What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
← All Jeep Wrangler generations
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing fall from 6.34 for 2007 (1,059 complaints across 167 listings) and 4.60 for 2008 (1,255 across 273) to 0.64 for 2017 (312 across 488). The generation median is 2.21. 2007 is 2.9 times that median and 2008 is 2.1 times; both also clear the ad-mention test with the 'rust' flaw excluded, so our rule flags both (details under 'Years flagged'). JK Guide names 2007-2008 as the years when the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) failed most, with some failures through 2013. Death wobble and 3.6L oil cooler leaks run across the whole generation, and the early 3.8L V6 drinks oil.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag link 60K-80K; tie rods 70K-90K (CoverageX) or 80K-120K (JK Guide); track bar 80K-100K; ball joints 75K-100K | Death wobble (steering shake at highway speed): worn track bar, ball joints, tie rods, drag link, wheel bearings | JK Guide: typically $500-$1,500 for a death wobble fix; ball joints $300-$600 per side and tie rod ends $150-$300 per side. au7o lists $150-$900 on its 2024 page and $100-$2,000 across all years. | It starts at highway speed (roughly 45-65 mph, per Trail Manual) and is worn parts, not one defect, so a quote depends on what the shop finds. Lifted or trail-used Jeeps wear these parts sooner (CoverageX). On a test drive, hit a bump at 50 mph and feel the steering wheel. |
| Not verified by mileage; JK Guide ties it to 2007-2008 mostly, with some through 2013 | TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) failure: stalling, no-start, fuel pump relay faults | JK Guide: replacement $400-$800. au7o: $200-$1,200. | Circuit Board Medics says the most common symptom is a fuel pump problem; TIPM Rebuilders describes the fuel pump relay causing no-start and stalling on 2008 JKs. NHTSA recall 07V291000 covers TIPM software that may let the engine stall on certain 2007 vehicles. Ask whether the TIPM has been replaced or rebuilt. |
| Not verified | 3.8L V6 (2007-2011) oil consumption and valve stem seals | JK Guide: valve seals $500-$800, or $3,000+ for a rebuild. We found no second price source. | JK Guide says more than 1 quart per 1,500 miles is concerning. A WranglerForum thread says the 3.8L is known to consume oil, and a JKowners thread reports that Jeep said the valve stem seals were bad. Ask for oil-change records and check the level on a cold engine. |
| Reports run from about 40K miles (one owner) to 100K-120K 'on average' (a forum post) | 3.6L Pentastar oil filter housing and oil cooler leak (2012 on) | Avturo: $400-$900. YourMechanic: a 2015 V6 3.6L job estimated at $1,112, with shop and dealer prices of $1,351-$2,019, though its all-vehicle average is $184. JK Guide: $150-$300 for O-rings and gasket on a 2012. Owners report buying the part for about $220-$250. | Apex Tech Nation calls the oil filter housing and cooler gasket leak the number one problem on the 3.6L Pentastar. Prices swing with whether the shop replaces the whole housing or just the gasket. Look for oil on the front of the engine and along the underside, and ask whether the housing has been replaced. |
| Not verified | Early-2012 Pentastar left cylinder head tick | JK Guide: cylinder head work $1,500-$3,000, many under warranty at the time. We found no second source. | JK Guide ties it to Pentastars built before about April 2012. At this age any warranty is long gone, so listen for a tick on a cold start and ask for records. |
| any | Recalls: clockspring (16V290000, 2007-2010), transmission fluid temperature (09V436000, 2007-2008 automatics), TIPM stall software (07V291000) | Free at a Jeep dealer when open | 16V290000: the clockspring may become contaminated with dust and break the air bag circuit. 09V436000: certain 2007-2008 automatics lack a transmission fluid temperature sensor. 07V291000: TIPM software that may let the engine stall. Confirm each by VIN. |
A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car.
