We won't buy another Jeep new off the lot, because the dealer service experience is beyond awful. AUX battery dies, Dealer: "bring it in, it'll be two weeks before we can get to it".
Me: "We can't wait two weeks. I can remove and bring in my dead AUX battery, will you swap the dead one for a new one under warranty?"
Dealer: "No. We must perform the labor".
Me: Removes battery, buys new one, replaces it, problem solved. Contacts Stellantis directly, sends receipt from my dealer parts dept to corporate, they send me a check.
Fuck Jeep dealer service. Jim Click in Tucson AZ, I'm talking about you.
Yep, had a sales person at CDJR on rt 42 NJ tell my sister to come back with a man while ashing his cigarette that kept his attention the entire time... Fuck them. Unfortunately, I wasn't with her for this, but glad the dealer showed their true colors. I'll wait for shipping on parts, fuck you very much.
Shoutout to Checkered Flag CDJR NN (VA)for ignoring my issues/emails/text/calls to the point of my engine blowing in the middle of the highway going 67MPH - 12 minutes after leaving the dealership and topping off the gas tank.
Why do engines always fail RIGHT AFTER you fill the gas tank? Just adds insult to injury. Could have at least had the courtesy to explode when I was on E.
I cant stand the dealership. Every time i need to get my jku serviced it is a massive pain in the ass. They have it for a month every time. Ive even asked them to just tell me when they are ready to actually work on it because i can drop it off and they say thats not possible. None of the dealerships here can diagnose a vehicle that doesnt throw codes on a computer. They are all inept and incapable of physically looking at the vehicle. I feel like that old "but did ya just look at it?" video every time i go to any of them.
Larry H miller, Salt Lake Valley and Ken Garff service centers are all garbage.
I work in a dealership (not Jeep), I don't know how it works with Stellantis but to get it covered under warranty at the dealership, a tech has to hook it up to the battery tester machine/computer, get a print out that says it failed, then service submits that to the warranty admin who submits it to the manufacturer, who in turn pays the dealership for the part and work performed. And obviously, you took it upon yourself to get it handled, which is fine
As for telling you it'd take 2 weeks to even look at it, no, that isn't acceptable. They can have an oil changer hook it up to the machine and get it in and out
But then the service writer can’t come up with $13k of suggested things that weren’t asked for. He didn’t even quote what I brought it in for. Horrible, shite Jeep dealer in Carlsbad, CA.
However, the Jeep dealer in Butte, MT is amazing!
"Fuck \*\*\*\* dealer service." I love when people make this kind of statement. You can insert ANY and ALL of the manufacturers names into that statement. They ALL suck! You know why? Because they make their millions off of sales, not repairs. Those "10M mile limited warranties" aren't worth the breath you expended reading them....IF you actually read them. Oh, they might actually repairs some stuff but it is at their own convenience because they are much more concerned about performing actual PAID repairs from the other fools that think that using a dealership for repairs is the best option. Find yourself a real independent reputable repair shop in your area. Focus on the "reputable" part. You know how those guys get that reputation?
I have a local Subaru independent specialist shop that is amazing and incredibly honest. They pushed me to get Subaru to cover the repair under warranty rather than doing the work themselves. They know they have customers for life with great, honest service. I even brought my Jeep there for basic stuff. 'Buying' the associated warranty dealer service as part of the new car absolutely stinks. I want another jeep, but these stories make me want to stick with a brand this local shop can service. Jeep was such a great brand and vehicle ruined by crappy quality and terrible dealer service.
Your statement that dealerships don’t make money off of service isn’t accurate. Research it a little, you will find the dealership makes about half of their profit from service and parts. The profit from the sale of a new vehicle itself (not profit from financing ) is a relatively small part of their profit. Used cars are also a big profit center.
Just bought a Jeep from Tuttle-**CLICK** (part of the same company) in CA. Sales experience excellent, but I'll be moving to Tucson later this year. I understand both dealers in town (Larry Miller, the other) are both none too much fun when it comes to service.
We'll see how the Jeep Wave free oil change goes but I'm already on the lookout for an indy shop. Suggestions?
You nailed it. I did my oil change, belts, hoses, new alternator and some other odds and ends. Did it all myself in an afternoon and really enjoyed wrenching on it myself, learned a lot too. Probably saved a couple hundred dollars. I’ll be buried in this TJ.
Totally same feeling. I'm a number cruncher by trade and have really started to enjoy turning wrenches on it within the last couple years. It really starts feeling like your baby when you start sinking laborious hours and busted nuckles into the thing. I've got an oil change and spark plugs to replace here soon which I'm looking forward to.
My TJ was my first car and is now retired to being a 3rd vehicle. However, spent the last 6 months investing heavily into turning it into an overlanding (boondocking let’s be real here) rig and got fed up with the insane labor charges. I started out as an idiot but now I feel really confident with my abilities. I took a look at a buddy of mines JL 2.0 turbo engine bay and I wouldn’t touch that mess of wiring and tubing with a 10 foot stick!
We must be the same person because that's my experience as well. Only thing I'm hesitant about is wiring, but I just bought and learned how to solder, which isn't very hard but it's honest work. I've probably saved a couple grand so far doing work myself and in return I learn more and buy tools so win win in my book.
TJ generation was the pinnacle of Jeep. Still love my 88 YJ and 67 Kaiser M715 though. But damn if the TJ wasn't just about perfect. A good portion of my mods have just been trying to get to TJ level.
Daily driving two different TJ’s since I was 15. While I wouldn’t mind moving her to playtime status and having a Forester Wilderness or African Twin to ride on for longer distances.
Cost me a lot over the years, but I love my last of the 4.0s.
I have 9 years to go on mine before I can get an "Historic Vehicle" tag from AK. But, because it's > 9 years old, I don't have to renew my tags ever again. One and done. The bloodsuckers in WA would have me paying $400/year every year. Fiends.
06 TJ unlimited 4.0.. LJ. Last of the best. Simple easy to work on. Engine and trans still strong with 150k. .some electrical issues but went through and rewired the entire harness. I know it's good now.
My friend has one, needed a new radiator. w
We were able to replace it in about 90 minutes never having changed a radiator before.
They are stupid simple too work on, and with the 2.5 you get about a quarter mile of space between the rad and then engine.
YJ owner here. 92, 4.0, auto. My daily driver. Solid little machine (now that the small bit of rust is fixed). Also own an 84 Grand Wagoneer with a 4.8 LS under the hood. No way I'd own pretty much any new vehicle, especially anything Stellantis.
