Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Jeep Wrangler owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 started coming out of the vents..I turned off the heater & blower & then saw fire coming out from under the dash on the passenger side. I stopped & tried to put out the flames with my jacket. A lady stopped to help & called 911. …
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 complete electrical system in dash had we not removed the power to the harness. Melted harness nearly completely. Erratic gauge operation still a problem, if you hit a bump they come back on. They still want 400+ dollars to look at it at the dealer. …
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 and the gauges go on and off and this was fixed once. What caused this electrical fire? I want Jeep to respond to why this happened.
All of a sudden the speedometer and tachometer go dead, and the airbag and engine light come on. Seems to happen during the summer months. I have to hit the dash a couple of times and everything starts working again. Doesn't happen in the winter when it's cold. It's a little unnerving when the speedometer stops working.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Jeep Wrangler. While driving at an unknown speed, the speedometer failed to display the speed intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
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.
My 1998 Jeep tj was purchased used in 2004 with only 47,000 miles. Ran great for about 5 months and then would die while driving at any given time. Then after sitting for 30mins would start back up and could be driven about 40 miles before it shut down again. No check engine light would come on. So distcap. Plugs, wires, rotor and ignition coil were changed and the problem persisited with intermitten problems. So a obii handheld scanner by innova was purchased to scan the system which finally caught a code in the Jeep. The code was p0352 which was a result of the pick up coil inside the distributor going out. Was purchase from the dealer. Part# 56041030. Cost in ca is $57.85. Was changed and runs great however the Jeep is now having new problems which have to be addressed and trouble shot. Hope this helps with the erractic itermitten ignition problems. …
Many problems with this vehicle. Water pump leaked - fixed under warranty, gas tank seal leaked - fixed under warranty, seats ripped - fixed under warranty, suction cup marks on window - fixed under warranty, front stabilizer shock leaked - fixed under warranty, rear window seal leaked - repaired under warranty two times and still leaks, instrument panel fails - out of warranty not repaired, radiator failed - out of warranty fixed at my cost, stabilizer arm failed both sides twice - fixed under warranty once and the out of warranty fixed at my cost, exhaust manifold failed - out of warranty - fixed at my cost, clutch fork failed - out of warranty fixed at my cost, leak under the dash board passenger side - fixed under warranty. Of all the problems above... Loss of instrument panel needs to be fixed by the manufacturer regardless of in or out of warranty. …
I own a 1998 Jeep Wrangler VIN number [redacted] I purchased new on apr 10, 1998 since feb. 1, 2003 the instrument panel has off and on not been working properly . This included all the gauges and air bag indicator. I have take my vehicle to a authorized dealer service shop for repair on 2-6-2003, 10-16-2003 and 5-19-2004. The first two times they said the the instrument panel had corrosion and they sprayed it. The last time they said it was to much corrosion and that I had to pay for replaceing it about $900.00 this vehicle as of this date has only 16076 miles on it. This is very dangerous because I have driven this vehicle when instructment and air bag indicator has stop working. Updated 07/25/2012 * js
Vehicle was experiencing an erratic instrument cluster, and air bag light operation. Intermittently while driving instrument cluster, speedometer and tachometer rolled back to zero, and the air bag warning light came on. Also, at 82,000 miles left turn signal engaged when the brake pedal was depressed, and at 78,000 miles when driver's side door was opened while the truck was still running the defroster light came on. Dealership had not been contacted. Consumer took vehicle to two Jeep dealers and said that they're aware of the problem and many customers have experienced the same problem. Also, they said that it was a defective electrical connector.
Electrical complaints in other Wrangler years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1998 Jeep Wrangler?
NHTSA has 58 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Jeep Wrangler, 22% of the model year's 265 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Jeep Wrangler electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1998 Jeep Wrangler, though it has 2 recalls 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 1998 Jeep Wrangler electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 6 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.