Owners have filed 669 complaints
about the 2016 Jeep Renegade with NHTSA between 2016 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 4 of 9 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 86
Against the median year of the Jeep Renegade. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 32
6.1% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 91
54% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
4810.1%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
7816.5%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
8016.9%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
14731.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
9720.5%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
163.4%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
81.7%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 2016peak 21Jul 2026
Recalls on the 2016 Jeep Renegade
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
16V545000
TRAILER HITCHES
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Renegade vehicles manufactured August 25, 2014, to June 25, 2016, equipped with a factory-installed optional trailer hitch package. The trailer hitch assembly may have been attached with only a single fastener per side, not three per side as required.
Risk: Without the proper amount of fasteners, the trailer hitch assembly may separate from the vehicle, and any towed vehicle may no longer be properly connected, increasing the risk of a crash.
16E013000
SUSPENSION:REAR
Daystar Products International, Inc. (Daystar) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement rear control arm brackets included in Daystar's 2015-2016 Jeep Renegade 1.5" spacer kit, part KJ09168BK, shipped from Daystar to distributors between October 27, 2015 and November 5, 2015. The affected spacers may have improper or incomplete welds on the top flange on the rear control arm bracket, that can allow the rear axle to shift while driving.
Risk: If the axle moves there could be an increased risk of a crash.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 2024548314,717 units in Canada
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: This error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.
Recall 20163701,034 units in Canada
Accessories
On certain vehicles equipped with an optional factory trailer tow hitch package, the trailer tow hitch may have been incorrectly assembled to the vehicle structure. If operated under this condition, this could cause a partial or complete separation of the trailer tow hitch which would increase the risk of crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and install any missing fasteners to the trailer tow hitch assembly.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Garden City, IDFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
my car suddenly caught fire while driving on the freeway. i heard a boom, felt my car shake and saw flames out my back window, i pulled over immediately and got out of the car. going around the passenger side to inspect my tires and car. as in doing this i noticed that the entire car by then underneath was completely consumed in flames. i ran from the car in fear of my safety. my car burned to the ground in front of my eyes. there were no warning lights on my dash, no flashing, no indication of anything wrong.
NHTSA complaint #11732056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garden City, IDFire
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
my car suddenly caught fire while driving on the freeway. i heard a boom, felt my car shake and saw flames out my back window, i pulled over immediately and got out of the car. going around the passenger side to inspect my tires and car. as in doing this i noticed that the entire car by then underneath was completely consumed in flames. i ran from the car in fear of my safety. my car burned to the ground in front of my eyes. there were no warning lights on my dash, no flashing, no indication of anything wrong.
NHTSA complaint #11732056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 80,000 milesSouth St. Paul, MNFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's son owned a 2016 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that after his son parked the vehicle in the driveway and turned the vehicle off, the son entered the home and moments later noticed an orange glow coming from outside. The son went outside to investigate and discovered a foot tall flames coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The son attempted to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames, but was unsuccessful. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed, and the detached garage was also damaged by the flames. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11721913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Herndon, VACrash
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
UNKNOWN. System failed to warn me that a car was approaching on my blind spot and if I had the warning it could have prevented an accident. Had a warning been given allowing me to know not to cross the lane I would have been more aware of the car approaching my lane and then the automatic emergency braking system could’ve kicked in to prevent this accident from happening in the first place.
NHTSA complaint #11420638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Herndon, VACrash
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
UNKNOWN. System failed to warn me that a car was approaching on my blind spot and if I had the warning it could have prevented an accident. Had a warning been given allowing me to know not to cross the lane I would have been more aware of the car approaching my lane and then the automatic emergency braking system could’ve kicked in to prevent this accident from happening in the first place.
NHTSA complaint #11420638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN. System failed to warn me that a car was approaching on my blind spot and if I had the warning it could have prevented an accident. Had a warning been given allowing me to know not to cross the lane I would have been more aware of the car approaching my lane and then the automatic emergency braking system could’ve kicked in to prevent this accident from happening in the first place.
