1998 JEEP WRANGLER

401 complaints filed with NHTSA.

401
Complaints
28
Crashes
9
Fires
19
Injuries
1
Deaths

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS28
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH23
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE19
UNKNOWN OR OTHER16
SUSPENSION16
STRUCTURE:BODY15
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL13
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM12
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION9
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE6
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE6
POWER TRAIN6

Recent Complaints

20120405CrashFatalAIR BAGS

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

20111126FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PURCHASED MY JEEP NEW IN 1998 AND I ONLY DROVE IT ABOUT 5000 MILES PER YEAR..IN ABOUT 2009 I BEGAN TO HAVE SOME TROUBLE WITH THE GAUGES/SPEEDOMETER..THEY WOULD STOP FUNCTIONING FOR PERIODS OF TIME...IN ABOUT 2010 I THERE WAS AN ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTS WHEN I USED MY HEATER OR AC..EACH TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THE LAST TIME I HAD IT CHECKED WAS THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2011. ON NOVEMBER 21, 2011 I WAS DRIVING TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH THE HEATER ON AND SMOKE

Mileage: 72,000

20110714FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AC CONTROLS AND RESISTOR WIRING HARNESS HAS MELTED CANT GET REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM A DEALER OR SALVAGE YARDS WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO . I THINK THE JEEP WRANGLER NEEDS TO ATLEAST MAKE A REPLACEMENT PART OR FIX IT ON A RECALL. *TR

Mileage: 75,000

20070811ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

MAIN EXHAUST HEADER FLANGE AT THE COLLECTOR CRACKED LEADING TO EXHAUST GASES ENTERING THE CAR. *TR

Mileage: 78,000

20070101CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND APPROXIMATELY 3 CAR LENGTHS AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE ALREADY STOPPED AT THE LIGHT I BEGAN BRAKING AND HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE FLOOR BOARD AND WHILE PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I LIFTED THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM THE FLOOR AND REAPPLIED IT AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP UNTIL IT RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO IDLE UP REALLY HIGH AS IF IT WERE T

Mileage: 97,061

20070101CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND APPROXIMATELY 3 CAR LENGTHS AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE ALREADY STOPPED AT THE LIGHT I BEGAN BRAKING AND HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE FLOOR BOARD AND WHILE PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I LIFTED THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM THE FLOOR AND REAPPLIED IT AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP UNTIL IT RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO IDLE UP REALLY HIGH AS IF IT WERE T

Mileage: 97,061

20040310CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR

THIS IS NOW THE 3RD SWAY BAR END-LINK I'VE REPLACED ON MY JEEP, AND THE 2ND I'VE REPLACED ON MY FRIEND'S 97 JEEP WRANGLER. I ASKED MY MECHANIC ABOUT THIS AND HE TOLD ME HE GETS THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME. HOW CAN SUCH WIDE SPREAD FAILURE OF AN IMPORTANT SAFTEY ITEM LIKE THE SWAYBAR END LINK ESCAPE BEING PART OF A RECALL. MY JEEP HAS FAILED THE PENNSYLVANIA SAFETY INSPECTION FOR TWO YEARS NOW BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. IN THE FALL OF 2002 WHILE MAKING AN SUDDEN EVASIVE MANUVER, MY JEEP HANDLED THE S

Mileage: 28,000

20030527FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AFTER PARKING OUR 1998 WRANGLER AT THE HOSPITAL TO VISIT MY MOTHER MY CAR WAS REPORTED ON FIRE. THE FIREMEN STATED AND WROTE A REPORT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE WRANGLER IS TOTALED AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL NOT PAY THE VEHICLE OFF. WE ARE SHORT $3,000 OF THE PAY OFF. MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS I WAS GLAD I WAS NOT DRIVING AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE AND DID THIS HAPPEN TO OTHER OWNERS OF A WRANGLER. THIS CAR IS ONLY GOING INTO 5 YEARS OLD AND HAS HAD THE REAR END REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE

Mileage: 83,000

20021217FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WIRING HARNESS FOR DASH, BOTH HAZARD-BLINKER-HEADLIGHTS, BURNING PLASTIC SMELL, COULD NOT LOCATE, ENDED WITH SMOKE ROLLING OUT OF STEERING COLUMN WHEN WHEN WE STARTED THE ENGINE, LUCKILY, WE PULLED THE FUSE THAT POWERED IT OUT OF FUSE BOX TO ENABLE US TO RETURN HOME--70 MILES AWAY, WITH NO LIGHTS, BLINKERS, ETC. CALLED DEALER, WANTED $400.00+ TO LOOK AT IT, AND ASKED ABOUT THE ERRATIC DASH ODOMETER ACTIVITY. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD HAVE DAMAGED THE COMPLET

Mileage: 55,000

20021015CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *MR *JB

20020923CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH CONSUMER HIT A METAL POLE TO AVOID A BYSTANDER. CONSUMER STATES NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

20020911CrashSTEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

AFTER APPLYING BRAKES ON RAINSLICK ROAD VEHICLE HYDROPLANED INTO THE REAREND OF A PICKUP. I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL TWICE BEFORE THE SEATBELT 'CAUGHT'.... 2 BROKEN TEETH, BRAIN TRAUMA & CONCUSSION, MANGLED SPINE/SURGERY PENDING. FIRST ACCIDENT. NO ONE WILL CLAIM LIABILITY FOR THE SEATBELT NOT WORKING AND THE AIRBAG HAS BEEN TREATED AS A NON-ISSUE. MY JEEP HAS BEEN 'REPAIRED' SANS SEATBELT.... DAIMLER-CHRYSLER INVESTIGATION PENDING. ALL I ASKED, IN THE BEGINNING, WAS FOR MY SEATBELT TO BE REPLACED

20020906PARKING BRAKE

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD DISENGAGE WHILE PARKED. CONSUMER ROLLED OVER ON ONE OCCASION. *AK *YH

20020219CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

CAR WAS IN PARK WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE PARTIALLY ON. ENGINE WAS RUNNING. PASSENGER GOT OUT AND CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS CRASHING INTO A BUIDLING SMASHING THE WALLS AND WINDOWS.

20011024POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK IT JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, DURING IDLING AND STARTED ACCELERATING IN REVERSE, VEHICLE MOVED 20 FEET BEFORE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP ALL MOVEMENT. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND SHE STEPPED OUT BRIEFLY WITH DOOR OPENED, THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO REVERSE AT HIGH IDLE.*SLC

20011015CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

THE JEEP WAS IN PARK WHEN I GOT OUT TO MAIL A LETTER. I LEFT MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OPEN. THE JEEP SLIPPED OUT OF PARK AND KNOCKED ME DOWN. NEXT , THE OPEN DOOR SMASHED OUR MAILBOX INTO ME. THE JEEP PROCEEDED UP THE STREET, WHERE I COLLECTED MYSELF AND RAN AFTER IT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO JUMP IN AND STOP IT, AND NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. THE DOOR WAS COMPLETELY WRAPPED AROUND TO THE QUARTER PANEL BECAUSE OF HITTING THE MAILBOX.*AK

20010328CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, TWO CARS WERE ALREADY AT FULL STOP, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND MY CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP APPROXAMETELY 10 FEET BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ALL THE SUDDEN MY ENGINE STARTED LIKE MY FOOT IS ON GAS INSTEAD OF THE BRAKES, I PUSHED ON THE BREAKS AS HARD AS I CAN WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE, I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT HAPPEN. I DROVE THE CAR THIS AFTERNOON, IT IS DRIVING FINE. I WENT TO A PARKING LOT AND I APPLIED THE BREAKS THEN PUSHED

20010328CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

FRONT CRASH AT 30-40 MPH, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK

20001211CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION AT 25-30 MPH. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

20001114CrashSUSPENSION

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 60MPH ON HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. THEN, VEHICLE VEERED TO LEFT. A CLICKING NOISE CAME ABOUT AFTER INCIDENT. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK