IllustrationAIRBAG CLOCK SPRING QUIT WORKING NO HORN NO AIRBAG THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
2002 Jeep Wrangler
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Jeep Wrangler are lower than 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
240–25K
1225–50K
950–75K
1075–100K
12100–150K
13150K+
80 reports with mileage · 28 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.
- Structure. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 14 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 reports5 fire reports13 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
13 reportsJEEP FISHTAILED IN BAD RAIN THEN LEFT INTERSTATE FLIPPED 3 TIMES LANDED IN RAVINE NOSE DOWN, NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *NM
ALL IN ONE MINUTE BOTH THINGS HAPPENED WHILE ON THE WAY TO TAKE MY SON TO THE ER. MY HORN AND THEN AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID CLOCK SPRING. THEY REPLACED AT $300.00 THEN STILL NOT FIXED. THEY THEN SAID ITS MY AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE AT A COST OF $510.00. I AM GETTING UPSET AND BROKE. *JB
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH AND A LADY PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME TO CROSS OVER THE INTERSECTION. MY JEEP HIT HER VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND MY HOOD FLEW UP INTO THE WINDSHIELD, BUMPER FELL OFF THE VEHICLE AND ENTIRE SIDE PANEL WAS RIPPED BACK TO THE DOOR AND NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I FELT LIKE …
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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH AND A LADY PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME TO CROSS OVER THE INTERSECTION. MY JEEP HIT HER VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND MY HOOD FLEW UP INTO THE WINDSHIELD, BUMPER FELL OFF THE VEHICLE AND ENTIRE SIDE PANEL WAS RIPPED BACK TO THE DOOR AND NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I FELT LIKE THIS WAS UNUSUAL DUE TO THE DAMAGE, SO I WANTED TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM. THE ESTIMATE SO FAR TO FIX MY VEHICLE IS OVER $7,000. NO ONE WAS INJURED.*AK
I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER. I HAVE A 2002 JEEP WRANGLER THAT NOW NEEDS A CLOCK SPRING REPAIR. MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING WHEN I TRIED TO USE,THEN MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAS CAUSED MY AIR BAG SYSTEM NOT TO WORK AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST IS $300.00 AND I FEEL REALLY S…
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I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER. I HAVE A 2002 JEEP WRANGLER THAT NOW NEEDS A CLOCK SPRING REPAIR. MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING WHEN I TRIED TO USE,THEN MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAS CAUSED MY AIR BAG SYSTEM NOT TO WORK AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST IS $300.00 AND I FEEL REALLY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS FAR AS ALL AIR BAGS. DUE TO ITS SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND WHAT THESE CLOCK SPRINGS ARE DOING IN THE CHRYSLER VEHICLES! THIS SHOULD BE A REPAIR COVERED BY CHRYSLER.. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM I FOUND A SAFETY BULLETIN #0801001 THAT WARNED ABOUT CLOCK SPRINGS IN MY WRANGLER AND JEEP LIBERTY. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO BULLETIN. I FOUND THE BULLETIN ON YOUR WEB SITE. I WOULD LIKE YOUR INPUT PLEASE. THANKS .MIKE. *NM
MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION THAT ENDED UP TOTALING MY VEHICLE. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK THE VEHICLE CRASHED WITH INTO A LARGE TREE. *SCC *JB
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, SOMEHOW THE VEHICLE HIT THE REAR OF A SCHOOL BUS. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S CHEST HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE PASSENGER'S HEAD HIT THE DASHBOARD. NO ONE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *PH
DAUGHTER INVOLVED IN SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH 2002 JEEP WRANGLER ROLLED OVER 3 TIMES AND LANDED NOSE DOWN IN DITCH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. COMPLAINT WAS ISSUED TO CHRYSLER, THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT END HAS TO BE HIT JUST RIGHT BEFORE AIR BAGS ARE DEPLOYED. MY DAUGHTER WAS ALMOST KILLED AND DON'T BELIEVE THAT STATEMEN…
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DAUGHTER INVOLVED IN SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH 2002 JEEP WRANGLER ROLLED OVER 3 TIMES AND LANDED NOSE DOWN IN DITCH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. COMPLAINT WAS ISSUED TO CHRYSLER, THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT END HAS TO BE HIT JUST RIGHT BEFORE AIR BAGS ARE DEPLOYED. MY DAUGHTER WAS ALMOST KILLED AND DON'T BELIEVE THAT STATEMENT WAS TRUE. I FEEL IT IS IN FACT FAULTY EQUIPMENT AND AFTER READING THESE REPORTS , I FEEL THAT SOME KIND OF COMPENSATION IS DUE. MY DAUGHTER IS STILL SUFFERING BAD HEAD ACHES AND BACK PAINS. I ASKED FOR $50,000. AND WAS IGNORED. *LA
I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN OCTOBER 2002 WITH MY 2002 JEEP WRANGLER X. I HIT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME GOING ABOUT 40MPH, AND WAS THEN HIT FROM BEHIND. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED, NOR DID THE SEAT BELT TIGHTEN. I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEARING WHEEL. I TRIED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH DAIMLER-CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND WAS TOLD SINCE MY VEHI…
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I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN OCTOBER 2002 WITH MY 2002 JEEP WRANGLER X. I HIT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME GOING ABOUT 40MPH, AND WAS THEN HIT FROM BEHIND. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED, NOR DID THE SEAT BELT TIGHTEN. I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEARING WHEEL. I TRIED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH DAIMLER-CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND WAS TOLD SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS ALREADY BEING WORKED ON THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT. I WAS IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT AUGUST 8, 2003. SOMEONE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME ON THE HIGHWAY AND I HIT HIM GOING ABOUT 55 MPH. THE AIRBAGS AGAIN DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM TRYING TO GET AN ANSWER OUT OF DAIMLER-CHRYSLER AGAIN AND THEY KEEP GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND ABOUT IT.*AK
Official recalls
202V104000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors
Apr 8, 2002
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.0L ENGINE ONLY, THE DESIGN OF THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS COULD ALLOW DEBRIS TO ACCUMULATE AT THE #3 CYLINDER LOCATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A MANIFOLD SHIELD TO MODIFY THE AIR FLOW CHARACTERISTICS AND TO PREVENT THE ACCUMULATION OF DEBRIS IN THE AREA OF THE #3 CYLINDER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 13, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
02V075000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Mar 8, 2002
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, WATER AND IMPURITIES CAN ENTER INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH A REDESIGNED SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 8, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
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.