2021 Jeep Wrangler power train problems

“While towing a utility trailer on the highway, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration and could not maintain normal power while the driver was attempting to pass a semi-truck. During the incident, the semi-truck contacted the trailer and shredded one of the trailer tires. Three occupants were inside the vehicle. No injuries occurred, but the incident created a serious risk of a fatal collision. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed “Service Electronic Stability Control” and other warning lights, together with loss of power and transmission hesitation/slipping. The same concern has been reported to the dealership during approximately three service visits. The dealership previously replaced the air filter and attributed the warning lights to it, but the condition returned. Dated videos show the warning condition before and after that repair. The vehicle is currently back at the dealership for the recurring safety concern.”

“I have owned this vehicle since August of 2021 and consider myself very familiar with the normal operation and performance of the vehicles propultion system. From August of 2021 through December of 2025: - I could operate the vehicle at highway speeds in full electric mode - I could reliably tell when the vehicle would transition to the internal combustion engine and how the vehicle would respond when it transitioned (a smooth transition) - I could have confidence in how the vehicle would accelerate when the gas pedal was pushed. I had the 68C recall performed on 12/23/25 and since the recall, the vehicle's propultion system has not been the same to the point where it is a safety concern. - I cannot operate the vehicle at highway speeds in full electric mode and in many cases cannot operate in electric at lower speeds. - When the vehicle transitions to internal combustion, the engine climbs to an unsafe RPM, then reduces RPM in stages until transitioning back to full electric. This process repeates iteslf over and over as if the vehicle is trying to find the right balance between electric and gas. These transitions cause unreliable fluctuations in speed and…”

“Vehicle shuts down and looses all power and battery controls without warning. My [XXX] daughter was driving the jeep when this happened. Was unable to get vehicle into N for over an hour. Fuses and relays inside the under hood fuse block were extremely hot. After finally getting it into N, we removed from the travel lanes of the 4 lane highway. I had jeep towed to house and waiting to hear back from dealer as to when I can have it towed in.”

“I purchased my 2021 used with 29k miles in April 2024. Since then I have had to deal with three recalls but one of particular concern- 68c, meant to reduce the incidence of fire caused by the battery cell separators. Since then I have experienced a very noticeable change in how the Jeep drives. There is a large gap in available power, the gas engine sometimes kicks in unexpectedly at high RPM, other times I press the accelerator to the floor with no response, and at times there is a severe lag between the time I need to accelerate and the time that power is available. Overall not only did the recall fundamentally change the vehicle I purchased it also introduced unsafe driving characteristics because it is less predictable in its response.”

“In electric mode vehicle loses battery power (at 25% power draw)and several seconds later starts the gas engine to compensate. It does this at least once within every full charge (about 28 miles)-usually when the remaining charge is between10-20%, but on occasion it happens at around 50% and at least once when the battery showed 80%. When it happens at lower charge, it continues until the charge is 0 and it switches to hybrid mode. When the remaining charge is higher it will continue to lose power/start engine and then shut engine off for several miles and then revert to acting normally again. There is no indication on the dash that there is a problem. The jeep does not revert to hybrid mode -it stays in electric mode. This is repeatable. It happens at least once every full charge...usually while accelerating from a stop. I've had it lose power while accelerating through an intersection for several seconds before the engine starts...UNSAFE. Jeep dealer said no fault codes/software is up to date -so nothing they can do. On the phone, the rep said they have no way to troubleshoot this problem.”

“After application of the most recent battery recall/Software update, 68C, the vehicle operates differently than it previously did. In fact, it now nearly stalls while climbing a hill to my home when the battery charge indicated is less than about 35%. Vehicle speed drops from 25 to nearly 5mph, independent of accelerator pedal position, before the engine starts abruptly. Not only am I creating a traffic hazard for those behind me, but the cold gas engine engages at full load. Secondly, the overall response to accelerator input seems to be much slower, both in time and power, than before the software update. This causes issues when pulling out into traffic and is especially alarming when the Jeep won't respond as it did for the previous 50K miles.”