2018 Jeep Wrangler: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Sep 21, 2026 · Transmission · FL

report to the dealer that my 2018 jeep has recall for clotch overheating and vehicle can catch on fire , and it has been 3 years with no respond or completion or the job been done , feel kind of scared for the safety of me and my family every day driving ah vehicle can catch on fire . please help us to resolve this situation thanks

Filed Sep 2, 2026 · Brakes · KY

2018 Jeep Wrangler rubber brake lines collapsing internally, trapping hydraulic fluid pressure, and causing front brakes to overheat/lock up. Happened last year on my driver's side. It completely locked up my caliper. Ended up replacing Front Driver Hose & Caliper. And both Front Rotors and Brake Pads. Now its currently happening to my passenger side. This time its actually causing a burning smell. Last year it did not it was just grinding. Been for a few months. At first I though it was my aux battery that was dead and was causing the smell. But got that looked at and didnt even have a ln aux battery. Didnt notice the smell for a few months. But now in extreme heat and worsen driving conditions it has came back. Was told my hose is collapsing. So now I have to replace rotors and brake pads again. And new hose and caliper on my passenger side

Filed Jun 22, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · MA · fire

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Jeep started on fire and is still at a tow yard in Belchertown, MA How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The Jeep started on fire while I was driving. I pulled over as the engine was smoking and then it burst into flames while I was still inside. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not that I know of. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, we gave permission for our insurance agency and Jeep to inspect the burned out vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? While I was driving, the engine temp and coolant warning lights shot way up and then the engine began to smoke. I pulled over and before I could exit the vehicle, fire was coming into the cab through the air vents.

Filed Jun 4, 2026 · Brakes · NC

I own a 2018 Jeep Wrangler that my 19 year old son drives for college. While driving, the vehicle jerked and became sluggish. There were no warning lights illuminated. I became aware that the front brake rotors had overheated again. I had the front right brake caliber and brake line changed back in 2024 and the issue has recurred this year. I had a local mechanic change the front brake pads and rotors for both front tires and caliber to right front side only in April/2026 and the issue has started again today. The vehicle was taken back to local mechanic to be diagnosed again. He stated that the brake fluid was unable to properly bleed through the brake line restricting air to fully purge from the hydraulic system, which can result in incomplete bleeding, reduced braking performance, uneven pad wear, brake drag, or brake fade and is part of the reason for burning smell near right front tire. He added that car isn’t safe to drive in this condition due to safety concerns of accidents due to inability to properly brake or even a fire. Vehicle hasn’t been repaired due to cost and I will attempt to contact manufacturer. The initial mileage reading when this issue occurred in 2024 was 90,000 miles. The mileage as of this complaint is 112,392.

Filed Jan 14, 2026 · CA · fire

UNKNOWN what failed because it burned to the ground. August 8, 2025 The Jeep was running and driving normal. I pulled over into Robert Louis Stevenson Park parking area to let my kids (ages 3 and 4) out for a potty break. I left the vehicle running since it was hot and the AC was on. As I was getting my first child out smoke started pouring out of the passenger side wheel well and hood, coming from the engine compartment. I got my kids out in a hurry and there were flames within about 45 seconds. The Jeep was fully engulfed within about 2 minutes. Fire department took 12 minutes to arrive on scene and extinguish the Jeep fire and accompanying tree that had caught on fire. All of my belongings inside the vehicle were destroyed and not covered under the vehicle insurance policy. I am grateful I managed to get my kids out of the car and to safety and that we are all okay, but this was an extremely dangerous situation and we are lucky we pulled over where we did. I reached out to Stellantis, and they sent out an investigator, but he was bound by privacy rules with them, and nobody ever told me what they found other than Stellantis sending a letter saying "they are not led to believe it was a manufacturing responsibility." Additionally, there was a police report filed with Napa, CA California Highway Patrol Office, as another car was melted a bit during the incident. There were ZERO warnings that anything was wrong with the vehicle while driving. Nothing to indicate that something catastrophic was about to happen or that anything was wrong at all. The Jeep only had 27,000 miles on it and had been dealer serviced its entire life and only 1,000 miles prior to this incident as well.

Filed Dec 19, 2024 · PA · fire

As I was driving this vehicle alone on [XXX] , I smelled a burning smell and the clutch seemed to have trouble shifting gears. I was driving approximately 40 mph, attempted to shift gears, heard a loud bang and saw fire at my feet, looked in the rear view mirror and saw fire in the back. I pulled the emergency break and jumped out of the car. It then burst into flames and incinerated the car with all my belongings in it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 9, 2023 · Transmission · NM

The first recall was issued almost 3 years ago and the "repair" was to add to a software update to solve with a mechanical issue. A warning light would be set to go on if the temperature of the clutch/transmission got above a certain temperature. This doesn't resolve the actual problem of a poorly designed clutch assembly. The second recall is for the same issue and has had a status of "remedy not available" for too long. The clutch assembly can overheat but the clutch also regularly slips creating acceleration issues. There have been countless occurrences of pulling into traffic and the clutch slipping and almost being hit by other vehicles. In addition, the potential for the transmission bell house to fracture and the vehicle to catch on fire is a major concern. There are many posts in online Jeep JL forums. There is a "jeep clutch recall" facebook group with man examples of these issues and the lack of concern from the manufacturer to offer a solution. Stellantis seems to know there is an issue but has been in no rush to rectify the situation. There has been very little communication about this issue and local Jeep dealerships never have any more information that consumers do. We need to have new clutch assemblies installed or be given a simple and quick way to be reimbursed for having an aftermarket clutch assembly installed.

Filed Oct 13, 2023 · Engine, Transmission · 39,000 miles · TN · fire

The contact owned a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle had lost power and had shifting issues with the manual transmission. The contact noticed smoke from under the hood and tried to pull to the side of the road. While pulling to the side of the road, under the hood had caught on fire. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road safely. The automatic shift warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a scrapyard. The origin of the fire was unknown. The fire was located under the hood. The fire department had extinguished the fire. A fire department report was not filed. A police department report was not filed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000

Filed Sep 13, 2023 · Transmission · VA

clutch smoking and burning smells also audible chatter going into gears and slipping in some gears open safety recall for clutch and no one wants to help me???? since jeep hasnt put out a fix???? the fix is to replace the clutch and pressure plate asy with an aftermarket asy. but i can get anyone to step up and make it happen

Filed Aug 23, 2023 · Transmission · AZ

Clutch is making unexpected burning smell (after normal driving). Clutch pops out of gear while at highway speeds, and when in 4-wheel drive. Sometimes grinds during shift for no apparent reason. FCA says there is a recall effecting my vehicle, but part is still not available. FCA sends me to dealership for assessment. Dealership says there is nothing they can do as part is not available and they are..."at the mercy of Jeep." I'm afraid to drive the vehicle. It is my only vehicle.

Filed Apr 19, 2023 · Transmission · MD

I was constantly smelling a burning odor and my clutch started slipping. Took vehicle to dealer and they said clutch and flywheel needed to be replaced but there were none available, and they had to be manufactured and could take 2 to 3 months. Unsatisfactory! I left the dealership which is nextdoor to my place of employment and completely lost the clutch on a busy road and had to be towed. I spent hours and days trying to find a clutch and finally located one and purchased it along with the flywheel. The repair seemed to be successful but now I am having that same burning smell. I received the recall notice 19A/the federal safety agency, however late, from FCA. It had the following statement: "WHAT IF I ALREADY PAID TO HAVE THIS REPAIR COMPLETED? If you have already experienced this specific condition and have paid to have it repaired, you may visit [XXX] to submit your reimbursement request online. Once we receive and verify the required documents, reimbursement will be sent to you within 60 days. If you have had previous repairs performed and/or already received reimbursement, you may still need to have the recall performed." I submitted my repair and proof of payment documents and they immediately closed my case because a remedy is not available. This makes no sense and contradicts the statement. Obviously I need to replace the clutch and flywheel. Now the replacement is putting off the same burning odor and I have to wait for a remedy knowing there is potential for a fire. I believe this has been an ongoing issue and should have been remedied long ago. Especially considering my vehicle is a 2018. There have been no warning indicators or lights. I drive my young grandsons around in this vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Filed Dec 13, 2022 · NH

I had just purchase this used with 19000 miles on it. It had already had all of the recalls performed for the clutch. I was on the highway in moderate traffic, when the clutch suddenly fell to the floor for no reason as I had already been in fifth gear for a while. Then the vehicle lost all power and there was a clanking noise and it seems like it was on fire with all the smoke billowing. I miraculously made it from the high speed lane over to the slow lane and luckily there was an off-ramp right there. It only made it about 50 ft and died. By the time the dealer looked at it and told me there was thousands of dollars worth of damage I couldn't believe it. All over the same thing that had been issued recalls twice already. Luckily it still was under the powertrain warranty and they took it easy on me with the rest of the parts that weren't covered. But the transmission bellhousing was sheared in half by the clutch plate or something, it cracked my thermostat housing and my thermostat . We thought there was going to be engine damage as well. The entire transmission needed to be replaced due to the fact that the clutch flywheel had broken its teeth or something like that. The entire thing was just a major, major mess. The dealership had it for over 2 months and the rental fees were killing me. The entire thing was just so disastrous. I'm just glad that it didn't kill anybody.