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Jeep Wrangler

All generations and engines together · 4,815 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 47k

Reliability verdict
EBy age
EBy miles

Graded against its peers

One of the worst SUVs, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and lights & electrics. A risky used buy. Check the MOT history for repeating suspension advisories before you go.

First-time failure at age 7
23.9%
Across 306 tests. The average for SUVs is 16.4%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
22.9%
Across 529 tests. The average for SUVs is 15.1%.
Rank in its class
37 of 38
1 = lowest failure rate among the 38 SUVs we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
47k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

"Death wobble" - violent steering shake over bumps

Partly in the MOT data

A sudden, violent shake through the steering wheel, usually triggered by a pothole or bump at 40mph plus, that owners of both the JK and JL generation report on and off through the model's life. It comes from wear or play in the solid front axle's track bar, tie rod ends or ball joints, sometimes made worse by wrong caster settings after a lift kit. The measured MOT data for this model already runs hot on suspension work, and track bar bushes and ball joints are exactly the parts behind the wobble, so the folklore and the numbers point at the same corner of the car.

Reported throughout JK and JL life as suspension parts wear · sources: JK Forum owner threads, Wrangler Forum owner threads

TIPM failure: stalling, dead fuel pump, electrics doing their own thing

Confirmed pattern

The Totally Integrated Power Module, the fuse and relay box in the engine bay, can fail and cause stalling on the move, no-start, a fuel pump that keeps running with the key out (flattening the battery), or wipers and lights acting up on their own. Chrysler/Jeep covered a chunk of 2007-2014-built Wranglers with recalls that replace the module free even out of warranty, but failures keep turning up outside those exact build windows too. Expect £150-£400 in parts if it's not covered, more with dealer fitting.

Reported mainly on 2007-2016 JK · sources: YOUCANIC TIPM troubleshooting guide, Go-Parts TIPM failure guide

2.8 CRD diesel: injector, EGR and turbo wear

EmergingDiesel only (2.8 CRD)

The VM Motori 2.8 diesel in JK Wranglers has a name among owners for injector failure, dubbed "black death" for the mess it leaves, plus EGR clogging and VGT turbo actuator faults that bring on limp mode and a check engine light. This is specialist repair work, not a job for a general garage, and budget well into four figures if more than one injector or the turbo actuator has gone. Doesn't apply to the petrol V6 or the later JL diesel.

Reported from around 80k miles · sources: AUTODOC UK technical notes, JK Forum owner threads

2.0 turbo petrol: oil consumption and carbon build-up

Disputed2.0 turbo petrol only

JL Wranglers fitted with the 2.0-litre turbo petrol have a run of owner reports of using more oil than expected between services, put down to carbon building up on the intake valves on this direct-injection engine. Some owners also mention wastegate faults and valve cover oil leeps around 60-80k miles. It isn't officially acknowledged as a pattern, so on a high-mileage example ask for oil-check history and consider a compression or leak-down test before buying.

Reported from around 60-80k miles · sources: owner forum reports on JL 2.0T engines

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Wheel bearingsRuns high on this model On the test drive, listen for a drone that rises with road speed and shifts when you sway the car gently between lanes. That is a wheel bearing, and it only ever gets louder.Recorded on 5.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.5%
DampersRuns high on this model Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 4.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.1%
LeaksRuns high on this model Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 3.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 3.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.9%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 2.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.2%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.3%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 16.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 10.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 11.1%
Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this model Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

On the test drive, find a rough patch of road at 40-50mph, brake or hit a pothole, then loosen your grip on the wheel briefly. A sudden violent shake that fades as you slow down is death wobble; budget for track bar and ball joint work.
Turn the ignition to on without starting and watch the dash, wipers and lights for a few seconds. Random flickers, self-activating wipers or a no-crank point at a failing TIPM, especially on 2007-2016 cars.
Ask if a TIPM recall was ever carried out and check for a record of it in the service history. No record either way means you can't tell if the module has already been dealt with.
On a 2.8 CRD diesel, accelerate hard from low revs and watch for hesitation or a check engine light. A flat response followed by limp mode points at turbo or injector wear, not a cheap fix.
Ask when the injectors were last replaced on a CRD diesel, and whether all four were done or just one. One replaced injector usually means the rest aren't far behind.
On a 2.0 turbo petrol JL, check the service book for oil-level checks between changes. No record of checks, or frequent top-ups noted, suggests the oil consumption issue is already under way.
Look underneath at the track bar, tie rod ends and ball joints for play, and read the MOT history for suspension advisories. Repeated suspension advisories back up how often the wear behind death wobble shows up in testing.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Jeep WranglerClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 1,543 tests in this band.

A wheel bearing with excessive play
Advisory
5.3%class 0.5%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
5.2%class 0.9%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
5.0%class 2.4%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
4.0%class 0.1%
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
2.9%class 0.2%
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
2.7%class 1.3%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
2.4%class 1.3%
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source m
Fail
1.8%class 0.4%
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
1.5%class 0.8%
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
Minor
1.4%class 0.7%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
16.0%class 10.1%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
10.6%class 11.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
9.5%class 8.7%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
7.5%class 20.1%
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Fail
5.4%class 1.4%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
Minor
3.2%class 2.0%
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
Fail
2.1%class 0.8%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
2.1%class 1.6%

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