Name: Jeep Wrangler (2018 - present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Jeep Wrangler
Rating: 41.0

Summary

The Jeep Wrangler is a medium-sized SUV, available in either two-door or four-door format. The latest generation was launched in late 2018 and traces its heritage all the way back to the original Willys Jeeps of the Second World War.

The new Jeep Wrangler has received mixed reviews from the UK media. It has been highly praised for its off-road ability and for keeping true to its heritage, while it has also been criticised for its poor on-road driving dynamics and extremely poor one-star safety score from Euro NCAP.

The Wrangler was originally offered with a choice of petrol or diesel power, but the diesel engine was dropped after a while so now there’s only one petrol engine available across the whole range.

As of September 2025, the Jeep Wrangler has a poor New Car Expert Rating of E, with a score of 41%. It scores poorly for its running costs and media review scores, while its one-star Euro NCAP safety rating was terrible when the Wrangler was launched six years ago and looks even worse today.

More Jeep Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Key specifications

Body style: Two- and four-door SUV
Engines: petrol (and previously diesel)
Price: From £60,285 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2018
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic Sahara (2024 facelift)
Score: 5 / 10
“If you prefer camping and hiking holidays to five-star resorts, the Jeep Wrangler could be your kind of car. If you’re looking for a conventional family car, there are better alternatives available.”
Author: Stuart Masson
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic Rubicon (2024 facelift)
Score: 7 / 10
“Diehard Jeep fans are unlikely to be put off by the Wrangler’s compromises – especially those planning to spend even more modifying the car for hardcore adventuring. But consider it food for thought for anyone looking at the wider field of 4x4s for their next car.”
Author: Ellis Hyde
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Model reviewed: 4xe Rubicon (2023)
Score: 8 / 10
“On the steep slopes that the Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon’s muscle really comes into its own. With drive sent to each of the four wheels on the fly, the electrified Wrangler just grips and goes.”
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Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 7 / 10
“For top-down fun drives, the Wrangler is a blast, and it’s epic off road, too.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Sahara
Score: 6 / 10
“This is an off-road car that can be used on the road, rather than a road car that can be taken slightly off the beaten track.”
Read review

Score: 8 / 10
“Still as rugged and capable off-road as it ever was but with a more civilised interior and more all-round appeal, the new Wrangler represents a well-judged step forwards for the famous Jeep.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Jeep Wrangler builds on a great heritage to rightfully stake its claim as one of the most competent off-road vehicles you can buy. Yes, its off-road ability does lead to compromises on the road, but these compromises are fewer and less severe than in Wranglers of old, and it’s more civilised than some other hardcore mud-pluggers we could name.”
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Car

Model reviewed: 2024 facelift range
Score: 6 / 10
“You buy one a Jeep Wrangler because you want one, rather than need one. But you’re rewarded with something that’ll make you smile and keep you moving even in the toughest or most remote settings.”
Author: Jake Groves
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“If you think with your head, the Jeep Wrangler is a model that can be hard to get on with, its backwards driving experience and low-rent interior not making it feel luxurious in the slightest. But we value the Wrangler for sticking with its proven formula of being a dependable off-roader, but now with more appeal than ever thanks to its better road dynamics and better engines.”
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Carbuyer

Score: 6 / 10
“The Jeep Wrangler has been modernised, but it’s still aimed at serious off-road enthusiasts and a high price makes it a rather niche proposition.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“The Jeep Wrangler is unmistakable, and so is its off-road prowess. The trouble is, it’s expensive to buy and run and pretty uncomfy on the road.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: 2.1-litre diesel manual Sahara
“There’s a lot to love about the characterful Jeep Wrangler, but that almost-peerless off-road ability comes at a cost in financial, practicality, refinement and driving experience terms.”
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Honest John

Score: 8 / 10
“If you are considering the Wrangler, be aware that it differs drastically depending on whether you go for the impractical but achingly cool-looking three-door short-wheelbase, to the moderately roomy, long-wheelbase five-door.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 6.4 / 10
“Legendary off-roader isn’t perfect, but very likeable”
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The Sun

“This descendant of the original US Army Jeep is hard, capable and very cool — basically, it’s nothing more or less than a Tonka toy for grown-ups.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 2.1-litre diesel automatic
Score: 8 / 10
“The Wrangler has been around for 77 years in various forms, but it’s been an exemplary evolution. Even now that it’s bigger and more comfort-oriented than ever, it’s still irreverent, lovable, unmistakably rooted in off-roading, and currently without any direct rivals.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“If you ‘get’ the Wrangler, this one’s easier to live with than ever before and just as easy to love. If you don’t, there’s always the Skoda Kodiaq.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 1 stars
Date tested: December 2018
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 50%
Child protection: 69%
Vulnerable road users: 49%
Safety assist: 32%

Notes on safety rating

The Jeep Wrangler scored a woeful one-star safety rating from Euro NCAP when it was launched in 2018, receiving scathing criticism from Thatcham Research, the UK’s Euro NCAP representative: “The Jeep Wrangler is an entirely new vehicle and doesn’t come cheap. Buyers outlaying over £50,000 on a car should expect more than a one-star safety rating.