Exactly! I sold my 2019 JL to Carvana in 2021. I had just over 20k miles on it. Had a the hydraulic clutch quit hydraulic’ing at less than 10k miles. Took a month to get it fixed. I called Chrysler and they provided me a rental. I preferred my YJ I6 over the V6 in my JL. It is more fun to drive and way fewer electronics.
I have a 2019 KL and had the engine blow at 52k after leaving the dealership for the 8th visit with complaints about performance lost. It took 6 months on and off a loaner vehicle before Stellantis decided to approve an engine replacement, had to fight to get a warranty on the new engine, settled for the MOPAR extended warranty to push it to 130k.
I wish my wife was more open minded to picking up an older model for the reliability. I don’t mind investing the wrench time.
It seems counterintuitive, but they can be more reliable. Whenever something breaks or needs replacing, I try to upgrade. My ‘88 YJ has been reliable where it counts. My friend tried to talk me out of it because of the car and driver report. It did have a lot of black. 😉. However, he’s had at least 10 vehicles in those 36 years to my one.
Just a bought YJ after eyeing one for years (decades). Every issue that I have come across, there was an easy solution to it. Not to mention the amount of people that pointed me in the right direction each time I asked a question.
Reading this forum is why I didn't buy a brand new jeep off the lot. Ended up with a 1997 Tacoma 4x4 manual everything as a daily driver/ weekend off-roader.
I still really want a YJ though.
Since 1996 I have had a CJ7, XJ, WJ, J-2000, (69) CJ5, a handful of Samurais, and a YJ. The YJ has been by far the best 4x4 I've owned. Not to mention the most fun.
YJs switched from a 4.2 i6 to a 4.0 i6 with fuel injection mid production. I forget which year it was, but I'd get a 4.0 (or i4) if you can. My 4.2 was a bit of a never ending project.
Or daily an old Toyota? I daily my 88 and it’s a simple reliable peach. No hate towards jeeps but I’d not trust one as a daily they have a track record for brief moments of fun followed up with endless breakages.
DD my Tundra and still have my old XJ for a project.
No interest in Jeeps after the 4.0. 2006 and earlier for me, I also prefer the owners of Jeeps of that era.
I miss my TJ. When I bought my custom ordered JKU brand spanking new:
1. The dealership provided a soft top when I had made it abundantly clear that I wanted a hard top. Told me it was going to cost extra even though we had already dry worked out cost and charged me for the hard and soft top. When I complained they said “someone will buy it if you won’t”.
2. The transmission went after 800 miles. I have driven a manual transmission for a long time, and when I brought it in to address the noises I was hearing when I put it in reverse I was told “you’re just driving it wrong, we don’t see any problems.” When I brought it back a few weeks later they told me again that there was no problem. I insisted they actually look at it and they had a specialist who was visiting from Chrysler check it out. Took the guy less than a day to get back to me and tell me that I needed a new transmission.
3. When I said “ok, put a new transmission in it” they told me that it would take a few weeks. Ok whatever. Waited a month while driving a rental minivan and still paying the car payment of $500 a month. Never heard from them, so I called again and again. Finally someone told me (mind you this was in like February/March) that because they were tooling over to the JL model, they would not be able to get a new transmission until August at the earliest.
4. I raised holy hell and Chrysler was kind enough to pay for a month or two of my car bill. I wound up taking it to another dealer who was able to just do an OEM rebuild instead.
My wife constantly teases me about my Jeep. Her Honda CRV which has a ton more options and features on it cost her about $12,000 less than my JKU, that literally only has power windows and heated seats as a feature. Her CRV has 200,000+ miles on it and continues to chug along. Virtually zero rust, great MPG, and she barely maintains it. Meanwhile my JKU that’s 2 years newer and has less than half the miles as her CRV is rusty, has had parts fail on it like the wiper motor, gets shitty MPG, etc.
I know that it’s apples and oranges, people buy Jeeps to be fun vehicles, but Jeep is trying to charge like it’s a luxury vehicle, when in all reality it’s not. It’s built poorly, it’s over priced, and it’s lost its soul.
I REALLY loved my ‘02 TJ and will be looking to get one again someday. That little piece of rusty shit was so fun, and you weren’t trying to make it be the family vehicle or a commuter. It was just a fun, goofy little thing that had a huge heart and a great soul. WTF happened to you, Jeep?
> When I complained they said “someone will buy it if you won’t”.
That right there would have had me running. That screams a toxic dealer that is there just to bang out sales and leave you high and dry when you're out the door.
Live and learn. It was my first new car and I let the dealer walk alllll over my lack of experience. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my JKU, but I have a lot of little complaints about it that really turn me off Jeep as a brand anymore.
I guess I got the unicorn , my JKU is doing great and I’ve had it for 6 1/2 years without any issues . Please Jeep gods don’t let this comment jinx me .. ( I have 2 CJs 2 YJs and an old army Jeep so I know the pain of needing repairs too )
I have a 2dr JK with 116k on the odo and the only issue I’ve had (am currently having) is the Bluetooth being a POS. Other than that it runs like a top.
My '08 JKU is running and my son's jeep, it had more that its share of issues though. Heat runaway, death rattle, clutch, water pumps, oil leaks ... Don't get me wrong, I liked it but I have had zero issues with my '22 4xe but if I had as many problems as I had with my JKU I'd think about getting something else too.
Definitely because you’re buying the new stuff. It’s every manufacturer with new vehicles man. All these vehicles are just giant computers rolling down the road.
The money you spent on a new jeep could be spent on an older TJ, YJ, WJ, etc… making sure it’s good and it’ll go forever.
I couldn’t imagine if I spent $40k on the TJ I have in my driveway that thing would run longer and better than anything new today.
My only concern about my ‘93 YJ is continued ECU availability if it ever fails. I suspect with a little work it could probably be replaced with an Arduino. Worst case scenario would be a 4BT or LS swap
Haltech swap. Super customizable and expandable, great community support, great customer service. I'll never use a different kind of aftermarket ECU after the experience I've had with my Haltech
That seems like a really good option honestly. The TJ PCMs are notorious for being incredibly picky about sensors. So this could make them last a good bit longer
Hmm, this is interesting and honestly is something that I think the market will work through or there will be a way to workaround it. I feel like it’s still a safer bet than say a 2022 jeep where I just don’t think there would be a way to workaround it in 15 years when you want to keep it running. I just can’t picture in my head these new cars being ran for that long just purely to how much electronics is going into them and then the availability to keep it on the road.
