2018 Jeep Wrangler Electrical System Problems
Owners filed 273 electrical complaints on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, 15% of all complaints for the year. Median mileage at failure was 13,000 miles, and NHTSA logged 6 fires, 2 crashes, and 1 injury tied to this system. Three related recalls cover the powertrain control module, software flash, and instrument cluster.
- Electrical System complaints
- 273
- 15% of 1,820
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 6
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 13,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Fuse box or battery area wiring smokes and can ignite while driving at low speed or while the vehicle sits parked in a garage.
- Headlights and windshield wipers stick on with controls set to off, sometimes with turn signals and high beams also disabled.
- Rear back-up camera intermittently fails to display when the vehicle is shifted into reverse.
- Software-related loss of engine power occurs with warning indicators illuminating on the dash, sometimes recurring after dealer repair.
- Rear window defroster wiring reportedly overheats and burns through the glass.
- Multiple electrical systems (wipers, lights, dash, brakes) activate at once, followed by loss of brakes and steering.
When 2018 Jeep Wrangler electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 17, 2018, latest Sep 24, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler
- NHTSA 24V652000Sep 5, 2024Electrical System32,863 vehicles
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Jeep Gladiator and 2018-2024 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. The instrument panel cluster may experience an internal short circuit and fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Risk: An instrument panel that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between October 3, 2024, and January 23, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 30B.
- NHTSA 18V524000Aug 9, 2018Electrical System12,779 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring:front underhood
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
- NHTSA 18V332000May 17, 2018Electrical System4,815,661 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Electrical System complaints by Wrangler model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical complaints does the 2018 Jeep Wrangler have?
- NHTSA lists 273 electrical system complaints for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, which is 15% of all 1,820 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for electrical problems on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler?
- Yes. NHTSA lists three related recalls covering the electrical system: campaign 24V652000 for an instrument cluster short circuit, 18V524000 for a powertrain control module replacement, and 18V332000 for a software flash.
- At what mileage do 2018 Wrangler electrical problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for electrical system complaints on the 2018 Wrangler is 13,000 miles.
- Did the 2018 Jeep Wrangler electrical issues cause fires or injuries?
- NHTSA data shows 6 fires, 2 crashes, and 1 injury associated with electrical system complaints on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler.