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2021 Jeep Renegade problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
25%
15 of 60 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2021 Jeep Renegade. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 25% of relevant complaints.

Better than 79% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 7 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 22%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2021 Jeep Renegade have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 15 of 60 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Jeep Renegade concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (25%). For comparison, the 2020 scores 56% and the 2022 scores 58%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
15
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
67
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
3 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM26 · 39%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER20 · 30%
ENGINE9 · 13%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE9 · 13%
AIR BAGS7 · 10%
POWER TRAIN6 · 9%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
no data
2012
no data
2013
no data
2014
no data
2015
67%
321 of 511
2016
61%
237 of 430
2017
73%
385 of 565
2018
62%
261 of 442
2019
33%
22 of 79
2020
56%
30 of 62
2021
25%
15 of 67
2022
58%
14 of 26
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2021 compares with other Jeep Renegade years

Of the 8 Jeep Renegade years with enough complaints to score, the 2021 is the best on engine and transmission share (25%). The worst is the 2017 (73%). By volume, the 2021 drew 67 complaints (15 drivetrain), against 62 for the 2020 and 26 for the 2022.

Jeep Renegade years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2021 Jeep Renegade

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

ENGINE07/18/2026
I was driving down the road and the car turns off. Everything turns off, no lights, no nothing and it won't crank again. And then I had to call a wrecker truck and the oil was on top of the motor and back of the tailpipe. I couldn't even get it out of the road. I am so thankful my granddaughter was not in there And I'm…

One of 15 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2021 Jeep Renegade engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2021 Jeep Renegade, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
exterior lighting: back up lights24V918000 · Dec 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Renegade vehicles. The incorrect bumper reverse light assembly may have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…
air bags: frontal24V510000 · Jul 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia, 2018-2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio, 2019-2023 Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, and 2024 Fiat 500E vehicles. A seat belt buckle switch…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2021 Jeep Renegade? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2021 Jeep Renegade

Does the 2021 Jeep Renegade have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 15 of 60 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Jeep Renegade concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (25%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2021 Jeep Renegade?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2021 Jeep Renegade is electrical system: 26 of 67 complaints (39%) name it, followed by engine (9) and forward collision avoidance (9). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 25% of the relevant total.

Is the 2021 Jeep Renegade reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 25% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 79% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 8 Jeep Renegade years we score, it ranks best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Jeep Renegade?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2021 Jeep Renegade, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Jeep Renegade years are better?

The 2021 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Jeep Renegade years we track (25%). The other years run higher. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/jeep-renegade

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.