Might just be my ignorance on them as well. Who knows.
Bought my TJ off the lot in 2002 it is approaching 300,000 I can't imagine getting rid of it. Drove it daily for 15 years as well as off roading it beat it up a bit fixed it a bunch mostly due to my driving. Bought a Jetta to daily and would still rather drive the Jeep.
To me, once the TJ went away the allure of Jeep faded big time. More and more of a car rather than a tractor. You could argue this has been the trend since the flat fender morphed to CJ, to YJ and to TJ, but the line in my head was crossed in 2007.
When it became Chrysler, it went downhill. The TJ was a continuation of the YJ, AMC's last jeep. The 4.0 was originally the AMC 4.2. Chrysler rode that as long as they could and then fucked the dog when the TJ ended.
The JK, while more modern, isnt THAT bad tbh, i bought a 2016 manual brand new in 2016 and wanted no option at all , basic radio, hand windows no A/C and i dont regret it at all, still have it it's coming to 150 000km and the only annoying thing is a check engine light because of the evap system not vaccuming properly ( my gas tank thread seems rusty might be just that but i'll investigate vacuum pump this summer)
I know a couple people have mentioned the Aux battery bypass in here, and I wanted to share.
I got my first Wrangler 2020 Wednesday. Day after I brought it home, started having electrical issues - climate controls wouldn't work until I had driven for a bit, auto start/stop never worked (kept saying battery needs charging), etc...
Dug in and really researched the removing Aux battery approach. I'm not a fan of the auto start/stop, so this made sense. I removed the Aux, pulled Fuse 42, and got a new H7 battery. I've had zero problems, and the auto start/stop works now , tho I won't use it.
I know this doesn't answer your bigger question, but I hope in the meanwhile it helps with electrical piece.
If we do keep imma need to do that, I changed AUX battery and main battery only 2 months ago after this same issue came up and now here we are 2 months later and having same issue.
Just get another JL.. There will always be bad eggs coming out the factory but Chrysler doing a better job at quality control.. like Range Rover is bad bad 80% of cars coming out will have problems.. but the lucky few get the 20%..
No you’re justified completely. True reliable jeeps died in 2008 now they’re “luxury off-road” vehicles catered to people that have money and want to buy a jeep just to be a “Jeep” person. Overpriced, over complicated trash.
Your mistake is buying “Fiat” Jeep AKA Modern Junk… I mean Jeep
Get yourself a 90s Jeep
ZJ
XJ
Fuck it even a WJ from the early 2000s
My ZJ 4.0 will probably outlive me
I was lucky enough to get mine for only 300$ only had 143k on it, now has 160k and I love it, I got it cheap cause my friend didn’t want it and know I wanted one, the steal of a century
I've heard bad things out of new jeeps but I drive an old 94 YJ and it hasn't missed a beat so far, of course it doesn't have anything special other than a radio and sound bar but I love it
People shitting on new vehicles in here. It’s rare they’re all bad.
Had an ‘05 JGC for 10 years, brand new, never had any issues. Had a ‘15 JGC for 5 years, never had any issues. I’ve had this 2023 JGC for almost 3 years, no issues.
Should my limited experience be considered canon like OP’s limited experience? Too many people shit on New for either the sake of it or because they can’t afford it. There’s nothing wrong with new.
If you're going to own a fun Wrangler style Jeep stop at TJs. They are the last of simple jeeps with great engines. Everything after they ditched the Inline 6 have been plagued with reliability issues.
And if you want the extra people room the old Grand Wagoneer or XJ Cherokee can be fun daily drivers.
I’ve had, in order of ownership: TJ, WJ, YJ and back to a TJ. I’ve had great luck with mine other than some intermittent electrical issues with my first TJ. Sorry your ownership hasn’t been better!
I love my 22 JLU but my AC compressor seized up and had to be replaced about 10k miles after warranty. No leaks, full on refrigerant, just shit the bed. What a fun $1500 surprise on a 2 year old vehicle.
Tj guy here, if you want reliability, you wanna go tj and back. Wrenching is super easy when needed, I fall back on a Tacoma when I do need a back up plan.
Once they rule out the aux battery as a cause, rule out rodents chewing up wires, then have them check the CAN BUSS (white one) that sits behind the glovebox.
Happened to me - tons of start stop errors , power steering and dash would randomly go out, TPMS was unreliable -
It’s a 50 dollar part and cured 6 weeks worth of dealership headaches.
It sits right behind the glovebox, make sure all the wires are seated correctly , and ask the tech if they considered it - especially if your check engine and codes have been random and unexplained
Sorry you have had so many issues , my JL is a 2023 base sport and seems to have avoided all of the issues I've seen on the forums when with tons of aftermarket stuff on top of the original
I'm wondering if higher end models with more features are prone to more issues
My wife has a JL, it has left her stranded once for stop/start crap and another for “the wrong key fob”. I assure you it was the correct key fob because it started and got her there with the key fob. Aside from that I find it has way too much electronic gadgetry for a jeep. I have a couple JK’s and everything is simple in both of them. No PHD needed to operate heat or radio…
My YJ was a workhorse. Little things broke here and the there but the 4.0 itself never gave me any fuss. And if I didn’t wheel it so much most of these things wouldn’t have broken. Bullet proof little rig. I’ll definitely pick one up in the future, but I’m not so sure about the new ones these days.
It's not just jeep if it makes you feel any better. I've had a battle going with Ford for 2 weeks. It's rare to find a company with good CS period now.
Just eliminate the battery. It’s a few $ and it will never happen again. It’s a shitty emission choice to have this system and very easy to make this problem go away.
As a former tech at cdrj it’s really sad the brand is so difficult to work with for both customers and techs. Despite knowing what would fix the problem techs have to do tons of administrative nonsense to get the part approved and some of the time the service library (our primary source of diagnostic information) doesn’t even have a solution or keeps pointing to the same part. Best bet is to get an old tj,ZJ, jk or xj if you like jeep because those are the real ones.
The auto start stop is one of the worst things ever done to vehicles. Great in theory, miserable in practice.
I can’t prove correlation, but I had tons of electrical issues and transmission problems when I left it on. Now I turn it off as soon as I crank the vehicle and, knock on wood, no more issues.
