2017 Jeep Wrangler: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
42%
115 of 274 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
42% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Jeep Wrangler are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 50% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 35 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 37%).
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
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,SEATS12/23/20192 INJURED
GEARS POP OUT WHILE IN REVERSE AND GRIND WHEN IN REVERSE MY JEEP IS COVERED IN RUST AND SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ABOUT TO FALL APART THE DEALERSHIP ACTUALLY SOLD ME A BRAND NEW RUSTY JEEP THAT THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE EVEN CHRYSLER IS GIVING ME A HARD TIME. I HAD SEVERAL LEAKS AROUND THE DOORS WINDOW AND THE TOP AND STILL T…
ENGINE08/26/2026
The first time happening I was driving on the interstate going about 70 miles an hour in the dark, the car completely shut down with no warning I was able to coast then tried to restart the vehicle and it started. I was able to get off the road and to my destination. The second time this happened, it was 5am in the mo…
ENGINE06/10/2026
Oil cooler split due to warming up and cooling down in winter and being made of plastic All brake calipers needed to be replaced on it too
Three of 115 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 (5)
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…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Duran…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured November 1, 2016, to November 3, 2016. The affected vehicles may have a fu…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 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.
5 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.
