Most common 2009 Jeep Wrangler problems
Share of the 626 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Jeep Wrangler complaints by model year
Best Wrangler years: 2017, 2015. Years to avoid: 2024, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2019. Compare all years →
2009 Jeep Wrangler recalls (7)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa,…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Jeep Wrangler JK vehicles manufactured March 2, 2006, to August 13, 2010. The clockspring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the air bag circuit to fail.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring, wheel back cover, and column shroud, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2016.
Air bags
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Jeep Wrangler right-hand drive vehicles manufactured February 1, 2007, through October 10, 2011. The affected vehicles have airbag clockspring assemblies that could experience broken airbag circuits.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring and add a steering wheel dust shield, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
Air bags › Frontal
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 right hand drive (rhd) Jeep wrangler vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2007, through October 10, 2011. Some vehicles May be equipped with driver's airbag clockspring assemblies that could experience a compromised airbag circuit resulting in an airbag lamp illumination,…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners and remedy the vehicles as necessary free of charge. Chrysler will mail to owners an interim notification during March 2012. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2010 Jeep wrangler left and right hand drive passenger vehicles manufactured from May 15, 2006 through April 22, 2010. There May be contact between the right and left front inner fender liners and the right front and left rear brake tubes which could cause wear of the tubes…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Owners May contact Chrysler toll-free at 1-800-853-1403.
Show 1 more recall
Electrical system › Wiring
Chrysler is recalling 4,314 my 2009 Dodge journey, Jeep grand cherokee, commander and wrangler vehicles. Wiring May be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. The driver's airbag May not deploy as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver's airbag squib wires and replace the steering column control module free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during May 2009. Owners May contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2009 Jeep Wrangler:
Air Bag Clockspring Wiring Failure
In it's response to ODI's PE15-025 Information Request letter, FCA identified 1,703 consumer complaints, field reports and legal claims responsive to the subject defect condition on the subject Wrangler vehicles.Six of these reports alleged an air bag non-deployment in a crash in which either the air bag warning light was allegedly on or came on afterward the crash, one of which also alleged injuries as a result of…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Clockspring Wiring Failure
On May 10, 2016, Fiat Chrysler America (FCA) submitted a Part 573 Defect Information Report announcing NHTSA recall 16V290 involving 394,258 model year (MY) 2007-2010 Jeep Wrangler vehicles.Under the recall FCA will replace the clockspring and install a steering wheel back cover and steering wheel column shroud.This recall also includes approx.
Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
In a letter dated August 21, 2014, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged failures associated with the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) installed in Chrysler SUV?s, trucks, and vans beginning in the 2007 model year.
What 2009 Jeep Wrangler owners say
Air bags all 171 →
I was driving approximately 55mph 10/22/2024 on a two-lane roadway in my 2009 Jeep Wrangler X (VIN: [redacted] ) when another vehicle pulled out in front of me. I struck that vehicle in a frontal collision. The force of the impact caused my Jeep to ride up and over the vehicle, enter the opposite lane of travel, and roll over a second vehicle before continuing to roll down the road. Despite the high-speed frontal impact and subsequent rollover, none of the airbags in my vehicle deployed, including the driver frontal airbag. The other vehicles involved in the crash did experience airbag deployment. The crash resulted in significant vehicle damage, including roof deformation consistent with rollover forces. Given the severity of the impact and rollover, I believe the airbags should have deployed. The failure of the airbag system may have contributed to the injuries I sustained. …
The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V290000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the cruise control was engaged but failed to respond. The contact stated that the cruise control button was located on the side of the steering wheel. The contact also stated that the steering wheel would make abnormal clicking and grinding sounds while turning. The ABS warning light, stability control warning light, and the parking brake warning light were illuminated. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 150 →
Any time you fuel this vehicle the fuel gushes out of the filler neck. We have tried several different fueling stations . Different times of the day and night. Nothing changes , the fuel still blows out. Sometimes even if you pump slow it will still spew back out. Not every station has the rubber splash guards on their nozzles. The reason this is a danger is very obvious. Gasoline has a low flash point , not to mention the health risk of the vapors. One freak spark unrelated to me fueling could have deadly consequences. I spoke to jeep headquarters about this issue. They refused to give me the lot number for the faulty fuel tanks. The fuel tanks that had issues was on 2008 and earlier jeep Wranglers. Our jeep was manufactured in 2/2009 and from what I have gathered uses the exact same tank as the 2008 and earlier tanks back to a certain year. …
When filling my tank, it spits gas back out of the nozzle. I've been told in several forums that this is a warranty issue and is to be replaced by a dealership for free. The item that needs to be repaired is a fuel filler tube. I don't wanna spend the money on buying the part myself if this is something that is covered by the dealership through the factory. This happens every time I fill the tank and has been an ongoing problem for over a year almost 2 years. I have to fill it very slowly with gas as well. I cannot fill it fast as it will stop automatically. The part number is 52060489AH
Suspension all 106 →
Hi.. My Jeep has the death wobble and that my Jeep is not included in the recall due ; according to the Jeep dealership. The recall has expired for my 2009 Jeep Wrangler. My kids and grand was in the car when my Jeep after hitting a bump started shaking in the middle of the highway. Please help me. I would get it fix on my own, but I can not afford it and this should not happen when it's a known issue and a safety issue. I can be reached at [redacted]. Thanks [redacted]
Experienced violent shaking of the front suspension and steering while traveling on a freeway access road at approximately 50mph; situation commonly referred to as the death wobble. Inspection revealed a leaking steering stabilizer which was promptly replaced. Situation recurred approximately 3 weeks later and the stabilizer was again leaking. Another stabilizer was installed. Situation recurred again after 3 weeks but the stabilizer was not leaking. The track bar was replaced along with the mounting bolts and the tires were balanced and rotated. Situation recurred within 24 hours. Vehicle was taken to a repair shop that replaced the upper and lower ball joints and aligned the frontend. Situation returned later that day and repair shop replaced the shock absorbers. Situation recurred within 24 hours and the vehicle was parked due to being unsafe to drive. Situation currently unresolved.
2009 Jeep Wrangler engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Jeep Wrangler a good car?
Based on 626 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Wrangler rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Wrangler at the same age. It is one of the Wrangler years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Jeep Wrangler?
The air bags — 171 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (150) and suspension (106).
How many recalls does the 2009 Jeep Wrangler have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2009 Jeep Wrangler, the most recent from January 9, 2018 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Jeep Wrangler?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2017 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2019. See the full Jeep Wrangler years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Jeep Wrangler problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 46,000 miles; 54% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.