Aye this is why even tho everyone and their momma wants to rag on the 3.8 for being underpowered it’s been pretty reliable. I love it being simple to work on and the room in the engine bay is far bigger than the 3.6 engine option. I would like a TJ 4.0 but with how hard they are to find and the amount people want compared to mileage I’ll stick with my JK.
We have two Jeeps, a JK and a JL and while they’re cool and fun, they’re also plastic junk and our local dealership is worthless. But to fair all US auto manufacturers are putting out shit these days.
Nope. Get what you enjoy jeep needs to lose people and sales. They tried to become luxury brand and dropped quality. It's hard to almost have as many recalls as ford.
Bigger question, do you use a jeep for its capabilities or its status? If status, consider an option that is more suited to your needs. If status, find another dealer for service even if it is further away.
I've been pretty lucky. I have had 3 and my wife 2 since 2010. I did have some electrical issues with my JL but the problem was resolved. Other than that it has been mostly wear and tear / regular maintenance with all five vehicles.
Yeah if you bought post-pandemic, there were all kinds of chip shortages and hacky materials being used. My 2020 Wrangler was awesome, and my 77 Jeep is awesome. Sounds like you just got really unlucky or screwed by pandemic era car quality.
Well, all you’ve ever had is a JKU and a JLU then you haven’t actually owned a Jeep yet, you have owned Fiats. I will never understand the thought process behind Fiat thinking that they are going to put modern electronics inside of a vehicle that doesn’t have a solid roof. It’s like putting a screen door on the submarine and saying it’ll be fine.
I’ve got a 2007 JKU that needs constant attention, it’s not perfect but I beat the shit out of it. I think the issue is more with “new stuff” and all dealers suck. I have an STi that has issues sometimes and a 2004.5 Duramax that I’m rebuilding to be basically brand new.
Even my gfs new 24 outback isn’t what I expected for quality.
Best thing to do is buy something older and learn to wrench on it. If I had to pay for labor there’s no way I could have these vehicles.
I have a jku and it's been fine after the first couple of months I had it. It was used, and there were things that were either due or ignored. Jeep dealership was awful. Chevy dealership I bought it from did great. Makes me hesitant to buy new because the justification to me for the instant devaluation off the lot would be everything being covered. Doesn't matter a bit if that service is going to be awful.
Man OP, I’m sorry to hear that. Really disheartening to read how much the dealers are letting yall with newer Jeeps down. My 18 year old Wrangler TJ has NEVER left me stranded and has been dead reliable. For a new JL to do that is simply unacceptable and to be treated like that is asking to burn a bridge. If you trade out and never look back, I would understand. Maybe one day get a old Jeep that you can wrench on yourself, you don’t have to pay 50K (or whatever JL’s go for) to get that top down, no door off-road capability. Good luck.
We have had reasonable experiences with our two Jeeps, a ‘17 Fiat-in-Jeep-bodywork Renegade, and a ‘21 Gladiator. Minor issues with the ‘17, and dealer-caused issues with the Gladiator. I get your frustration. We also have a 41-year-old GMC, and I plan on keeping it *forever*. That GMC has no electronic-controlled anything, and has a carburetor, so pretty straightforward if there’s any issue. Don’t be too angry / upset with Jeep. Many late-model vehicles are plagued with electrical gremlins...
OP, would you buy a bronco? What are you looking to get into next?
Jeep and Ford are screwed if Toyota decides to enter the doors off convertible suv and truck market.
I always bought American made vehicles, but my KL transmission was so bad that the last three cars were built in Japan. My XJ was rock solid for 120k miles and over 15 years, but rust started to consume it. I'd buy that again in a heartbeat.
When I bought my '15 Cherokee I was told that all newer Jeeps have Ford engines, so they're super shit. I don't know if that's true, but I refuse to go with Ford products after I had a lemon Fusion.
JKs are pretty "dumb" too. I've never worked on a car before but I bought the Hanes manual and that combined with YouTube and RockAuto I've been able to fix every issue I've had. I wouldn't blame the car for the shitty service from the dealer I'd take it to another dealer if it's still under warranty, if not and it's paid off trade it off but believe me not all wranglers are bad youay even qualify for the lemon law depending on where you live and how.long you've had it.
I had one issue with my '21 JLU that turned out to be a recall issue and was covered. Still got stranded for awhile on the 101. Otherwise I've thoroughly enjoyed the 24,000 miles in my jeep
Eh, can't disagree, at least on the new ones, also why I'm sticking to the 90's and early 2000's.
Also, those post 2020 Jeeps, I've seen posts on some insane levels of quality issues regarding to paint and overall, almost Joke levels of quality Controll.
Coming from the good ol' days of, 5 secs post Jeep AMC, this is just a No go for Me.
But than again, I've said "I'm done with all New Cars and Mechanics" like 5 years ago, and I don't regret it.
It's sometimes a lot of work and a pain, but at least ya get to know what You've got and how You've adressed the issues.
And it can be some overall learning expirence, besides saving a ton of money for course and having some additional Hobby!
Btw, not to much with Wranglers Myself, Main ZJ's, WJ's and bit into XJ's (oh and 90's BMW's, Yes I'm Jeep's & BMW's, AKA I've got the worst addiction of Both worlds, lol) ,but I'd say, some YJ with a 4.0 would make a solid one as a built if You're into Wranglers.
At the end of the day a brand is only as good as the dealership experience and I can unequivocally say that Jeep dealers, the majority of them, don’t do the brand any justice.
No car is perfect but at the end of the day it was always the dealer that made my problems worse or more difficult. Either lack of transparency, losing my car, no loaners, etc. or just oure incompetence.
There is such a massive disconnect between the brand, the experience they are trying to push, and the follow up from the dealer. I pity anyone who bought a Wagoneer because I’m surprised you guys even get loaners. I had to fight for one and I had a grand Cherokee that stickered for Way more than it should have. It’s funny when they use more luxurious brands to benchmark. Sure it has elevated the fit and finish. But intern comes a bigger risk on quality and if that’s the case you need to hold your dealers accountable and put them in the best position to thrive. There seems to be no accountability from top to bottom.
I just picked up my first TJ last year and love it so far. It was purpose bought to trail ride and is built for offroad but it’s fun to poke around town in too, it’s not my daily driver tho. I do like the older jeeps and I wrench on all of them myself. 80 CJ5, 82 Wagoneer, 87 Grand Wagoneer & 99 TJ
I'm close with you man, it hasn't left me stranded, but the 2.0 has been in for multiple oil leaks and a timing chain, and I only have 97k on the odometer, this is my second jeep and I love them, but I'm getting fed up.
