JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 · model year

2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4

220 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009JEEPWRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 carries 220 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 5 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 is air bags with 47 filings, followed by steering (34) and fuel/propulsion system (27). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 29 investigation files overlapping the 2009 WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4, and 3 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

220
Complaints
2
Crashes
5
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

220 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS47
STEERING34
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM27
SUSPENSION24
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11
SUSPENSION:FRONT8
WHEELS5
POWER TRAIN5
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)5
VISIBILITY3
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
STRUCTURE:BODY3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY2

Recalls (1)

09V11800009/04/2009

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 4,314 MY 2009 DODGE JOURNEY, JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, COMMANDER AND WRANGLER VEHICLES. WIRING MAY BE REVERSED ON THE STEERING COLUMN CONTROL MODULE DRIVER AIRBAG SQUIB CONNECTOR. THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY AS INTENDED.

Recent Complaints

20200526SERVICE BRAKES

LESS THAN 30 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2009 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED SAHARA, I WAS DRIVING IT AND WENT TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION GOING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, MY VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN SLIGHTLY BUT NOT AS MUCH AS IT NORMALLY DID, IT PULLED TO THE LEFT, AND WOBBLED WHENEVER I PRESSED THE BRAKES CAUSING ME TO MOMENTARILY LOOSE CONTROL AS A RESULT OF IT FISH TAILING. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP OR SLOW THE VEHICLE IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS IT NORMALLY TOOK TO DO SO. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO AN AUTO MECHANIC. I TOOK IT TO POPE DAVIS TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE LOCATED AT 631 S ASSEMBLY STREET IN COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE I WAS TOLD MY THE MANAGER, [XXX] THAT THE FLUID WENT BAD AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO ALL 2 HYDRAULIC HOSES, FRONT BRAKES, CALIPERS, AND ROTORS, AND THAT THEY ALONG WITH MY PADS ALL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT COST ME APPROXIMATELY $880. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THERE WAS AN RECALL ON THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND

Mileage: 156,000

20190122FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN REFUELING, REGARDLESS OF FILL LEVEL THE GAS WILL NOT FLOW INTO TANK PROPERLY ON LEVEL GROUND, AND SPEWS OUT ALL OVER THE GROUND/CAR/PERSON. IT WILL NOT TAKE FUEL IN ANY POSITION. IT TAKES ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES TO REFUEL FROM EMPTY. IT WILL TAKE GAS UNTIL THE FILLER NECK FILLS UP AND THEN YOU HAVE TO STOP AND LET IT DRAIN INTO TANK. YOU HAVE TO REPEAT THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL FULL.

Mileage: 98,000

20181124FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN FILILNG THE FUEL TANK, NO MATTER WHICH GAS STATION I USE, THE TANK OVERFLOWS WHEN FULL, SPILLING GASOLINE BEFORE THE PUMP SHUTOFF CAN ACTIVATE. THIS IS STATIONARY, TURNED OFF, AND LEVEL. I'VE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE FEB 2015 AND IT IS A HIGHLY REPEATABLE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 69,500

20180815STRUCTURE:BODY

MY WIFE CALLED ME FROM WORK SAYING HER JEEP WAS SMOKING AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE. I RUSHED TO HER JOB AND FOUND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE JEEP. WHAT I FOUND WAS DEBRIS WAS STUCK BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE EXHAUST PIPE IN THE CENTER OF THE JEEP. PINESTRAW BEEN COLLECTING THERE AND WAS SMOLDERING. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FLUKE BUT MUCH TO MY SURPRISE MY WIFE PULLED INTO THE GARAGE 2 DAYS AGO AND THE CAR SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING AND I REMOVED ABOUT 10 HANDFULS OF PINESTRAW THAT WAS SMOLDERING. WE DO NOT PARK THE CAR IN THE GARAGE ANYMORE FOR FEAR OF A FIRE. WHAT MAKES NO SENSE IS THE DEBRIS NOT COLLECTING BEHIND THE TIRES BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR. IT IS MY OPINION THAT JEEP SHOULD FOLLOW UP WITH A RECALL OR AT LEAST TELL ME HOW TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 130,000

20180427FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

EVERYTIME I FILL UP MY GAS TANK IT OVERFLOWS!!! LEAVING GAS ALL OVER THE GROUND, ME AND MY POOR JEEP. WITH GAS RUNNING ON MY BUMPER AND WELL DISCOLORING IT. PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE.