“No AEB (autonomous emergency braking) system is fitted, which is unheard of in this price bracket. There were a number of issues with the Wrangler in impact testing too, in terms of deformation of the footwell and damage to connecting structures, while the make-up of the dashboard was seen to present a risk to occupants.”

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of October 2025, the Jeep Wrangler has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score
Petrol models	26 mpg	E
Diesel models	30 mpg	D

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	259 g/km	E
Diesel models	246 g/km	E

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	23	B

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£318	D
Year 2	£800	D
Year 3	£1,349	D
Year 4	£1,564	D
Year 5	£2,032	D
Overall	£6,063	D

The Jeep Wrangler is an expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

The biggest cost is always fuel, and the Wrangler performs very poorly here. Fuel economy scores an E (which is the worst score possible for this category and means it sits in the bottom 20% of all cars in our database), so you probably need to lower your expectations from whatever they may have been. CO₂ emissions are not much better.

Servicing and maintenance costs are average over the first five years, while insurance costs should actually be better than average.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of October 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Jeep Wrangler to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Wrangler, we’ll publish the score here.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Jeep Wrangler

Overall ratingE2%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileage36,000 miles

Jeep’s new car warranty is one of the stingiest offered by any car manufacturer in the UK. The duration is three years, with a limit of just 36,000 miles.

Warranty on a used Jeep Wrangler

If you are buying an ‘Approved Used’ Jeep Wrangler from an official Jeep dealership, you will get a minimum six-month warranty included.
If you are buying a used Jeep Wrangler from an independent dealership, any warranty offered will vary and will probably be managed by a third-party warranty company.
If you are buying a used Jeep Wrangler from a private seller, there are no warranty protections beyond any remaining portion of the original new car warranty.

If you’re looking to buy any used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Jeep Wrangler

2021

2020

Date: November 2021
Recall number: R/2021/378
Model types: All
Build dates: 01/2020 to 03/2020
Number of vehicles affected: 229
Defect: The fuel supply line connector may crack.
Remedy: Inspect the date code on the fuel line tag. If the date falls within the specified range, replace the line. If the tag is missing, replace the line.

Date: October 2021
Recall number: R/2021/328
Model types: All
Build dates: 11/2020 to 04/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 314
Defect: The statutory plate label may be missing the Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) number for the European market.
Remedy: Replace the statutory plate label with a new statutory plate label containing the WVTA number.

Date: April 2021
Recall number: R/2021/089
Model types: All
Build dates: 05/2019 to 08/2020
Number of vehicles affected: 77
Defect: The statutory plate label may be missing the Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) number.
Remedy: Replace the statutory plate label with a new statutory plate label containing the WVTA number.

Date: March 2021
Recall number: R/2021/071
Model types: All
Build dates: 06/2019 to 08/2019
Number of vehicles affected: 1
Defect: The front seat belt retractor may have been built with an improperly formed wave disc.
Remedy: Replace the front seat belt retractor.

Date: October 2020
Recall number: R/2020/169
Model types: All
Build dates: 01/2019 to 01/2020
Number of vehicles affected: 547
Defect: Insufficient clearance between transmission harness and catalytic convertor.
Remedy: Inspect the transmission wiring harness, reposition harness or replace if heat damaged.

Date: February 2020
Recall number: R/2020/028
Model types: All
Build dates: 10/2017 to 03/2019
Number of vehicles affected: 664
Defect: Insufficient clearance for the transmission wiring harness.
Remedy: Inspect the harness for damage and replace if necessary.

As of September 2024 (our most recent data point), there have been six DVSA vehicle safety recalls on the Jeep Wrangler to address different issues.

Not all vehicles are affected by recalls. You can check to see if your car is included in any of the above recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Jeep dealer.

If your car is affected by a recall, the vehicle must be repaired and you should not be charged for any work required. If you are buying a used Wrangler, you should insist that any outstanding recall work is completed before you take delivery of the vehicle.