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2008 Jeep WranglerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 873 owner complaints about the 2008 Jeep Wrangler, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-352 the manufacturer reports only 34% of affected cars repaired.

2008 Jeep Wrangler
35
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.9× the Wrangler median · #7 of 37 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 34%Owner complaints87344 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage71kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 14, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Jeep Wrangler has problems

873 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags3096
Electrical system1789
Steering1563
Suspension1081
Fuel system, gasoline712
Fuel/propulsion system690
Power train677
Service brakes386
Engine3711
17 other systems1819

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2008 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.

34%repaired · 2018 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 16V-352 · May 24, 2016 · 4,648,270 vehicles · 1,599,545 repaired

Risk. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

47%repaired · 2018 Q1

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-290 · May 11, 2016 · 388,532 vehicles · 181,889 repaired

Risk. Failure of the air bag circuit may prevent the driver's frontal air bag from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Air bags

Recall 13V-176 · May 7, 2013 · 5,440 vehicles

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment, a broken electrical circuit in the airbag clockspring wiring assembly can lead to non-deployment of…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 11V-528 · Nov 2, 2011 · 5,437 vehicles

Risk. A BROKEN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IN THE AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING WIRING ASSEMBLY CAN LEAD TO NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIRBAG AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
–no report yet

Service brakes, hydraulic

Recall 10V-236 · Jun 3, 2010 · 287,653 vehicles

Risk. A BRAKE FLUID LEAK CAN CAUSE PARTIAL LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES AT THE AFFECTED WHEEL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 09V-436 · Nov 5, 2009 · 88,461 vehicles

Risk. FLUID COULD BOIL OVER AND MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH A HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST COMPONENT AND CAUSE A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 08V-202 · May 6, 2008 · 1,709 vehicles

Risk. PROLONGED BRAKE TUBE CONTACT COULD WEAR A HOLE IN THE TUBE AND CAUSE A PARTIAL BRAKE SYSTEM LOSS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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 air bags problems start?

71kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 253 air bags complaints. 79% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles200under 100k miles53100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Air bags

29 owners mentioned a cost

$500median

Middle half: $480 – $600

Steering

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,100median

Middle half: $525 – $1,438

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2008 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

'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
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Jeep Wrangler safety ratings

2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Jeep Wrangler frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Rollover: 3 stars (27.9% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
8 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Jeep Wrangler, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Totally Integrated Power Module FailureDP14004 · closed Jul 24, 2015
    No recall
  2. Air Bag Clockspring Wiring FailureEA15007 · closed Jul 6, 2016
    Led to recall 16V-288
  3. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  4. TOW BAR ASSEMBLY FAILUREEQ09006 · closed Aug 19, 2009
    No recall
  5. TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING / FIREPE09037 · closed Nov 17, 2009
    Led to recall 09V-436
  6. Fuel Spill During RefuelingPE10032 · closed Feb 16, 2011
    No recall
  7. Airbag Clockspring FailurePE11019 · closed Nov 7, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-528
  8. Air Bag Clockspring Wiring FailurePE15025 · closed Dec 7, 2015
    No recall
In owners' words

What Wrangler owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

"On March 4, 2022, Customer Satisfaction Notification S33 (Airbag Clockspring Recall Remedy) was performed on my 2008 Jeep Wrangler by an authorized dealer at 123,314 miles. The vehicle now has 137, 347 miles. The replacement clockspring provided as the official safety remedy has completely failed…
Complaint 11750351 · Jul 14, 2026
Have tried twice by phone to request the closest Jeep dealership recommended on the numerous recall cards mailed to have recalls fixed at Williams Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 1100 E Main st., Stigler, OK. 74462. Each contact with dealership to get appointment to fix recalls fixed the individual asks…
Complaint 11635573 · Jan 13, 2025
The RHD Jeep Wranglers had a recall on all the clock springs. I had mine fixed, it lasted a year and then broke again. Every mail carrier I know has the same issue. I believe the recall needs to become a lifetime recall, not a singular recall. They are all failing again causing postal employees to…
Complaint 11600951 · Jul 10, 2024

Own a 2008 Wrangler?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.