Jeep Owners: Talk to me

Badger_Golfer

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So, as someone who had driven trucks all his life until the last 10 years or so when I had a Camry and currently an Accord, Im thinking about getting an SUV because I miss it.
My problem is that I dont really like some of the more carlike SUVs like the Escape, CR-V and RAV4 and I dont need something huge like an Explorer, Pilot, etc.
That brings me to the Jeep Wrangler. Its got a lot of stuff that I like because its more of an oldschool SUV and is much more like a truck than the others but its a Chrysler product and we all know that the reliability could be in question.
I understand about the harsh ride and minimalist interior; all things that Im perfectly fine with and kind of like. I also understand about the wind noise because its boxy and has a soft top. (I plan on getting a hard top anyways).
My plan is a Wrangler Unlimited Sport with a hard top.
Ive tried to study reliability of it and Chrysler products in general. Ive never owned a Chrysler product but they dont have the greatest reputation. They have won some dependability awards lately though and from what Ive been able to read, the Wrangler is pretty solidly built; so maybe Im just worried about nothing.
Thoughts?
 
I’ve had a Jeep for about four years now and have had no issues with it at all. I like that I can add modifications and such without a second thought. I have a hard Top and don’t not think there is a lot of wind noise. Ride isn’t that bad either.


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I just bought a Jeep for my son. Build quality is a little suspect but the fun factor is there!
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So, as someone who had driven trucks all his life until the last 10 years or so when I had a Camry and currently an Accord, Im thinking about getting an SUV because I miss it.
My problem is that I dont really like some of the more carlike SUVs like the Escape, CR-V and RAV4 and I dont need something huge like an Explorer, Pilot, etc.
That brings me to the Jeep Wrangler. Its got a lot of stuff that I like because its more of an oldschool SUV and is much more like a truck than the others but its a Chrysler product and we all know that the reliability could be in question.
I understand about the harsh ride and minimalist interior; all things that Im perfectly fine with and kind of like. I also understand about the wind noise because its boxy and has a soft top. (I plan on getting a hard top anyways).
My plan is a Wrangler Unlimited Sport with a hard top.
Ive tried to study reliability of it and Chrysler products in general. Ive never owned a Chrysler product but they dont have the greatest reputation. They have won some dependability awards lately though and from what Ive been able to read, the Wrangler is pretty solidly built; so maybe Im just worried about nothing.
Thoughts?

I don't think you are worried about nothing, Chrysler Fiats reputation is well earned and I don't think Jeep is immune. The Pentastar has had its share of problems, although it seems to be a little better. I know nothing about the turbo 4 cyl.

I think going the sport route is the right choice. The less doo dads it has the less that can break.
 
I don't think you are worried about nothing, Chrysler Fiats reputation is well earned and I don't think Jeep is immune. The Pentastar has had its share of problems, although it seems to be a little better. I know nothing about the turbo 4 cyl.

I think going the sport route is the right choice. The less doo dads it has the less that can break.

True. It seems like they have worked out the bugs to a point and that the flaw was due to casting cracks on the heads. Even on the older 3.6s, they issed a 150K warranty but that supposedly fixed those issues back in like '13.
The funny thing is that if you look up cost of ownership on Edmunds, they claim that the Wrangler only costs about $300 more over 5 years for repairs than an Escape/CRV/RAV4 but is about $2000 cheaper to maintain.
Honestly, I might have bought a Jeep years ago but Id always thought that Chryslers were so bad. If you look on JD Power's site, theres several Chryslers that they give dependability awards to: Town and County and Challenger and that Chrysler as a whole rates about at the industry average and rates better than some brands that you wouldnt think they would.
Im now kind of thinking that buying any car is a crapshoot and that its more about how well you care for said vehicle.
I kind of feel like all cars break every now and then and if my choice is a vehicle that I love but that is a bit less reliable or a boring car that runs forever; I'll probably be happier with the vehicle that I love but is a little less reliable.
Right now, Ive got a '15 Honda Accord and its a great car for what it is. Its comfortable, gets great gas milage and thus far, has been very reliable. Theres no fun factor to it though and as someone who like going to car meets, its kind of hard to do that with an Accord.
Id love to have another F-150 but I dont really need a truck. One of my favorite vehicles Ive ever owned was my '85 Toyota 4Runner that I had in high school and the Wrangler seems to be a lot like that. Im not really into a newer 4Runner because theyre kind of overpriced and are kind of outdated (like most Toyota models are lately).
As you can probably tell, my heart wants the Wrangler and maybe I just need to pay for an extended warranty or something.
 
