2010 Jeep Wrangler

Counts come from unverified consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and cannot be compared between models — how to read them.

Common problems reported on the 2010 Jeep Wrangler

Share of the 670 complaints on file that name each component group. A complaint can name more than one group, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Component group	Complaints	Share
Fuel/Propulsion System	157	23.4%
Air Bags	154	23.0%
Electrical System	83	12.4%
Fuel System	69	10.3%
Power Train	67	10.0%
Steering	65	9.7%
Suspension	42	6.3%
Unknown or Other	40	6.0%
Engine	37	5.5%
Service Brakes	31	4.6%
Exterior Lighting	25	3.7%
Wheels	17	2.5%

670 complaints filed between November 9, 2009 and May 13, 2024.

At what mileage the Jeep Wrangler failed

Mileage at which owners reported the failure. The bar spans the middle half of the reports (25th to 75th percentile); the line inside it is the median. Shared scale within this page only.
Component group	Median	Reports
Fuel/Propulsion System	43,000	137
Air Bags	63,500	102
Electrical System	67,000	71
Fuel System	22,000	63
Power Train	25,250	60
Steering	50,100	60
Suspension	45,350	38
Engine	62,000	29
Service Brakes	48,000	23
Exterior Lighting	52,000	21

Across all components, half the reported failures happened before 46,877 miles, with the middle half falling between 20,139 and 70,000. Based on the 554 complaints (83%) that record a mileage.

A low figure does not mean the car stops working at that mileage. It means the reported failures clustered early, which most often points to a fault built into a production batch — usually the kind of thing a warranty repair or a recall campaign addresses.

How this mix compares with other model years

Share of this model year’s complaints naming each group, against the median share across all 276 model years on this site. The tick marks that typical share.
Component group	Here	Typical
Engine	5.5%	16.6%
Electrical System	12.4%	13.4%
Power Train	10.0%	10.2%
Unknown or Other	6.0%	10.2%
Service Brakes	4.6%	6.4%
Steering	9.7%	6.2%
Air Bags	23.0%	5.8%
Fuel/Propulsion System	23.4%	4.5%

This compares the subjects of the complaints, not how many there are. A share needs no denominator, so unlike a count it can honestly be held against a norm — but a group sitting above the typical share means people complained about that part more often relative to everything else on this car, not that the car is worse than another.

Parts named by name

Part	Complaints	Median mileage
Power Train: Manual Transmission	13	2,250
Power Train: Automatic Transmission	8	—
Structure: Body	8	—

Most filers pick a category and stop there; only 9% of this model year’s complaints name a specific part. This table is that minority, so treat it as detail on top of the distribution above rather than as the whole picture. A dash means too few of those complaints record a mileage to publish a median.

How serious the complaints were

2.2% Crash reported 15 of 670
5.1% Fire reported 34 of 670
1.0% Injury reported 7 of 670
0.0% Death reported 0 of 670

Reported across all complaints on file: 7 injuries and 0 deaths. These shares sit within this model’s own complaints — they say nothing about how it compares to another model.

Recall campaigns

10 campaigns. A recall repair is free at a dealer regardless of how many owners the car has had. Check the car’s own VIN — a campaign listed here may already have been carried out on it.

19V018000 Air Bags: Frontal: Passenger Side: Inflator Module January 15, 2019

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.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

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.

Campaign covered 1,413,222 vehicles across model years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

18V021000 Air Bags: Frontal: Passenger Side: Inflator Module January 9, 2018

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, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Chrysler is recalling certain 2009-2010 RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Chrysler is also recalling certain 2009 RAM 3500, RAM 2500, RAM 4500 Cab Chassis, RAM 5500 Cab Chassis, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U03.

Campaign covered 328,177 vehicles across model years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

16V352000 Air Bags: Frontal: Passenger Side: Inflator Module May 24, 2016

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2012 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2012 Chrysler 300, 2006-2012 Dodge Charger, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Chrysler is also recalling 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2009 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2009 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2009 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2009 Chrysler 300, 2006-2009 Dodge Charger, 2005-2009 Dodge Dakota and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in AZ, AR, DE, Washington D.C., IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Chrysler is recalling certain 2005-2008 RAM 2500, 2006-2008 RAM 3500, 2007-2008 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2008 Dodge Durango, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler, 2008 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2008 Chrysler 300, 2006-2008 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2008 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, or registered, in AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY.

