10 Unreliable Jeeps We Wouldn’t Waste Our Money On
As a brand, the popularity of Jeep is enormous, especially in the US. Its vehicles are well known for being tough and long-lasting. Add to this their ability to drive anywhere, whether it be a daily cruiser or something to take off-road and explore the great outdoors.
Jeeps seem to have a knack for dealing with some of the most awkward situations with surprising mastery. For a Jeep, tackling terrain that was never meant for a vehicle is as easy as eating a pie. As much as they have made some great models over the years like the family-adventure-ready Grand Cherokee, the off-road-ready Wrangler, or the super-popular Cherokee, some come with plagues of issues. Models that have infuriated people and left them scratching their heads. Let’s take a look at some of the unreliable ones that have come out of the Jeep stable.
10 2015 Jeep Renegade
The 2015 Jeep Renegade does not fair well when it comes to reliability. Information from Car Complaints shows that this model has had many complaints lodged with the NHTSA. The highest number of complaints have been to do with the engine for issues like losing power or stalling while driving, the worst being the engine not turning over or starting. Next are drivetrain problems and electrical issues. The NHTSA has issued recall notices on this model for the power train, suspension, and electrical systems among other things.
If you want something reliable that’s in the same class as the Renegade, a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek which is a capable crossover, has an 81 rating on J.D. Power, making it great for reliability.
9 2007 Jeep Wrangler
Straight off the bat, the 2007 Jeep Wrangler has problems with 10 – yes, 10 recall notices issued by the NHTSA. These include multiple recalls for brakes along with airbags, equipment, power train, and electrical systems. The story doesn’t end there though. Previous owners have commented on Edmunds about issues to do with the 2007 Wrangler’s poor build quality, steering problems known as the ‘death wobble’, transmission, brakes, and engine. That’s quite a list. All this means is that it’s been back to the dealership on many occasions. This might be a perfectly capable off-road vehicle, but it’s riddled with issues that make it very unreliable. These may be some of the reasons why it got just a 60/100 reliability score from J.D. Power.
8 2006 Jeep Commander
The 2006 Jeep Commander is another model that’s had multiple recalls given to it – 6 to be exact. According to Consumer Reports the NHTSA has issued recall notices on the 2007 Jeep Commander for the electrical systems, power train, suspension, brakes, and seat belts. There have been 1766 complaints lodged on this particular model with the NHTSA covering various issues including engine and engine cooling, fuel system, equipment, steering, and stability control systems. Car Complaints have even noted that ‘what’s truly worrisome is the electrical problems like the vehicle shutting down unexpectedly’ or ‘the cruise control having a mind of its own’. To put it simply, there are real safety concerns with this model. As far as reliability goes, the 2006 Commander doesn’t shine.
7 2007 Jeep Compass
While there are some things about newer models like the 2020 Jeep Compass that make them reliable, there are older versions that are unreliable. The 2007 Jeep Compass is one such model that falls short when it comes to reliability. The 2007 Jeep Compass has the worst overall complaints with the worst category being the engine, according to Car Complaints. The NHTSA has also logged some 428 complaints on this model Jeep as well as 5 recall notices for things like equipment, wheels, and brakes. Owners have reported on Edmunds with issues to do with the throttle control, electrical systems, transmission, and much more. One owner even stated ‘It has been in the shop more than any other vehicle I have ever owned’. One common factor among all the owners is the high cost of repairs to their vehicles.
6 2006 Jeep Liberty
Like the 2007 Wrangler, the 2006 Liberty has got 10 recall notices against it from the NHTSA. Details gathered by Consumer Reports show that the 2006 Liberty got multiple recalls for suspension, powertrain, electrical systems, and fuel systems. On the fuel system recall there are over one and a half million units affected. That is a staggering amount. The NHTSA has got 1351 complaints filed against the 2006 Jeep Liberty as well as 5 investigations.