I'm not sure any Chrysler reliability issues really apply when talking about a Wrangler. Jeep has always been kind of it's own thing, with very little if anything in common with the rest of their lineup. I'm also considering moving from a truck back to an SUV, but I'm waiting at least another year to see what the new Ford Bronco ends up bringing to the table.
 
We had a 2009 Jeep Wrangler unlimited with the hard top that we just traded in. It was a great car, we just didn’t use the “Jeep-y” aspects of it enough, and the trade in value was too good to pass up, so we traded it in for something more made for pavement than off road.Definitely more maintenance than your average car - have to worry about things like getting the 4WD serviced and such over time, but pretty cheap in terms of parts and labor to take care of. It’s not a Toyota, but it’s not a finicky European car either.
 
My wife has had her Wrangler Sport for about two years now and other than routine maintenance we’ve not had too many issues. The biggest downside for her is the difficulty in removing the hard top, they claim it’s a one person job but we’ve found she can’t do it on her own. Add to that Ohio’s unpredictable weather and she’s not gotten quite as much joy out of it as she had hoped.

She will be trading it in here in February as the end of her lease approaches...and will not be going with another Jeep.
 
We had a 2009 Jeep Wrangler unlimited with the hard top that we just traded in. It was a great car, we just didn’t use the “Jeep-y” aspects of it enough, and the trade in value was too good to pass up, so we traded it in for something more made for pavement than off road.Definitely more maintenance than your average car - have to worry about things like getting the 4WD serviced and such over time, but pretty cheap in terms of parts and labor to take care of. It’s not a Toyota, but it’s not a finicky European car either.
I've owned an '85 Toyota 4Runner, '91 Toyota 4Runner, '99 Ford Ranger and '99 Ford F-150, so I know some about 4wd maintenance.

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I'm not sure any Chrysler reliability issues really apply when talking about a Wrangler. Jeep has always been kind of it's own thing, with very little if anything in common with the rest of their lineup. I'm also considering moving from a truck back to an SUV, but I'm waiting at least another year to see what the new Ford Bronco ends up bringing to the table.
I've read that. Something like how Jeep has been owned by a few companies over the years but it hasn't really changed much. It seems like mostly just the engine is Chrysler, although you could argue it's a Mercedes engine too.
The 8-speed automatic is a ZF, which is used by a lot of companies and I've read no real issues with it.
The Bronco has potential buy it's just going to be a reskinned Ranger. As someone who learned how to drive in a '91 Ford Bronco, the new one has a tough act to follow for me. A 1st gen Bronco is on my list of dream cars.

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the two most common failures I see on chrysler products is cyl head/valvetrain issues on the 3.6L V6 and the totally integrated power module (TIPM)

The TIPM can run $1,000-$1,500

The cyl head issues can run $2,500+

other than that, they are roughly the same reliability wise. Every vehicle will have its design flaws. The key is knowing what you could likely face repair wise and being prepared to address it if it happens.

There really isnt anything else like the wrangler on the market so that gives it an edge when shopping.
 
My wife has had her Wrangler Sport for about two years now and other than routine maintenance we’ve not had too many issues. The biggest downside for her is the difficulty in removing the hard top, they claim it’s a one person job but we’ve found she can’t do it on her own. Add to that Ohio’s unpredictable weather and she’s not gotten quite as much joy out of it as she had hoped.

She will be trading it in here in February as the end of her lease approaches...and will not be going with another Jeep.

I used the Harken Hoister system for my jeep before I sold it recently. Super easy and I could pull into my garage under the top while it was suspended.

https://www.quadratec.com/products/12020_1000_07.htm
 
I've own a 2015 Jeep Cherokee for the last 4+ years and the only money I've put into it is tires.
The trans is a little "Slippy" however newer versions work fine.

I've owned 5 Jeeps and 3 Dodge/Ram in the last 30 years - Loved each of them.
Every manufacture has their issues.
 
