Problems · NHTSA complaints
2009 Jeep Wrangler problems
Owners filed 650 complaints about the 2009 Jeep Wrangler with NHTSA between Jan 2009 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (175).
Complaints
650
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
13
Reported by owners
Fires
19
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags175
- Steering108
- Suspension108
- Fuel/propulsion system105
- Power train66
- Electrical system56
- Fuel system, gasoline52
- Engine23
- Wheels20
- Electronic stability control (esc)16
- Structure15
- Vehicle speed control14
- Service brakes12
- Visibility/wiper10
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
16
41
62
63
89
93
82
68
36
20
31
17
6
10
4
3
2
7
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 16 |
| 2010 | 41 |
| 2011 | 62 |
| 2012 | 63 |
| 2013 | 89 |
| 2014 | 93 |
| 2015 | 82 |
| 2016 | 68 |
| 2017 | 36 |
| 2018 | 20 |
| 2019 | 31 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 7 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
175 reports5 crashes5 related recalls
“oN 5-22-26 I was involved in a MVA. I was in a head on collision. My airbags did not deploy. I suffered a brain bleed and now have an aneurysm thought to have been caused by the trauma. My head hit the windshield. The vehicle is in my warehouse and has not been tampered with since the accident. I feel that the airbag should have deployed and in the very least the seatbelt should have kept me from hitting the windshield.”
Steering
108 reports1 crash
“THE JEEP HAS LESS THAN 40.000 IS AND IS NOT USED OFF ROAD. ABOUT 55MPH THE FRONT END GETS A OUT OF CONTROL WOBBLE. YOU HAVE TO SLOW WAY DOWN FOR IT TO STOP. IT HAS DONE A FEW TIMES BEFORE. THE LAST TIME IT WAS 4/29/20.THE TRACK BAR WAS REPLACED WITH OEM PART AND STILL DOES IT. IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF WRANGLER JEEPS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. DOING SOME RESEARCH IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH JEEPS. THIS JEEP IT COMPLETELY STOCK WITH THE SAME TIRES IT CAME WITH NEW.”
Suspension
108 reports
“Hi.. My Jeep has the death wobble and that my Jeep is not included in the recall due ; according to the Jeep dealership. The recall has expired for my 2009 Jeep Wrangler. My kids and grand was in the car when my Jeep after hitting a bump started shaking in the middle of the highway. Please help me. I would get it fix on my own, but I can not afford it and this should not happen when it's a known issue and a safety issue. I can be reached at [XXX]. Thanks [XXX]”
Fuel/propulsion system
105 reports
“When filling my tank, it spits gas back out of the nozzle. I’ve been told in several forums that this is a warranty issue and is to be replaced by a dealership for free. The item that needs to be repaired is a fuel filler tube. I don’t wanna spend the money on buying the part myself if this is something that is covered by the dealership through the factory. This happens every time I fill the tank and has been an ongoing problem for over a year almost 2 years. I have to fill it very slowly with gas as well. I cannot fill it fast as it will stop automatically. The part number is 52060489AH”
Power train
66 reports1 crash2 fires
“The manual transmission malfunctioned, it is available for inspection upon request. My safety and others are put at risk due to the transmission not accepting first gear when in 1st gear, and it “pops” out of gear unexpectedly, leaving me and others in the middle of an intersection. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by dealers, the manufacturer knows about the problem, to my knowledge. There were not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. This issue happens very frequently, and happens to thousands of others with this Jeep. And it’s extremely dangerous.”
Electrical system
56 reports7 fires
“Turned on ignition and wipers and headlights turned on with no control, car ignition beeped constantly, all dash lights illuminated, all gauges stopped working (speedometer, fuel, tachometer, temperature) and there was a clicking noise on the transmission. Had to drive home hoping my electrical system wouldn’t shut down while driving home. Narrowed down to faulty TIPM.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.