Consequence: These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM owners. Mitsubishi owners will be notified by their company. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S43. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-7700.

Campaign covered 4,648,270 vehicles across model years 2010, 2011, 2012 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

16V290000 Air Bags: Frontal: Driver Side: Inflator Module May 11, 2016

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Jeep Wrangler JK vehicles manufactured March 2, 2006, to August 13, 2010. The clockspring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the air bag circuit to fail.

Consequence: Failure of the air bag circuit may prevent the driver's frontal air bag from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring, wheel back cover, and column shroud, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S33.

Campaign covered 388,532 vehicles across model year 2010 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

13V176000 Air Bags May 7, 2013

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Jeep Wrangler right-hand drive vehicles manufactured February 1, 2007, through October 10, 2011. The affected vehicles have airbag clockspring assemblies that could experience broken airbag circuits.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment, a broken electrical circuit in the airbag clockspring wiring assembly can lead to non-deployment of the driver-side frontal airbag and will not be able to properly protect the driver, increasing the risk of injuries.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring and add a steering wheel dust shield, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. This recall supercedes NHTSA recall 11V-528. Chrysler's recall campaign number is M31.

Campaign covered 5,440 vehicles across model years 2010, 2011, 2012 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

12V216000 Power Train: Automatic Transmission May 16, 2012

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SKID PLATE, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, CAN COLLECT DEBRIS.

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE DEBRIS CAN IGNITE WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SKID PLATE WITH A SKID BAR, FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Campaign covered 65,246 vehicles across model year 2010 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

11V528000 Air Bags: Frontal November 2, 2011

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2012 RIGHT HAND DRIVE (RHD) JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2007, THROUGH OCTOBER 10, 2011. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH DRIVER'S AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLIES THAT COULD EXPERIENCE A COMPROMISED AIRBAG CIRCUIT RESULTING IN AN AIRBAG LAMP ILLUMINATION, WHICH INDICATES THAT THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY.

Consequence: A BROKEN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IN THE AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING WIRING ASSEMBLY CAN LEAD TO NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIRBAG AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT THE DRIVER IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES.

Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REMEDY THE VEHICLES AS NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. CHRYSLER WILL MAIL TO OWNERS AN INTERIM NOTIFICATION DURING MARCH 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Campaign covered 5,437 vehicles across model years 2010, 2011, 2012 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

11V145000 Power Train: Axle Assembly March 1, 2011

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 12, 2010, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10, 2010. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A DEGRADATION OF FASTENER TORQUE FOR VARIOUS FRONT AND REAR AXLE ATTACHMENTS TO THE CHASSIS MODULE.

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN NOISE, OR ULTIMATELY, DEGRADATION IN STEERING AND HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL RE-TORQUE ALL NINETEEN FASTENERS TO THE MAXIMUM RESIDUAL TORQUE VALUES. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 24, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Campaign covered 18,326 vehicles across model years 2010, 2011 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

10V315000 Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Foundation Components: Master Cylinder July 7, 2010

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 LEFT HAND DRIVE JEEP LIBERTY, DODGE NITRO AND RAM 1500 TRUCK; RIGHT AND LEFT HAND DRIVE JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN IMPROPERLY FORMED MASTER CYLINDER TO HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT (HCU) BRAKE TUBE ASSEMBLY END FLARE.

Consequence: THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND REDUCED BRAKING PERFORMANCE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE TUBES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING AUGUST 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-853-1403.

Campaign covered 20,626 vehicles across model year 2010 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

10V236000 Service Brakes, Hydraulic June 3, 2010

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2010 JEEP WRANGLER LEFT AND RIGHT HAND DRIVE PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 15, 2006 THROUGH APRIL 22, 2010. THERE MAY BE CONTACT BETWEEN THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT INNER FENDER LINERS AND THE RIGHT FRONT AND LEFT REAR BRAKE TUBES WHICH COULD CAUSE WEAR OF THE TUBES CAUSING A BRAKE FLUID LEAK.

Consequence: A BRAKE FLUID LEAK CAN CAUSE PARTIAL LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES AT THE AFFECTED WHEEL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-853-1403.

