1.9

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
87,244 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Jeep Wrangler engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Jeep Wrangler Owner Comments

problem #20

May 162020

Wrangler

  • 105,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Alright I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler sahara jk. Automatic transmission 2door soft top. And I have noticed on several occasions when there is wet conditions on any curvy road that when slowing down to take a curve to the right with the traction control on the transmission will down shift and cause the back tires to spin and lose traction which inturn sends the [xxx] end sideways. And it does it both up and down hill and pretty much only on right turns the passenger side which puts the driver side rear end into the oncoming traffic lane a little. And I truly believe if it was a young driver or anyone that hasn't drove anything wildly before in there life it could cause a bad accident. But if you turn the traction control off it don't do it is bad if at all. Which makes me think it's wiring or the computer an electrical problem. I've had it happen on back roads and mt roads even turn on the interstate ramp. Any road where you remain in motion with a decent curve to the right. Alot on this winding mt road over the ridge to the next town. It's called joppa mountain. And it sidesteps with you there like it has me quite a few times, and you are not on your game it could get real bad real fast because that road winds back and forth all the way up and back down with strap drop offs that you would be praying for a tree to stop you. Always when turning right and slowing down with the traction control on. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Clinton, TN, USA

problem #19

Sep 212019

Wrangler

  • 114,000 miles
When going over 35 the wheel starts to wobble like the dealth wobble. Has a lot of lack in steering wheel.. when control control is on it going to 5 RPM and shifting funny..

- New Iberia, LA, USA

problem #18

Jul 212009

Wrangler

  • 110,000 miles
Steering wheel is lost goes all over the road shifts bad RPM goes up to 5 hot oil lights comes

- New Iberia, LA, USA

problem #17

Jul 112013

Wrangler

  • 39,050 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Traveling down road, noticed air bag light staying on, esp wouldn't work, horn inoperative. Called Jeep dealer and they said to come in for diagnosis as the air bag light indicated a fault in air bag system. Took to dealers and they had to replace clock-spring wiring harness to cure problem. Not in warrenty period and when Chrysler was contacted they would not accept cost as it was not under recall. I therefore had to pay for repair. The dealer said to keep invoice as it may later be a safety recall. It should be as I was told the problem could cause the air bag system to malfunction. Being in the Jeep community I know of thousands of Jeep Wrangler having the same problem. Copy of invoice attached.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #16

Dec 112015

Wrangler

  • 146,000 miles
I have no safety horn, no airbags, no cruise control and tire presure monitore gives faulty reading. All because of and due to a bad clock spring under the steering wheel.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #15

Oct 012013

Wrangler

  • miles
My airbag light is constantly on and my cruise control no longer works. I am a lhd 2008 Wrangler and as I have seen across the internet this is a huge problem. Why is there no recall on the lhd 2008 Wrangler when there is for the RHD and 2007 lhd Wrangler. The same clock springs are used in all these vehicles and they are faulty across the board. This needs to be a recall as my airbag will not deploy if I get into an accident. Chrysler is responsible and should be held accountable for this issue in my model yr and lhd. It doesn't matter if I am sitting, drive or whatever the airbag light is always on as soon as I start the engine and my cruise control does not work.

- Avon, IN, USA

problem #14

Jul 012014

Wrangler

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Air bag light come on and has stayed on. Since this happened the cruise control no longer works. From what I've reviewed this is a bad clock spring.

- Fruitvale, TX, USA

problem #13

Jun 062014

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
In May 2014 I purchases a used Jeep from a dealer in kernersville, nc and experienced issues with the vehicle the dealership claims are manufacture issues: -lighting: We have had to replace the taillight bulbs on both sides twice since purchase (less than a year ago). These lights constantly hold water and we have to empty them repeatedly and the water never seems to empty completely. These lights also seem to be affected by wiring as they do not always illuminate despite an effective bulb. We took it in for repairs under our purchased warranty and the dealership states there is water damage due to insufficient wire protection. This is very concerning as water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Regardless of the used condition of the car I see no reason why this should be the case as wiring seems very much like a manufacture only responsibility. -wheels: The vehicle was purchased with all original wheels (not tires) and the valve stems on each wheel have disintegrated completely and crumbled apart. We realized this when the low air light came on and we went to fill the tires this issue seems to effect how well the tires can hold air. -speedometer: Originally when we purchased the vehicle the speedometer was off by about 10mph (we did not know this until driving two separate cars and thinking "hmm is the other driver really speeding that much?" call one another on the phone and determined the Subaru would drive 60mph and see what speed the Jeep claimed to be driving when matched. We had this issue "fixed" about two weeks ago and now it is even worse. Upon doing the same speed test the Jeep was now 12mph over what it should be. Other issues non-resolved by dealership: Rattling sound near clutch, less than awesome braking, and a tire light that will not go off no matter what actions are taken.

