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 2016 Jeep Wrangler owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon replacing the engine oil himself, he noticed that oil was leaking onto the transmission. The contact stated that there was no smell of oil burning or any smoke coming from the oil leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil filter housing was cracked. The dealer replaced the oil filter housing and repaired the vehicle; however, while the mechanic was test driving the vehicle, the vehicle caught on fire under the hood. There were no injuries sustained. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. There was no police report. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent an inspector who diagnosed that the fire started under the hood. …
Parked vehicle outside corner of home at 9:00 pm. Awoken by loud popping and hissing sounds at 4:45AM. Looked outside to notice a bright orange hue by vehicle. Realizing the car was on fire, we called 911 and proceeded to use garden hose to water down both the vehicle and the home that the car was next to, in order to try to prevent the house from also catching fire. Vehicle was not moved nor accessed during those 7 overnight hours. It was locked and we were all asleep. There were two other vehicles parked next to and behind the vehicle that caught fire - those two other vehicles sustained no damage to them. The house sustained some minimal siding warping from the heat of the fire. …
While driving my vehicle on Monday, February 16, 2026 I heard a loud pop come from the front of the vehicle. Right after that smoke began to come through the hood vents. I stopped the vehicle to inspect and at that point the engine compartment was burning heavily. I could barely get out of the vehicle and away before the whole front end of the vehicle was engulfed with fire and heavy black smoke. It looked as if the fire started somewhere on the righthand side of the engine compartment because the right front tire was the first to blow out in the fire. The vehicle is with the insurance company to inspect, but it was in perfect running condition, all maintenance performed. There were no dash warning lights that came on, no odd sounds heard and the vehicle ran until I stopped and shut it office. …
I started my Jeep. After a few minutes I could smell smoke and something burning. The alarm started going off, wipers came on, radio etc. smoke came inside cab . I tried to shut everything off but it wasn't working. I started seeing flames around the hood. My husband was able to disconnect the battery and the fire died out. Insurance would not cover it and said it was electrical. The fuse box was melted and wire harnesses. The vehicle was right by our garage and could've caught our house on fire. My son and I were in the vehicle when the fire started. Thank God we weren't hurt. I did report this but was told it wasn't Jeeps fault. A week later another jeep caught fire in the small town I live in. Something isn't right.
Pulled into parking space. Applied brakes and came to a complete stop. Could hear engine revving up.. Thought ok, that gas pedal seem to be pressed. Look at my foot wasn't pressing the pedal. Looked at floor mats. It was laying flat on floor, not manipulating the pedal. I thought what's happening? And lifted foot off brake ever so slightly and car jumped 6 inch high curb and hit the building.. Pretty hard. Caused structural damage to the wall. I went to the hospital, driven by husband. Swelling of my right leg on the shin. Released and told to stay off leg for few days, no fractures.After doing research, It seems other jeep riders have had this experience. I have no idea how fast the jeep was going.
Unsafe Vehicle, Unresolved Mechanical Failures - Serious Safety Concern On [redacted], I purchased a Jeep (VIN: [redacted] ) from Whipple Auto Sales. Since the purchase, the vehicle has experienced repeated mechanical failures that have created serious safety concerns. Approximately two weeks after purchase, the dealership replaced a fuel injector due to performance issues. About one month later, the vehicle began showing sensor codes and experienced sudden power loss while driving. On [redacted] the vehicle completely shut off while I was traveling on the highway, placing my safety at significant risk. The dealership initially stated that the key required reprogramming. However, after keeping the vehicle for approximately one month, they were still unable to repair the issue. The dealership later claimed the problem was related to the powertrain. …
In December of 2024, my jeep felt like a ghost was pressing my brakes. It got worse over time despite any troubleshooting we did and replacing sensors did not work. It went inot limp mode and would not drive out of second gear. Took it to my mechanic to find there is a national issue and back order problem with all ABS modules for Mopar/Jeep. I have read many jeep forums online and this issue started in 2020. As of now since January there is no true ETA on the replacement part. My jeep sits while paying for it and unable to repair. We sought a company to try to rebuild the old one and they can't either since the replacement chips are back ordered as well. Luckily I noticed the issue while driving slow on a dirt road, however, this issue could have pulled the vehicle into oncoming traffic or off the side of the road. …
The airbag light came on, then went off. This happened for a while, meanwhile, the horn stopped working and the controls in the steering wheel were incapable of anything for the radio. I was informed it was a bad steering clock spring and it needed to be replaced. Part # 5156106AG We searched for a recall, and there is one for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler for a failing steering clock spring, only my car's vin number didn't match the recall. It appears the previous owner had an issue with the airbags, that was subsequently repaired before I owned this vehicle. I believe it was repaired incorrectly, or is still faulty, as it is broken once again. The coincidence of this being recalled for the same make and model, but not for my specific vehicle is difficult to comprehend. What automobile has more than one need to repair airbags that were never deployed? …
At 70000 miles our vehicle has an airbag warning light illuminated on the dashboard. After diagnostics it was determined that a OBD / DTC code was present : "B1B06 Driver Airbag Squib 2 Circuit Open" Per the manufacturer FCA, this code indicates an issue with the Airbag clockspring, and the driver side airbag may not deploy in case of a crash, hence placing the driver at risk of injury or death. Although FCA issued a safety recall for this issue, it only covers vehicles manufactured before May-2-2016. Our vehicle was manufactured on May-27 yet is suffering from the exact same issue, but not covered by the safety recall as per FCA representatives. "Safety Recall S40 / NHTSA 16V-288 Airbag Clockspring" Attached. …
This vehicle along with many others jeep wranglers have an issue with the abs control module. It has a code for internal processor fault. Some days the vehicle is fine and others it acts up and it won't shift gears or the abs system activates by itself or the speedometer doesn't work. This has been going on for almost a year now because there is no parts aviable to fix it. The dealer keeps saying it's in engineering review but they been saying that for almost a year now. That's how long mine has been acting up. My wife won't even drive it with the kids in the car because she doesn't know when it is going to act up. Luckly I only work 5 miles from my house so I've been driving it. If they know there's an issue with these modules they should be doing something faster to fix it or there should be a recall. Something needs to be done.
Electrical complaints in other Wrangler years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Jeep Wrangler?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Jeep Wrangler, 12% of the model year's 462 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Jeep Wrangler electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler, though it has 5 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 2016 Jeep Wrangler electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 37,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 7 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.