCAL DEALER. THE TURN SIGANL WOULD NOT CNACEL, THE DEALER REPALCED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. UYPDATED 03/28/06. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 6, 2006Exterior lighting, Air bags, Vehicle speed controlODI 10149515

Showing 6 of 45 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.