2014 Jeep Wrangler: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
68%
391 of 577 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
68% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2014 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 90% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 77 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 60%).
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
ENGINE12/15/2016FIRE1 INJURED
ON 12/04/2016 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT AROUND 80MPH WHEN A LOAD EXPLOSION STOPPED MY ENGINE. I IMMEDIATE STOPPED AS SMOKE STARTED TO COME INSIDE THE CABIN. AS SOON AS I EXITED THE VEHICLE I NOTICED A BIG FIRE UNDER THE CAR AND INSURE THE HOOD. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT USING 3 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THIS REALL…
ENGINE07/06/2026
The plastic oil filter housing was leaking oil onto my exhaust I had to quit driving it because of fear of a FIRE, SO MY QUESTION IS : IF YOU HAVE OIL RUNNING DOWN AND DRIPPING OF YOUR EXHAUST AND YOU GUYS WONT RECALL IT BECAUSE YOU SAY ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE? YOU GUYS ARE NUTS, THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE MADE TO MAN UP…
STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN03/22/2026
Death wobble. Dealership that has it now (Campbell Chevorlet in Bowing green ky) knows and fails to fix or report it.
Three of 391 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 (4)
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: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 as…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2014 Jeep Wrangler
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine 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 engine.
4 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 engine 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.