NHTSA complaint #11420638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Delevan, WI
WHEELS
Understanding the vehicle is not under wheel stud recall but it needs to be. The exact same thing happened to my Renegade as the recall states. At the Jeep dealer because the wheel came off when my wife was driving. Towed to Jeep dealer and all stud/ nuts are stressed and stretched and causing this life threatening situation. Wrong tourque specs published. Luckily my wife wasn’t hurt or killed. I have attached pictures and video. Talked to Jeep customer care with no help. This is a very serious situation and needs to be addressed.
NHTSA complaint #11751094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hickory, NC
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In the past year, I have already had to replace the bulb for the "daytime running light" on the front passenger side of my Renegade. Now, the light has just popped back onto my dashboard for the 3rd time stating that the light is out again for the 3rd time in a year. I have also noticed several other Renegades in my area driving with the same exact light out on their vehicle as well. The first 2 times I took my vehicle to my mechanic to be repaired, both times they stated all they found was the bulb not working. Being the 3rd time, they have advised me to reach out about a recall to have this fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11746662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hickory, NC
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
In the past year, I have already had to replace the bulb for the "daytime running light" on the front passenger side of my Renegade. Now, the light has just popped back onto my dashboard for the 3rd time stating that the light is out again for the 3rd time in a year. I have also noticed several other Renegades in my area driving with the same exact light out on their vehicle as well. The first 2 times I took my vehicle to my mechanic to be repaired, both times they stated all they found was the bulb not working. Being the 3rd time, they have advised me to reach out about a recall to have this fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11746662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hickory, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In the past year, I have already had to replace the bulb for the "daytime running light" on the front passenger side of my Renegade. Now, the light has just popped back onto my dashboard for the 3rd time stating that the light is out again for the 3rd time in a year. I have also noticed several other Renegades in my area driving with the same exact light out on their vehicle as well. The first 2 times I took my vehicle to my mechanic to be repaired, both times they stated all they found was the bulb not working. Being the 3rd time, they have advised me to reach out about a recall to have this fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11746662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wilmington, DE
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Electrical warning lights turn off and on on panel. Fob stopped working and car became immobilised blocking traffic. Car towed by AAA to an AAA recommended repair shop, has been there one week, diagnosis leads back to fob and programming/ electrical system. Battery checked and was not an issue. Fob and electrical programming systems is the issue. I will have itemized receipts once fob/programming work is completed.
NHTSA complaint #11744731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wilmington, DE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Electrical warning lights turn off and on on panel. Fob stopped working and car became immobilised blocking traffic. Car towed by AAA to an AAA recommended repair shop, has been there one week, diagnosis leads back to fob and programming/ electrical system. Battery checked and was not an issue. Fob and electrical programming systems is the issue. I will have itemized receipts once fob/programming work is completed.
NHTSA complaint #11744731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 127,000 milesNewton, IA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound while the cooling fan was in operation. The contact stated that the sound became louder over time. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with fan bearing and spindle failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer, the engine started to overheat, and the coolant temperature gauge moved into the red zone. No warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.
NHTSA complaint #11744762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garden City, IDFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
my car suddenly caught fire while driving on the freeway. i heard a boom, felt my car shake and saw flames out my back window, i pulled over immediately and got out of the car. going around the passenger side to inspect my tires and car. as in doing this i noticed that the entire car by then underneath was completely consumed in flames. i ran from the car in fear of my safety. my car burned to the ground in front of my eyes. there were no warning lights on my dash, no flashing, no indication of anything wrong.
NHTSA complaint #11732056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garden City, IDFire
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
my car suddenly caught fire while driving on the freeway. i heard a boom, felt my car shake and saw flames out my back window, i pulled over immediately and got out of the car. going around the passenger side to inspect my tires and car. as in doing this i noticed that the entire car by then underneath was completely consumed in flames. i ran from the car in fear of my safety. my car burned to the ground in front of my eyes. there were no warning lights on my dash, no flashing, no indication of anything wrong.