Campaign covered 287,653 vehicles across model year 2010 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.

NCAP crash-test ratings

Variant

Overall

Frontal

Side

Rollover

2010 Jeep Wrangler 2-DR.

Not Rated

Ratings are out of 5 stars.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist

Written and checked by someone who does this work; it is not derived from the data. The complaint counts decide only the order: the assemblies this model’s owners complain about most come first.

Airbags and the VIN recall check

Related complaint groups: Air Bags (154), Seat Belts (3)

The most reliable procedure in this library — it does not depend on hearing, experience or inspection conditions.

Required procedure

Take the VIN from the car itself — the windshield on the driver’s side, the door pillar, the paperwork — not from the listing.
Check that VIN in NHTSA’s official recall lookup.
A recall repair at a dealer is free regardless of how many owners the car has had. An open recall is a reason to visit a dealer, not a reason to haggle.
An open airbag recall is grounds not to buy the car until it has been fixed.

Inspection

The SRS light should come on with the ignition and then go out. Not coming on at all probably means it has been disabled deliberately.
Airbag covers on the wheel and dash: uneven gaps, mismatched texture, marks from removal.
Seat belts: pull each one out to full length and check for chafing, tears and water marks. The inertia reel should lock when pulled sharply.

Electrical system

Related complaint groups: Electrical System (83), Exterior Lighting (25)

With the car parked

With the ignition on, before starting, every warning light should come on and then go out once the engine runs. None coming on at all is worse than one staying lit: the bulb may have been removed or disabled in software.
Click through everything: windows from every switch, mirrors, heated elements, climate control on all settings, the radio, the camera, the parking sensors, cruise control.
Every exterior light, including running lights, brake lights, side repeaters and the license plate lamp.
Battery terminals for corrosion, and the date on the battery.
Cabin and trunk for signs of water: damp carpet under the mats, condensation in the headlights, rust on the seat mounts. Water in the electrics causes faults that are extremely hard to trace.

On the road

Whether anything dims when several high-draw consumers are switched on at once.
A second hot start after the drive.

Red flags

A dashboard with no warning lights at all when the ignition is on
Signs of water ingress
Homemade wiring, twisted joints, tape under the dash
Several small non-working functions at once — usually one common root cause

Suspension, control arms, steering

Related complaint groups: Steering (65), Suspension (42)

With the car parked

Rock the steering wheel briskly left and right. Knocking and free play point to ball joints, tie rod ends or the rack. This is the most productive check of this assembly without a lift.
Rock each wheel at 12 and 6 o’clock (ball joint, wheel bearing) and at 3 and 9 o’clock (steering linkage).
Inspect the bushings for cracks and separation, and the ball joint boots for damage.

On the road

Dull knocking from the front over small bumps. The cause cannot be determined without a lift: sway bar links are inexpensive, control arms cost several times more, and by ear the two are indistinguishable. A knock is grounds to require an inspection on a lift before purchase — not grounds to walk away from the car.
Whether it pulls to one side on a level road, and whether the wheel returns to center after a turn.

Red flags

Uneven tread wear — almost always alignment
A recent alignment in the paperwork with no explanation of why
One control arm noticeably newer than the rest

Cost if it needs work: Low to moderate. Depends on what turns out to be the source. Plus an alignment after the replacement.

Automatic transmission

Related complaint groups: Power Train (67)

Checking the fluid level during an inspection is usually not possible — many cars need a lift, some have no dipstick at all, and Honda’s procedure differs from the rest. So this assessment is built on behavior, not on fluid.

With the car parked

Move the selector P → R → D and back with the brake held. Each engagement should be a soft nudge, without a thump and without delay. Repeat two or three times in each direction.

On the road

Shifts without noticeable delay or thump, both under acceleration and when slowing down.
Pay particular attention to the 1-2-3 and 3-2-1 transitions — they carry the most load.
Hard acceleration at full throttle: the revs should not flare without the car gaining speed.
On a CVT the revs should rise smoothly, without steps, droning or jerking.

Questions for the seller

Has the fluid been changed, and is there proof. Regular changes are a substantial plus for the car; their absence at high mileage is reason for caution.