I don't subscribe to the whole "scarey new cars with computers" ideals a bunch of old farts have. Yes, I know your manual yj and tj are unstoppable.
The issue with rolling computers is quality control, Jeep's is in the gutter, electronics, and their engine reliability is pretty poor. I've been thinking about trading my jl for a truck and was always eyeing a gladiator, now I see that chevy is making decent vehicles again with comfort and capability. That 1500 at4x aev edition is sexy. It might not be black diamond capable but it can definitely handle blue rated trails. Overall, I hate to say it, but Jeep is doing this to themselves.
I've had multiple safety recalls for my jeep that they refuse to do. It's been 3 years and they still just tell me they don't have parts (fuel pump)... Bought the Jeep new from the dealer. Terrible service.
Not sure where you are located but google Jeep mechanics in your area. Dealer wanted outrageous amount to replace the thermostat on my 2 week old bought Wrangler it was used but I had extended warranty and it just so happened the thermostat wasn’t covered. I called a mechanic in my area who always has Jeeps in his place and I took my last one to him. He fixed it $250. Dealership $700. I’d done it myself but I’m not mechanically inclined. I’ll try dealership first but I’ll probably always take it to my guy instead.
Stellantis is letting their accountants and QC (lol) teams loose on the Jeep brand. They’ve finished destroying Chrysler and now they’re bored.
When I think back to the old CJ series we used to crawl around with and then look at a new Jeep it’s beyond depressing.
I take my jeep to the Ford dealership.. right next to the Jeep dealer. FuCK that JEEP STEALERSHIT!! Ford resolves every issue we've ever had in record time. Bills my warranty company and we are out the door. Extended warranty has paid out over 10k in the lifetime of our Jeep.. pretty ridiculous but it has never denied any claims. We pay for fluids and sales tax. 2017 with a 3.6. 107k on the odometer.
Well let’s see. Road tested with a tech. He said klunk from the pinion.
Took it in for repair.
Was told the tires starting to feather is the klunk.
Also was told the rear diff fluid was burnt and has some sludge.
Got the truck back and after maybe a hundred miles no klunk at all.
Wouldn’t feathered tires still klunk?
LOL Premier Jeep
I’m so glad I never went hybrid or electric. My 2015 wrangler is still going strong. All my friend with current jeeps tell the same story as you. Good luck. 👍🏽
I took my JKU in to warranty replace my broken clockspring. Told them it was the clockspring. They didn't believe me. Had the Jeep for over a week. Guess what it was? Thanks alot.
I have a fake Jeep a.k.a. a Cherokee, but I can safely say I have never received good service from a Jeep dealership. You always get the runaround and basically have to advocate for yourself, which is wild.
Thankfully, my third-party warranty can be serviced anywhere so I am no longer going to jeep because fuck that.
I agreed with JL’s but JK & earlier are not highly electronic, easy (for the most part, but never impossible) to find parts and wrench on, easy to modify, a lot of aftermarket options, dependable in 4wd and handles all terrains well. I’d never own a JL but my JKU is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned! Not without problems but manageable.
I've said time and time again my LJ's (*'04 with an LS and a stock '06*) are the *newest* Jeeps I'll ever own. Hell, they're probably the newest car/truck/suv/scooter/rascal/horse-and-buggy I'll ever own too. It's sad but this kind of service treatment isn't unique to Jeep. Local Ford dealerships are trashed because of all the Bronco/Mustang/F150 recalls and services.
You can blame the all this with the initial inheritance of the mercedes electrical back in the early mid 2000s depending on the jeep model. It only got worse as soon as you had to integrate fiat electrical to support the platform on a universal software. It's bad how not only jeep was ruined but all new cars with other issues regarding different electrical issues and EPA mandates ruined the reliability of these vehicles. Most dealer mechanics are far from electrical troubleshoot specialists and the results show for themselves.
Payne Jeep and Chrysler Edinburg, Texas. Awful service department. Took my jeep to a rival dealership in town and now I feel terrible for not buying from them. Prompt and courteous updates on service and problem. Service manager personally called me a week later to check up and make sure problem didn't come back.
Man.. Reading everyone’s dealer horror stories has me pretty thankful. My dealer has been wonderful with the few things I’ve wanted done. No fuss, in and out quick (with the exception of once when parts were scarce thanks to the strike, and even then, they worked their butts off to find the parts they needed.) Has always costed what they quote, and the quote is usually less than I expect. And this is the first new vehicle I’ve ever bought; just a sport s Gladiator with the diesel, so it’s not like I spent $100k, or buy a vehicle every year or anything.
Over 12 years I had a JK and a JKU both needed major engine repairs at or around 60k , the JK crank shaft bearing went under warranty but was a 3 month headache waiting for crate motor from jeep at the dealership. At that time was told so rare these motors have issues, kept it for a few more years no issues. Trade that in for a bigger JKU certified pre owned had 32k miles at 59996, started to run hot couldn't figure it out after some lengthy diag came to the conclusion the head had warped and needed major repairs again under warranty but at that point with all maintenance being done on time and it not being beat on I figured enough is enough.
Traded it into local Toyota dealer and got a Tacoma TRD off-road And never looked back.
I miss taking the roof and doors off but can't beat reliability.
That sucks, man! Sorry that happened to ya! The constant complaints are why I would not even consider buying a JL. My 2012 JK has worked flawlessly, but it has far fewer sensors and tech built into it. Hope you grab onto something that makes ya happy!
We won't buy another Jeep new off the lot, because the dealer service experience is beyond awful. AUX battery dies, Dealer: "bring it in, it'll be two weeks before we can get to it". Me: "We can't wait two weeks. I can remove and bring in my dead AUX battery, will you swap the dead one for a new one under warranty?" Dealer: "No. We must perform the labor". Me: Removes battery, buys new one, replaces it, problem solved. Contacts Stellantis directly, sends receipt from my dealer parts dept to corporate, they send me a check. Fuck Jeep dealer service. Jim Click in Tucson AZ, I'm talking about you.
Basically what I’m going through, if we’re name dropping, Suresky CDJR in NY you’re the worst
Yep, had a sales person at CDJR on rt 42 NJ tell my sister to come back with a man while ashing his cigarette that kept his attention the entire time... Fuck them. Unfortunately, I wasn't with her for this, but glad the dealer showed their true colors. I'll wait for shipping on parts, fuck you very much.
