CarComplaints.com Notes: Poor side crash test ratings from the IIHS are really no surprise.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,563 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.

2012 Jeep Wrangler engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Jeep Wrangler Owner Comments (Page 4 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #103

Aug 072017

Wrangler

  • 100,000 miles

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

The heat shield between the muffler and gas tank has worn out where the nuts that secure it to gas tank contact the shield. The shield has clearly deteriorated due to normal driving vibration as there are no moving parts and the shield is not reinforced where the nuts contact it. I've had to add large fender washers to cover the worn thru portion of the shield but this will not be a long term solution as the plate will simply wear out where the new washers contact it.

- Northborough, MA, USA

problem #102

Jul 252017

Wrangler

  • 93,000 miles
Check engine light and hill assist always lit. Dealer constantly resetting and I was repeatedly told not to worry as it is probably "bad gasoline." Now, no acceleration and is more pronounced when on an incline ie highway entrance ramp. Presently, one week into diagnostics and repairs with present diagnosis being "probably" cam shaft phasers. Important to note engine repairs previously done one month of ownership on brand new vehicle. In addition, engine light has been on while in warranty but told not to worry. Now, almost complete engine rebuild. Jeep will not assist even though engine light has been on and reported to dealer (and documented) while in warranty. Vehicle purchased brand new, never used "four wheeling" or utilized to tow. Mileage reflects ~ highway travel. Religiously maintained through dealership.

- Lorain, OH, USA

problem #101

May 302017

Wrangler

  • 97,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the vehicle decelerated to 25-30 mph independently. The contact stated that the engine was cycled off and back on and the vehicle performed as intended. The contact however stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to hanlees Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram located at 4318 chiles road, davis ca, 95618, tel: 888-349-9763 to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cylinder head bolts were torqued incorrectly which caused a low oil pressure. The vehicle in turn went into limp mode to try to compensate for the low oil pressure. The contact stated that the failure caused the engine to be destroyed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however; the contact was not offered assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

- Sonoma, CA, USA

problem #100

May 042017

Wrangler

  • 49,000 miles

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

The day after purchasing a 2012 Jeep Wrangler, on 5/4/2017, with 49000 miles, while driving approximately 45 mph, an unusual ticking noise emitted from the engine with the illumination of the check engine warning indicator. The failure occurred until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was immediately taken to the auto dealership where vehicle was purchased for diagnosis. The technician stated that the failure was contributed to a faulty engine head and valve. The vehicle was not repaired. Problem has consistently happened for the last 2 months. Vehicle was taken to an authorized Jeep dealership but they refused to give us a diagnosis or offer a warranty recall stating the recall wouldn't apply as the car is a salvaged vehicle. The engine light illuminated after this episode and has not come off ever since.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #99

Jun 252017

Wrangler

  • 55,000 miles
Driving at freeway speeds some bumps or uneven surface cause car to lurch. Engine shuts down to no throttle; this is very disconcerting for driver. Happens 2-3 times a month on such roads. I suspect the skid control. When that is turned off it does not do it. Jeep needs to fix this. Car recovers after 2-3 seconds but in meantime this could easily cause car behind to hit you. So far have been lucky this did not happen.

- Menlo Park, CA, USA

problem #98

May 152017

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 66,386 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. While driving approximately 60 mph, a strong burning electric odor was perceived without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (waterfront Jeep in morgan town, wv) where it was diagnosed the that there was no indication of coil failure or an engine misfire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure recurred, but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 66,386. Updated 10/24/17

- Morgantown,, WV, USA

problem #97

Oct 012016

Wrangler

  • 58,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. While operating the vehicle, the check engine indicator illuminated and the vehicle suddenly decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, kendall Jeep in miami, Florida, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was repaired by a local independent mechanic, but the failure shortly recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.

- Maimi, FL, USA

problem #96

Feb 202017

Wrangler

  • 125,530 miles
Oil cooling housing leaking, , was told the replacement part would be in 2-3 weeks, , I went ahead and paid for the part, , here it is 4/20/2017 and was told part is on part order.

- Arlington, TN, USA

problem #95

Dec 222016

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

  • 143,463 miles
This has happened twice, the first time I was on a city street and while driving approximately 40 miles an hour the engine stalled and I lost the power steering and braking. The vehicle was still moving, I put the vehicle in neutral and tried to restart the vehicle. It would not start. We pulled over and called the dealership. While I was on the phone with them, about 10 minutes later, trying to get it in a position for the wrecker, my wife tried to start it and it restarted. We drove it home and had a wrecker come get it because we were afraid to drive it 20 minutes to the dealership. They felt like is was the fuel pump and replaced it. I picked it up and it drove fine for a few weeks and did the exact same thing except this time I was on the interstate driving about 60 miles an hour and fortunately I was in the inside lane and pulled over. Tried to restart it and after waiting 10 to 15 minutes it restarted again. I drove it to the dealership where it is right now with them trying to determine the problem.

