Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Jeep Renegade owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle was returning Diagnostic code P0653 and P2138 it was taken to the dealership for servicing on 04/26/2025. Pedal position sensor was identified as the issue. Part was on national backorder for several weeks. and issue was repaired on 05/22/25. Vehicle was driven less than 100 miles and presented with the same issue on 06/26/2025 and was returned to the dealership for servicing. Service department reset the code and drove the vehicle for less than 100 miles, and indicated they could not reproduce the problem. Car was left at the dealership for a week for additional diagnostic. Car was picked up on 07/12/2025 from the dealership and on 07/15/2025 car was returned for third time to repair the issue with the same codes. A case was opened with Stellantis. At this poin car is still being repaired for the same issue. …
While at an intersection as I was turning left across the side of oncoming traffic my vehicle completely stalled in the middle of the road the gas pedal was stuck and would not accelerate and then a code on my dash appeared Service Throttle Body, after 45 seconds the code went away and the veh was finally able to accelerate so I could move out of the middle of the oncoming traffic side of the road. I then proceeded to go straight until I could find a parking lot to pull into. Right before I was able to pull into the parking lot the Jeep did the same thing again. Would not accelerate, I put on my flashers, the same dash code came back on Service Throttle Body and after 45 seconds the Jeep went back to acting fine. I was finally able to pull into a parking lot and turn off the jeep.
After starting up the vehicle several dash lights turned on including check engine and power system indicator. The accelerator pedal would not provide throttle to the engine and vehicle was in limp mode. after reading codes P2138(Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor) and P0653(Sensor Reference Voltage B Circuit High) After Dealer diagnostic it was determined that the accelerator pedal sensor was faulty and is being replaced. The issue appears common as the part is on nationwide backorder and the dealer has been waiting on the part for 4 weeks. The car is still not repaired.
Was sitting in a drive through and car started smoking. It stopped after I shut everything down. Then another time it overheated after driving for seven minutes had to stop. Air conditioning doesn't work . Engine light on. Just bought from dealer with 20000 miles like a lemon. So not right.
while driving, car comes to a complete stop and stalls when accelerating. dangerous during oncoming traffic whether it's the pedestrian or the cars surrounding me. car won't move instantly upon pressing on gas pedal-- it stalls for a bit before moving.
My traction control light will start blinking and cut my acceleration, while turning left sporadically whether at a complete stop or still moving and normally just on dry asphalt. I have had the vehicle into the dealership 3 times. The first time was for 2 days, and they said there was an update, this didn't fix the issue. The next time was 1 week later for 5 days where they drove my vehicle and advised they could only produce this incident once, and said the problem was with the ABS software having the wrong download.the dealership also advised that the vehicle did not know there was a problem because there was no error code in the computer. The 3rd time was 2 days after I picked up, and the vehicle was kept for 7 days, where they drove my car all week and were not able to replicate. After having the vehicle back for 4 days it started up again, and now does it almost every day. …
While driving my 2016 Jeep Renegade trailhawk on a city street it began accelerating rapidly on its own. I began engaging the brakes to try to slow the vehicle initially and the engine continued to the point of redline. I attempted to shift the car into neutral but the command center kept overriding my input; I was finally able to jam the car into neutral by slamming the palm of my hand into the shifter driving forcing the neutral shift. I was able to pull off to the should of the road where the car continued running at redline for several minutes while I attempted to stomp on the accelerator hoping to get the vehicle to disengage. Due to the electronic controls you cannot turn the car off while in neutral and the engine running at such high rpms. After roughly 10 attempts at stomping on the accelerator hoping to get the vehicle to respond it dropped to a standard idle. …
The vehicle has a 3 second delay when stepping on the gas pedal before it actually executes on downshifting and accelerating the vehicle. The vehicle has an automatic transmission. The delay is only when the vehicle is in motion stepping on the gas pedal from 0 MPH will not reproduce the issue. I addressed the issue with Jeep they performed a firmware update then stated they were unable to reproduce the issue however I do not believe they actually tested driving the car. The vehicle used to have the same issue from stationary until the Jeep dealership performed a firmware update on the vehicle now the delay is only when the vehicle is in motion. This is how it goes: when I step on gas pedal @1 mississippi - nothing happens @2 mississippi - nothing happens @3 - I hear the car rpms increase - @mississippi - transmission responds and vehicle executes accelerate function. …
Starting around 5,000 miles the car became unreliable and had safety issues. The car would randomly display warning messages. While turning onto a main road, the car shut off but turned back on right away. Car had acceleration issues, merging into highway, semis would honk and almost hit me. Took up to 1 min to reach 70mph. Parking brake engaged while driving. Upon starting the vehicle and trying to reverse, it would display a warning to place vehicle in park before shifting gears and would not reverse until I placed in park and turned the car off/on again. Often the car wouldn't shut off, or would take between 5min-4 hours to turn back on. …
I have seen a recall for the 2017 Jeep Renegade where the engine is stalling. This is an issue with the 2016 and 2015 as well. I have a 2016 and mine has stalled numerous times, but today it almost got me and others on the road, killed. I was turning onto a roadway and it stalled to a stop in the middle of the road. I have talked with other local Renegade owners that all have the same issue. Why aren't the other, previous years included in on the recall since we all have this issue? I have made my family aware of this issue, so if anything happens to me while driving, they know where to go, legally. I am so disappointed, because this was supposed to be my safe fix over my vw beetle convertible - I felt safe in that over this vehicle. I am now stuck with a car that I am frightened to drive and will most likely need a repair for a known issue, but I will get to foot the bill. …
Acceleration complaints in other Renegade years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2016 Jeep Renegade?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2016 Jeep Renegade, 7% of the model year's 431 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Jeep Renegade acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2016 Jeep Renegade, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Jeep Renegade acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 11,000 miles, and 72% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.