Total Complaints
129 filings
Jeep Wrangler · model year
129 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash reports, and 4 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The verdict
The 2003 Jeep Wrangler posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
The 2003JeepWrangler carries 129 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 11 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2003 Wrangler is steering with 12 filings, followed by suspension (11) and fuel system, gasoline (8). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2003 Wrangler. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
Total Complaints
129 filings
Crashes Reported
11 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STEERING | 12 |
| SUSPENSION | 11 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 8 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 6 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 6 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6 |
| SEAT BELTS | 5 |
| AIR BAGS | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | 2 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE D
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE
EQUIPMENT
BESTOP AFTERMARKET REAR SHELL ROOF RACKS,MANUFACTURED BETWEEN APRIL 27 AND MAY 20, 2004, DESIGNED FOR USE WITH THE BESTOP HARDTOP MADE FOR THE 1986-1995 AND 1997-2003 JEEP WRANGLER. THE COCKPIT COVER MAY NOT STAY LATCHED TO THE ROOF RACK BECAUSE THE LATCH BRACKET MISPOSITIONS THE ROTARY LATCH TO T
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET AIRTEX ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS INSTALLED FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN 1997-2004 JEEP WRANGLER; 1997-2001 JEEP CHEROKEE; 1997-2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE; AND 2000-2003 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES. THE PLASTIC ELECTRICAL GROMMET CONNECTORS AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AR
2003 TJ frame rust all tjs have frame rust.
Frames on all these tj’s(97-06) rust and become a huge safety risk for everyone on the road.
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while her daughter was attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was extremely difficult to depress, and the vehicle did not immediately stop. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 217,000.
Mileage: 217,000
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH, the vehicle hit a bump in the roadway and the steering wheel started shaking significantly and the vehicle seemed to be at risk of a rollover. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,999.
Mileage: 141,999
05 & 06 wrangler has recall for the exact problem my 03 has. Parking pawl slides out of the brackets and then vehicle won't go into park allowing it to roll into danger and possibly kill someone. I have watched several videos on this issue and the 03 is the same as a 05 and 06. This is just as dangerous on the 03 as it is a 05 and 06 and potentially cause an accident and kill individuals.
Violent shaking after hitting holes in the road during acceleration-less tan 30 MPH. My vehicle has been inspected by my mechanic, who has knowledge of the “Death Wobble”. Safety was at risk due to front end shaking violently and almost losing control of the vehicle. The problem has been confirmed by mechanic. They started to manifest about 8 months ago.
2013 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO INTERMITTENT ENGINE PROBLEMS, WHILE DRIVING UP HILLS ACCELERATION SPEEDS DECREASE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED UPON DRIVING UP HILLS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, IT APPEARED THAT ANOTHER MODEL WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. OWNERS INDICATED THE CAM SHAFT SENSORS AND DYNAMIC SENSOR CONTROL NEEDED A TCM UPDATE. *JB
2013 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO INTERMITTENT ENGINE PROBLEMS, WHILE DRIVING UP HILLS ACCELERATION SPEEDS DECREASE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED UPON DRIVING UP HILLS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, IT APPEARED THAT ANOTHER MODEL WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. OWNERS INDICATED THE CAM SHAFT SENSORS AND DYNAMIC SENSOR CONTROL NEEDED A TCM UPDATE. *JB
MY JEEP WRANGLER HAS HAVE THE PASSENGER SAFETY AIRBAG ALARMING SINCE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER AND I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR MY CAR MODEL, THEY CANNOT REPAIR IT AND THAT I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS AN ISSUE OUT OF THE MANUFACTURER. JEEP MUST CORRECT THESE SAFETY CONCERNS FROM THE OWNERS!
Mileage: 115,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 JEEP WRANGLER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD HESITATE TO START. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAD TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO START, THE RADIO WOULD FAIL. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTIFIED A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,425.
Mileage: 38,425
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 JEEP WRANGLER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD HESITATE TO START. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAD TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO START, THE RADIO WOULD FAIL. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTIFIED A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,425.
