Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Jeep Wrangler owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the accelerator became stuck and the vehicle accelerated inadvertently with the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to accelerate while depressing the brake pedal. The contact had not taken the vehicle to be serviced or diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on her vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000
ABS, Traction control and Brake lights came on. Veh has 45000 miles on it. Was advised the ABS module is bad. Part is no where to be found, and no dealer can order it. Basically the vehicle braking system is questionable on the road without ABS or traction.
I was operating my vehicle on the highway and attempted to engage the steering wheel mounted speed control. The speed control failed to turn on, so I pressed the button several times and found that it would not activate (turn on and show "cruise" on the gauge cluster). Approximately an hour later I pressed the cruise control button several more times, and it eventually showed "cruise" in the gauge cluster. I was then able to set the speed control to 70 MPH. After traveling on the highway for approximately one hour with the cruise control set, I attempted to shut it off utilizing the steering wheel mounted button. The cruise control would not deactivate by pressing the on / off button. …
12 jkru 52,000 miles. It first happened at night while wife was driving on interstate Jeep went crazy mode all lights in cluster illuminated warning lights flashing and with hot oil msg, warning dings going off, heard electric fan running . It seemed that nothing was controllable, auto trans went into and would not shift out of first gear. Scared the hell out of my wife. Got home after shut off I tried to restart but nothing happened. I disconnected battery to reset cpu that did not work. I stopped by auto zone to get codes scanned . They told me every system was reporting failure and needs to go to dealer. After restart every thing was normal. After 100 yards down the street it all happened again. Pulled into store parking lot, turned Jeep off and would not restart till 4th try. Drove it strait to dealer in first gear with all. …
The TIPM unit went out, causing lots of issues. The issues we're aware of are: the doors wouldn't lock, shifter was stuck in park, radio/cd/Bluetooth wouldn't work, and the front headlights wouldn't turn off leading to a complete drain of the battery. Thankfully, the vehicle was parked and this didn't happen while we were driving it (it could have been very dangerous if it did). It cost us $1100.00 to replace the TIPM unit, which was a huge financial burden on us, but even worse was that we had to go without the Jeep (one of our main means of transportation) for almost two months because there's a waiting list for the replacement part. …
Check engine light and hill assist always lit. Dealer constantly resetting and I was repeatedly told not to worry as it is probably "bad gasoline." now, no acceleration and is more pronounced when on an incline ie highway entrance ramp. Presently, one week into diagnostics and repairs with present diagnosis being "probably" cam shaft phasers. Important to note engine repairs previously done one month of ownership on brand new vehicle. In addition, engine light has been on while in warranty but told not to worry. Now, almost complete engine rebuild. Jeep will not assist even though engine light has been on and reported to dealer (and documented) while in warranty. Vehicle purchased brand new, never used "four wheeling" or utilized to tow. Mileage reflects ~ highway travel. Religiously maintained through dealership.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds in cruise control, the traction control warning light illuminated causing the cruise control to disengage intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer fitzgerald Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram lexington park located at 22231 three notch rd, lexington park, md 20653 where it was diagnosed that the steering was faulty and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no recalls were under the VIN and to call NHTSA to place a complaint. The failure mileage was approximate 914.
Lightning bolt symbol and check engine light come on while driving. Vehicle goes into limp mode and starts running roughly. If turned off and allowed to sit will start up again just fine. Check engine light typically turns off after a couple more trips and runs just fine until it randomly does it again. Has been sometimes minutes, other times weeks between episodes. Have had accelerator position sensor replaced, throttle body replaced, and wiring to throttle replaced. Keeps happening. Has happened when vehicle is parked, sitting at light, normal driving, and while driving at highway speed.
On my way to work on city street, slight curve in road, it was raining. Cruise control set at 50mph. I heard the chime and glanced at the dashboard. Cruise control light was out, ABS light, anti-skid light and parking brake light were on. Touched the brake slightly and Jeep went into a skid. Luckily no one was next to me. Took it to my mechanic the next day and was told the ABS module had failed and needed to be replaced. This vehicle has less than 38000 miles on it.
The airbag light came on and the left steering wheel controls quit working, later all steering wheel controls quit working. I researched and found a previous recall for the clock spring which was up until models manufactured in November 2011. Called the dealership and was told there was no recall on my vehicle. Mine is a right hand drive manufactured in March 2012. It is a safety issue and should be recalled. It happened out of warranty.
Acceleration complaints in other Wrangler years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2012 Jeep Wrangler?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler, 3% of the model year's 835 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Jeep Wrangler acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler, though it has 9 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 2012 Jeep Wrangler acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.