What's Wrong with the 1st Generation (2015–2021) Renegade?

Renegade owners have made 557 complaints about the 2015–2021 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 12th out of 18 Jeep generations in overall reliability, with real engine and electrical concerns.

Common 2015-2021 Jeep Renegade Problems

Some of the worst issues 1st generation Renegade owners have to deal with.

  1. 2.4L Tigershark Oil Consumption

    A serious defect in the 2.4L Tigershark engine causes an excessive amount of oil to be burned during normal operation. Owners must constantly top off the oil and have consumption tests run at the dealership, or risk the engine seizing up an…

    Continue reading article "2.4L Tigershark Oil Consumption" Tigershark engine

  2. 2.4L Tigershark Emissions

    Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) could be preparing for a major recall after discovering excessive emissions coming out vehicles with the 2.4L Tigershark engine. In a recent regulatory filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, …

    Continue reading article "2.4L Tigershark Emissions" White smoke coming out of a tailpipe

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

1st Generation (2015–2021) Renegade Key Numbers

  1. 7 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 557 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 12th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 18 eligible generations.

Recent 1st Generation (2015–2021) Renegade News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Fiat-Chrysler has been accused of calling the 2.4L Tigershark engine's agressive oil consumption "normal" in order to avoid having to recall millions of vehicles.

    A new lawsuit says a defect in that engine's piston rings allows oil to enter the combustion chamber. That leads to roughly a quart of oil burning off every 1,000 miles. If an owner follows the recommended 4,000 mile oil change interval, it puts them at extreme risk of permanently damaging the engine.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says a Piston Ring Defect Burns Through Oil in the Tigershark Engine"

  2. There’s a settlement on the horizon for 9-speed transmission problems, it just needs the judge’s final thumbs up.

    The Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) 9-speed transmission class-action includes all consumers who purchased or leased a new 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee, 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2015 Chrysler 200 or 2015 ProMaster City. In addition, the consumer must still own the vehicle and it must have been purchased or leased in the U.S.

    Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) agreed to the settlement before the case went to trial, and generally it’s good news. There are a lot of complicated eligibility requirements, however, and David Wood has the full run-down on CarComplaints.com.

    keep reading article "9-Speed Transmission Settlement Just Needs the Judge’s Approval"

  3. ZF North America is recalling over 500,000 of its 9-speed transmissions (number 9HP48 or 948TE) because they can suddenly slip into neutral.

    The problem is caused by a terminal crimping issue with 26-way connectors on the sensor cluster harness assemblies.  The company says the star-shaped connector was not properly crimped and the problem wasn't caught at the factory because of a manual setting used for measurements.…

    keep reading article "Defective ZF Transmission Sensors Recalled in 505,000 Vehicles"

  5. A transmission defect known to cause a sudden loss of propulsion is being recalled in over 400,000 Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) vehicles.

    [FCA] was examining warranty data and opened an investigation that determined an insufficient crimp in a wire harness could cause a fault code in the solenoid. If that occurs, the vehicle will stop moving, something Chrysler says can temporally be fixed by stopping the vehicle and re-starting the engine.…

    keep reading article "FCA Blames Wiring Harness Problem on ZF Transmission’s Sudden Loss of Propulsion"

What Renegade Owners Say About This Generation

Hard, Strange Shifts and Sudden Shutdowns with the ZF 9-Speed Transmission

[My dad] ... complained about the surging that happened after he stopped (feeling like something had run into his back-end); the hesitations when leaving a stop sign or speeding up and the hard/rough shifts as the “automatic” transmission shifted, that he noticed as he drove it. The dealership ... told him, “That’s how this car is built, there isn’t any way to change it”.

2015 Renegade Owner in IL

Oil Consumption Defect Causes the 2.4L Tigershark Engine to Stall

Within 16,000 miles our Jeep has burned 6 quarts of oil. In the last 5,000 miles it has gone through 2 quarts of oil. Today it is at the dealership where I was told this is 100% normal. The service advisers immediate told me that GM's burn much more oil and began a rant telling me everyone has this issue.

2016 Renegade Owner in NY