Engine oil leak. My mechanic found an engine oil leak that is very substantial. I have spoken to several other Jeep renegade owners who have stated that theirs is also leaking. These need to be checked out by an authorized deal ASAP due to the danger of fire. I smell burning all the while I am driving it and constantly adding oil. Mine is a 2022 model Jeep renegade and I have owned it since 2024. I need to have this repaired or Ill need to get rid of it. I think the dealership I bought it from knew there was a problem but neglected to inform me as I would not have bought it.
Jeep Renegade fire or smoke problems
61 of the 2,215 owner complaints about the Jeep Renegade describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 61
- worst model year
- 2016
- typical repair cost reported
- $600
- typical mileage
- 42,876
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 12Overheating 10Stalling 5Engine failure 4Won't start 2Loss of power 2Screen failure 2Grinding brakes 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P0481 2
What owners say
The contact owned a 2019 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, smoke began to emerge from the engine compartment. The contact's daughter immediately pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. When the police arrived, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed and determined to be totaled. A police report and a fire department report were filed. No injuries were reported, and no medical attention was needed. The contact stated that an abnormal sound was heard from the fan motor after an oil change was performed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,079.
my car suddenly caught fire while driving on the freeway. i heard a boom, felt my car shake and saw flames out my back window, i pulled over immediately and got out of the car. going around the passenger side to inspect my tires and car. as in doing this i noticed that the entire car by then underneath was completely consumed in flames. i ran from the car in fear of my safety. my car burned to the ground in front of my eyes. there were no warning lights on my dash, no flashing, no indication of anything wrong.
The contact's son owned a 2016 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that after his son parked the vehicle in the driveway and turned the vehicle off, the son entered the home and moments later noticed an orange glow coming from outside. The son went outside to investigate and discovered a foot tall flames coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The son attempted to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames, but was unsuccessful. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed, and the detached garage was also damaged by the flames. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant, and there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where DTC: P0481"Engine Cooling Fan Fault" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
While driving, the Service Engine warning came on and was followed by the Coolant Temperature High Warning roughly 5 minutes after. The somewhat cool air coming out turned hot, even with the settings set to Max Cool Air. Turned the vehicle off and found the engine code P0481 Fan 2 Control Circuit, I allowed the car to cool before checking fuses for the Cooling Fan. The F07 Engine Cooling Fan had a 40 Amp Fuse that was blown (Note: the owner manual states the 40 Amp fuse is for the 1.4 without A/C, the 50 Amp Red was required for a 1.4 with A/C and all 2.4 models). A new 50 Amp Maxi Fuse was installed and the car A/C cooled down for approximately 15 minutes. Then the coolant temperature started to rise again and white/grey smoke came out from under the hood. Thankfully I was able to find a safe place to stop my car, but I was driving with smoke obscuring my vision which was a serious safety issue that would have caused an accident especially if I had made it on the highway. The cooling fan was shaking and very noisy even as the car was turned off. After cooling down, the fuse was checked again and verified okay. So the cooling fan was replaced. Upon replacement, the A/C and coolant temperature were normal. But the service engine light remained and the code P0481 refused to clear. Currently monitoring the coolant temperature and new fan.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that after his daughter had driven the vehicle, parked, and powered off, 7 hours later, the interior passenger side panel of the door was engulfed in flames, which had by that time blackened the glass. The driver's boyfriend witnessed the flames originating from the glove compartment and attempted to extinguish the fire by hand, which failed but resulted in him sustaining injury to his right hand. The boyfriend was eventually able to extinguish the flames by disconnecting the battery. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard but had yet to be deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A fire report was not filed. A police report was not filed, but injuries were reported. The driver's boyfriend later transported himself to an area hospital and was treated for minor burns to his right hand. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was informed that the manufacturer intended to send an investigator to inspect the vehicle at the tow yard. The contact was later informed that a manufacturing defect was not deemed the cause of the fire and that he would receive no further assistance. The failure mileage was 47,000.
I was driving in traffic and it was bumper to bumper. I had to keep going into first, move a little then stop for several miles. Coming out of the [XXX], heading up the hill, I started to smell burning, the clutch then pinned to the floor and I was stuck in first gear, and the vehicle shut off, not overheating warning, nothing. I was able to start the vehicle after a few moments and then got it t the shoulder, had it towed and I was told the clutch pressure plate was fractured and a whole new transmission would need installed if the flywheel isn't damaged. It wont be serviced until March 28th or 29th and then I will know if a $2500 dollar fix turns into a $5000.00 dollar fix. 54 thousand miles on this and it drove fine in traffic like this before and had no issues with it shifting or anything until this day. They say there is a recall on the Renegade specifically agency20V-124 involving renegades with 6 speed manual transmissions. I couldn't get any help from Chrysler, the recall information center but this information is out on the web. Next is lemon law attorney. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Renegade. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was dark smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall and shut off after being shifted into drive. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the compression in the engine was low, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 80,000.
Sudden stop entrance to an exit ramp. The engine stalled and started leaking the fluid caused some and flames - fire department had to be called. . Had to replace the engine for approx. $6600 We are still waiting on parts for the seat belts this has been over a year with jeep. The parts are backordered. The seatbelts come undone constantly on both the driver and passenger sides. Parts are $330 and labor is approx. $400 total $730. There are 90000 Jeep Wranglers with this same issues but they were recalled. We can't even get the parts it's been over a year. Axle on left side of jeep was broke -took jeep to have serviced for oil and tire rotation. Service person found that the axel was broke. Cost $1500 Service man stated the axel was like a straw.
Related recalls
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
- Risk
- A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Recall number 18V524000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017 Jeep Renegade vehicles. Due to a software issue, multiple malfunction indicator lamps may illuminate on the instrument panel when no malfunction exists. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
- Risk
- If the malfunction indicator lamps illuminate at incorrect times, the driver may be unaware when a true malfunction occurs, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the Instrument Panel Control software, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T50.
Recall number 17V485000 · Recall details
Electrical system: cybersecurity
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jeep Renegade vehicles manufactured September 18, 2014, to June 25, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with radios that have software vulnerabilities that can allow third-party access to certain networked vehicle control systems.
- Risk
- Exploitation of the software vulnerability may result in unauthorized remote modification and control of certain vehicle systems, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify and mail affected owners a USB drive that includes a software update that eliminates the vulnerability, free of charge. Optionally, owners may download the update to their own USB drive from http://www.driveuconnect.com/software-update/ or take their vehicle to a Chrysler dealer for immediate installation. In an effort to mitigate the effects of this security vulnerability, Chrysler has had the wireless service provider close the open cellular connection to the vehicle that provided unauthorized access to the vehicle network. This measure may not have been implemented on all vehicles and does not address access by other means that will be remedied by the software update. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R45.
Recall number 15V508000 · Recall details
Questions about the Jeep Renegade fire or smoke
Which Jeep Renegade years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (24 complaints), 2015 (14 complaints) and 2018 (11 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Jeep Renegade?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $600 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Jeep Renegade?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history