According to Car Complaints, the most complained-about problem is the windows and windshield systems with 400 complaints, followed closely by fuel system issues with 366. This model really struggles to be a reliable car. It’s echoed in owners’ experiences on Edmunds consumer reviews where people report issues with the engine, transmission, and windows among other things. One person reported their 2006 Liberty ‘has been to the dealership now 11 times’ and another stated that they ‘had to have window regulators replaced 10 times’.
5 2008 Jeep Wrangler
This particular model of Wrangler from Jeep suffers a lot from reliability issues. So much so that J.D. Power gave it an overall rating of 71, which is not even average, but more troubling is that its reliability rating is as low as 63. It also had 9 recalls issued on it from the NHTSA, 4 of which are for the airbags as well as brakes, powertrain, and equipment. Owners also report problems with the engine and transmission alongside issues with build quality (a leaky roof), brakes, engine problems, and burning oil as well as many electrical gremlins. As much as the Wrangler is one of the best offroading SUVs, this particular model’s reliability is questionable at best.
4 2015 Jeep Patriot
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 268 complaints about the 2015 Jeep Patriot. The most complaints are for the engine followed by the electrical systems and power train. Furthermore, there are complaints on various other areas such as brakes, steering, airbags, suspension, and vehicle speed control. These problems become highlighted in owners’ experiences with the 2015 Patriot where one person noted categorically that it’s a ‘horrible waste of your money’ while another stated that their Jeep was ‘in the shop 6 times for electrical issues’. Many people reported problems with the transmission and brakes as well as multiple electrical issues. Even though this model of Patriot has only 1 recall notice issued by NHTSA, it doesn’t seem to be a reliable car.
3 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2011 model of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is right up there when it comes to being unreliable. Car Complaints have recorded over 2000 complaints on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. As if that’s not bad enough, the NHTSA has 1565 complaints logged against the 2011 Grand Cherokee with 5 investigations and 6 recall notices. The most common issue is for the electrical systems with a staggering 741 complaints followed by engine problems with 321 complaints. The list of complaints is very long for this model. It’s not surprising then that 4 of the 6 recalls are for the electrical system. Actual owners have reported multiple issues on Edmunds consumer reviews where one owner even stated that their 2011 Grand Cherokee ‘has lived up to its reputation of very poor reliability’.
2 2014 Jeep Wrangler
The 2014 Jeep Wrangler is another example of a Jeep that’s plagued with engine issues. There are 560 complaints filed with the NHTSA for this model, 302 of them are for problems with the engine as well as 4 investigations and 4 recall notices. Information obtained from Consumer Reports highlights 2 recalls for airbags along with seat belts and tires. Owners have reported on Edmunds of issues to do with build quality as it has many areas where it leaks, mechanical faults, multiple break-downs, and various engine problems. When it comes to being reliable, it would be better to consider buying a 2022 Jeep Wrangler, which has a reliability rating of 86 from J.D. Power whereas the 2014 model only has a reliability score of 74.
1 2014 Jeep Cherokee
According to Car Complaints, the 2014 model of the Jeep Cherokee is the worst model year for this car with its main issue being transmission problems. It’s got a massive 2274 complaints logged against it with the NHTSA with 3 investigations and a staggering 12 recall notices, 3 of which are for the power train. Some 1303 of those complaints are to do with the power train and 465 are for engine issues. Those are some shockingly high numbers. Consumer Reports noted that for this model of Cherokee ‘the list of flaws is long’. Like the 2008 Jeep Wrangler, the 2014 Cherokee has a low reliability rating from J.D. Power of just 65. All these statistics show in owners’ experiences of this model of Cherokee where many people stated about transmission issues, engine burning oil as well as shutting down. As one reviewer puts it ‘this Jeep Cherokee looks good on the outside but mechanically sucks’.
Sources: Edmunds, J.D. Power, Car Complaints, Consumer Reports, National Highways Traffic Safety Administration