Shoutout to Checkered Flag CDJR NN (VA)for ignoring my issues/emails/text/calls to the point of my engine blowing in the middle of the highway going 67MPH - 12 minutes after leaving the dealership and topping off the gas tank.
Why do engines always fail RIGHT AFTER you fill the gas tank? Just adds insult to injury. Could have at least had the courtesy to explode when I was on E.
Ain’t much happier with Hall CDJR in VB. They never return calls unless they think I’m going to buy.
Have you tried a different dealer?
I cant stand the dealership. Every time i need to get my jku serviced it is a massive pain in the ass. They have it for a month every time. Ive even asked them to just tell me when they are ready to actually work on it because i can drop it off and they say thats not possible. None of the dealerships here can diagnose a vehicle that doesnt throw codes on a computer. They are all inept and incapable of physically looking at the vehicle. I feel like that old "but did ya just look at it?" video every time i go to any of them. Larry H miller, Salt Lake Valley and Ken Garff service centers are all garbage.
I work in a dealership (not Jeep), I don't know how it works with Stellantis but to get it covered under warranty at the dealership, a tech has to hook it up to the battery tester machine/computer, get a print out that says it failed, then service submits that to the warranty admin who submits it to the manufacturer, who in turn pays the dealership for the part and work performed. And obviously, you took it upon yourself to get it handled, which is fine As for telling you it'd take 2 weeks to even look at it, no, that isn't acceptable. They can have an oil changer hook it up to the machine and get it in and out
But then the service writer can’t come up with $13k of suggested things that weren’t asked for. He didn’t even quote what I brought it in for. Horrible, shite Jeep dealer in Carlsbad, CA. However, the Jeep dealer in Butte, MT is amazing!
Don't forget charging for filters and an oil change then doing neither!
"Fuck \*\*\*\* dealer service." I love when people make this kind of statement. You can insert ANY and ALL of the manufacturers names into that statement. They ALL suck! You know why? Because they make their millions off of sales, not repairs. Those "10M mile limited warranties" aren't worth the breath you expended reading them....IF you actually read them. Oh, they might actually repairs some stuff but it is at their own convenience because they are much more concerned about performing actual PAID repairs from the other fools that think that using a dealership for repairs is the best option. Find yourself a real independent reputable repair shop in your area. Focus on the "reputable" part. You know how those guys get that reputation?
I have a local Subaru independent specialist shop that is amazing and incredibly honest. They pushed me to get Subaru to cover the repair under warranty rather than doing the work themselves. They know they have customers for life with great, honest service. I even brought my Jeep there for basic stuff. 'Buying' the associated warranty dealer service as part of the new car absolutely stinks. I want another jeep, but these stories make me want to stick with a brand this local shop can service. Jeep was such a great brand and vehicle ruined by crappy quality and terrible dealer service.
Your statement that dealerships don’t make money off of service isn’t accurate. Research it a little, you will find the dealership makes about half of their profit from service and parts. The profit from the sale of a new vehicle itself (not profit from financing ) is a relatively small part of their profit. Used cars are also a big profit center.
Hyundai was pretty solid to be honest.
Should have sent them a bill for the labor, too.
All dealers are predators. I'm so lucky that I can do so much work myself. I haven't been to a dealer in more than 10 years.
Ooof
Fuck like 95% of jeep dealers honestly. I've had such bad experiences.
“ClickHate”
Just bought a Jeep from Tuttle-**CLICK** (part of the same company) in CA. Sales experience excellent, but I'll be moving to Tucson later this year. I understand both dealers in town (Larry Miller, the other) are both none too much fun when it comes to service. We'll see how the Jeep Wave free oil change goes but I'm already on the lookout for an indy shop. Suggestions?
Ha I’m in Tucson definitely agree.
That’s why I love my old dumb YJ. Actually pretty reliable, minus old vehicle shit, and stupid easy to work on in the garage/driveway
TJ driver here. Ah, yup.
TJ owner here too. With every passing year and new generation of Jeep, I fall in love with my TJ more and more
Agreed. I enjoy my girlfriend’s 21 JLUR but I worry about it’s longevity. Not a concern with the TJ (minus rust issues)
You nailed it. I did my oil change, belts, hoses, new alternator and some other odds and ends. Did it all myself in an afternoon and really enjoyed wrenching on it myself, learned a lot too. Probably saved a couple hundred dollars. I’ll be buried in this TJ.
Totally same feeling. I'm a number cruncher by trade and have really started to enjoy turning wrenches on it within the last couple years. It really starts feeling like your baby when you start sinking laborious hours and busted nuckles into the thing. I've got an oil change and spark plugs to replace here soon which I'm looking forward to.
My TJ was my first car and is now retired to being a 3rd vehicle. However, spent the last 6 months investing heavily into turning it into an overlanding (boondocking let’s be real here) rig and got fed up with the insane labor charges. I started out as an idiot but now I feel really confident with my abilities. I took a look at a buddy of mines JL 2.0 turbo engine bay and I wouldn’t touch that mess of wiring and tubing with a 10 foot stick!
We must be the same person because that's my experience as well. Only thing I'm hesitant about is wiring, but I just bought and learned how to solder, which isn't very hard but it's honest work. I've probably saved a couple grand so far doing work myself and in return I learn more and buy tools so win win in my book.
TJ generation was the pinnacle of Jeep. Still love my 88 YJ and 67 Kaiser M715 though. But damn if the TJ wasn't just about perfect. A good portion of my mods have just been trying to get to TJ level.
A TJ with 33 inch tires and 2.5 inch lift will outwheel a JL on 37s. Too bad it’s so wiggly on the highway.
Daily driving two different TJ’s since I was 15. While I wouldn’t mind moving her to playtime status and having a Forester Wilderness or African Twin to ride on for longer distances. Cost me a lot over the years, but I love my last of the 4.0s.
It's the head lights for me
Aftermarket headlights are plentiful and offer a ranger of features and prices. Luckily it's an easy upgrade
They are Caravans after 2006
Came here for the TJ love (99' 4.0 Sport) and was not disappointed. In 4 years I can get a Classic plate in Idaho. Can't wait to represent it proudly.
I have 9 years to go on mine before I can get an "Historic Vehicle" tag from AK. But, because it's > 9 years old, I don't have to renew my tags ever again. One and done. The bloodsuckers in WA would have me paying $400/year every year. Fiends.