Complaints add up over a car's whole life, so older years in a generation can look worse here than they are. Read this flag next to the complaint details below.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1,059 | Fuel System, Gasoline, Electrical System, Air Bags | |
| 2008 | 1,255 | Air Bags, Fuel System, Gasoline, Electrical System | |
| 2009 | 459 | Air Bags, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train | |
| 2010 | 686 | Fuel/propulsion System, Air Bags, Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2011 | 485 | Air Bags, Fuel/propulsion System, Electrical System | |
| 2012 | 835 | Steering,power Train, Engine, Air Bags | |
| 2013 | 657 | Steering,power Train, Engine, Power Train | |
| 2014 | 658 | Engine, Air Bags, Power Train | |
| 2015 | 479 | Engine, Service Brakes, Air Bags | |
| 2016 | 462 | Service Brakes, Air Bags, Engine | |
| 2017 | 312 | Service Brakes, Engine, Power Train |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
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We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule (see 'Years flagged' in the JK section), and two Wrangler years trip it: 2007 and 2008. 2007 has 6.34 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (1,059 across 167 listings) against a JK median of 2.21, and 14 of 108 enriched ads (13.0%) mention a problem against a 4.3% median with the 'rust' flaw excluded. 2008 has 4.60 (1,255 across 273) and 12 of 190 ads (6.3%) against the same 4.3%. One year came close and was dropped: the 1997 TJ has 6.15 complaints per listing against a TJ median of 2.94 (2.1 times) and passes the all-flaws ad test, but with rust excluded only 4 of 48 ads (8.3%) mention a problem, below the 9.9% median, so it is not flagged. 2005 (1.65 times its median) and 2006 (1.81 times) fall short of the 2.0 times cutoff. The 2012 and 2013 years that forums warn about do not trip our rule: 2012 sits at 1.0 times the JK median and 2013 at 0.87 times.
It is a violent steering shake at highway speed, usually starting around 45-65 mph after a bump (Trail Manual). The cause is worn parts, not one defect: track bar, ball joints, tie rods, drag link, wheel bearings. JK Guide puts a fix at typically $500-$1,500, with ball joints at $300-$600 per side and tie rod ends at $150-$300 per side. au7o's range is $150-$900 on its 2024 page and $100-$2,000 across all years. Wear windows run from 60K to 120K miles depending on the part (CoverageX, JK Guide), sooner on lifted or trail-used Jeeps.
The TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) is the fuse and relay hub. JK Guide says it failed mainly on 2007-2008 JKs, with some failures through 2013, and puts replacement at $400-$800; au7o says $200-$1,200. Circuit Board Medics names fuel pump problems as the most common symptom, and TIPM Rebuilders describes the fuel pump relay causing no-start and stalling on 2008 JKs. NHTSA recall 07V291000 covers TIPM software that may let the engine stall on certain 2007 vehicles.
The quotes spread widely: Avturo gives $400-$900; YourMechanic estimates $1,112 for a 2015 Wrangler 3.6L, with shop and dealer prices of $1,351-$2,019 (its all-vehicle average is $184); JK Guide gives $150-$300 for O-rings and gasket on a 2012. Owners report buying the part for about $220-$250. Apex Tech Nation calls this the number one problem on the 3.6L Pentastar. Reported onset runs from about 40K miles (one owner) to 100K-120K miles 'on average' (a forum post), so treat the mileage as unsettled.
Frame and underbody rust is the most-cited age problem on the YJ and TJ. Quadratec says YJs are notorious for rust and Everyday Jeep names the rear crossmember under the tailgate. Go-Parts describes TJ frames rusting from the inside out, concentrated under the central skid plate and near the rear control arm mounts. Autojunket lists frame rust on TJs and JKs from salt-belt and coastal states. We found no source that priced a rust repair, so we show none; inspect on a lift.
Both. Wikipedia dates JK production from August 2006 to April 2018, and the JL launched for the 2018 model year (CarBuzz), so model year 2018 includes late JKs and early JLs. Our generations put every 2018 in the JL, so the 2018 figures (1,827 NHTSA complaints across 533 listings, 3.43 per listing) cover both. That figure equals the JL median, so 2018 is not flagged. Check the VIN and the body style on a specific Jeep before you read a JK or JL guide for it.