Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Jeep Wrangler owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Purchased this vehicle in 21013 from a private seller. Upon changing the engine oil one day shortly thereafter, noticed the passenger side frame area, where the rear, lower control arm is mounted, was completely rusted through! I have since had this repaired, at an additional cost of $800.00. Also, noticed the passenger side frame all along where the transmission skid plate is mounted - is completely rusted through along approximately 8" along the bottom! I can run 4 fingers in the bottom of this frame! And, the front skid plate nutserts on both sides of the skid plate, are gone! Rusted away - completely! Previous owner had the skid plate actually welded to the frame! This should never, ever happen! I have a 2003 Toyota 4runner with zero frame rust - zero! Looks brand new to this day! Come take a look. …
Frame rotted from the inside out around the lower control arms. The chassis is otherwise rust free, but it spontaneously rotted from the inside out. The lower control arm disconnected while driving down the highway, leaving the rear axle free floating, unstable, and very likely to cause a crash. The frame has holes in it that let water in. There is no drainage hole where the frame goes from flat on the bottom and curves up around the wheel wells. Water gets into the frame, sits there, and rots it from the inside out. There is no way to see this rot from the outside and there is no way to fix it without cutting open the frame and welding in repairs. If you google image search "Jeep tj frame rot" you can see other cases of the frame failing in the exact same location. …
I bought my Jeep in October 2000 and had it undercoated at the dealership before it ever left the lot. I had taken it back in multiple times to have it recoated and while the the body experienced some rust due to stone chips and age the frame still looked good until last year when I went to have some work done on the Jeep. When lifting up the Jeep to work on it, we found that the frame had some strange marks that seemed to be showing on the frame. When we scratched off some of the undercoating we found that the frame was crumbling from the inside out. After looking closer at the frame we discovered that daimler Chrysler had left open holes in the frame inside of both front and rear wheel wells on the side of the frame near the top of the ARC of the curve in the frame. This May have been an OK design but they did not leave any drain holes in the frame at all. …
The right rear lower trailing (control) arm detached or broke off the frame while driving my Jeep on a fairly busy road at 50 MPH. On inspection found the entire right side of the frame is rotted and thin in several key areas of the frame. In the shop now. Jeep has 150,000 on it. Left side of the frame is better. Expected more from Jeep, this put us in a huge amount of danger and we are lucky we didn't wreck or worse, flip the Jeep. I see one complaint after the other with the same damage. Thanks Jeep and Chrysler for that. We were doing 50 in a slight left hand curve, think about it. Inspect your frames.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle started to make an abnormal knocking and bucking noise. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the transmission mount was rotted away from the frame. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN number was unavailable. Updated 4/15/15 updated 9/21/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Jeep Wrangler. While traveling approximately 45 MPH, the gears became extremely difficult to change over without warning. The contact also heard a grinding noise upon changing gears and the vehicle wobbled. The contact was able to cautiously drive the vehicle to a repair shop. The technician diagnosed that the underbody framing fractured due to corrosion and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.
Jeep has less than 40,000 miles and is well maintained never off road. . Was driving over a bridge when the rear end felt like it was separating from the body of the Jeep. Jeep became impossible to control and I was almost hit trying to get the vehicle off the road. Jeep was towed to mechanic who said the frame is no good rear control arms separated from the frame the frame had rusted out from the inside. There is no solid steel left to weld onto.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Jeep Wrangler. While driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle started to shake. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated that there was corrosion around the cross member of the frame on the passenger side. The mechanic diagnosed that the frame of the vehicle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle's skid plate was witnessed under the vehicle, which is what prompted a closer look at the vehicle. Upon looking more closely, the contact noticed that the vehicle's frame was completely rusted at the bottom. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000. Updated 09/10/15
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Jeep Wrangler. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel shook violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe was corroded through and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 176,529.
Body complaints in other Wrangler years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2000 Jeep Wrangler?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the body & structure of the 2000 Jeep Wrangler, 22% of the model year's 251 complaints. The component named most often is body (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Jeep Wrangler body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2000 Jeep Wrangler, 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 2000 Jeep Wrangler body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 137,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to body & structure 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.