NHTSA complaint #11732056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bridgeport, OH
SEAT BELTS
I had a service airbag, service parking brake and the seatbelt light starts flashing. It happens every time I drive the vehicle and I had it looked at by a mechanic and they see no issue with the sensors. They told me to check for any recalls and I don’t see any here.
NHTSA complaint #11729237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bridgeport, OH
AIR BAGS
I had a service airbag, service parking brake and the seatbelt light starts flashing. It happens every time I drive the vehicle and I had it looked at by a mechanic and they see no issue with the sensors. They told me to check for any recalls and I don’t see any here.
NHTSA complaint #11729237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bridgeport, OH
SERVICE BRAKES
I had a service airbag, service parking brake and the seatbelt light starts flashing. It happens every time I drive the vehicle and I had it looked at by a mechanic and they see no issue with the sensors. They told me to check for any recalls and I don’t see any here.
NHTSA complaint #11729237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 80,000 milesSouth St. Paul, MNFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's son owned a 2016 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that after his son parked the vehicle in the driveway and turned the vehicle off, the son entered the home and moments later noticed an orange glow coming from outside. The son went outside to investigate and discovered a foot tall flames coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The son attempted to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames, but was unsuccessful. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed, and the detached garage was also damaged by the flames. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11721913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Green Bay, WI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The service engine light , service hill start ,traction light , airbag light warning , escape system , parking brake, lights warning system all continuously flash on and off , when vehicle is in motion. The service dealership had my vehicle for two weeks and couldn't find the problem so then told us that while the lights are on that those features would not function. 0
NHTSA complaint #11717873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lubbock, TX
SEAT BELTS
I had a service airbag warning go off days prior which was then followed by my parking brake warning and a constant seatbelt warning chime that happened concurrently. The vehicle had these issues cleared by my mechanic but hasn't been able to be resolved. From what i understand, the seatbelt sensor is faulty and should I have an accident in the near future the airbags will not deploy.
NHTSA complaint #11709558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lubbock, TX
AIR BAGS
I had a service airbag warning go off days prior which was then followed by my parking brake warning and a constant seatbelt warning chime that happened concurrently. The vehicle had these issues cleared by my mechanic but hasn't been able to be resolved. From what i understand, the seatbelt sensor is faulty and should I have an accident in the near future the airbags will not deploy.
NHTSA complaint #11709558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lubbock, TX
SERVICE BRAKES
I had a service airbag warning go off days prior which was then followed by my parking brake warning and a constant seatbelt warning chime that happened concurrently. The vehicle had these issues cleared by my mechanic but hasn't been able to be resolved. From what i understand, the seatbelt sensor is faulty and should I have an accident in the near future the airbags will not deploy.
NHTSA complaint #11709558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chandler, AZ
STRUCTURE:BODY
Mechanism for rear window on left side does not stop going up. Pushes rubber seal off the car and window falls out from going up too much.
NHTSA complaint #11701748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Omaha, NE
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased a used 2016 Jeep Renegade from a dealership located in Chicago, Illinois, on October 12, 2025. The seller assured me that the vehicle title was available and promised to mail it to me the day after the purchase, since I live in Nebraska and could not return in person to pick it up. It has now been more than three weeks, and the dealership has not delivered the title, now claiming that the auction has not yet provided it. The vehicle is currently in my possession, but I am unable to register or legally use it due to the missing title. The dealership only provided a “bill of sale” as proof of purchase. In addition, the seller offered a 30-day warranty for a transmission issue, which began showing problems again before the warranty expired. However, the dealership refuses to issue any refund, stating that it “does not make returns.” I believe this situation poses a risk to consumer safety, as the vehicle was sold without a valid title and with a significant mechanical issue that could affect its operation. I request that the dealership be investigated for possible violations of vehicle sales laws and consumer fraud.
