2016 Jeep Renegade Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 Jeep Renegade most often describe stalling or sudden loss of power while driving, excessive oil use, and transmission harshness or failure. Complaints also cover electrical oddities such as warning lights that come on without a fault and battery or starting problems. Reports span a wide mileage range, with many arising between roughly 18,000 and 70,000 miles.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls or loses power while driving

   • 104 complaints (24%)
   • median 25,750 mi at 3.3 yrs old (80 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off or losing power at stoplights, at low speed, and sometimes at highway speed, often with a rough idle and difficulty restarting. Several complaints mention the electronic throttle control or electronic stability control warnings around the same time, and some say a fuel pump or battery was replaced without fully resolving it. Others were told the vehicle needed a computer reset or could not be diagnosed. Reported across a wide range, roughly 18,000 to 100,000 miles, frequently at low speeds or while coming to a stop.

   What to check: Take a long test drive that includes stops, slow turns, and an on-ramp merge, and ask about any history of stalling, battery replacement, or computer resets.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car engine shuts down unexpectedly while driving. Bought the car from autonation 3 months ago. I noticed the oil low pressure just started to come with the shutdown. This is very dangerous if driving on the highway. This model needs to be recalled because I found hundreds of similar situations online.”

   NHTSA complaint #11399900, filed 2021-03, 2 miles

   “We have had the vehicle for less than a week. My wife commutes my disabled child to a state school every school day. While on her way home the vehicle in question shuttered and died while driving. She was able to get the vehicle off the road and onto a access road. The vehicle then would not start with several attempts. She then called me, who was at work, and I left to help check the car. With limited tools at my disposal, I checked for battery voltage and intake restriction. No problems found. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11309331, filed 2020-02, 62,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Electrical warning lights and no-start or battery issues

   • 90 complaints (21%)
   • median 37,000 mi at 3.4 yrs old (60 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $650 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners report clusters of warning lights (transmission service, check engine, air bag, stability control) appearing together, sometimes along with the vehicle refusing to start or not moving out of park. Some had the battery replaced or the body control module diagnosed, and others were told the issue required a computer reset. Complaints also describe the outside temperature reading being wildly wrong and affecting climate control. Reported from very low mileage up to about 85,000 miles, with many cases in the 40,000 to 62,000 mile range.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the key or button through a full start cycle and watch for multiple warnings, confirm the outside temperature reading is realistic, and ask about battery and module service history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car has 60000 miles on it. I went to turn the car on and all service lights popped up (transmission service, check engine and oil change). Went to put car and drive and would not go out of park. I used the shift lock release to get out of gear and once in drive or reverse, car would not move and only engine would rev. After researching, I found many other Jeep renegades had a computer issue where it needed to be reset. Dealership wont fix unless under warranty.”

   NHTSA complaint #11351114, filed 2020-08, 60,000 miles

   “When driving the car and entering the on ramp to the freeway the car lost the ability to accelerate. It appeared the gas peddle was inactive and the car was in neutral. It notified me with a light electronic stability control then the car suddenly went back into gear. I was concerned but was lead to believe this was part of the design. Suddenly without warning and for no reason at 25k miles the battery suddenly died. All lights came on in the car. It had no power and would not turn on. The dealership said the battery just failed . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11364129, filed 2020-10, 25,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission jerk, slipping, or failure

   • 108 complaints (25%)
   • median 24,995 mi at 2.7 yrs old (80 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2025

   Complaints describe hard shifts, lurching forward at stoplights, delayed engagement when accelerating from a stop, and occasionally a complete loss of drive. Some owners had the transmission replaced, in one case more than once, while others were told the transmission control module needed attention. Several describe rough shifting from low mileage onward. Reported from about 18,000 miles upward, with several cases under 55,000 miles.

   What to check: Test slow takeoffs and rolling stops for hesitation or a clunk, and ask for transmission service records or whether the control module software has been updated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving when this incident happens on a highway or when I drive in the city. When I go to accelerate usually it happens when my vehicle is going slow for example at a yield sign or at a rotary. I will then press the accelerator and it feels like the transmission is slipping and more times than I'd like to remember someone has almost hit me because they were anticipating me proceeding but when I step on the gas it feels like the transmission slips and I don't go anywhere except I just keep rolling very slowly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11321698, filed 2020-04, 61,600 miles

   “Transmission #1 had a crack in it and failed in january 2019 would not shift into reverse or drive in the driveway would not go back in the parking spot until the car was turned off and restarted. Hill assist light and electronic brake lights went off, along with the service transmission light.. Slammed into park and reverse. Whole transmission was replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #11327348, filed 2020-06, 47,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Cooling fan failure and overheating

   • 128 complaints (30%)
   • median 40,144 mi at 3.3 yrs old (107 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $620 (median of 17 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the cooling fan making noise or rattling at stops, then failing so the engine overheats while idling or in traffic. Some owners had the fan assembly replaced and reported the noise returning later, and others mention a thermostat fault code causing heating and cooling trouble. One owner reported a recall notice for the cooling fan where the dealer found the fan working as designed. Mostly reported between roughly 35,000 and 60,000 miles, with some repeat failures and later reports above 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Let the vehicle idle with the air conditioning on and listen for fan noise or rattling, watch the temperature gauge, and ask whether the cooling fan recall or any fan replacement was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “For the second time in 3 years the engine fan has stopped working causing frequent overheating while idle. After the first instance, the fan was replaced and seemed to be ok (fall 2018) now the vehicle is overheating again due to the fan not turning on. Local mechanics claim it is an electrical issue that they cannot fix.”

   NHTSA complaint #11341036, filed 2020-07, 60,000 miles

   “Cooling fan went out at 42,700 miles. Fan would make noise and rattle anytime the vehicle was at a stop, accelerating or when shutting the vehicle off, fan would shake the entire vehicle. Entire cooling fan assembly had to be replaced. Vehicle is now at 52,884 miles and the fan is making noise again.”

   NHTSA complaint #11326385, filed 2020-05, 42,768 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption

   • 30 complaints (7%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 3.8 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • filed 2016–2025

   Owners report needing to add oil between changes, sometimes a couple of quarts low, with the change-oil or low oil pressure messages appearing early. Some note a burning smell and rough running while idling in drive or reverse. Dealers in several complaints updated software or could not identify a cause, and one case mentions a warranty extension for oil consumption on the 2.4L engine. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 65,000 miles, with some owners adding oil within weeks of a change.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and look for a fuel or burning smell on the dipstick, and ask whether the oil consumption warranty extension or consumption test was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle has been burning oil at an abnormal rate. I have to top it off several times between oil changes. It also runs extremely rough when in drive/reverse, but not moving(stop signs, drive throughs). If I put it into park or neutral, it runs fine. Occasionally, it will stall out when coming to a stop. I've had it at the dealership and they couldn't find an issue. They updated the ecu and tcu, but it didn't resolve it. My vehicle is no longer covered by warranty now.”

   NHTSA complaint #11375294, filed 2020-11, 45,000 miles

   “Notice a change oil light started popping up although I did not need to change oil according to records I was not due to change oil until another three months, I only been driving the vehicle around 4900 since I purchased it in july 2020, their last service was done at the dealer on july 6 2020 which included oil change. Its on the service history record. I also started noticing a burning smell when I got out my vehicle so I decided to check my oil level and to my surprise I was 2 quarts low at only 58213 miles this should not be happening. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11386801, filed 2021-01, 58,213 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic familiar with this model is worthwhile, focusing on oil level and consumption, transmission behavior on a slow test drive, and cooling fan operation at idle. Ask for service records covering battery, module software updates, and the oil consumption warranty extension.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.