2016 Jeep Renegade

Typical pattern

8.8% of complaints about the 2016 Jeep Renegade came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2016 vehicle — around the middle of the 199 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (172 complaints), typically at 3.7 yr or about 39,000 miles.

Complaints: 668
Median age at failure: 3.8 yr
Median mileage: 32,000 n=473
Crash / fire / tow: 5.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine

172 reports · 39,000 mi

3.7 yr

1.7%

Electrical system

119 reports · 38,000 mi

4.0 yr

2.5%

Other

75 reports · 32,000 mi

3.7 yr

6.7%

Power train

73 reports · 19,000 mi

2.4 yr

5.5%

Speed control

29 reports · 11,165 mi

2.6 yr

Exterior lighting

27 reports · 59,000 mi

4.9 yr

3.7%

Fuel / propulsion

26 reports · 25,000 mi

4.8 yr

7.7%

Service brakes

23 reports · 42,000 mi

3.8 yr

4.3%

Electronic stability control (esc)

21 reports · 4,000 mi

1.2 yr

4.8%

Air bags

17 reports · 40,000 mi

4.5 yr

17.6%

Steering

15 reports · 42,000 mi

3.5 yr

13.3%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V545000 2016-07-20

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.

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 2016-02-18

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.

If the axle moves there could be an increased risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Electronic stability control (esc) 3,000 mi 9 mo in service

MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP, UNDER COMPLETELY DRY CONDITIONS WITH CLEAN PAVEMENT, THE VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM HAS KICKED IN. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO TURN OFF HAS BEEN TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AGAIN, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO A 55MPH HIGHWAY.

Electronic stability control (esc) 930 mi 10 mo in service

TWICE NOW WITH LESS THAT 950 MILES ON MY VEHICLE THE VEHICLE THE TRACTION CONTROL HAS ENGAGED ON CLEAN DRY PAVEMENT, STOPPED AT A STOP SIGNED AND TURNED RIGHT EACH TIME AND AT ABOUT 5 MPH THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED AND ENGAGED WHAT SEEMED LIKE A ENGINE BRAKE TO DECELERATE THE ENGINE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THE ISSUE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES AND FORUMS FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

Electronic stability control (esc) 2,600 mi 10 mo in service

TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGING TOO AGGRESSIVELY . TC SEEMS TO COME ONE WHEN NOT NEEDED DURING TURNS AND THE ENGINE LOSES POWER.

Engine 2,900 mi 1.0 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP RENEGADE. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT SMELLED FUMES COMING FROM THE GARAGE WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,900. *DSY SEE 10904531 ALSO....UPDATED 09/20/16 *BF..UPDATED 10/13/16 *BF UPDATED 09/06/17 *BF *TR

Other Renegade model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.