IllustrationWATERLEAKS ON PASSENGER SIDE, DEALER CAN NOT FIX.....GEARS GRIND GOING FROM 1ST TO 2ND...AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON, INTSRUMENT PANEL FAILS, DEALER HAS FIXED ONCE
1998 Jeep Wrangler
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Jeep Wrangler do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 265.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Wrangler years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
1525–50K
1850–75K
1675–100K
17100–150K
5150K+
76 reports with mileage · 189 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports9 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
265 reportsDRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION OF THE U BOLT THAT CAUSED THE I BEAM TO BREAK. DRIVER RAN INTO A TRUCK. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
LEAKS SOMEWHERE IN H/AC VENTING-NO LEAK ON DRIVER SIDE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, WHERE THEY WERE DOING ROAD WORK, FRONT END VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY, EVEN LOST CONTROL AFTER DECELERATION. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK
FIRST OFF, MY AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN THE GAUGES WOULD SHUT DOWN. I TOOK THE JEEP IN ONCE, THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T SEE ANY PROBLEMS AND COULDN'T FIX IT IF THEY DIDN'T SEE IT. NEXT, I WAS DRIVING THE JEEP, HAD STOPPED TO GET GAS, THEN STARTED TO DRIVE AND SUDDENLY, THE JEEP NO LONGER WOULD MOVE. THERE WAS A HORRIBLE …
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FIRST OFF, MY AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN THE GAUGES WOULD SHUT DOWN. I TOOK THE JEEP IN ONCE, THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T SEE ANY PROBLEMS AND COULDN'T FIX IT IF THEY DIDN'T SEE IT. NEXT, I WAS DRIVING THE JEEP, HAD STOPPED TO GET GAS, THEN STARTED TO DRIVE AND SUDDENLY, THE JEEP NO LONGER WOULD MOVE. THERE WAS A HORRIBLE SMELL, AND I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED AT 9 P.M, 6 HOURS FROM HOME. THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN THE SHOP, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'LL BE THROUGH WITH IT!!
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH STEERING COLUMN MAKING SCRAPING NOISS. VEHICLE BENN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEFORE THEY REPLACED STEERING COLUMN. LESS THEN THREE MONTHS LATER, PROBLEM REOCCURRED. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART, AND IF SO, HOW LONG WOULD THEY DO THIS UNTIL…
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ONGOING PROBLEM WITH STEERING COLUMN MAKING SCRAPING NOISS. VEHICLE BENN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEFORE THEY REPLACED STEERING COLUMN. LESS THEN THREE MONTHS LATER, PROBLEM REOCCURRED. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART, AND IF SO, HOW LONG WOULD THEY DO THIS UNTIL WARRANTY RAN OUT. IF SO, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? ! CAN NHTSA HELP WITH THIS MATTER BEFORE THIS OCCUR AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK
MY WIFE WAS SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND THE STICK SHIFT SEPARATED FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR HARD. WHEN WE CALLED JIM MARSH JEEP MY WIFE TOLD THEM THE STICK SHIFT CAME OFF AND THE PERSON SAID "YOU MUST HAVE A WRANGLER". THIS HAS TO BE MORE THAN AN ISOLATED INCEDENT. HAD WE BEE…
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MY WIFE WAS SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND THE STICK SHIFT SEPARATED FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR HARD. WHEN WE CALLED JIM MARSH JEEP MY WIFE TOLD THEM THE STICK SHIFT CAME OFF AND THE PERSON SAID "YOU MUST HAVE A WRANGLER". THIS HAS TO BE MORE THAN AN ISOLATED INCEDENT. HAD WE BEEN 4 WHEELING SOME WHERE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD ACCIDENT.
OIL PRESSURE GAUGE.
HEATER BLOWER.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND CRUISE CONTROL.
Official recalls
298V048000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Mar 12, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE. THE FRONT SEAT BELT SHOULDER TURNING LOOP ANCHORS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND ARE NOT PROPERLY HARDENED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT SHOULDER BELT TURNING LOOP ON THESE VEHICLES.
98V023000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
Feb 10, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM RESERVOIR DIAPHRAGM CAN SPLIT OR TEAR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN CAUSE AN INCREASE IN ENGINE IDLE SPEED AND A LOSS OF POWER ASSIST DURING BRAKE APPLICATION WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE BOOSTER DATE CODE AND ANY BOOSTERS WITH THE SUSPECT MANUFACTURING DATE RANGE WILL BE REPLACED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.