Red flags

A stored transmission fault code (a scan tool is worth having)
Slipping under load in any form
Recently cleared codes with no explanation
The seller offering to "just change the fluid" when it is black and burnt — that is cosmetic cover over wear that has already happened

Cost if it needs work: Expensive. The most expensive of the likely assemblies; a repair is often comparable to the value of the car.

Axles and CV joints

Related complaint groups: Power Train (67)

With the car parked

Turn the steering to full lock and inspect the outer CV boots on both sides for cracks, splits and thrown grease on the inner face of the wheel and in the wheel arch. A split boot on a joint that is still sound is a cheap repair today and an expensive one in six months.

On the road

Empty parking lot, steering at full lock, slow circles in both directions. A rhythmic clicking points to an outer CV joint; the side is identified by the direction of the turn.
Vibration under acceleration in a straight line that disappears when you lift off may indicate an inner CV joint.

Cost if it needs work: Relatively low. A good indicator of how the car has been treated overall.

Engine and cooling system

Related complaint groups: Engine (37), Engine and Engine Cooling (15)

Come to a cold car. A warmed-up engine hides a hard start, smoke and knocking. If the car is already warm, that is a yellow flag: ask for 30–40 minutes to let it cool. A refusal to let it cool is a red flag.

With the car parked

Oil: level, color, consistency. Level above maximum plus a smell of fuel on the dipstick means the oil is being diluted with fuel.
A whitish film on the oil filler cap alone is usually condensation from short trips in cold weather, not cause for alarm. What matters is the dipstick: a coffee-with-milk emulsion on the dipstick requires serious further inspection. A further indication is coolant hoses that are hard and under excess pressure.
Coolant: level, color, no oil film. Open the reservoir only on a fully cooled engine.
Leaks: under the engine, along the sump seam, around the valve cover, along the hoses and the radiator.

On the road and after

Cold start: how long the starter cranks, smoke in the first seconds, knocking that goes away as it warms up.
Temperature over the whole drive. Idle with the air conditioning on: the fan should cut in and the needle should not climb.
After the drive, switch off, wait a couple of minutes and look for fresh drips under the car.

Red flags

A freshly washed engine bay on a high-mileage car
Thick white smoke after warm-up
Temperature climbing in traffic

Brakes

Related complaint groups: Service Brakes (31)

With the car parked

Brake fluid level and color. Clear yellow is fresh; dark brown has not been changed in a long time.
Fluid at the lower mark with no leaks usually means worn pads: the pistons have extended and the fluid has moved into the calipers.
Pad thickness through the spokes of the wheel. Check the disc for a lip at the outer edge and for deep scoring.
Inside face of the wheels: an even dark dust film is normal; one wheel noticeably dirtier than the others may indicate a sticking caliper.
Hoses for cracks and bulges, lines for corrosion.

On the road

First stop at low speed: the pedal should be firm, with no sinking.
Accelerate to 40–45 mph and brake moderately. Pulsing through the pedal or the steering wheel usually means warped discs.
Braking on flat dry pavement: pulling to one side requires further inspection.
The ABS light should come on with the ignition and go out after the engine starts.
A feeling that the car is driving "as if towing a trailer" may indicate binding brakes.
The car squatting at the rear when pulling away may indicate parking-brake cables or stuck rear shoes.

After the drive

Hold your palm near each wheel without touching the disc or the caliper — after braking they will burn you. Compare only left against right on the same axle: the front is always hotter than the rear, and that is normal. A noticeable difference between the two wheels of one axle requires further inspection.

Red flags

The pedal slowly sinks to the floor when held down
An illuminated ABS or brake system warning light
Fresh fluid together with completely worn pads

Cost if it needs work: Moderate. Confirm actual cost against local prices at the time of purchase.

The Jeep Wrangler year by year

Model year	Complaints	Median mileage	Recalls
2010 (this page)	670	46,877	10
2011	466	50,000	10
2012	800	41,364	9
2013	608	49,000	6
2014	588	49,600	4
2015	335	35,000	3
2016	352	37,000	5

Read the mileage column down this table with care. A newer year has simply been driven less, so its median sits lower for that reason alone — the figure is censored from above by how long the cars have been on the road, not only by how they were built. The same applies to the complaint counts: an older year has had more years in which to collect them.

Where the mileage figure does compare cleanly is between different models of the same year, which have had the same time to accumulate miles.

Other Jeep model years

All model years