2021 Jeep Renegade: What to check before buying

The Uconnect touchscreen fails in most of these reports. It shows lines or ghost images, fades, flips, or goes black, sometimes while still responding to touch. Losing the screen also takes away the backup camera, climate controls, heated seats, navigation, and hands-free calling. In some cases the fault starts occasionally and becomes daily, and one began only in hot weather. Dealers report no replacement parts. Other complaints describe a Service Passive Entry error that stops the car from shutting off, and a chafed wire behind the front bumper.

The 9-speed transmission refuses to shift into its top gears on the highway, runs hot, and hurts fuel economy, sometimes from the first miles after delivery. Other reports describe clunking from first to second gear when cold. Some cars drop into neutral at highway speed, flash the D indicator, or lose power while dash warning lights blink, and they have to be pulled over. Dealers often find no problem. Reports also cover early oil consumption and an electrical failure that cut power and braking and left the engine unable to shut off.

The airbags do not deploy in two rear-end crashes, one of which totaled the car. Both drivers were injured. Another report describes the airbag warning light coming on and a dealer calling for a new driver airbag module that was on backorder, at about 86,461 miles. The rest are mostly about service problems: dealers delaying an open recall repair over parts limits and waiting lists, and inaccurate service records. One owner had a front seat buckle replaced under warranty.

The car loses steering control or steers on its own. In one crash, lane keep assist took over on a curve, the car left the road and flipped, and the driver suffered a concussion. Other reports describe a sudden flood of warning lights for airbags, ABS, cameras, and power steering, followed by loss of power assist. Mechanics cannot find the cause, and the codes come back after clearing. Some cars stop moving after the lights start flashing. One new car steered and braked by itself.

Sudden shutdowns while driving leave the car dead in the road and unable to restart, with oil found on top of the motor and at the tailpipe. The opposite failure also appears: the automatic stop/start system fails and the engine keeps running until the fuel pump fuse is pulled. A separate report describes an air conditioning reservoir found totally dry, which needed a costly diagnostic procedure before any repair.

Fuel lines leak. In one case the line rubbed against another pipe between the engine and firewall, wore through, and sprayed gasoline over the engine and exhaust. The driver noticed the smell in traffic, and the line was replaced at 47,000 miles. Another dealer found a corroded fuel line bundle on a car with no prior damage. A raw fuel smell from the engine bay is the warning sign in these reports.

Driver-assist systems shut off along with other features. A "Stereo System Unavailable" warning appears within days of delivery, switches off the safety features and the premium sound system, and comes back almost daily. In another case the forward collision warning failed and triggered service and 4x4 failure messages. A shop later found a bent tie rod, and the collision system still needed dealer service. Both reports describe long dealer backlogs and no rental car.