What's Wrong with the 2nd Generation Wrangler?

Front 3/4 view of a Jeep Wrangler

The 2nd generation Wrangler runs from the 1996 to 2006 model years and ranks 5th out of 18 eligible generations in reliability with a cumulative PainRank™ of 4.23.

PainRank™ is a relative complaint analysis of the 219 complaints made by owners over at CarComplaints.com A majority of the complaints are about suspension problems.

You can compare it with other Wrangler generations.

The Worst 1996-2006 Wrangler Problems

Death Wobble

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The death wobble is a creative term coined by Jeep owners that describes a situation when the front axle begins violently oscillating, causing the car to shake (or wobble) in a manner which makes the vehicle hard to control.

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Window Regulator Failure

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Without the window regulator, power windows become useless. That's exactly what has happened to thousands of Jeep owners; hundreds have complained about their windows falling into the door, sometimes at highway speeds!…

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Wrangler Gas Overflow Complaints

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Jeep owners are up in gasoline-covered arms about how fuel overflows from their tank during the refueling process. The fuel system does not seem to respond to the shut-off mechanism, which means gas spills out onto the ground, the car and e…

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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

Worst Topics

Worst Years

What Wrangler Owners Say About This Generation

Window Regulator Failure

I just think the auto company should replace the defective part that was put onto the car. I don't like being told that I live in the wrong state or my Jeep was built in the wrong month, the part is defective and it doesn't matter what year it was made or what state I live in, right is right.

By the Numbers

  1. 10 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 219 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 5th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 18 eligible generations.