Electrical system, engine, and forward collision avoidance issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Owners of Jeep’s smallest vehicle, the Italian-made Renegade, have been seen driving on U.S. roads since the 2015 model reached our shores in 2014. Owned by Stellantis since 2021, it’s a small SUV that the automaker says “delivers a unique combination of best-in-class off-road capability, open-air freedom, and convenience.” That may be so, but owners who find their Renegades shut down or won’t accelerate, or have forward collision avoidance systems that fail, are disillusioned, to say the least.
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A combination of electrical system and engine problems are the topics that are most prevalent in National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) complaints about the 2022 Jeep Renegade. These range from acceleration issues to stalling and problems that relate to engine coolant levels. Another area that is gaining the attention of owners is forward collision avoidance.
Additionally, there are complaints they consider to stem from the powertrain and fuel/propulsion system. There are also complaints that highlight the malfunction of warning and error messages.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Air Bags | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System:body Control Module/bcm | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
Electrical problems are varied and sometimes linked to other Renegade components or systems including the engine, forward collision avoidance, and the fuel/propulsion system. The most common issues seem to be Renegades shutting down and stalling, plus error and warning messages malfunctioning.
A complaint that links engine and electrical system problems describes how the “engine coolant hot” indicator light comes on. Then the engine shuts down and the steering wheel locks. The mystery is that the “engine coolant is not hot since the car was just started.” To fix the issue, the driver had to stop the Jeep completely in the middle of the road and wait a few seconds before restarting the vehicle. This problem, which the complaint states is “very dangerous,” happened several times over a 2-year period.
“The dealership has examined the car and cannot find any answers on how to fix the problem. I found there are thousands of other owner complaints online about this issue with the Jeep Compass model. I want to add my complaint to the pile of complaints already registered with Chrysler Jeep. This issue could get someone killed on a highway.”
Four months after buying a new 2022 Jeep Renegade, an owner from New York was driving on a major New York City highway when the “vehicle shut down on its own in moderate traffic. Every instrument light (Dummy Light) went on however the car did not turn off. I tried to turn the vehicle off but it wouldn’t! I feared for my life as other cars barely avoided me!” After waiting in the left lane for 3-5 minutes, the driver was able to move slowly, but without power steering, to safety. All the instrument lights were still on.
The Renegade was towed to the dealership where it was purchased. “The Service Department has yet to tell me what’s wrong with the car but when I asked if I was the only Renegade owner that experienced this major problem, they stated NO! This appears to be a major issue.”
A complaint from an owner in California is filed as an electrical system, engine, and fuel/propulsion system problem. It states that the Renegade is “burning 1 quart of oil every 750 miles.” At the same time, when driving, the engine shudders and seems to be failing. The result of this is that the driver is “unable to accelerate through an intersection. When trying to accelerate, the vehicle’s RPMs extend above 4 if I don’t accelerate at an extremely slow pace. I cannot get up to speed quickly when going onto a freeway. The vehicle collision warning continues to malfunction.”
The owner filed the complaint after having the issue “fixed” at least twice. It states that the “gas is burning faster than it should be because of the high RPMs and engine working so hard. I have 2 children and got this vehicle brand new so I’d have reliable transportation. After the first month, I no longer felt safe driving it. The dealership keeps telling me everything is normal. These are not normal issues for a car. It’s a lemon.”
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An owner from California had an issue with the front collision warning light coming on about 2 months after purchase. As a result, he registered the complaint as a combined forward collision avoidance and electrical system problem.
The dealer said it would “take some time to find out the problems,” and he must leave the Renegade there. But they refused to provide a loaner or rental vehicle. So, he continued to drive it until all the warning signals started lighting up.
At first, the seatbelt sign, emergency brake, parking brake, airbag, and automatic brake light all turned on when he started the Jeep. Then, while driving, all the lights turned on. “The seatbelt sound also turns on even though I am wearing my seatbelt. I’m afraid the brakes will stop working or the airbag will detonate.” Pulling over, stopping the Jeep, and then restarting it sometimes solves the problem.
An owner from Massachusetts describes how her daughter experienced several warning lights appearing on the instrument panel as the Renegade stalled. She called the police who helped her daughter move the vehicle off the road so it could be towed to the dealer. Before this, there was a similar failure, without the stall. But it did fail to shut off.
The first time, the dealer’s mechanic couldn’t duplicate the failure. The second time, they said it was linked to the body control module sensor. But, they couldn’t fix it because the parts needed for the repair were on backorder. Eventually another dealer “fixed” it, but then the Renegade experienced an electronic failure. According to the complaint, the automaker offered the owner a buy-back.
All the engine problems reported to the NHTSA are seen by Renegade owners to be affected by other components and/or systems, including the electrical system. Some are mentioned above.
One complaint listed as a combined powertrain and engine problem tells how when accelerating or decelerating, there is sometimes a large “bang” from under the Jeep. “It’s not only the sound but feels like the vehicle gets hit,” though it hasn’t been. Additionally, several times when driving at about 60-65 mph, the Renegade shuts down “like when stopped at a light but you’re now entering a highway.” The dealership said they couldn’t replicate the problem. But the owner states, “I was told Chrysler Corporation knows of the second issue but isn’t doing a recall on this issue. And I was told it’s happening to quite a few models, not just the Jeep Renegade… Both issues scare me greatly.”
Forward collision avoidance systems are designed to help reduce the risk of rear-end collisions. They utilize innovative safety technology together with sensors, radar, cameras, and lasers, depending on each specific system. These systems are great when they work properly. But when they fail, drivers may be severely compromised.
And it seems that they fail more often than we may realize.
According to a complaint to the NHTSA lodged by an owner in Florida in January 2023, a local dealer said there were 155 forward collision systems on backorder at that time. His system had failed and was completely inoperable. Incredibly, when it failed to work initially, a dealer in Arkansas “told my wife to wash the vehicle and it would clear the fault. It reset itself before she washed it,” so “washing has nothing to do with the problem.” When it failed a second time, a Florida dealer put in an order. This was on December 1, 2022, and when he filed the complaint on January 12, 2023, he was still waiting for the part. “I have reached out to Jeep and they have not returned my call.”
An owner from Texas states that the forward collision avoidance system failed while a Renegade with less than 200 miles on the clock was driving on a highway. “The vehicle has been checked into service for a possible failed module.”
When problems recur and impact the value, use, or safety of your vehicle, you’ve got good reason to believe you may have bought a lemon. If this is the case, Lemberg Law can help you. As a specialist consumer law firm that specializes in lemon law cases, we can negotiate a settlement on your behalf. This may be a trade-in, a buyback, or a replacement vehicle.
All you have to do is call our Helpline or fill out a contact form. The law makes Jeep pay the legal fees for lemon law cases, so it’s not going to cost you anything.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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