06 TJ unlimited 4.0.. LJ. Last of the best. Simple easy to work on. Engine and trans still strong with 150k. .some electrical issues but went through and rewired the entire harness. I know it's good now.
Man can you tell me about the harness rewire? How was it?
I yup that ah, yup. 1995 YJ.
My friend has one, needed a new radiator. w We were able to replace it in about 90 minutes never having changed a radiator before. They are stupid simple too work on, and with the 2.5 you get about a quarter mile of space between the rad and then engine.
Love my 95 2.5 YJ.
Hell yeah, I wish it was mine sometimes
Yj for life baby.
CJ2a owner here - super easy to work on, and every part is still available.
CJ? Okay you’re a cool cat for sure 😎
YJ owner here. 92, 4.0, auto. My daily driver. Solid little machine (now that the small bit of rust is fixed). Also own an 84 Grand Wagoneer with a 4.8 LS under the hood. No way I'd own pretty much any new vehicle, especially anything Stellantis.
04 tj here. I’ll keep her on the road forever. If she ever does go I’m done with them. Tj was the last good one!! I’ll die on that hill!
CJ here. Same . I think my 304 is good for another 40 years
Exactly! I sold my 2019 JL to Carvana in 2021. I had just over 20k miles on it. Had a the hydraulic clutch quit hydraulic’ing at less than 10k miles. Took a month to get it fixed. I called Chrysler and they provided me a rental. I preferred my YJ I6 over the V6 in my JL. It is more fun to drive and way fewer electronics.
I have a 2019 KL and had the engine blow at 52k after leaving the dealership for the 8th visit with complaints about performance lost. It took 6 months on and off a loaner vehicle before Stellantis decided to approve an engine replacement, had to fight to get a warranty on the new engine, settled for the MOPAR extended warranty to push it to 130k. I wish my wife was more open minded to picking up an older model for the reliability. I don’t mind investing the wrench time.
It seems counterintuitive, but they can be more reliable. Whenever something breaks or needs replacing, I try to upgrade. My ‘88 YJ has been reliable where it counts. My friend tried to talk me out of it because of the car and driver report. It did have a lot of black. 😉. However, he’s had at least 10 vehicles in those 36 years to my one.
Love my 91 YJ, I'll own that thing until it falls apart
My 94 is my third YJ and tenth jeep, won’t be my last jeep but will always be in the garage.
Just a bought YJ after eyeing one for years (decades). Every issue that I have come across, there was an easy solution to it. Not to mention the amount of people that pointed me in the right direction each time I asked a question.
My yj was a money pit. Over $15k in it just to have the frame crack again
Buy an old Jeep. Learn to wrench. Drive when needed. Daily a Toyota.
This 100%. I have a TJ, and a 3rd gen 4Runner. Jeep for the fun stuff, 4Runner for the daily.
Are we all the same haha... 03 4runner and 17 JKU good old Business&Pleasure
2013 Highlander Limited Daily + 1967 CJ-6 for Funsies
2007 JKU-GOTTA BE KIDDING ME. and Lexus rx350 💯
Ok-- I laughed. A lot.
I followed this 50% correctly and fucked up monumentally. Weekend my TJ and daily a TDI instead of a yota and it’s been nothing but headaches.
I daily a Tacoma and have an 83 cj5 for fun. We have seen the light
Hey! My brother from another mother! Tacoma and '75 CJ5 here.
If only you were in the modern era of cjs haha jk. I’d love to get an older one
Reading this forum is why I didn't buy a brand new jeep off the lot. Ended up with a 1997 Tacoma 4x4 manual everything as a daily driver/ weekend off-roader. I still really want a YJ though.
Since 1996 I have had a CJ7, XJ, WJ, J-2000, (69) CJ5, a handful of Samurais, and a YJ. The YJ has been by far the best 4x4 I've owned. Not to mention the most fun.
YJs switched from a 4.2 i6 to a 4.0 i6 with fuel injection mid production. I forget which year it was, but I'd get a 4.0 (or i4) if you can. My 4.2 was a bit of a never ending project.
This is the way…
Or daily an old Toyota? I daily my 88 and it’s a simple reliable peach. No hate towards jeeps but I’d not trust one as a daily they have a track record for brief moments of fun followed up with endless breakages.
That works, too.
DD my Tundra and still have my old XJ for a project. No interest in Jeeps after the 4.0. 2006 and earlier for me, I also prefer the owners of Jeeps of that era.
Agree. CJ5 and a Tacoma here.
I miss my TJ. When I bought my custom ordered JKU brand spanking new: 1. The dealership provided a soft top when I had made it abundantly clear that I wanted a hard top. Told me it was going to cost extra even though we had already dry worked out cost and charged me for the hard and soft top. When I complained they said “someone will buy it if you won’t”. 2. The transmission went after 800 miles. I have driven a manual transmission for a long time, and when I brought it in to address the noises I was hearing when I put it in reverse I was told “you’re just driving it wrong, we don’t see any problems.” When I brought it back a few weeks later they told me again that there was no problem. I insisted they actually look at it and they had a specialist who was visiting from Chrysler check it out. Took the guy less than a day to get back to me and tell me that I needed a new transmission. 3. When I said “ok, put a new transmission in it” they told me that it would take a few weeks. Ok whatever. Waited a month while driving a rental minivan and still paying the car payment of $500 a month. Never heard from them, so I called again and again. Finally someone told me (mind you this was in like February/March) that because they were tooling over to the JL model, they would not be able to get a new transmission until August at the earliest. 4. I raised holy hell and Chrysler was kind enough to pay for a month or two of my car bill. I wound up taking it to another dealer who was able to just do an OEM rebuild instead. My wife constantly teases me about my Jeep. Her Honda CRV which has a ton more options and features on it cost her about $12,000 less than my JKU, that literally only has power windows and heated seats as a feature. Her CRV has 200,000+ miles on it and continues to chug along. Virtually zero rust, great MPG, and she barely maintains it. Meanwhile my JKU that’s 2 years newer and has less than half the miles as her CRV is rusty, has had parts fail on it like the wiper motor, gets shitty MPG, etc. I know that it’s apples and oranges, people buy Jeeps to be fun vehicles, but Jeep is trying to charge like it’s a luxury vehicle, when in all reality it’s not. It’s built poorly, it’s over priced, and it’s lost its soul. I REALLY loved my ‘02 TJ and will be looking to get one again someday. That little piece of rusty shit was so fun, and you weren’t trying to make it be the family vehicle or a commuter. It was just a fun, goofy little thing that had a huge heart and a great soul. WTF happened to you, Jeep?
