10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,140 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Jeep Wrangler drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2008 Jeep Wrangler Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #55

Mar 072022

Wrangler

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission pops out of first gear randomly. Was making a left turn across a 4 lane highway when transmission popped out this time. Thankfully this time oncoming traffic had enough time to slow down and not t-bone me. When this happens it feels as though I-€™ve been hit from behind and makes a very loud popping noise. Dealer aware of tbs 21-001-10 but vehicle is out of warranty period so have to pay out of pocket to have this well know safety issue fixed.

- Hermiston, OR, USA

problem #54

Feb 012021

Wrangler

  • 42,000 miles
6 speed manual transmission jumps out of 1st gear when driving

- Talking Rock, GA, USA

problem #53

Nov 022020

Wrangler

  • 76,000 miles
The dashblights started acting possessed while driving and winshield whipera came on without being activated by switch. Now the guages are stuck straight up and it wont shift out of park..the radio and windows still work and the lights cone on without being turned on.

- Liberty, TX, USA

problem #52

May 162020

Wrangler

  • 105,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Alright I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler sahara jk. Automatic transmission 2door soft top. And I have noticed on several occasions when there is wet conditions on any curvy road that when slowing down to take a curve to the right with the traction control on the transmission will down shift and cause the back tires to spin and lose traction which inturn sends the [xxx] end sideways. And it does it both up and down hill and pretty much only on right turns the passenger side which puts the driver side rear end into the oncoming traffic lane a little. And I truly believe if it was a young driver or anyone that hasn't drove anything wildly before in there life it could cause a bad accident. But if you turn the traction control off it don't do it is bad if at all. Which makes me think it's wiring or the computer an electrical problem. I've had it happen on back roads and mt roads even turn on the interstate ramp. Any road where you remain in motion with a decent curve to the right. Alot on this winding mt road over the ridge to the next town. It's called joppa mountain. And it sidesteps with you there like it has me quite a few times, and you are not on your game it could get real bad real fast because that road winds back and forth all the way up and back down with strap drop offs that you would be praying for a tree to stop you. Always when turning right and slowing down with the traction control on. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Clinton, TN, USA

problem #51

Apr 302020

Wrangler

  • 98,600 miles
The vehicle "pops" out of 1st gear constantly. I've seen hundreds of examples posted in forums where this is an issue with many of these models. Its dangerous when trying to start from a standstill with traffic behind you and you can't even use first gear to move out of the way. I've had people almost hit me because of this!!..again, this is a well known issue and needs to be addressed...at first I thought maybe it was just me....but after doing hours of research (hundreds of posts about this exact problem on line) and even having other people drive my vehicle, we all agree something is wrong..

- Clemmons, NC, USA

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problem #50

Oct 012019

Wrangler

  • 153,000 miles
Manual transmission pops out of first gear when in motion. Service bulletin (21-001-10) dealer won't repair. Flagler Chrysler Dodge Jeep, palm coast Florida.

- Ormond Beach, FL, USA

problem #49

Apr 012018

Wrangler

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission overheats... Chrysler won't fix the actual problem..they just recalled the vehicle to have a dummy light installed on your dash..turn your vehicle off and let it cool down..by that time when it over heats..it's already junk..42rle are junk! we the people are trying to fix and diagnosis there mistake. Between the wiring and the transmission..it's hell...your either going to burn because of faulty wires they never did a recall on and it's all over the internet...same problems. Or your going to keep throwing a bunch of money into a pos that will never truly be fixed! throws all kinds of codes because of the tranny overheating. If you install a aftermarket cooler to try to fix the overheating issue it voids your warranty...which is no good anyways..because the don't even stand behind that! hope they go bankrupt 😁

- Lisbon, OH, USA

problem #48

Sep 082019

Wrangler

  • 122,460 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. While driving 65 mph over a bump in the road, the vehicle shook and the steering wheel became difficult to control. The contact depressed the brake pedal multiple times and the vehicle finally came to a stop on the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited awhile before driving again. The contact stated that he continued to experience the failure while driving slowly back home. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to pomoco Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of newport news (located at 12629 jefferson ave, newport news, va 23602, (757) 369-3565), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 122,460.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #47

Jun 122019

Wrangler

  • miles
Manual transmission pops out of gear, this is the third time the synchronizer will need to be replaced. I paid to have it replaced the first time because the dealership told me they could not duplicate the problem. The second time Chrysler paid to replace it: That was 2 1/2 years ago (that is how long it lasted for) I recently contacted the dealership who replaced it in 11/2016 and they said I don't have a warranty and they only guarantee their work for 2 years. I found a recall service bulletin on line for the synchronizer that was sent to all dealerships April 20, 2010

- St Cloud, FL, USA

problem #46

Jan 032018

Wrangler

  • 80,000 miles
Vehicle will not start right away after it has rained or when it is cold. It is not certain if the vehicle will start after a few attempts. This is very similar to the complaints related to the electrical system: Ignition switch recall for some Jeep, which was recalled for the possibility of resulting in a vehicle fire. There has not been a recall for the 2008 Jeep Wrangler sahara yet even though many owners have made similar complaints.