Mileage: 97,800

20180410FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FUEL OVERFLOWING EVERY TIME I GO TO THE GAS STATION. I'VE TRIED DIFFERENT PUMPS AND DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EVERY TIME. I BOUGHT THE CAR 1 MONTH AGO AND IYHE OVERFLOW HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE, I SEE THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR MANY JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS. THIS IS A COSTLY AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE.

Mileage: 42,000

20180407FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN FUELING THIS VEHICLE THE NOZZLE WILL NOT SHUT OFF CORRECTLY RESULTING IN FUEL OVERFLOWING AND SPILLING OUT, APROX 1/2 PINT WORTH. CAUSE UNKNOWN. SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN THE FALL WINTER AND SPRING BUT NOT THE SUMMER. NOT SURE IF THE TEMPERATURE OR FUEL BLEND HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. BOUGHT VEHICLE NEW IN '09 AND ITS BEEN DOING IT REGULARLY. JEEP RECALLED '07 AND '08 FOR THIS PROBLEM. '09 HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

Mileage: 10,000

20171206STEERING

EXPERIENCED THE VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHEEL WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. APPARENTLY THIS IS REFERRED TO AS A "DEATH WOBBLE" BUT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED YET. MY BEST GUESS IS, AFTER MULTIPLE PEOPLE DIE FROM THIS MALFUNCTION AND SUE THE CHRYSLER/JEEP CORPORATION, THEN IT A RECALL MIGHT BE ISSUED AND THE PROBLEM FIXED! I AM HIGHLY AGITATED BY THIS ISSUE AND THE REOCCURENCE!!!!!

Mileage: 85,000

20171206SUSPENSION

EXPERIENCED THE VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHEEL WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. APPARENTLY THIS IS REFERRED TO AS A "DEATH WOBBLE" BUT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED YET. MY BEST GUESS IS, AFTER MULTIPLE PEOPLE DIE FROM THIS MALFUNCTION AND SUE THE CHRYSLER/JEEP CORPORATION, THEN IT A RECALL MIGHT BE ISSUED AND THE PROBLEM FIXED! I AM HIGHLY AGITATED BY THIS ISSUE AND THE REOCCURENCE!!!!!

Mileage: 85,000

20171128FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

UPON FILLING THE JEEP WITH GASOLINE (SINCE OWNING THE CAR), NO MATTER THE PUMP/STATION, THE AUTOMATIC STOPPING MECHANISM WILL STOP FILLING WHEN IT IS FULL AND A "BUBBLE" WILL BACK FLOW CAUSING GASOLINE TO SHOOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SOAK THE BUMPER/FENDER/ME. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE AT A GAS STATION COVERED IN GASOLINE SO HAVE TRIED FIXING THIS. I HAVE REPLACED THE EVAP CANISTER BUT AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO RATHER THAN GET AN ENTIRE NEW GAS TANK.

20170906SUSPENSION

DEATH WOBBLE - SEVERE BOUNCING OF FRONT END WHEN HITTING A BUMP GOING AROUND 60 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPEN OVER 10 TIMES IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS AND AFTER I HAD A NEW STEERING STABILIZER (HORIZONTAL SHOCK ABSORBER) INSTALLED ON FRONT AXEL.

Mileage: 214,000

20170807ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

CAR SHAKES VIOLENTLY BETWEEN 50-55 MPH. FRONT STEERING STABILIZER HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, "DEATH WOBBLE" STILL OCCURS. HAPPENS ON SMOOTH, NON-BUMPY ROADS AS WELL AS BUMPY ONES.

Mileage: 86,000

20170807STEERING

CAR SHAKES VIOLENTLY BETWEEN 50-55 MPH. FRONT STEERING STABILIZER HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, "DEATH WOBBLE" STILL OCCURS. HAPPENS ON SMOOTH, NON-BUMPY ROADS AS WELL AS BUMPY ONES.

Mileage: 86,000

20170807SUSPENSION

CAR SHAKES VIOLENTLY BETWEEN 50-55 MPH. FRONT STEERING STABILIZER HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, "DEATH WOBBLE" STILL OCCURS. HAPPENS ON SMOOTH, NON-BUMPY ROADS AS WELL AS BUMPY ONES.

