2012 Jeep Wrangler problems
The 2012 Jeep Wrangler has 1,293 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (22%) concerns drivetrain & axles. After that come steering (16%) and engine (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,293 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 35 and 28
- Injuries and deaths
- 46 and 6
- Typical mileage
- 42,000 miles 747 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 197 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 151 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 153 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 107 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 62 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 36 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 9 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 19 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 5 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Among the 747 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 42,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 18,000 miles (91 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 35 complaints mention a crash; 28 complaints mention a fire; 46 injuries reported; 6 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 35 model years of the Jeep Wrangler with enough data (951 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 9 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
2012 jeep wrangler was a "postal vehicle", in that the steering wheel was on the right-hand side of the vehicle. Driver error occurred, in that driver was on right shoulder of two lane highway, but pulled out into traffic to perform "a 180" degree turn in order to reverse direction. Driver did not properly yield the right-of-way. When entering highway, vehicle was struck by oncoming, speeding car. Crash resulted.
I was involved in a single vehicle collision, with "multiple front end impacts" and significant damage to the vehicle. I was driving approximately 35-40 MPH, when I hydroplaned (this is my best guess, I really don't note what happened), and veered to the shoulder. The jeep then went off the road, drove through a deep rain-filled ditch, hit the front end of that ditch, launching the jeep airborne. During that impact, the front axle was ripped off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that the left and right turn signal switch and the windshield wipers failed to operate. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.