no report yet
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. FUEL AND FUEL VAPOR LEAKED FROM THE FUEL TANK CAN RESULT IN FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
1988 Jeep WranglerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 50 owner complaints about the 1988 Jeep Wrangler, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 1, 2010. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1988 Jeep Wrangler has problems
50 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
16Fuel system, gasoline7 crash/fire/injury
7Seats
7Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
6Parking brake4 crash/fire/injury
4Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury
4Seat belts
3Service brakes, hydraulic
3Visibility
2Power train
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system, gasoline | 16 | 7 |
| Seats | 7 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 7 | 1 |
| Parking brake | 6 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 3 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 |
| Power train | 2 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
1988 Jeep Wrangler recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. EITHER CONDITION CAN CAUSE LOSS OF FRONT BRAKE SYSTEMFUNCTIONS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES AND AN INCREASED RISK OFVEHICLE ACCIDENT.
no report yet
Windshield wiper/washer: linkages
Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE DISLOCATION AND BINDING OF THE WIPERSYSTEM LINKAGE WHICH, IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, COULD AFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY ANDRESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Jeep.
Best & worst years
1988 vs. every other Wrangler year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Wrangler median. How we score
3850627976771081512022401265213251170108981926507305588733726864868376576584814653121,8307496199624173787627612
'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
9 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1988 Jeep Wrangler, and the recalls they led to.
- FUEL TANK/EXHAUST INTERFERNo recall
- SENDING UNIT GASKET FAILSLed to recall 94V-106
- SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURENo recall
- SAFETY BELT RETRACTORNo recall
- FUEL TANK/EXHAUST INTERFERNo recall
- EXHAUST SYSTEM FIRESNo recall
- SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURENo recall
- SEAT BACK FAILURENo recall
- FUEL LEAKAGELed to recall 94V-106
In owners' words
What Wrangler owners report
Recent fuel system, gasoline complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
WHEN FILLING MY 1988 JEEP WRANGLER WITH GASOLINE, THE GASOLINE TANK WILL OVERFLOW WITH GASOLINE BEFORE THE PUMP WILL SHUT-OFF. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I FILL UP, REGARDLESS OF ORIENTATION OF THE VEHICLE (I.E. UP HILL, DOWN HILL, LEVEL). THE ONLY WAY I CAN TRY AND PREVENT THIS HAZARDOUS SITUATION…
HAD UNDERHOOD FIRE CHECKED WITH CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ANSWER WAS YOUR VIN WAS NOT INVOLVED TWO WEEKS LATER GOT RECALL NOTICE FOR THE PROBLEM.
TROUBLE WITH RECALL WORK, CONSUMER HAD ADDITIONAL CHARGES WHEN RECALL REPAIR WORK WAS DONE ON THE FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT.
Own a 1988 Wrangler?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.