Every Jeep Model With Easter Eggs (And Where To Find Them)

Easter eggs in cars are nothing new. On a 1973 Ford Mustang, for example, there's a tiny indicator light when you turn on the high beams that shows the silhouette of a mustang, as noted on the Hagerty Community forum. Over 30 years ago, Chevy added emblems for a hot dog, an apple pie, and a baseball bat to the Corvette Convertible, hidden under the carpet behind the passenger seat. And back in 2015, Volvo added a spider to the XC90's storage lid of the third row seat storage compartment.

Automakers love to include these little surprises, likely because the design teams have a playful and whimsical spirit (and maybe want to sneak in some inside jokes). However, no brand has quite embraced the concept of Easter eggs like Jeep over the years. You can find everything from spiders on the Wrangler gas cap to the Renegade's taillights that look like jerry cans. The idea sprang to life back with the original Wrangler models because the brand wanted to pay homage to the history of the vehicle, which dates back to 1941 and its use during World War II.

While we can't say this is a comprehensive rundown of every last Easter egg in all Jeep models, it's certainly a good start. If you own one, see if you can find the hidden symbols.

Since it was the first model to do so, the Wrangler has accumulated a plethora of Easter eggs. These are scattered all over the Wrangler, but one subtly hidden image is a bit hard to find: a black lizard emblazoned under the windshield wipers, at least on some models, as reported by Zimmer Motor. This presumably implies a Wrangler can grip the road even in the hot sun and on a slippery ravine, just like a lizard.

On the windshield, there's an outline of the Willys climbing over rocks, a nod to the original jeep developed during World War II, and the same outline is also located on the drive selector. There are also grilles on the trunk door, speakers, and headlights, as well as the rearview mirrors and taillights. The Wrangler is also home to several animals printed around the vehicle, depending on the model, including a Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, an American flag, and a T. rex (on the passenger-side floor mat) on some models. There's even a spider on the gas cap.

Another favorite, as noted by Stefantj on the Wrangler Forum board, is the image of flip flops located on the cowl. Then, on the storage compartment in the back of the Wrangler, where you might stick a few tools, you will also find some holes that are actually Morse code for the initial JL, which is the original codename for the Wrangler. On a panel to the left of the steering wheel, there's also an outline of the four-door Wrangler and the Gladiator, as noted by YouTube user RobMotiveJT (this is for the 2024 Wrangler model that we love like a brother or sister).

The Jeep Cherokee we covered recently is an iconic SUV that launched back in 1974, so there's also some fun history. In fact, it's the first Jeep to feature full-time four-wheel drive, and has won multiple awards with it. Both older and modern-era Cherokee models have quite a few Easter eggs.

The most well-known hidden symbol is emblazoned on the driver-side footrest, where you can find Morse code that translates to the phrase Sand Snow Rivers Rocks, as noted on the Jeep Cherokee Club forum. We'll let you decide if the Cherokee is the best choice for driving over (or through) all four of those, especially if you own a newer model, but it's a fun inclusion. Most of the other Easter eggs are a little more subtle. There's a nod to the original World War II jeep, the Willys MB, with a silhouette on the windshield of the iconic model driving over some rocks. There are also some coordinates and a map (also noted on the Jeep Cherokee Club forum) under the passenger seat cushion directing you to the Rubicon Trail, which is the famous 22-mile off-roading trail near Lake Tahoe in California.

Another Easter egg that's easy to miss is under the cowling (removable hood). It's an outline of an embossed grille from a vintage Jeep, according to Jeep.com. Oh, and the steering wheel is stamped 1941 as another call-out to the original jeep, which was released that year.

The Jeep Compass is more of a mainstream vehicle for the masses and not known as a serious off-roader. Introduced in 2007, this less capable Jeep even comes in a FWD version. The Compass has been around for a while, and you can hunt for Easter eggs on many of the previous models. 

Like many Jeep models, there are a few animals printed on the vehicle, including a Loch Ness Monster on the rear windshield, as noted by Redditor hot2terra, and the original Willys from World War II on the front windshield. On the Compass, the Willys is not shown driving over rocks like it is on a Wrangler, but is instead just driving on a normal road. You will also find the Willy icon on the center caps of the tires.

A few extra hidden images are scattered around the vehicle, but you have to hunt around for them a bit. For example, there's the front grille outline printed on the lift-gate, driver sun visor, and the speakers, as detailed by YouTube user JSS. Like a few other models, such as the Wrangler, you will also find a black lizard under the windshield wipers. That's a nod to the off-roading capability of the Compass and its ability to stick to the road like a lizard, although that's somewhat debatable depending on which models you choose and if they only have FWD, which was once the standard drivetrain (but is now AWD). Finally, there's some Morse code: On the dead pedal there are a few divots that can be translated to sand, snow, river, and rocks.

Originally introduced in 1963 and then revised for 2019, the Jeep Gladiator is the closest you will get to a Wrangler. The two models drive similarly and look about the same, or at least the front half does: The rear of the Gladiator features a truck bed for hauling your gear. There are plenty of Easter eggs scattered around the vehicle. A personal favorite is found in between the hood and windshield (an area known as the cowl cover) that shows a pair of flip-flops, as mentioned by Jeep Gladiator Forum. There's also a Willys icon on the lower right corner of the windshield, a nod to the original jeep.

