Model year 2016 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD

2016 Jeep Wrangler: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 Jeep Wrangler at 18 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 462 owner complaints for this model year.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

NHTSA overall rating

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Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Jeep dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 Jeep Wrangler recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 5 safety recalls for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal: Driver clockspring/spiral cassette

NHTSA 24V196000 Reported Mar 14, 2024

Filed by: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (manufacturer recall no. 27B)
Units affected: 1,831 (estimate)
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain right hand drive 2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Debris contamination may cause the clockspring to fail, preventing the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring, steering wheel back cover, and steering column shrouds, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 27B.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seat belts: Front: Anchorage

NHTSA 19V680000 Reported Sep 26, 2019

Filed by: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (manufacturer recall no. VA6)
Units affected: 11,463 (estimate)
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2018 Jeep Wrangler right hand drive vehicles. The driver's seat belt buckle mounting strap may fracture and separate from the seat frame.
Risk: A separated or severed seat belt buckle strap will result in an inoperable seat belt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt buckle, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed November 19, 2019. Owners will received a second letter and the recall began March 26, 2020. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is VA6.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Frontal: Passenger side: Inflator module

NHTSA 19V018000 Reported Jan 15, 2019 Do not drive

Filed by: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (manufacturer recall no. V01)
Units affected: 1,413,222 (estimate)
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair is complete. Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V01.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Frontal: Sensor/control module-inactive

NHTSA 16V734000 Reported Oct 13, 2016

Filed by: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (manufacturer recall no. S76)
Units affected: 182,743 (estimate)
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured June 16, 2015, to August 14, 2016. In certain crash conditions, the front impact sensor wiring may be pulled until it detaches before a signal can be received by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC).
Risk: If the ORC module does not receive a signal from the front impact sensor, both frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the front impact sensor wiring and relocate the impact sensor branch, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S76.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module

NHTSA 16V288000 Reported May 11, 2016

Filed by: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (manufacturer recall no. S40)
Units affected: 7,196 (estimate)
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Right Hand Drive Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured February 16, 2010, to May 2, 2016. The clockspring assembly may become contaminated with dust and cause the air bag circuit to fail.
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.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clockspring, wheel back cover, and column shroud, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S40.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 Jeep Wrangler fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 Jeep Wrangler EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Wrangler 4WD	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 5-spd	4-Wheel Drive	Regular	17/21/18 mpg	$3,700	481
Wrangler 4WD	3.6L 6-cyl	Manual 6-spd	4-Wheel Drive	Regular	17/21/18 mpg	$3,700	481
Wrangler Unlimited 4WD	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 5-spd	4-Wheel Drive	Regular	16/20/18 mpg	$3,700	504
Wrangler Unlimited 4WD	3.6L 6-cyl	Manual 6-spd	4-Wheel Drive	Regular	16/21/18 mpg	$3,700	502

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 Jeep Wrangler crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Jeep Wrangler NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2016 Jeep Wrangler 2DR 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	3 stars	27.9%	No
2016 Jeep Wrangler 4DR 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	3 stars	27.9%	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 Jeep Wrangler owner complaints

Owners have filed 462 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Wrangler, most recently on Oct 14, 2026. 28 mention a crash, 15 a fire, 38 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 Jeep Wrangler complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Service brakes	120
Engine	88
Air bags	76
Power train	74
Electrical system	55
Unknown or other	54
Vehicle speed control	35
Steering	27
Structure: Body	16
Electronic stability control (ESC)	13

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Jeep Wrangler model years

Jeep Wrangler by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Wrangler	14–21 mpg	—	—	—
2026 Wrangler	14–21 mpg	3	12	—
2025 Wrangler	14–21 mpg	6	82	—
2024 Wrangler	14–21 mpg	14	965	—
2023 Wrangler	14–25 mpg	16	376	—
2022 Wrangler	14–25 mpg	16	412	—
2021 Wrangler	14–25 mpg	17	962	—
2020 Wrangler	19–25 mpg	13	617	—
2019 Wrangler	19–24 mpg	9	746	—
2018 Wrangler	18–24 mpg	14	1,827	—
2017 Wrangler	18 mpg	5	311	—
2015 Wrangler	18 mpg	3	478	—

All Jeep Wrangler years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 Jeep models

2016 Jeep Cherokee 2016 Jeep Compass 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2016 Jeep Patriot 2016 Jeep Renegade

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Jeep.