Mileage: 38,425
AIRBAG COVER PLASTIC ON STEERING WHEEL WAS BREAKING DOWN. THE PLASTIC BECAME VERY STICKY, AS IF SOMEONE POURED A SODA ON IT. IT WOULD NOT CLEAN OFF WITH CLEANERS OR PLASTIC PRESERVERS. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT IT WOULD WORK AS DESIGNED IF AIRBAG DEPLOYED SO I BOUGHT NEW AIRBAG UNIT FOR THE STEERING WHEEL. PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD VEHICLE ON MINOR GRADE. IT ALWAYS WORKED UNTIL THE LAST 2-3 YEARS. I HAVE HAD IT ADJUSTED, THE CABLES REPLACED, AND THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER MY BRAKE PADS ARE NEW OR OLD. IF I DO NOT PARK THE VEHICLE WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN GEAR, IT WILL MOVE ON ITS OWN, OR IF IT DOES NOT ROLL BACKWARDS, IT WILL, IF ANY LIGHT FORCE IS APPLIED TO IT. I HAD TO INSTALL INSTALL A HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE LOCK ON THE REAR BRAKES TO MAKE SURE MY VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE ON A GRADE I KNOW IT IS AN 'OLD' VEHICLE, BUT I LIKE IT A LOT, IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND LOOKS NEW. IT IS MECHANICALLY SIMPLE TO AND INEXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN. HOWEVER I SHOULD NOT BE H
Mileage: 130,000
AIRBAG COVER PLASTIC ON STEERING WHEEL WAS BREAKING DOWN. THE PLASTIC BECAME VERY STICKY, AS IF SOMEONE POURED A SODA ON IT. IT WOULD NOT CLEAN OFF WITH CLEANERS OR PLASTIC PRESERVERS. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT IT WOULD WORK AS DESIGNED IF AIRBAG DEPLOYED SO I BOUGHT NEW AIRBAG UNIT FOR THE STEERING WHEEL. PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD VEHICLE ON MINOR GRADE. IT ALWAYS WORKED UNTIL THE LAST 2-3 YEARS. I HAVE HAD IT ADJUSTED, THE CABLES REPLACED, AND THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER MY BRAKE PADS ARE NEW OR OLD. IF I DO NOT PARK THE VEHICLE WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN GEAR, IT WILL MOVE ON ITS OWN, OR IF IT DOES NOT ROLL BACKWARDS, IT WILL, IF ANY LIGHT FORCE IS APPLIED TO IT. I HAD TO INSTALL INSTALL A HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE LOCK ON THE REAR BRAKES TO MAKE SURE MY VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE ON A GRADE I KNOW IT IS AN 'OLD' VEHICLE, BUT I LIKE IT A LOT, IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND LOOKS NEW. IT IS MECHANICALLY SIMPLE TO AND INEXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN. HOWEVER I SHOULD NOT BE H
Mileage: 130,000
THE JEEP WAS INVOLVED IN A WRECK - HIT A POWER POLE AT AROUND 50 MPH KNOCKED IT DOWN AND THE FLIPPED THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED - THE POLICE OFFICER WHO WORKED THE WRECK SAID THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AFTER THE TYPE OF HIT THE JEEP TOOK
Mileage: 120,000
AT 55 MPH THE JEEP SHAKES VIOLENTLY, FROM SIDE TO SIDE, UNTIL VEHICLE IS SLOWED TO 35MPH.
Mileage: 95,000
TERRIBLE WOBBLE AT 45-55 MPH. TIRES AND FRONT END WOBBLE UNTIL I STOP OR SLOW BELOW 40 MPH. IT CAUSES DRIVER TO SLOW AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING NEAR REAR END COLLISIONS WHEN OTHER DRIVERS ARE FOLLOWING. AT TIMES WOBBLES SO VIOLENTLY HAVE TO EXIT FREEWAY IN ORDER TO GET IT TO STOP.
Mileage: 112,000
TERRIBLE WOBBLE AT 45-55 MPH. TIRES AND FRONT END WOBBLE UNTIL I STOP OR SLOW BELOW 40 MPH. IT CAUSES DRIVER TO SLOW AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING NEAR REAR END COLLISIONS WHEN OTHER DRIVERS ARE FOLLOWING. AT TIMES WOBBLES SO VIOLENTLY HAVE TO EXIT FREEWAY IN ORDER TO GET IT TO STOP.
Mileage: 112,000
TERRIBLE WOBBLE AT 45-55 MPH. TIRES AND FRONT END WOBBLE UNTIL I STOP OR SLOW BELOW 40 MPH. IT CAUSES DRIVER TO SLOW AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING NEAR REAR END COLLISIONS WHEN OTHER DRIVERS ARE FOLLOWING. AT TIMES WOBBLES SO VIOLENTLY HAVE TO EXIT FREEWAY IN ORDER TO GET IT TO STOP.
Mileage: 112,000
THE WRANGLER "DEATH WOBBLE". VIOLENT SHAKING AFTER REACHING SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. MUST SLOW DOWN AND ALMOST COME TO A STOP TO STOP THE SHAKING. FIRST OCCURRED A YEAR AGO. TOOK IT OUR REPAIR SHOP. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING STABILIZATION SHOCK, WHICH SEEMED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. IT THEN STARTED TO RE-OCCUR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS LATER. NOW IT IS DOING IT ALL THE TIME, EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. *TR
Mileage: 50,000
THE WRANGLER "DEATH WOBBLE". VIOLENT SHAKING AFTER REACHING SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. MUST SLOW DOWN AND ALMOST COME TO A STOP TO STOP THE SHAKING. FIRST OCCURRED A YEAR AGO. TOOK IT OUR REPAIR SHOP. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING STABILIZATION SHOCK, WHICH SEEMED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. IT THEN STARTED TO RE-OCCUR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS LATER. NOW IT IS DOING IT ALL THE TIME, EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. *TR
Mileage: 50,000
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2003 Jeep Wrangler; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.