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Model file · JeepUpdated · 17 sources

Have a Jeep Renegade that won't run? Sell it whole

Owners have filed 2,202 complaints with NHTSA about the Jeep Renegade, and 1,948 of them concern the first four model years, 2015 through 2018. The 2017 has the most, 565. The engine is the component named most on the 2016, 2017 and 2018.

A black 2017 Jeep Renegade Latitude parked on a street below a grassy hill and concrete steps
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
US model years
2015-2023
Complaints to NHTSA
2,202
Complaints on 2015-2018
1,948
Year with the most complaints
2017 (565)
Most-named component
Engine (638)
Recall campaigns
13
Close relative
Fiat 500X

A 2019 has been on the road fewer years than a 2015, which accounts for part of the gap, but its 79 is still a steep fall.

A Renegade with a seized 2.4 or a glowing instrument cluster can go as it is. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Renegade complaints and recalls, year by year

Renegade totals run through October 10, 2026, taken from NHTSA's own records. A campaign spanning, say, 2019-2023 appears in every one of those rows.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesFiresRecallsMost-named component
2015511883Power train (112)
20164309101Engine (133)
20175652353Engine (201)
20184421682Engine (156)
201979914Electrical system (23)
2020621013Engine (14)
202167312Electrical system (24)
202226102Electrical system (10)
202320002Electrical system (5)

Across all years, owners name the engine 638 times and the electrical system 482 times.

What the complaints and recalls point to

Wikipedia lists the Renegade as a subcompact crossover on the FCA Small Wide 4x4 platform, related to the Fiat 500X. Wikipedia lists plants in Melfi, Italy; Goiana, Brazil; and Guangzhou, China. EPA data shows 2WD, 4WD and Trailhawk 4WD versions, all flex-fuel.

2015-2016: transmission, radio and hitch recalls

The 2015 is the only year where the power train tops the list (112), just ahead of the engine (111). Recall 16V529 reprogrammed the engine and transmission computers on 2015 Renegades with the 9-speed automatic, over a transmission sensor issue. That campaign's 329,540 vehicles also include the 2014-2015 Cherokee, 2015 Chrysler 200, RAM ProMaster and 2016 Fiat 500X.

Recall 15V508 mailed owners a USB drive to fix radio software that could be exploited, on 7,810 Renegades built September 18, 2014 to June 25, 2015. Recall 16V545 added two fasteners per side to the factory trailer hitch on 8,581 Renegades. Owners reported a fire in 10 complaints on the 2016, the highest fire tally of any Renegade year.

2017-2018: the engine and electrical peak

On the 2017, 201 complaints name the engine, 117 the electrical system and 63 the fuel system. The 2018 follows with 156 engine and 105 electrical.

The recalls name the 2.4-liter engine twice. Recall 18V131 replaced a cracked oil pump housing (balance shaft module) on 9 Renegades, since it can make the oil pump fail. Recall 18V731 replaced the fuel pump on 21,104 front-drive flex-fuel 2017-2018 Renegades, which could falter under high power demand at high altitude. Recall 17V485 updated software that could light several warning lamps when nothing was wrong. Recall 18V524 replaced the powertrain control module; its 12,779 vehicles span many Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat and Ram models.

2019-2023: fewer complaints, mostly electrical

Two 2019 recalls dealt with the occupant restraint controller: 19V287 updated software on 25,004 Renegades and Fiat 500Xs, and 19V438 replaced the controller on 869 Upland-trim Renegades. Recall 19V909 replaced right rear brake calipers on 2020s (1,353 vehicles, with the 500X). Recall 24V510 repairs a seat belt buckle sensor on 2019-2023 Renegades; its 337,128 vehicles include Alfa Romeo and Fiat models. Recall 24V918 swaps a wrong reverse light assembly on 2,135 Renegades from 2021-2023.

The Renegade was dropped in the US and Canada after 2023, Wikipedia says, following years of falling sales.

Repair it or let it go?

  1. Recalls first. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's lookup. A 2017-2018 flex-fuel pump or a 2019 restraint controller may still be open.
  2. Warning lights? Read check engine light on before you assume the worst.
  3. Electrical gremlins lead the complaints on the 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 model years. See electrical problems.
  4. Renegade engine dead? Get the shop's repair quote in writing, then set it against the price of a running Renegade of your model year. Blown engine helps you weigh it.

Selling the Renegade whole

  1. Note the version: 2WD, 4WD or Trailhawk, the mileage, and what's wrong.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Explain the parking spot and whether the Renegade can be pushed, which decides what kind of truck comes. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Don't strip it. Missing parts change the offer.
  5. When the driver arrives, have your title and ID out. What to do with the Renegade's plates and insurance is in after you sell.

Questions people ask

Which Renegade years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2017 (565), 2015 (511), 2018 (442) and 2016 (430), counted as of October 10, 2026. No later year passes 79. Later Renegades have spent fewer years with owners, and the drop after 2018 is still large.
My 2017 Renegade lights up several warning lamps. Is there a recall?
Recall 17V485 covers some 2017 Renegades whose software can light several malfunction lamps when nothing is wrong. Dealers update the instrument panel software. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is the Renegade still sold in the US?
No. Wikipedia says it was discontinued in the US and Canada after the 2023 model year, after years of falling sales. It is still sold in Europe, Mexico and South America.
Will you take a Renegade that won't start?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you sell the whole car as it sits. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 15V508: radio software, 2015 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 16V529: 9-speed automatic, 2015 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 16V545: trailer hitch, 2015-2016 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 17V485: warning lamps, 2017 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 18V131: oil pump housing, 2017 2.4L nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 18V524: powertrain control module, 2018 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 18V731: fuel pump, 2017-2018 flex fuel nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 19V287: restraint controller software, 2019 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 19V438: restraint controller, 2019 Upland nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 19V909: rear brake caliper, 2020 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 20V191: rear camera display, 2019-2020 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 24V510: seat belt buckle sensor, 2019-2023 nhtsa.gov
  15. NHTSA recall 24V918: reverse light assembly, 2021-2023 nhtsa.gov
  16. EPA fuel economy data (model years and versions) fueleconomy.gov
  17. Wikipedia: Jeep Renegade en.wikipedia.org