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Here is my Jeep history -

Prior
2008 Wrangler 2 door Sahara, Soft Top
2012 Wrangler 4 door Sahara, Freedom 3 piece hard Top
2015 Wrangler 4 door Sahara, Freedom 3 piece hard Top
Current
2019 Wrangler 4 door Sahara, Sky one touch power top

I have had very positive experiences with Wranglers. Another key thing is how little depreciation they have vs other vehicles. It's crazy how much they get for used late model Wranglers.

All of these vehicles performed great. Put the most miles on the 2012, and other than regular service, brakes and tires had no issues. Note so far every wrangler I've had has had the windshield replaced due to rock damage - a very common thing given the windshield is flat.

The 2008 had the old style v6. The 2012, 2015 & 2019 all had the Pentastar 3.6 V6. The new 4 cyl turbo is something I would stay away from. My Step son has a 2012 with 130k miles on it (3.6 V6). Other than tires, brakes and routine maintenance no issues (except he is on his 3rd windshield).

the 2019 with the one touch power top is awesome. This also has the 8 speed auto trans which is a MASSIVE improvement in drive-ability vs the old 5 speed in the earlier models, plus better gas mileage.
 
I owned a JKUR for almost one year. I loved the look (Tank Green, 3 inch lift, custom rims), but hated the brakes with the bigger tires, would not stop at speed on the freeway no matter how hard I pressed (immediately bought a brake rotor relocation kit, that helped a little). My gas mileage was usually less than 14 mpg on the hwy, and in single digits when off roading. The Nav is also wonky and will break eventually as mine and countless others did. And a good thing, nothing works better off road than a Wrangler, period. Would I buy another, doubtful, but never say never.
 
I have a 2015 Grand Cherokee and a 1999 Wrangler Sport. Wrangler Sport is irrelevant to this conversation but it is a great vehicle as well.

Grand Cherokee is amazing. Have the Altitude package. It is amazing. If I end up selling it it will be to upgrade to a newer better version of the same vehicle. No problems so far other than wheel scrapes because of driver issues not being able to parallel park. Only maintenance has been oil and fluid 60k maintenance. Nothing else.

I'm looking at buying a newer wrangler for myself as wife drives the Cherokee during the week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljyHLT79CKY
 
I drove the wheels off of my Blue 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.
I bought it new in the fall of 2008 and had no problems with it till it dropped a valve into the #3 cylinder this spring at 158,000 miles.
The tranny was starting to slip a bit, so I wasnt' going to replace both the engine and trans, so I sold it as is.
I bought a slightly used 2014 Dbl Cab TRD Sport Taco and love it.
But I do miss my old blue mule.
 
I have a 2012 JK with around 70k miles on it. Never had a single problem with it, but I am pretty diligent about maintenance.

197b49629a68765a2a18b8fbccf42cfd.jpg
 
We've had a lot of Jeeps over the last 15 years or so. I think they get a *little* bit of a bad reputation. I've definitely owned vehicles that took more maintenance than any of those jeeps. That said, I do mostly hate them. lol Wife loves them though. Finally convinced her to sell the most recent one, which was a wrangler unlimited sport, a couple years ago after I got her the 1st Tacoma.

For me, it's just that they're in some weird middle ground that I don't get. They can't do most of what a truck can do, and they're NO car or modern SUV/hybird. I just don't like them. They ride and handle for sh*t, I feel like I'm going to die just about every time I'm in one, and if I want to spend my time in something with few frills, that can handle off-road, gets mediocre gas mileage, has so much wind noise so you can't hear each other at highway speeds, and costs more time and money than average to maintain, I can just drive one of my work trucks everywhere. I just don't see how they're an everyday vehicle. Now when we're on vacation and jeeping around some beautiful island paradise.. that I'm totally on board with. They're basically serving the function of a fancy atv in that scenario though, so that's probably an accurate description of their worth in my opinion.

We've never had major problems with any of them. Couple tranny issues along the way, and the cooling systems used to suck, but I'm not one of those people who expects a vehicle to just never have any issues. We might always have one, but I'd also wager that when her oldest one ('01 Wrangler) starts spending too much time in the shop the jeep era in our lives might just finally come to an end. She loves the new (2nd) Taco, and I don't mind it. You can't 'pull off the hard top' in the summer, but there's a lot of aftermarket stuff for them, they're fun to romp around in, they're reliable as anything, and you can actually be comfortable if you're in it for a while.

