Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
470–25K
4525–50K
3450–75K
1875–100K
17100–150K
3150K+
164 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.
Steering. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Suspension. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports7 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
192 reports
57,000 miles · Mar 31, 2009
Power Train
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE MONTHS LATER. HE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE AXLE AND THE PUMPKIN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNAB…
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE MONTHS LATER. HE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE AXLE AND THE PUMPKIN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE AXLE FAILURE. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THE AXLE WILL FAIL WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE A CRASH. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
NHTSA ODI #10263767
28,970 miles · Mar 17, 2009
Electrical System
WHILE TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION AT 5 MPH, ENGINE STALLED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. MECHANIC SCANNED ENGINE WITHOUT FINDING CAUSE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10262094
33,000 miles · Jan 6, 2009
Suspension
2004 JEEP RUBICON BALL JOINT FAILURE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10253954
60,000 miles · Dec 22, 2008
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash
MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE IN HER 2004 JEEP WRANGLER CAUSING HER TO COAST THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND HIT AN ONCOMING CAR. UPON INSPECTION OF HER JEEP, THERE WAS A CLIP MISSING THAT SECURED THE CONNECTION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO THE ACTUATOR ROD THAT GOES INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER. WITHOUT THE CLIP, T…
Read full complaint
MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE IN HER 2004 JEEP WRANGLER CAUSING HER TO COAST THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND HIT AN ONCOMING CAR. UPON INSPECTION OF HER JEEP, THERE WAS A CLIP MISSING THAT SECURED THE CONNECTION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO THE ACTUATOR ROD THAT GOES INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER. WITHOUT THE CLIP, THE TWO PARTS SEPARATED CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. THIS CAR HAS NO HISTORY OF BRAKE REPAIR IN THAT AREA WHICH INDICATES A FAULTY CLIP OR A CLIP WAS NEVER INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10252590
15,260 miles · Nov 18, 2008
Fuel System, OtherFire
2004 JEEP WRANGLER WAS PARKED & CAUGHT FIRE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10249163
60,000 miles · Nov 11, 2008
Exterior Lighting
MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED AFTER 60,000 MILES OF VEHICLE OPERATION. SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE ARE: FOG LIGHTS ENGAGE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SIGNALING RIGHT-HAND TURNS OR WHEN DRIVING OVER ROUGH SURFACE ROADS. AN ELECTRICAL "POPPING" NOISE CAN BE HEARD ORIGINATING FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH STALK WHERE THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH R…
Read full complaint
MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED AFTER 60,000 MILES OF VEHICLE OPERATION. SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE ARE: FOG LIGHTS ENGAGE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SIGNALING RIGHT-HAND TURNS OR WHEN DRIVING OVER ROUGH SURFACE ROADS. AN ELECTRICAL "POPPING" NOISE CAN BE HEARD ORIGINATING FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH STALK WHERE THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH RESIDES. ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED FOR ANY PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR LOOSE WIRING CONTACTS, BUT NO EXTERNAL DEFECTS COULD BE OBSERVED. VEHICLE DOES NOT EXPERIENCE ANY SORT OF ABNORMAL USE OR ABUSE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD, AS NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF SWITCH FAILURE LEADING TO MELTED, BURNED WIRES AND CONNECTORS IN THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS, AS WELL AS IN THE SWITCH ITSELF. THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO THAT PLAGUING MANY PT CRUISERS, WHICH USE THE SAME SWITCH ASSEMBLY AS THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WILL MOST LIKELY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH ASSEMBLY, BUT AS THE DESIGN SHOWS NO SIGNS OF UNDERGOING AN ENGINEERING REVISION SINCE INTRODUCTION, I BELIEVE THAT ANY REPLACEMENT PART WILL ULTIMATELY PRESENT THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10248514
66,484 miles · Sep 12, 2008
Power Train
I WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I STOPPED THE JEEP WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. I FOUND A PIECE OF LEVEL GROUND TO STOP ON BUT THEN SINCE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK, I COULD NOT TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I WAS VERY LUCKY THE DEALER WAS OPEN SO I COULD DRIVE IT THERE TO BE FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THE CENTER PIN/SHAFT ON SHIFT ASSEMBLY WAS …
Read full complaint
I WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I STOPPED THE JEEP WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. I FOUND A PIECE OF LEVEL GROUND TO STOP ON BUT THEN SINCE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK, I COULD NOT TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I WAS VERY LUCKY THE DEALER WAS OPEN SO I COULD DRIVE IT THERE TO BE FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THE CENTER PIN/SHAFT ON SHIFT ASSEMBLY WAS BROKE. I ASK IF THAT WASN'T A SAFETY PART AND WAS TOLD NO EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN, THE JEEP WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO IT WOULD NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE ANY WAY. THE LADY IN WRITE UP SAID THAT WAS THE SECOND ONE THEY HAD TO FIX. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS THING. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! I LIVE ON A HILL AND THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD GO HOME WITH IT NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK, I COULD NOT EVEN GET OUT OF IT IN MY DRIVE WAY BECAUSE OF THE INCLINE. WHAT'S HAPPEN TO THE STEEL WITH WHICH THEY MAKE THE CAR PARTS TODAY? *TR
NHTSA ODI #10241964
6,000 miles · May 7, 2008
Steering
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR "SHIMMY" IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN THE FRONT END THAT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND SUGGESTED AN ALIGNMENT. THE VEHIC…
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR "SHIMMY" IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN THE FRONT END THAT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND SUGGESTED AN ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS ALIGNED AND THE TIRES WERE BALANCED, BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,150 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.
NHTSA ODI #10226929
27,112 miles · Apr 23, 2008
Seat Belts
THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM THAT RETRACTS THE SEATBELT IN THE 2004 JEEP WRANGLERS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10225491
66,000 miles · Apr 17, 2008
Visibility
DRIVING JEEP IN COLD WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED FROM THE CENTER, BOTTOM OF GLASS TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE GLASS. THE INNER PANE OF GLASS CRACKED. THERE WAS NOT ANY DAMAGE TO THE GLASS PRIOR TO THE BREAK. I WAS RUNNING THE DEFROSTER AT THE TIME AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS APPROX. 7 DEGREES F. *TR
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A RECENT SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION WAS INADVERTENTLY OMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE VEHICLE OWNER WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION FOR THEIR VEHICLE.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A CORRECTED TIRE CERTIFICATION LABEL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS 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 ↗