← New search

2004 Jeep Wrangler

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 265.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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
100,000 miles · Nov 3, 2017
Electrical System

VEHICLE SHIFTS HARD FROM GEAR TO GEAR FOR FIRST 5 MINUTES OR SO OF DRIVING. RANDOMLY THROWS 02 OR CPS CODES. HAD ALL PARTS REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE. PCM REPLACED TWICE. TWO MECHANICS CONFIRMED IT WAS A FAULTY PCM. SHIFTING ETC, IS BETTER WHEN NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE DISCONNECTED OVERNIGHT. AFTER A FEW CYCLES, THE ISSUES RETUR…

Read full complaint

VEHICLE SHIFTS HARD FROM GEAR TO GEAR FOR FIRST 5 MINUTES OR SO OF DRIVING. RANDOMLY THROWS 02 OR CPS CODES. HAD ALL PARTS REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE. PCM REPLACED TWICE. TWO MECHANICS CONFIRMED IT WAS A FAULTY PCM. SHIFTING ETC, IS BETTER WHEN NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE DISCONNECTED OVERNIGHT. AFTER A FEW CYCLES, THE ISSUES RETURN. PCMS ARE DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. MY MECHANIC CURRENTLY HAS TWO 2006 JEEPS WITH THE SAM PROBLEM. LONG INVOLVED POST WITH MULTIPLE EXAMPLES DOCUMENTING ISSUES HERE:HTTP://WWW.WRANGLERFORUM.COM/F210/1ST-TO-2ND-HARD-SHIFTS-WHEN-COLD-2006-LJ-1755777.HTML. VEHICLE IS UNPREDICTABLE UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION AS IT MAY BE IN 2ND GEAR WHILE STOPPED. ALMOST HAD MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ODI #11043109

133,100 miles · Oct 13, 2017
Unknown Or Other

MOUNTING BRACKET FOR REAR TRAILING ARM BECAME DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. DUE TOO CORROSION FROM THE INSIDE OUT. CAUSE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE AND UNABLE TO DRIVE. CONTACTED JEEP DEALER AND INSURANCE COMPANY WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO COVERAGE OR ASSISTANCE IN REGARDS TO REPAIR. VEHICLE IS ONLY 13 YEARS OLD CAN'T BELIEVE JEEP/NHTSA WO…

Read full complaint

MOUNTING BRACKET FOR REAR TRAILING ARM BECAME DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. DUE TOO CORROSION FROM THE INSIDE OUT. CAUSE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE AND UNABLE TO DRIVE. CONTACTED JEEP DEALER AND INSURANCE COMPANY WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO COVERAGE OR ASSISTANCE IN REGARDS TO REPAIR. VEHICLE IS ONLY 13 YEARS OLD CAN'T BELIEVE JEEP/NHTSA WOULD NOT HAVE A RECALL ON FAILURE SUCH AS THIS. IT RENDERS MY VEHICLE WORTHLESS, UNSAFE, AND UNABLE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #11033291

277,407 miles · Jul 6, 2017
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DOWNSHIFTING, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED ROUGHLY AND JERKED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE STOPPED.…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DOWNSHIFTING, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED ROUGHLY AND JERKED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AGAIN WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO LAKE ELSINORE CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (31400 AUTO CENTER DR, LAKE ELSINORE, CA 92530) WHO SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ESCALATED THE CASE IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND A SOLUTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 277,407.

NHTSA ODI #11003414

75,000 miles · Jun 14, 2017
Unknown Or Other

EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST, FROM THE INSIDE OUT. YOU DON'T NOTICE UNTIL THE HOLES SHOW UP.

NHTSA ODI #10995232

68,000 miles · Feb 26, 2017
Steering

TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE FRONT WHEELS BEGAN TO WOBBLE UNCONTROLLABLY. I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN TO AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER CONTROL I WAS ABLE TO CAUTIOUSLY ACCELERATE BACK TO SPEED AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY FUR…

Read full complaint

TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE FRONT WHEELS BEGAN TO WOBBLE UNCONTROLLABLY. I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN TO AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER CONTROL I WAS ABLE TO CAUTIOUSLY ACCELERATE BACK TO SPEED AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY FURTHER TROUBLE. THE INITIAL PROBLEM STARTED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I WAS AFRAID OF BEING REAR ENDED BECAUSE OF MY QUICK DECELERATION TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM BOTH TIMES AT ABOUT 60 MPH AND STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ROADWAYS. BOTH TIMES THE EXTREME WOBBLING WAS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED.

NHTSA ODI #10957091

102,000 miles · Oct 31, 2016
Structure

DASHBOARD COVERING OVER PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS EXTREMELY STICKY. MY CONCERN IS NOT JUST FOR APPEARANCE, BUT FOR PROTECTION OF THE AIRBAG ITSELF AND THE NEED TO CONTINUALLY CLEAN THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD DUE TO A SLIGHT FILM PRODUCED FROM THE DECAYING VINYL DASHBOARD. THIS VEHICLE IS HOUSED IN A GARAGE IN FLORIDA. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10920249

120,000 miles · Jul 21, 2016
SteeringStructureSuspension

THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT ON OUR 2004 JEEP WRANGLER BROKE OFF FROM THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING. WHILE ACCELERATING ON A CITY STREET, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AND THE JEEP BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND STARTED WANDERING ALL OVER THE ROAD. UPON PULLING OVER AND LOOKING UN…

Read full complaint

THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT ON OUR 2004 JEEP WRANGLER BROKE OFF FROM THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING. WHILE ACCELERATING ON A CITY STREET, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AND THE JEEP BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND STARTED WANDERING ALL OVER THE ROAD. UPON PULLING OVER AND LOOKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE EXTREME AMOUNTS OF RUST AND CORROSION INSIDE THE FRAME THAT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE. THIS RUST CAUSED THE ENTIRE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT TO BREAK OFF FROM THE FRAME. ANOTHER ROT HOLE WAS FOUND FURTHER UP THE FRAME NEAR THE TRANSMISSION SKIDPLATE/CROSS-MEMBER ASSEMBLY AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI #10887617

135,000 miles · Jun 2, 2016
Air Bags

CLOCKSPRING DEFECTIVE CAUSING NON AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND NON FUNCTIONING WARNING HORN.

NHTSA ODI #10872156

Mileage unknown · May 25, 2016
Steering

DEATH WOBBLE

NHTSA ODI #10870793

48,000 miles · Mar 31, 2016
Electrical SystemSteering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE BOUNCED ALL OVER THE ROAD, THE FRONT END SHOOK VIOLENTLY, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE APPLIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A D…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE BOUNCED ALL OVER THE ROAD, THE FRONT END SHOOK VIOLENTLY, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE APPLIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT STEERING DAMPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

NHTSA ODI #10852771

Official recalls

1

04V048000 · Equipment:other:labels

Feb 3, 2004

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 ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Jeep Wrangler problems