2013 Jeep Wrangler: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
63%
358 of 570 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
63% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Jeep Wrangler are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 83% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 80 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 55%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE03/11/2021CRASH2 INJURED
DRIVING APPROX 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY. RPM JUMPED THEN CAR LOST POWER. WOULD NOT SHIFT PAST NEUTRAL AND UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY. AUTO DOOR UNLOCK FAILED. VEHICLE WAS EVACUATED AND THEN STRUCK FROM BEHIND AT HIGH SPEED.
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER01/11/2019CRASH1 INJURED
I PULLED INTO PARKING SPACE, FOOT ON BRAKE,( ZERO SPEED NATURALLY) AS I STARTED TO MOVE SHIFTER FROM DRIVE TO PARK, THE ENGINE ROARED AND JEEP ACCELERATED UP OVER CURB AND ~ 20FT TILL I HIT THE CORNER OF THE LA FITNESS BUILDING ( MY DESTINATION) ALL THE TIME WITH MY FOOT DEPRESSED VERY HARD ON THE BRAKE. DAMAGING FRONT…
ON FRIDAY MARCH 14, 2014 I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ON HARMONY CHURCH ROAD (ROUTE 704) ON MY WAY TO MY SON'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A CAR SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT, DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT. WHILE EN ROUTE, MY 2013 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED HIT DRIFTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND…
Three of 358 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (7)
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 30…
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…
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, o…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Jeep Wrangler
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
7 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
