Jeep Wagoneer S Reliability

Owners filed 80 complaints about the Wagoneer S: 2.86 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars.

NHTSA owner complaints · 80 complaints · 2024–2025 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age, so 0% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 58 complaints, typically at 0.8 years.

Jeep Wagoneer S years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Jeep Wagoneer S — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
20252.795319too new
20243279too new
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Jeep Wagoneer S — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
0 years3037.5%covered
1 year3986.3%covered
2 years11100%covered
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 100% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 0% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 40% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Jeep Wagoneer S, the early trouble is Electrical System and Service Brakes — reported at around 0.8 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.

FIG.03·Jeep Wagoneer S — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Electrical System580.8 yrs1—
Service Brakes190.7 yrs——
Power Train181.1 yrs1—
Engine140.6 yrs——
Forward Collision Avoidance140.9 yrs——
Vehicle Speed Control101.1 yrs1—
Fuel/propulsion System80.8 yrs——
Unknown Or Other80.9 yrs——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Wagoneer S's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Highlander draws 2.92, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.35 and the Ford Explorer 5.03, against 2.86 for the Wagoneer S. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Jeep Wagoneer S — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Wagoneer SComplaints on recordRecall campaignsYears built
Toyota Highlander5,8311282001–2026
Jeep Grand Cherokee34,1303351993–2026
Ford Explorer37,4453901991–2026
BMW X52,9821982000–2026
Cadillac Escalade2,0201291999–2026
Hyundai Palisade2,347332020–2026
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Jeep Wagoneer S reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.86 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

When do Wagoneer S problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 0.8 years, followed by Service Brakes.

Will the warranty cover Wagoneer S problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 100% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 40% of the complaints here.

Is the Wagoneer S more reliable than the Toyota Highlander?

Yes: 2.86 complaints per production run for the Wagoneer S against 2.92 for the Toyota Highlander.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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