The best thing I can say about a Jeep is that if/when you finally realize it's not for you, the trade-in values are pretty darn good! : )
 
We currently have a 2019 wrangler JL Sahara. This is our 2nd jeep and both have been absolutely fantastic vehicles. The first jeep was a 2015 JK. We have had no issues at all with either vehicle. The new engine options are nice and the 8 speed trans made a huge difference in performance. We got pretty loaded models as it is my wife's vehicle. It is easy to park which is nice. We are getting about 21mpg around town. They hold their value pretty well also i was shocked what they gave us for trade in on the old one.
 
Thanks for the advice, everyone. It sounds like almost everyone has a great experience with them. I think that Im sold on a Wrangler. Highest resale value, lowest 5-year cost of ownership, go-anywhere capability and iconic styling. Sold.
 
the two most common failures I see on chrysler products is cyl head/valvetrain issues on the 3.6L V6 and the totally integrated power module (TIPM)

The TIPM can run $1,000-$1,500

The cyl head issues can run $2,500+

other than that, they are roughly the same reliability wise. Every vehicle will have its design flaws. The key is knowing what you could likely face repair wise and being prepared to address it if it happens.

There really isnt anything else like the wrangler on the market so that gives it an edge when shopping.

Thanks. Ive read some on the 3.6L and it seems like most the issues are with the 2012 and older models. It would seem that on the earlier ones, they had some issues with the sand casting, which resulted in hairline cracks at time of manufactur and over time, those cracks would grow and cause head gasket issues. Most of those issues seem to have been resolved and considering that FCA uses that engine is almost everything they make, I cant believe that its a bad/problematic engine.
You are right though that every vehicle has issues and no vehicle is perfect.
I do thank you and appreciate the detailed information.
 
We've had a lot of Jeeps over the last 15 years or so. I think they get a *little* bit of a bad reputation. I've definitely owned vehicles that took more maintenance than any of those jeeps. That said, I do mostly hate them. lol Wife loves them though. Finally convinced her to sell the most recent one, which was a wrangler unlimited sport, a couple years ago after I got her the 1st Tacoma.

For me, it's just that they're in some weird middle ground that I don't get. They can't do most of what a truck can do, and they're NO car or modern SUV/hybird. I just don't like them. They ride and handle for sh*t, I feel like I'm going to die just about every time I'm in one, and if I want to spend my time in something with few frills, that can handle off-road, gets mediocre gas mileage, has so much wind noise so you can't hear each other at highway speeds, and costs more time and money than average to maintain, I can just drive one of my work trucks everywhere. I just don't see how they're an everyday vehicle. Now when we're on vacation and jeeping around some beautiful island paradise.. that I'm totally on board with. They're basically serving the function of a fancy atv in that scenario though, so that's probably an accurate description of their worth in my opinion.

We've never had major problems with any of them. Couple tranny issues along the way, and the cooling systems used to suck, but I'm not one of those people who expects a vehicle to just never have any issues. We might always have one, but I'd also wager that when her oldest one ('01 Wrangler) starts spending too much time in the shop the jeep era in our lives might just finally come to an end. She loves the new (2nd) Taco, and I don't mind it. You can't 'pull off the hard top' in the summer, but there's a lot of aftermarket stuff for them, they're fun to romp around in, they're reliable as anything, and you can actually be comfortable if you're in it for a while.

The best thing I can say about a Jeep is that if/when you finally realize it's not for you, the trade-in values are pretty darn good! : )

I get what youre saying. For me, the Wrangler is almost perfect because I dont need a truck and the smaller size makes it easier to park. Tacomas are nice rigs too but Im kind of done with Toyota. I used to love Toyotas but everything they make just feels so dated and its kind of overpriced for what it is.
 
I've owned an '85 Toyota 4Runner, '91 Toyota 4Runner, '99 Ford Ranger and '99 Ford F-150, so I know some about 4wd maintenance.

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Hi, I have had a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee for now 5 years or so and almost 80k since i purchased and 155K total. The car has been great. No problems, runs strong, still looks good and most of all I still like it.

I also owned an 87 4runner, 5-speed 22RE, loved that truck until it rotted out and a 92 4runner and 2002 Sequoia. I liked all the Toyota's and this Jeep has been on par with them,and way better on the rust side of things.
 
I have a 2012 JK with around 70k miles on it. Never had a single problem with it, but I am pretty diligent about maintenance.

197b49629a68765a2a18b8fbccf42cfd.jpg

Nice looking!!!
 
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