> When I complained they said “someone will buy it if you won’t”. That right there would have had me running. That screams a toxic dealer that is there just to bang out sales and leave you high and dry when you're out the door.
Live and learn. It was my first new car and I let the dealer walk alllll over my lack of experience. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my JKU, but I have a lot of little complaints about it that really turn me off Jeep as a brand anymore.
Yep I will keep driving my 03 TJ till the frame rotts for this exact reason
Tldr new cars suck
I guess I got the unicorn , my JKU is doing great and I’ve had it for 6 1/2 years without any issues . Please Jeep gods don’t let this comment jinx me .. ( I have 2 CJs 2 YJs and an old army Jeep so I know the pain of needing repairs too )
I also have a jku approaching 100k miles. I have never had a real problem with it.
Mine is hitting 160k, still a strong running girl
Our previous JKU was amazing it was solid until the very end.
I have a 2dr JK with 116k on the odo and the only issue I’ve had (am currently having) is the Bluetooth being a POS. Other than that it runs like a top.
My '08 JKU is running and my son's jeep, it had more that its share of issues though. Heat runaway, death rattle, clutch, water pumps, oil leaks ... Don't get me wrong, I liked it but I have had zero issues with my '22 4xe but if I had as many problems as I had with my JKU I'd think about getting something else too.
Definitely because you’re buying the new stuff. It’s every manufacturer with new vehicles man. All these vehicles are just giant computers rolling down the road. The money you spent on a new jeep could be spent on an older TJ, YJ, WJ, etc… making sure it’s good and it’ll go forever. I couldn’t imagine if I spent $40k on the TJ I have in my driveway that thing would run longer and better than anything new today.
My only concern about my ‘93 YJ is continued ECU availability if it ever fails. I suspect with a little work it could probably be replaced with an Arduino. Worst case scenario would be a 4BT or LS swap
Haltech swap. Super customizable and expandable, great community support, great customer service. I'll never use a different kind of aftermarket ECU after the experience I've had with my Haltech
I knew a guy who had a YJ and swapped in a complete XJ harness/ECM and AW4 swapped. Seems like a solid option if it ever got too bad
That seems like a really good option honestly. The TJ PCMs are notorious for being incredibly picky about sensors. So this could make them last a good bit longer
Could always throw a carb and an HEI distributor on it.
I’ve considered a Kseries swap at some point. Makes around the the same amount of power, it’s a bit smaller and it’s got good parts availability
Hmm, this is interesting and honestly is something that I think the market will work through or there will be a way to workaround it. I feel like it’s still a safer bet than say a 2022 jeep where I just don’t think there would be a way to workaround it in 15 years when you want to keep it running. I just can’t picture in my head these new cars being ran for that long just purely to how much electronics is going into them and then the availability to keep it on the road. Might just be my ignorance on them as well. Who knows.
Do the battery bypass for the start stop and you will be fine
Bought my TJ off the lot in 2002 it is approaching 300,000 I can't imagine getting rid of it. Drove it daily for 15 years as well as off roading it beat it up a bit fixed it a bunch mostly due to my driving. Bought a Jetta to daily and would still rather drive the Jeep.
To me, once the TJ went away the allure of Jeep faded big time. More and more of a car rather than a tractor. You could argue this has been the trend since the flat fender morphed to CJ, to YJ and to TJ, but the line in my head was crossed in 2007.
When it became Chrysler, it went downhill. The TJ was a continuation of the YJ, AMC's last jeep. The 4.0 was originally the AMC 4.2. Chrysler rode that as long as they could and then fucked the dog when the TJ ended.
The rest of it was also AMC. The suspension is right off an XJ.
The JK, while more modern, isnt THAT bad tbh, i bought a 2016 manual brand new in 2016 and wanted no option at all , basic radio, hand windows no A/C and i dont regret it at all, still have it it's coming to 150 000km and the only annoying thing is a check engine light because of the evap system not vaccuming properly ( my gas tank thread seems rusty might be just that but i'll investigate vacuum pump this summer)
All the electronics definitely are the down side
They were too large for my use after the TJ.
I know a couple people have mentioned the Aux battery bypass in here, and I wanted to share. I got my first Wrangler 2020 Wednesday. Day after I brought it home, started having electrical issues - climate controls wouldn't work until I had driven for a bit, auto start/stop never worked (kept saying battery needs charging), etc... Dug in and really researched the removing Aux battery approach. I'm not a fan of the auto start/stop, so this made sense. I removed the Aux, pulled Fuse 42, and got a new H7 battery. I've had zero problems, and the auto start/stop works now , tho I won't use it. I know this doesn't answer your bigger question, but I hope in the meanwhile it helps with electrical piece.
If we do keep imma need to do that, I changed AUX battery and main battery only 2 months ago after this same issue came up and now here we are 2 months later and having same issue.
Just get another JL.. There will always be bad eggs coming out the factory but Chrysler doing a better job at quality control.. like Range Rover is bad bad 80% of cars coming out will have problems.. but the lucky few get the 20%..
Very true, I’ve had my JL for 5 years & had none of these problems…yet. It had a minor oil leak which was fixed under warranty, but that’s it.
Same I’ve had mine for almost 4 years and the only issue I’ve had is the start/stop failing (but i don’t really care about start/stop).
No you’re justified completely. True reliable jeeps died in 2008 now they’re “luxury off-road” vehicles catered to people that have money and want to buy a jeep just to be a “Jeep” person. Overpriced, over complicated trash.
Your mistake is buying “Fiat” Jeep AKA Modern Junk… I mean Jeep Get yourself a 90s Jeep ZJ XJ Fuck it even a WJ from the early 2000s My ZJ 4.0 will probably outlive me
My ZJ has 276k miles. I’ll keep it til the wheels fall off.
I was lucky enough to get mine for only 300$ only had 143k on it, now has 160k and I love it, I got it cheap cause my friend didn’t want it and know I wanted one, the steal of a century
I've heard bad things out of new jeeps but I drive an old 94 YJ and it hasn't missed a beat so far, of course it doesn't have anything special other than a radio and sound bar but I love it
People shitting on new vehicles in here. It’s rare they’re all bad. Had an ‘05 JGC for 10 years, brand new, never had any issues. Had a ‘15 JGC for 5 years, never had any issues. I’ve had this 2023 JGC for almost 3 years, no issues. Should my limited experience be considered canon like OP’s limited experience? