no report yet
Front: anchorage
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.
1998 Jeep WranglerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 265 owner complaints about the 1998 Jeep Wrangler, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 2, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1998 Jeep Wrangler has problems
265 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
58Electrical system6 crash/fire/injury
53Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
46Air bags13 crash/fire/injury
33Power train5 crash/fire/injury
26Suspension3 crash/fire/injury
25Structure3 crash/fire/injury
17Seat belts
16Visibility
16Steering
7514 other systems6 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 58 | 6 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 53 | 1 |
| Air bags | 46 | 13 |
| Power train | 33 | 5 |
| Suspension | 26 | 3 |
| Structure | 25 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 17 | 2 |
| Visibility | 16 | 0 |
| Steering | 16 | 2 |
| 14 other systems | 75 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
1998 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
Power assist: vacuum
Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE AN INCREASE IN ENGINE IDLE SPEED AND A LOSS OF POWER ASSIST DURING BRAKE APPLICATION WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
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.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
64kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 25 electrical system complaints. 84% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 29% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
6under 30k miles21under 100k miles4100k miles or more
Best & worst years
1998 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
3850627976771081512022401265213251170108981926507305588733726864868376576584814643121,8297496199624143777607512
'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
In owners' words
What Wrangler owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON AND SPEEDO AND TACH STOPS WORKING. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THIS IS OCCURING ON NUMEROUS JEEPS OF THIS YEAR. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL? IF SOMETHING ISN'T DONE ABOUT THIS I WILL BE GETTING A LOT OF JEEP OWNERS TOGETHER AND FILING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!! IT…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO DISPLAY THE SPEED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER GO DEAD, AND THE AIRBAG AND ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. SEEMS TO HAPPEN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. I HAVE TO HIT THE DASH A COUPLE OF TIMES AND EVERYTHING STARTS WORKING AGAIN. DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE WINTER WHEN IT'S COLD. IT'S A LITTLE UNNERVING WHEN THE…
Own a 1998 Wrangler?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.