NHTSA complaint #11698798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Omaha, NE
SUSPENSION
I purchased a used 2016 Jeep Renegade from a dealership located in Chicago, Illinois, on October 12, 2025. The seller assured me that the vehicle title was available and promised to mail it to me the day after the purchase, since I live in Nebraska and could not return in person to pick it up. It has now been more than three weeks, and the dealership has not delivered the title, now claiming that the auction has not yet provided it. The vehicle is currently in my possession, but I am unable to register or legally use it due to the missing title. The dealership only provided a “bill of sale” as proof of purchase. In addition, the seller offered a 30-day warranty for a transmission issue, which began showing problems again before the warranty expired. However, the dealership refuses to issue any refund, stating that it “does not make returns.” I believe this situation poses a risk to consumer safety, as the vehicle was sold without a valid title and with a significant mechanical issue that could affect its operation. I request that the dealership be investigated for possible violations of vehicle sales laws and consumer fraud.
NHTSA complaint #11698798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pembroke Pines, FL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The indoor cloth paneling is peeling off due to cheap adhesive materials used by Jeep manufacturers. The filament inside the cloth paneling is falling out and getting in the air I am breathing in the car. I looked online and it seems this is a problem with many 2015-2017 Jeep Renegades and is said to be a design/material defect. This should be a recall. The head lights and right side parking light flicker and sometimes don’t come on. This may be an electrical issue that other 2015-2017 Jeep Renegade owners document having as well. The dealer wants to charge hundreds of dollars for these repairs when they are Jeep brand defects.
NHTSA complaint #11690392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pembroke Pines, FL
STRUCTURE:BODY
The indoor cloth paneling is peeling off due to cheap adhesive materials used by Jeep manufacturers. The filament inside the cloth paneling is falling out and getting in the air I am breathing in the car. I looked online and it seems this is a problem with many 2015-2017 Jeep Renegades and is said to be a design/material defect. This should be a recall. The head lights and right side parking light flicker and sometimes don’t come on. This may be an electrical issue that other 2015-2017 Jeep Renegade owners document having as well. The dealer wants to charge hundreds of dollars for these repairs when they are Jeep brand defects.
NHTSA complaint #11690392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pembroke Pines, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The indoor cloth paneling is peeling off due to cheap adhesive materials used by Jeep manufacturers. The filament inside the cloth paneling is falling out and getting in the air I am breathing in the car. I looked online and it seems this is a problem with many 2015-2017 Jeep Renegades and is said to be a design/material defect. This should be a recall. The head lights and right side parking light flicker and sometimes don’t come on. This may be an electrical issue that other 2015-2017 Jeep Renegade owners document having as well. The dealer wants to charge hundreds of dollars for these repairs when they are Jeep brand defects.
NHTSA complaint #11690392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Muleshoe, TX
ENGINE
My car just shut off out of now where while I was driving, tried to turn it on and wouldn’t start, get u I was in the middle of the road bc it just shut off. I left it off for about 10 minutes and finally it turned back on but yet the battery and everything was good on the car, this is definitely a road hazard ⚠️!
NHTSA complaint #11684681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
London, AR
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2016 Jeep Renegade (36k miles) keeps dying suddenly, sometimes when parked and sometimes while driving. My battery and alternator work like they should. No warning signs occur before the car dies. It usually requires a jumpstart before it's able to run again. 1. It's not teh battery because if the battery was bad it would not die while driving as it's running on alternator. 2. It's not the alternator as I tested it by letting the car run and disconnecting the batter while it was running. It continued to run which indicates that the alternator works just fine. I looked up the symptom on the internet and found that many other Jeep Reneage owners complained online about the same issue. This is a MAJOR safety hazard as all power steering is lost when the car shuts off which could lead to accidents when it occurs while driving
NHTSA complaint #11678017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.