Selling a dead or junk Jeep

Below: where the brand came from, which Jeep models owners complain about most to federal regulators, and a list of all 16 models on this site.

Nine owners since 1943

Jeep began as a wartime vehicle. Wikipedia says the Willys version "became the standard jeep design, designated the model MB," and was built at the Willys plant in Toledo, Ohio. The brand then changed hands again and again:

Toledo never let go of it. The Wrangler is built in the city today, not far from the old Willys-Overland site, and two streets near that plant are named Willys Parkway and Jeep Parkway.

The AMC years matter for anyone selling an old one. The CJ, the J-Series pickup and the early Cherokee, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer in the EPA list all date from before Chrysler bought the brand in 1987. A 1985 Jeep and a 2015 Jeep came from different companies.

The Grand Cherokee leads the complaint count

We counted owner complaints to NHTSA through October 10, 2026 for each Jeep model we cover. Across all of them the total is 87,554. A Jeep complaint is a single owner's report. It isn't a proven defect or a score.

Keep three things in mind when reading this Jeep table:

• Sales volume drives the count. The three leaders have each been sold for decades. A model on the road in larger numbers collects more reports.
• Short runs still stand out. The Commander was sold for five model years and drew 3,362 complaints, about as many as the Patriot did over eleven.
• Low counts are not a clean bill. The 1980s CJ, Comanche and J-Series show 64 complaints between them, and the newest models, the Gladiator, Wagoneer S and Recon, have had little time to collect reports.

Selling a Jeep whole

People tend to ask whether a Jeep should be stripped before it goes: the wheels and tires, the hardtop, the winch, the lift kit. You can do that, but you don't have to. The car can go exactly as it is, with nothing removed. If you are weighing it up, part it out or sell it whole lays out what each route takes.

What helps us give you an answer:

1. Which Jeep it is, its year, and about how far it's been driven.
2. If your Jeep fires up, if it rolls, and if the four-wheel drive still kicks in.
3. Whether you hold the title. No title? Start with selling a junk car with no title.
4. Where it sits. A Jeep parked on a trail lot, in a barn or behind a shop is fine; say how the truck can reach it.

The pickup is free anywhere in the US. Once it is gone, cancel the plates and insurance.

Rather talk it through? Call (877) 421-6008.

All 16 Jeep models

Each Jeep year shown is its model year in the EPA list. A name used over a long span can cover very different vehicles: the Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer each include AMC-era trucks and current ones.