Mileage: 86,000

20170710FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

GAS TANK OVERFLOWS EVERY TIME I FILL THE TANK. INTERNAL FLANGE IS EITHER NON-EXISTENT, DAMAGED, OR INOPERABLE AS THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I FILL THE TANK. UNLESS I STOP THE FILL SHORT OF 16 GALLONS, GAS SPILLS ALL OVER THE JEEP & USUALLY ALL OVER MYSELF AS WELL.

Mileage: 64,000

20170113STEERING

ANYTIME I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I HIT A MINOR BUMP IN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES EXTREMELY VIOLENTLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE ONLY FIX IS TO SLOW DOWN TO BELOW 25 MPH IN MY CURRENT LANE. ONCE I GET TO THAT LOW OF A SPEED THE SHAKING STOPS. WHEN THE SHAKING OCCURS IT IS SO VIOLENT THAT I CAN'T CHANGE LANES OR GET ONTO THE SHOULDER. THEREFORE, THE ONLY OPTION IS TO SLOW DOWN TO UNDER 25 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY IN MY CURRENT LANE WHICH ISN'T SAFE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED HAPPENING IN DECEMBER 2016.

Mileage: 97,500

20161230STEERING

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT A CONSTANT SPEED AND HIT A ROUGH AREA ON THE PAVEMENT AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY. I WAS ABLE TO STEER IT, BUT HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD FOR THIS VIOLENT ROCKING TO STOP. IT IS NOT A CONSTANT PROBLEM, BUT OCCURS WHEN CERTAIN ROUGH AREAS OF PAVEMENT SET UP THIS VIOLENT VIBRATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. TRIED TO GET IT FIXED, SEEMED TO BE A MYSTERY. LEARNED THAT THIS IS EXPERIENCED BY MANY OWNERS OF JEEPS AND OTHER SELECT VEHICLES. THERE ARE MANY, MANY DESCRIPTIONS AND VIDEOS ON THE INTERNET. I ALSO SEE COMPLAINTS OF THIS ON YOUR SITE. WHY DO YOU NOT CARE? WHY ARE YOU NOT DOING YOUR JOB? I DID NOT GET KILLED. IS THIS WHAT IT TAKES FOR YOU TO TAKE NOTICE? I WANT NOTHING, ONLY FOR THIS TO BE REMEDIED. IT IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY CONCERN & QUITE FRIGHTENING, ESPECIALLY THEN THIS OCCURS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

20161230SUSPENSION

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT A CONSTANT SPEED AND HIT A ROUGH AREA ON THE PAVEMENT AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY. I WAS ABLE TO STEER IT, BUT HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD FOR THIS VIOLENT ROCKING TO STOP. IT IS NOT A CONSTANT PROBLEM, BUT OCCURS WHEN CERTAIN ROUGH AREAS OF PAVEMENT SET UP THIS VIOLENT VIBRATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. TRIED TO GET IT FIXED, SEEMED TO BE A MYSTERY. LEARNED THAT THIS IS EXPERIENCED BY MANY OWNERS OF JEEPS AND OTHER SELECT VEHICLES. THERE ARE MANY, MANY DESCRIPTIONS AND VIDEOS ON THE INTERNET. I ALSO SEE COMPLAINTS OF THIS ON YOUR SITE. WHY DO YOU NOT CARE? WHY ARE YOU NOT DOING YOUR JOB? I DID NOT GET KILLED. IS THIS WHAT IT TAKES FOR YOU TO TAKE NOTICE? I WANT NOTHING, ONLY FOR THIS TO BE REMEDIED. IT IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY CONCERN & QUITE FRIGHTENING, ESPECIALLY THEN THIS OCCURS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

20161103STEERING

DRIVING ON I-81, IN VIRGINIA AND HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION IN THE FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND FORCED ME TO PULL OVER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THIS SAME EVENT OCCURRED 3 TIMES DURING THIS TRIP. *TR

Mileage: 27,500

20161103SUSPENSION

DRIVING ON I-81, IN VIRGINIA AND HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION IN THE FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND FORCED ME TO PULL OVER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THIS SAME EVENT OCCURRED 3 TIMES DURING THIS TRIP. *TR

Mileage: 27,500

Compare 2009JEEPWRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 3 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 have?
The 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 has 220 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 5 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4?
Yes, the 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4?
The most-complained component for the 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 is AIR BAGS with 47 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.