- High Point, NC, USA

problem #12

Dec 152014

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

  • 132,000 miles
I was driving home from work on a state highway, even though posted speed limit was 65mph, traffic was heavy and I was forced to slow down to around 50 to 53 mph. When speeding back up to 55 mph my Jeep sahara shook violently and uncontrollably, I thought my vehicle was going to shake apart, I hit the brakes and went down to 50 mph (thank god no one was close behind me and did not hit me) and the shaking/wobble stopped. As traffic picked back up and I was able to speed up to 60 mph, there was no real problem (a slight shake as I past 55 mph), but as soon as I had to slow down to 55 mph the vehicle started to shake/wobble uncontrollably again. It appears if I accelerate from 0 to 55 mph I get the violent shaking/wobbling but if I go from 0 to 60-65 mph, I do not really experience the violent uncontrollably shaking, just a slight shake at the 55 mph going to 60-65 mph. If I slow down from 60-65 mph to 55 mph I get that same violent uncontrollable shaking/wobbling. This happens everyday - not randomly! I found even on non-highways, where speed limits that allow 55 mph, I get the same violent shaking. This is my only vehicle and I depend on it to get to and from work every weekday. I have read the forums and I have checked the tire pressure, it has no effect on the shaking/wobbling. I have never taken it off-road, I don't even put it in 4 wheel drive. My son has his own Jeep that he has work on for years and he looked at my Jeep (things like steering components, ball joints, tires, steering damper, etc.) all the things Jeep owners have posted on these forums and have paid dearly for at the dealership and everything seems ok. I recently found from a Jeep forum that this is called the 'death wobble'.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #11

Oct 312014

Wrangler

  • 90,000 miles
While driving at night car went berserk lights started flashing, horn continuous sounding, wipers both front and back continue to stay on while shooting washer fluid. As tried to accelerate to get off the freeway I experience lost of power and steering. I was able to make it to the side of the freeway and turned the ignition off and on several times hoping to rest the problem, but only continue for about 30 mins and then stop.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #10

Jun 142014

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 71,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Pulling out of a parking space the other day and a red airbag light appeared on my dash indicating some sort of airbag fault, also cruise control and horn stopped working. Further research showed that the clock springs are a common failure among Jeep Wrangler thus making the airbags non operational until repair is made.

- Santa Clarita, CA, USA

problem #9

Jun 022014

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
The clock spring on these vehicles are notorious for being faulty. Chrysler recalled right hand drive Jeep for this same issue. This disables the horn the cruise control, the airbag, and the electronic stability control. All very important issues in case of an accident.

- Cabot, AR, USA

problem #8

Aug 052008

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 145,000 miles
The vehicle is a manual transmission. The vehicle randomly keeps popping out of gear and goes on neutral when driving on 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear. When that happens, the vehicle cannot be accelerated and come to almost a complete stop. Obviously this situation poses a serious danger that can result to accidents and possible lose of lives. Despite numerous attempts, Chrysler fails to resolved the problem. Yet, ironically, although many owners of Jeep Wrangler 2007 - 2011 with manual transmission have reported the problem to Chrysler, the have not put any recall for that very alarming defect.

- Miramar, FL, USA

problem #7

Mar 192014

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 94,527 miles
On the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) dashboard, the airbag warning light flashes stays on steady with a chime, an indication that there is something malfunctioning or interfering with the vehicle's airbags.this has been a recurring issue and concern for many 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) owners, including myself, and has been shown time and time again to be caused by a faulty clockspring within the vehicle's steering wheel. This faulty clockspring is the culprit for potential airbag failure in the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) during an accident or premature deployment when simply driving around. Daimler Chrysler has refused to address the safety concern of their faulty clockspring that can cause failure of the vehicle's airbags from properly deploying.

- California City, CA, USA

problem #6

Feb 232014

Wrangler

  • 132,000 miles
While driving my 2008 Jeep Wrangler at speeds of 50 mph or greater and hitting a pothole, small bump, or when crossing a bridge, the Wrangler suddenly shakes violently. It becomes very difficult to steer, and must come to a complete stop in order to stop the shaking. This occurred more than 20 times in a 4 hour period. One incident almost caused an accident, as I tried to slow down and pull over in busy city traffic with a very small berm. I continued my drive at speeds of 40 mph or less, which reduced the number of incidents, but it still happened. I was fearful to move quickly, be in front of other cars or hit potholes, so driving was stressful and slow. I maintain the vehicle regularly, and have replaced the tires. This has happened before, but today was so often, it was difficult to drive the vehicle. I love my Jeep, but am very concerned about this problem. I am now considering purchasing a new vehicle.

- Brookville, PA, USA

problem #5

Jun 052013

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 51,333 miles
The airbag light just came on & my cruise control stopped working so did my horn.

- West Jordan, UT, USA

problem #4

Jul 052013

Wrangler

  • 51,000 miles
Since early July, my 2008 Jeep Wrangler 2dr lhd has lost horn functionality, cruise control functionality, and has been illuminating the airbag warning light. I have researched this issue and I believe there should be a safety recall on the 2008 Wrangler to replace faulty clocksprings just as there was for the 2007 Wrangler.

- Fairmont, WV, USA

problem #3

May 232013

Wrangler

  • 37,426 miles
Warning light goes on...........horn does not work.......cruise control won't work properly........a well known problem that Chrysler refuses to fix or recall.

- Goodyear, AZ, USA

problem #2

Jul 252013

Wrangler

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 80 mph. The contact applied the brakes but the vehicle did not respond. The contact then shifted into neutral, drive, and then applied the brakes to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken for diagnosis. On a separate occasion while driving 45 mph, the brakes would not respond and the vehicle also became hesitant to acceleration attempts. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic but was advised to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 122,000.

- Bloomfield, NJ, USA

problem #1

Aug 052012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 48,537 miles
"on the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) dashboard, the airbag warning light flashes on every other minute with a chime, an indication that there is something malfunctioning or interfering with the vehicle's airbags.this has been a recurring issue and concern for many 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) owners, including myself, and has been shown time and time again to be caused by a faulty clockspring within the vehicle's steering wheel. This faulty clockspring is the culprit for potential airbag failure in the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) during an accident or premature deployment when simply driving around. Daimler Chrysler has refused to address the safety concern of their faulty clockspring that can cause failure of the vehicle's airbags from properly deploying."

- Garland, UT, USA

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