2004 Jeep Wrangler — 4.0L

The 2004 Jeep Wrangler sits near the tail end of the TJ generation (1997–2006), a period characterized by declining complaint volumes from a 1997 peak of 455 down to a low of 102 in 2003, followed by a sharp reversal. At 192 complaints, the target year nearly doubles its predecessor's count, signaling the start of an upward trend that explodes to 649 in 2005 and 730 in 2006. Recalls are modest at three, down from four the prior year and consistent with the generation's low-investigation, low-recall late period, suggesting regulatory scrutiny had not yet intensified. The top complaint areas—steering/suspension (33), power train (21), steering (19), and suspension (17)—point to chassis and drivetrain concerns, with 17 crash complaints and 7 fire complaints adding a safety dimension the data does not further explain. The 2004 occupies a transitional position: quieter than the problematic 2005–2006 books but noticeably more troubled than the 2002–2003 trough. For a buyer, this makes 2004 a borderline choice—better than the years immediately following but inferior to 2002 or 2003, which offer lower complaint volumes with similar recall profiles.