2019 Jeep Renegade: What to check before buying

The center touchscreen fails. Reports describe vertical lines, a display split into columns, flashing static, and finally a black screen, sometimes worse once the car warms up. Because the screen runs the backup camera, climate controls, heated seats, and vehicle settings, a failure takes all of them out, and some units switch to metric readouts that cannot be changed back. Dealers recommend full replacement, with one quote over $1200. A second pattern involves the left taillight, with burnt wires and condensation. One crash is blamed on distraction from repeated electrical faults.

Oil loss is the main thread. Reports describe burning oil with no visible leaks, low-oil warnings well before the next change, and MultiAir actuator failures that spray oil, melt spark plug caps, and crack valve covers, with parts on back order for months. Low oil pressure brings a check engine light and a cap near 3300 RPM that leaves the car unable to accelerate onto a highway. Cooling problems include a radiator seam leak, overheating, a cracked cooling fan, and leaking transmission cooler lines. Sudden power loss without warning lights also appears.

Collisions end with no air bag deploying, including a side impact, rear-end hits, and a slide into a ditch that left the car on its side. Five reports involve crashes, and five people were hurt, several needing medical treatment. Other reports describe an air bag warning light that comes on intermittently at higher mileage, and in one case stays lit after dealer repair work, with further diagnosis still pending.

Shifting problems lead the reports: rough or delayed shifts when cold or after long drives, lurching, jerking, slipping, and a transmission that overheats at 54,000 miles. Stalling at highway speed with failed restarts also appears, with one car told it needed a new transmission and transmission module. Throttle body sensor faults send the car into limp mode below 10 mph. Other reports cover every warning light staying on with 4WD and the parking brake not working, plus a recurring P1DB7 check engine code.

Front rotors warp and pads wear out quickly. Reports describe repeated rotor and pad replacements, with warping returning within a few thousand miles of a brake job and one car on its fourth set by 37000 miles. Brake noise also shows up on nearly new cars. A separate crash report says opening the driver door while in drive sets the emergency brake abruptly, and the car struck a parked vehicle.

The Uconnect screen goes black or ghost-touches every button, and the speedometer and mileage readouts can lock into metric units, leaving the driver unsure of speed. Bubbling spreading across the screen and lost navigation are also reported. One separate report describes the car stopping unexpectedly at various speeds with a "service automatic throttle control" message, a fault that persisted after three dealer visits.

The rear camera image distorts or disappears because the display screen fails, often going black while the radio keeps working. The screen can also stay in reverse view for several minutes after shifting into drive. One dealer found a detached inner panel and called for replacing both radio and screen. Owners report little help from the manufacturer, with one failure dismissed as cosmetic and another car out of warranty.

Seat belt sensors and latches misbehave. Rear belt chimes sound when no one is seated, forcing owners to buckle empty seats, starting about a week after purchase. A front driver belt can feel locked shut and refuse to buckle. Another report describes an unbuckled-belt alarm that keeps sounding with the belt fastened after a dealer service visit.