- Collierville, TN, USA

problem #94

Oct 262016

Wrangler

  • 35,000 miles
The vehicle power abruptly drops while driving losing anywhere from 100 to 500 rpms. If the vehicle is stopped at a signal or traveling at lower speeds the power drop will shut down the vehicle. The problem is random and very unsafe

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #93

Dec 152016

Wrangler

  • 91,000 miles

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

I've spent $1500 attempting to fix the wobbling in my steering wheel, and the problem still exists. I've also spent $700 on a poorly designed rear oil seal. That is a known problem with Jeep.

- Kansas City, KS, USA

problem #92

Oct 202016

Wrangler

  • 41,000 miles
While being towed by our rv on a city street, a fire started under the hood of the Jeep. The transfer case was in neutral. The manual transmission was in neutral. The ignition switch was turned 1 notch to accessory to unlock the steering. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. No police report was filed because the fire was not caused by an accident. Because of the severity of the fire damage, no cause of the fire was determined.

- Baytown, TX, USA

problem #91

Jul 092016

Wrangler

  • 44,000 miles
Vehicle caught fire while I was driving and lost all power. Engine shut off and there was little ability to steer. As soon as I pulled over smoke started to come out from the sides of the hood. When I opened the hood, there were flames coming from the engine near the firewall. Luckily a police officer happened to be driving by. He quickly put out the fire using an extinguisher from his patrol car; had he not been there the car would have quickly been consumed. This happened a few days ago. Since that time I have done some research and I have become aware that this is an ongoing problem with Wrangler for many years now. It's disappointing that Chrysler has not figured out what causes these fires; had this happened while I was driving on a highway the lack of steering ability could have easily resulted in the serious injury or death of not just me but other drivers as well.

- Belmar, NJ, USA

problem #90

Jun 242015

Wrangler

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. While driving approximately 55 mph, a loud ticking nose emitted from the engine compartment. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that engine cylinder number two misfired. The contact scheduled an appointment for the vehicle to be repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

- Jackson, AL, USA

problem #89

Feb 012016

Wrangler

  • 47,000 miles
The cooling system had sand in it from the factory causing the radiator to burst, the transmission cooler and heater system to plug up and not work. There is a factory service bulletin acknowledging the problem and as I was stranded when radiator blew out could be a safety issue to be stranded in nowhere.

- South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

problem #88

Jan 152016

Wrangler

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the cooling system stopped working and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was casting sand in the cooling system, which clogged up the radiator, the water pump, oil cooler, heater core, and the cooling part of the engine. The dealer stated that all the clogged parts needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the parts were not covered by the warranty and that there was no recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 62,000.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #87

Jan 112016

Wrangler

  • 84,000 miles
Vehicle engine light came on after starting engine and driving 30 feet from initial parked location. Vehicle was stopped and explosion occurred under the hood while driver was still in vehicle. No previous indication there was any issue with vehicle. Upon driver emergency exit of vehicle, further explosions and large flames engulfed the vehicle resulting in a total loss of vehicle within minutes.

- Rosser, TX, USA

problem #86

Nov 172015

Wrangler

  • 23,500 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle hesitated as the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the passenger side engine head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,500.

- Mattydale, NY, USA

problem #85

May 052015

Wrangler

  • miles
I'm being the only owner of this unit & I had changed the oil on time. A valve lifter is sounding very hard, I want to know if there's a recall for that matter, cause I know a bunch of Wrangler with the same problem.

- Hatillo, PR, USA

problem #84

Feb 282015

Wrangler

  • miles
My car was manufactured wrong... my engine block is casting sand into my coolant system which then blows out my heater core and radiator. I have spent 5 months under warrenty trying to fix with issue but the Jeep dealer and Chrysler give me the run around. I was trying to get this fix under warrenty but all the run around I got from the dealers has caused my warranty to expire with no fix. I think I have bought a lamon of a car I only have 14K miles, my issue started at 7K miles. Now it is winter time and in driving my car with no heat. I have a new born baby on the way who will get sick inside my car. Jeep does not want to cover the cost of my repairs to replace the heater core and radiator also a complete flush of this sand coming from the engine. This is a hazard for me and my baby to drive around in this cold vehicle. This is a known problem but Jeep\Chrysler is trying their best to keep this quiet. Ill be trying to contact a lawyer soon or maybe a news station.

- New York, NY, USA

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