- Apo, AE, USA

problem #45

Oct 072018

Wrangler

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Front axle (differential) oil seals are leaking lube oil quickly. There are leak reported issues with these dana 30; dana 35; and my own rubicon's dana 44 axle. The axle seals are leaking lube oil from the axle ends. Again, this is happening to my '08 Jeep Wrangler rubicon and also to many other Jeep Wrangler models from 07-17 years as well as reported and confirmed by other owners of Jeep jk and jku models 2017, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 09, 08, 07 models. There should be a goverment recall since many of these Jeep are experiencing the same axle leak issues as reported. Unfortunatedly, fca does not cover this simple power train fix since my vehicle it's out of warranty.

- Coral Gables, FL, USA

problem #44

Jun 042018

Wrangler

  • 64,500 miles
At 54,500 highway miles, two rod bearings failed in the engine resulting in total engine loss. After engine replacement the throw out bearing failed resulting in failure of the clutch. Engine failed while being driven on a freeway but was able to be driven into the dealership. Clutch failed while being driven on city streets resulting in towing.

- Paris, TX, USA

problem #43

Dec 122017

Wrangler

  • 266,936 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. While driving at 5 mph, with no warning the vehicle shifted to neutral independently. The contact stated was able to shift back to drive and drove the vehicle to their residence. The dealer (foss Chrysler Jeep 133 portsmouth ave, exeter, New Hampshire 03833) was contacted and informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated and more time was needed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and agreed with the dealer that the failure could not be duplicated and more time was needed. The VIN search revealed no recalls associated with the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 266,936.

- Lee, NH, USA

problem #42

Aug 092017

Wrangler

  • 102,000 miles
Hotoil alarm comes on under normal driving conditions on a daily basis. Transmission is overheating and needs an appropriate grabs cooler or this will cause fire. This needs to be addressed asap before transmission failure!

- Vail, CO, USA

problem #41

Apr 292017

Wrangler

  • 138,060 miles
Vehicle stationary and in motion a single ding will go off every couple of minutes, more often at slower speeds. No dash light on no indication as to why it is dinging. Also parked on hill when I put it in reverse to begin going into motion the vehicle shakes at an unsettling feeling until I get to flat ground and put it into drive.

- Erlanger, KY, USA

problem #40

Jan 272017

Wrangler

  • 50,000 miles
I would like to know why the 2008 Jeep Wrangler are having so many transmission problems, and Jeep and Chrysler is sitting on the their backsides blaming the drivers? if multiple people are having the same type of problem, you would think someone would look into the problem, but no they dealers and the company continue to disregard it forcing owners to spend more and more money. I refuse to spend money to band-aid the issues. This should be a safety recall due to the fact that when it happens it leaves the driver sitting still in traffic. I am afraid to put my family in the vehicle for that same reason. I would like to note that this problem has happened at least once a day in the last year I have had it, the date of when it happened was just the last time. If anyone is even listening to the owners or trying to help please let me know. Thank you for your time.

- Key West, FL, USA

problem #39

Sep 132016

Wrangler

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. While parking the vehicle, the gear controller was unable to remain in park. The contact stated that the gear controller would not move from the drive position. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 25,000.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #38

Sep 052012

Wrangler

  • 55,000 miles
Transmission pops out of 1st gear during take off from a complete stop. This happens 1 in every 5 times. The shifter is fully engaged. Normal weather and driving conditions. No vehicle modifications.

- Tavernier, FL, USA

problem #37

Jul 012014

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Since I purchased this Jeep, it intermittently will not start--typically in warm weather. We replaced the ground on the battery, purchased new battery, starter, neutral safety switch and all transmission sensors. Still, it will not start in warm weather. We literally have to wait until the outside temperature cools, then the Jeep will start. I researched the issue on-line and found many consumer references to this problem for this vehicle--commonly referred to as "the Jeep flu." Many report either the neutral safety switch or the tipm is the issue. Many references complain that Chrysler is fully aware of the problem--tipms on back order--but they are silent. This Jeep has stranded us many times--which can also cause significant harm for consumers. Chrysler should acknowledge this problem and provide a fix!

- Nipomo, CA, USA

problem #36

Nov 012011

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
My Jeep has jumped out of 1st gear from a start of roll unlimited times causing at times near to fatal crashes because of this. I have contacted Chrysler representatives and dealership service managers numerous times and all will not fix due to powertrain coverage is non-transferable and they claim this is not a Jeep problem. There is numerous forums and discussions with other Jeep owners who claim the same problem yet Jeep will not fix. Please help.

- Tequesta, FL, USA

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