Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2012 Jeep Wrangler: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 832 safety complaints about the 2012 Jeep Wrangler with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

832
Complaints
10
Recalls
6
Investigations

Complaints for this vehicle report 22 crashes, 19 fires, 22 injuries, 2 deaths.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 282 of 832 complaints, followed by Steering.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 58 of the 832 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 6 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 Jeep Wrangler, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 832 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
282
Steering
204
Engine & cooling
178
Electrical
147
Airbags & restraints
132
Brakes & stability
74
Other / unspecified
54
Visibility & lighting
51

"The vehicle would take a minute to click into gear when at a light and also when driving on the freeway, the vehicle will only go up to a certain speed (40mph) and would not switch gears (automatic) after that, the RPMs just kept going higher until I had to pull over."

Owner complaint filed July 2022 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11476274

"While driving the car randomly stalls. I lose power steering and braking. The car will not restart. This issue has been recorded by the dealer. The vehicle was last inspected on July 5th. I have been issued a Jeep Care case manager, case # 82963828. There are no warnings, while driving makes a left-hand turn the car just stalls!"

Owner complaint filed July 2022 · Power Train,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11473598

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2012 Jeep Wrangler
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
5
47
91
223
88
78
61
39
60
37
20
23
18
9
13
20
11121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2012 compares with other model years

Across the Jeep Wrangler model years we track, the 2018 has the most complaints on file (1,814); the 2012 ranks 5 of 14.

Total complaints by model year — Jeep Wrangler
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
1,057
1,255
458
686
485
2012
832
649
652
468
459
1,814
734
606
909
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 10 recalls

10 recalls apply to some or all 2012 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Nov 201111V-528
Air Bags:Frontal

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2012 RIGHT HAND DRIVE (RHD) JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2007, THROUGH OCTOBER 10, 2011. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH DRIVER'S AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLIES THAT COULD EXPERIENCE A COMPROMISED AIRBAG CIRCUIT RESULTING IN AN …

Feb 201313E-010
Equipment

Quadratec, Inc. is recalling certain aftermarket accessory, driver-side, Ultimate Floor Liners part numbers 14254.0301 07, 14254.0301 08, 14254.0301Q, 14254.0302 07, 14254.0302 08, 14254.0302Q, 14254.0303 07, 14254.0303 08, 14254.0303Q, 14254.0309 07, 14254.0309 08, and 14254.0309Q sold from May 1, …

May 201313V-176
Air Bags

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Jeep Wrangler right-hand drive vehicles manufactured February 1, 2007, through October 10, 2011. The affected vehicles have airbag clockspring assemblies that could experience broken airbag circuits.

Jun 201313V-234
Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Hose, Piping, And Connections

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Jeep Wrangler vehicles equipped with a 3.6L engine and an automatic transmission and manufactured January 23, 2011, through February 23, 2013. The power steering line may contact and wear a hole in the transmission oil cooler li…

Oct 201414V-631
Electrical System

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured February 16, 2010, to July 19, 2013. Corrosion in the exterior heated power mirror electrical connector may result in an electrical short.

May 201616V-288
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Right Hand Drive Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured February 16, 2010, to May 2, 2016. The clockspring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the air bag circuit to fail.

May 201616V-352
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 20…

Jan 201818V-021
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, …

Jan 201919V-018
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause th…

Sep 201919V-680
Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2018 Jeep Wrangler right hand drive vehicles. The driver's seat belt buckle mounting strap may fracture and separate from the seat frame.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2012 Jeep Wrangler have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 832 complaints about the 2012 Jeep Wrangler with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2012 Jeep Wrangler have?

The 2012 Jeep Wrangler has 10 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.