Illustration1999 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE BEING A LEMON *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NEW. BUT, IN FACT IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE SHE SUFFERED A NECK INJURY. *JB
1999 Jeep Wrangler
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
100–25K
2225–50K
3250–75K
1775–100K
19100–150K
8150K+
108 reports with mileage · 105 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 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports6 fire reports9 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
50 reportsEXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILURE. *TR
RADIATOR MADE WITH PLASTIC WHICH LEAKS AT THE TOP WHERE THE PLASTIC IS CRIMPED TO THE METAL CORE. THIS IS AN INEVITABLE PROBLEM ON ALL JEEP (CHRYSLER PRODUCTS) MADE WITH RADIATORS MANUFACTURED USING PLASTIC CAUSING LEAKAGE BEFORE THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE RADIATOR IS REACHED. IN SOME CASES, COOLANT IS FLAMMABLE. TO MY KNOWLE…
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RADIATOR MADE WITH PLASTIC WHICH LEAKS AT THE TOP WHERE THE PLASTIC IS CRIMPED TO THE METAL CORE. THIS IS AN INEVITABLE PROBLEM ON ALL JEEP (CHRYSLER PRODUCTS) MADE WITH RADIATORS MANUFACTURED USING PLASTIC CAUSING LEAKAGE BEFORE THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE RADIATOR IS REACHED. IN SOME CASES, COOLANT IS FLAMMABLE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO RECALL HAS BEEN PERFORMED. *TR
CRACKED MANIFOLD. *AK
I HAVE HAD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAIL IN MY 99 TJ TWICE NOW. THE FACTORY ORIGINAL CRACKED AT ABOUT 39,000 MILES AND THE "NEW AND IMPROVED" OEM REPLACEMENT LASTED 11 MONTHS (OR 9,450 MILES). THIS IS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE...*JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. IT WOULD ACCELERATE AT ANYTIME, WHETHER IT WAS IN IDLE OR IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN OBSERVED BY THE DEALER HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 8 TIMES ON AVERAGE A DAY.
FOUND CRACK IN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BETWEEN THE #1 AND #2 PORTS AT AROUND 68,000 MILES, AFTER DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER JEEP OWNERS I LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1999 AND OTHER YEARS BACK. MY COMPLAINT IS, IF DAIMLER CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND I AM SURE THEY ARE, WHY AREN'T THEY ADDRESSI…
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FOUND CRACK IN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BETWEEN THE #1 AND #2 PORTS AT AROUND 68,000 MILES, AFTER DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER JEEP OWNERS I LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1999 AND OTHER YEARS BACK. MY COMPLAINT IS, IF DAIMLER CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND I AM SURE THEY ARE, WHY AREN'T THEY ADDRESSING IT. UNHAPPY WITH DEALER AND STOCK MANIFOLD, REPLACED WITH AFTER MARKET EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEADER. *JB
I TOOK MY JEEP TO CHUCK NASH JEEP BECAUSE OF A POPPING SOUND. THEY SAID THE EXHAUST MAINFOLD WAS CRACKED, AND TOLD ME IT WOULD BE $750.00 TO REPLACE, I REFUSED THE REPAIR, THEY CHARGED ME $75.00 FOR THE EVALUATION.*JB
HEARD EXCESSIVE NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE EXHAUST HEADER WAS CRACKED AT THE EXHAUST FLANGE CONNECTING THE CROSSOVER PIPE TO THE MANIFOLD. *AK
I HAVE A 1999 JEEP WRANGLER WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED IN OCT OF 1998. MY OEM EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TWO CRACKS IN IT AS OF DECEMBER OF 2003, WITH THE MILAGE ON THE VEHICLE BEING ROUGHLY 42000. I REPLACED THE MANIFOLD WITH AN AFTERMARKET MANIFOLD PURCHASED FROM O'REILLY AUTO PARTS IN SPRINGFIELD, MO. ELEVEN MONTHS LATER, THE AFTERM…
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I HAVE A 1999 JEEP WRANGLER WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED IN OCT OF 1998. MY OEM EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TWO CRACKS IN IT AS OF DECEMBER OF 2003, WITH THE MILAGE ON THE VEHICLE BEING ROUGHLY 42000. I REPLACED THE MANIFOLD WITH AN AFTERMARKET MANIFOLD PURCHASED FROM O'REILLY AUTO PARTS IN SPRINGFIELD, MO. ELEVEN MONTHS LATER, THE AFTERMARKET MANIFOLD CRACKED ALSO. THERE IS TOO MUCH HEAT AND PRESSURE IN THE 4.0 ENGINE FOR THE MANIFOLDS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE, CAUSING FAILURE. JEEP DEALERSHIPS REPLACE HUNDREDS DAILY, AND ARE WELL AWARE OF THE ENGINE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO THAT THE STOCK MANIFOLDS ARE MADE OUT OF WEAK MATERIALS. ANY MUFFLER SHOP OR TECH WILL AGREE WITH THIS, AS DID 8 JEEP ENGINEERS AT CAMP JEEP. I AM CURRENTLY GOING ON MY 3RD, AND PLAN ON CHANGING TO EITHER A BORLA OR BANKS HEADER TO TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HEADMAN HEDDERS HAS DISCONTINUED MAKING A REPLACEMENT FOR THE JEEPS BECAUSE THEY AREN'T ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND BORLA AGREES, BUT CONTINUES TO WARRANTY EXCHANGE THOSE THAT COME BACK CRACKED. THE EXHAUST LEAKS PENETRATE THE CAB AND CAN CAUSE HEADACHES AND DROWSINESS AFTER LONG PERIODS OF EXPOSURE. GAS MILAGE IS GREATLY REDUCED BY THIS ISSUE. I AM LOOKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF MY AFTERMARKET HEADER IF JEEP IS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE OR RECALL THE MANIFOLDS.*AK
Official recalls
199V117000 · Unknown Or Other
May 6, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE LEFT SIDE AND RIGHT SIDE INSTRUMENT PANEL WIRING GROUND ATTACHMENT SCREWS COULD LOOSEN OVER TIME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE LEFT SIDE SCREW LOOSENS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES MAY NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED ON. IF THE RIGHT SIDE SCREW LOOSENS, THE DEFROSTER BLOWER MOTOR MAY NOT FUNCTION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE GROUND SCREWS, DRILL A NEW PILOT HOLE ADJACENT TO THE ORIGINAL HOLE, AND THE SCREWS WILL BE REINSTALLED IN THE NEW HOLES.
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
1RQ99011 · Instrument Panel Ground Screw
Opened Jun 1, 1999 · Closed May 30, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WIRING GROUND ATTACHMENT SCREWS CAN LOOSEN