2021 Jeep Wrangler: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
39%
353 of 912 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
39% of relevant owner complaints on the 2021 Jeep Wrangler are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 55% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
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,UNKNOWN OR OTHER07/17/20231 INJURED
Clutch and Clutch pressure plate caused substantial heat damage to vehicle. See attached letter from State of Vermont Office of the Attorney General
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM08/20/2026
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated, and the vehicle was driving sluggishly with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the coolant reservoir was …
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE08/19/2026
When using electric mode, repeatedly and consistently, when I try to accelerate (for example to get onto a highway) despite having the acceleration fully depressed, the car does not accelerate. After some time, the gas powered engine will rev, the RPM will shoot up and then the car will start to accelerate. If I slow…
Three of 353 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 (15)
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler and 2020-2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate m…
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jeep Wrangler, RAM 1500 and 2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image fro…
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Ram 1500, Jeep Gladiator, and 2021 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. The front seat belt retractors may have an improperly welded …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2021 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.
15 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 5 body styles NHTSA files separately.
