2015 Jeep Wrangler: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jan 3, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · SC · fire

Our 2015 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited just caught on fire. I happened to be in my daughter’s bedroom, 20 feet away from where the Jeep was parked. I thought I was seeing flames reflecting from the TV, but I realized that they were real. My next thought was that my husband was building a firepit fire. I thought that was weird because he was doing it in the front yard, but I didn’t think any more about it because I was so focused on my work. I went back to work for a second, but something told me to look again. I did, and then realized that it was the Jeep that was on fire. I screamed for my husband, but couldn’t find him; I was scared that he was in the Jeep. Actually, he had been in the back yard and heard me screaming, so he ran up front to see what was happening. I called 911 while my husband tried to put the fire out with the water hose, which didn’t help- the flames kept getting higher. It took firefighters a while to extinguish the flames and to get it cooled off. The engine appears to be melted. It is in our yard and available for inspection. The fire fighters made a report that my husband has requested. We’re waiting on the insurance company to contact us. The fire smelled electrical. We smelled no gasoline. I was absolutely horrified thinking about what might have happened if it had ignited at night when no one was looking. My daughter, my pets, my husband, and I could have all been casualties of this spontaneous fire. The fact that it was day time, the unusual coincidence that I was where I was so that I saw the fire, and the fact that my husband parked on a different side of the yard than usual, all probably are the reasons we are alive today. Had any one of those events not been in play, it could have been a very different outcome. My husband had no indication that there was a problem with the Jeep. He’d just driven it. He reported no odors and no problems at all. He takes excellent care of it, so it was in great condition.

Filed Dec 30, 2025 · Engine · 138,934 miles · NC · fire

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 40-50 MPH on the highway far right lane, several unknown warning lights illuminated as smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal felt as if the friction was lost against her foot, and the accelerator pedal traveled all the way to the floorboard as the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact immediately pulled over to the side of the highway, turned off the vehicle, opened the front driver's side door, and noticed smoke and flames coming from beneath the vehicle. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. No physical injuries were sustained; however, the contact stated she sustained emotional distress. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was being stored at the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 138,934.

Filed Feb 22, 2025 · Brakes · AR

ABS control module gives error code, attempt to purchase replacement at dealer, dealer said they are on back order pending engineering review and will not be available until the end of march 2025 and will likely be pushed out again, this is a serious a safety issue, if you research it the web is full of issues where jeeps have caught on fire and or breaking went out. The manufacture is using "under engineering review" to skirt the need to issue a recall this need to be investigated, my jeep has sat for 4 months this is more that adequate time to review the issue. please feel free to contact me at [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jan 18, 2023 · Transmission · MD

While driving we had a huge oil leak, with out the oil indicator light turning on. The Pentastar oil filter housing was cracked leaking oil all over the engine and leaving a burning smell. Same exact thing happened in 2022 to our jeep grand cherokee. There needs to be a recall by Jeep, this is a known defect and safety hazard !! Why no recall???

Filed Aug 2, 2022 · Brakes · 75,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle on several occasions, the brake caution light had illuminated and suddenly the brakes were erroneously applied causing a slight reduction in speed. Also, when the failure occurred a burning odor of rubber was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. No smoke or flames were visible. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

Filed Jan 23, 2021 · Engine · 55,469 miles · IL

I was driving my keep and started smelling oil and had smoke coming from under my car. I notice on my garage floor large oil leak. I picked up my disabled son and noticed it had gotten worse. I was forced to stop by my mechanic and was told my oil cooler adaptor housing was broken and leaking badly. I had purchased a mopar protection plan directly from company. When I called jeep dealership they said I would have to bring it and let them diagnose it before they could decide if it was covered by my mopar care plan. My mechanic informed me that this was a common problem with this jeep engine but they had not done recall yet. I call mopar and they would not authorized payment to my mechanic unless he call for authorization number. He called and they said no. This part needs to be handled by a recall if it's that bad. I was reading complaints on another site and they said it could lead to a fire starting because of oil leaking onto exhaust.

Filed Jun 6, 2020 · 40,100 miles · FL · fire

40,000 miles on car. Driving on highway from fl to ga. Jeep made 2 banging noises, and lost acceleration. Pulled over on side of highway to see what happened. When door was opened, jeep was on fire from underneath . Within a minute or so, car was totally engulfed in flames.

Filed Aug 14, 2019 · 59,000 miles · CO · fire

Vehicle caught fire and burned to a total loss, claim with jeep was closed without resolve, requested information from the investigation and received nothing , after several calls and notes being put on the account nothing was resolved and my case was closed against my will and now they wont do anything. Vehicle caught fire traveling down the highway at approximately 65 MPH and upon pulling over found a fire in the front passenger fender area, attempted to extinguish fire without success and jeep burned to the ground

Filed May 10, 2019 · Body, Engine · 44,000 miles · OK · fire

My jeep caught fire from the dash, reasons unknown. Insurance is investigating and fire dept put cause as unknown. Jeep is a total loss and my husband barely made it out of the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames. He was driving from school to home and about a mile from home on the highway about to exit.*dt consumer stated as he was trying to shift into neutral and pull the e-brake, he was burnt on his hand and a little on his legs by the time he jumped out. On the day of the incident, my husband drove approximately 5-6 miles to class (as he is in a technical school right now) around 6:30 am. As he was coming home, it started smoking about half way up the on ramp heading in the direction to the exit to our home, my husband said right before it started smoking it almost sound like that blower motor was making a strange noise, and he was headed home to look at it, but the noise quit right before it started smoking. He did his best to get it out of traffic, but as I stated, with it being a soft top, it went up in flames rather quick. The vehicle was serviced every 4,000-5,000 miles. My husband has a motorcycle, so the time spent in the jeep was mainly in cooler weather or when it was raining/overcast. There were not issue leading up to the fire. We had taken it on short trips - longest distance was like 100 miles round trip, but hadn't done that in awhile. The vehicle was a total loss, state farm totaled the vehicle, we have not had possession of the jeep since it was towed from the side of the road by whoever the fire dept called (allied towing). After that insurance had it towed to a location of their own. I believe my husband only had a sub woofer in the jeep, you can see it in the back in some of the pictures. I believe at some point the stereo was changed but that was before we owned it and it was in our possession for almost 1 year prior to the fire. I have no contacted the fca, I wasn't sure who to reach out to for this issue.

Filed May 9, 2019 · Brakes, Engine · 49 miles · ID · fire

Saturday morning at approximately 10:45 a.m. Driving 4.9 miles to destination I asked as we were approaching parking "do you smell smoke?" I hit the breaks but there was no breaks. And then a combustion of flames came from wheel wells and hood of jeep. We all jumped out and called 911 and tried to put fire of jeep out with extinguishers. With no success. Fire department put fire out.

Filed May 3, 2019 · Brakes, Engine · 59,000 miles · MA · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2015 jeep wrangler. While driving 25 MPH, all the instrument panel gauges illuminated and the brake pedal felt soft. The vehicle slowed down and the contact smelled smoke. The vehicle caught fire on the driver's side of the engine compartment. The contact pulled the vehicle over, opened the door, and the fire spread. The contact had to quickly exit the vehicle. A police report was filed and the fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed by the contact's insurance company. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The cause of the failures was unknown. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 59,000.

Filed Jan 28, 2019 · Engine · 47,140 miles · NY

Significant oil leaking from oil coolant housing on the engine. Engine started smoking thought it was on fire. Shut off car imediately and sent car to dealership