Reliable Auto DB

2016 Jeep Wrangler reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 460 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Wrangler over 11 years — 32 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Wrangler years here — under the median of the other years, which is 85. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Clockspring, Anchorage, and Inflator.

2012 Jeep Wrangler
Photo by Koenigseggvibes, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

460

Per year

32

Recalls

5

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (119 of 460), then Engine (88) and Air bags (77). Those filings include 28 that report a crash, 15 that report a fire, and 28 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Wrangler has 472 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2017 has 309 complaints, 34 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Jeep Wrangler. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall air bags, frontal, clockspring 2024-03-14 · NHTSA campaign 24V196000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain right hand drive 2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Debris contamination may cause the clockspring to fail, preventing the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash.
Remedy Dealers will replace the clockspring, steering wheel back cover, and steering column shrouds, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 27B.
Recall seat belts, front, anchorage 2019-09-26 · NHTSA campaign 19V680000
Summary 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.
Remedy FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt buckle, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed November 19, 2019. Owners will received a second letter and the recall began March 26, 2020. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is VA6.
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 19V018000
Summary 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 the inflator to explode.
Remedy Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V01.
Recall air bags, frontal, inactive sensor control module 2016-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 16V734000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured June 16, 2015, to August 14, 2016. In certain crash conditions, the front impact sensor wiring may be pulled until it detaches before a signal can be received by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC).
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the front impact sensor wiring and relocate the impact sensor branch, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S76.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-05-11 · NHTSA campaign 16V288000
Summary 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.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring, wheel back cover, and column shroud, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S40.

Complaints by component (460 total)

Service brakes
119
Engine
88
Air bags
77
Powertrain
74
Electrical system
56
Speed control
35
Steering
28
Structure
18
Electronic stability control (ESC)
13
Fuel and propulsion system
13
Hydraulic brakes
13
Forward collision avoidance
12
Seat belts
10
Wheels
9
Suspension
8
Engine and engine cooling
5
Visibility and wipers
5
Air brakes
4
Seats
4
Exterior lighting
3
Traction control
3
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

28

Fire-flagged

15

Injury reports

28

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

372016332017262018702019652020312021302022262023342024652025432026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "When I was coming to a stop at a stoplight, my vehicle started to violently wobble almost having me to loose control. I was unable to slow down when pressing the brakes and almost hit vehicles in front of me.this has…"
    Steering, Suspension, Powertrain · filed 2026-09-13
  • "ABS Control Module stopped working with several warning lights showing on dash display. After 12 months the dealer is unable to supply a replacment part or a possible date when a new part might be available."
    Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-08-31
  • "The ABS module on my jeep has failed. I've been put on a list to get a replacement part but have been on the list for 10 months with no indication of when my parts order will be fulfilled. The failed ABS module caused…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-08-24
  • "My 2016 Jeep Wrangler is experiencing an ongoing problem with the ABS/braking system and wheel-speed sensor. The ABS/brake warning light comes on intermittently, particularly when turning right and during hot weather.…"
    Wheels, Service brakes · filed 2026-08-20
  • "ABS Brake Sensor is on and the ABS Module needs to be replaced, however there are a lot of other people out there with this same issue and nobody can keep up with the parts to fix the problem. This should be a recall…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-08-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Jeep Wrangler 2DR 4WD Not rated Not rated Not rated 3 stars
2016 Jeep Wrangler 4DR 4WD Not rated Not rated Not rated 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Wrangler four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Four-wheel drive 17 21 18 MPG $3600
Wrangler four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Four-wheel drive 17 21 18 MPG $3600
Wrangler Unlimited four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Wrangler Unlimited four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Four-wheel drive 16 20 18 MPG $3600

Specs and fitment

JK generation, 2012–2017
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 (3.6L Pentastar); 5W-30 (3.8L V6) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 225/75R16 to 255/75R17 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 3,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 19V-018 (Chrysler V01) covers certain 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles among other FCA models: upon frontal air-bag deployment, excessive internal pressure may cause the passenger frontal inflator to explode, and metal fragments can strike occupants. Chrysler advises owners not to drive until the repair is complete; dealers replace the passenger frontal air-bag inflator free of charge. The campaign's published population also includes certain Ram, Dakota, Challenger, and Chrysler 300 vehicles under the same number.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Jeep Wrangler Next year 2017 Jeep Wrangler See every Jeep Wrangler model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Jeep Wrangler reliable?

Owners have filed 460 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Wrangler over 11 years — 32 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Wrangler years here — under the median of the other years, which is 85. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Clockspring, Anchorage, and Inflator.

What are common problems with a 2016 Jeep Wrangler?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (119 of 460), then Engine (88) and Air bags (77). Those filings include 28 that report a crash, 15 that report a fire, and 28 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Jeep Wrangler more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Wrangler has 472 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2017 has 309 complaints, 34 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Jeep Wrangler been recalled?

The 2016 Jeep Wrangler has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Jeep Wrangler?

Owners have filed 460 complaints about the 2016 Jeep Wrangler with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Jeep Wrangler get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler is 18 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Wrangler take?

5W-20 (3.6L Pentastar); 5W-30 (3.8L V6)

What does NHTSA recall 19V-018 cover on the Jeep Wrangler?

Safety recall 19V-018 (Chrysler V01) covers certain 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles among other FCA models: upon frontal air-bag deployment, excessive internal pressure may cause the passenger frontal inflator to explode, and metal fragments can strike occupants.

What generation is the 2013 Jeep Wrangler?

JK generation (2012-2017).