A cool break from the norm with other Jeep models is that you can also find the Willys outline on all of the wheels, according to Business Insider, in addition to the icon showing up on the windshield. There's another unique Easter egg as well, mostly because the Gladiator is the only Jeep model with a truck bed. Hidden along the side rail of the truck bed is the number 419, according to YouTuber CoolCarFeatures, which is the area code for where the Gladiator is built in Toledo, Ohio. If you hunt around even further, there's one more Willys that shows up in the instrument cluster when you page through the trip information screens. It almost looks like a hologram — when I tested a Gladiator recently, I could barely see it.

Jeep uses the term "grand" for the Cherokee and Wagoneer to indicate that it is more luxurious, bigger, and more capable as far as specs go. The Cherokee was first introduced in 1993, although the design efforts started many years before, when AMC was the parent company. Surprisingly, the Grand Cherokee does not have a ton of Easter eggs, but you can still find a few.

The Grand Cherokee has text that says "Since 1941" printed on the steering wheel, and there's a Willys vehicle climbing the side of the third window on the driver's side. A map of Detroit and the 313 area code of that city can be found under the hood, while on the all-weather floor mat is the T. rex skull that is on many other Jeep models. In the storage compartment there's a topographical map, but only on some trim levels.

One of the coolest Easter eggs is far more subtle. In the instrument panel, the Willy icon also appears as a 3D model, but you might not even see it in direct sunlight.

Another "grand" version that has become more like the Cadillac Escalade over the years, the Grand Wagoneer is a full-size luxury SUV with plenty of seating and high-tech amenities, such as a passenger-side display. The original Wagoneer model was first introduced in 1963, but the Grand Wagoneer made its debut in 1984 with all the extra bells and whistles. The Grand Wagoneer certainly does not have an abundance of Easter eggs, but there are a few.

The passenger display has one of the most subtle Easter eggs of any Jeep vehicle, viewable during the relax mode when the vehicle is parked. If you watch the relaxing campfire animation, a Jeep grille icon will briefly appear, according to YouTuber Brandon Haneline, and if you choose the aquarium, you will eventually see the date 1963, which is when the vehicle first launched. The front grille has a classic Willys icon printed in white, as noted in the forum Wagoneer Fans, as well as an inscription of the word "Merica," while the side of at least one air vent includes a silhouette of the Wagoneer with the words "since 1963" printed underneath.

There are a few more Easter eggs on the Grand Wagoneer. As described on YouTube by AutoNation, you can find the word "woody" printed along the side of the tailgate, which is a call-out to the wood panel model from decades ago. On the rear doors and the windshield, there's a silhouette of the Grand Wagoneer, and the driver's side door has the digits 586 printed on a rail, indicating the area code where it is made (near Detroit in Southern Michigan). Finally, the door handles all have the iconic grille icon.

Most of us likely first heard about the Jeep Renegade when it was included in the movie "Batman v Superman" in 2016, even if the first model appeared in 2015. Would a billionaire like Bruce Wayne choose this compact SUV over a far more advanced off-road vehicle, such as a Range Rover? Probably not, but it made for a nice cameo. Like many Jeep models, the Renegade has several Easter eggs, but our personal favorite is the Sasquatch outline in the rear windshield, as highlighted on Reddit. You can spot Bigfoot every time you look behind you! The urban legend appears to be traversing over a rocky terrain and is flailing its arms like that first iconic video from 1967.

Other than Bigfoot, there's also a unique Easter egg printed around the ignition button. It reads "To New Adventures" in lightly printed letters: a cool reminder to remember it's not only about the destination but also how you get there. Then there is the Jeep grille emblazoned around the Renegade on the backs and bottoms of the seats, inner hatch panel, headlamps, speakers, and rearview mirror. Speaking of the taillights: you'll also notice a subtle outline of jerry cans, which is a nod to the iconic fuel gas cans used during World War II. The jerry can outline is even shown on the top roof panel and on the cup holders.

There's also a spider around the outer rim of the fuel door that says "Ciao, Baby!" On the Trailhawk version, there's a map of Moab, Utah, printed on the change compartment. You will also find several Willys icons scattered around the vehicle, including one on the floor mats. Whew, that's a lot!

The original Jeep Wagoneer, which debuted in 1963, has quite a few Easter eggs worth noting. There's an airplane icon located on the tailgate of the Wagoneer S model, as noted on Instagram, denoting that it is fast and sporty. The exterior lock button also has the iconic Jeep grille on it, as noted on the r/Jeep subreddit, plus the word "Jeep" on the headlights and taillights. On the main frame rails you will also find the silhouette of the Wagoneer and the digits 586, which is the area code for where the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are made near Detroit.

One reason this vehicle might not have as many Easter eggs is due to how the Wagoneer is positioned in the market compared to other models, like the Grand Wagoneer. It's meant as a mainstream vehicle without the throwback legacy of the Wrangler model, and it's not meant as a serious off-road vehicle. The Wagoneer is meant to compete with family vehicles like the Yukon, while the Grand Wagoneer is more of a flagship vehicle that takes on the Lincoln Navigator and other full-size SUVs.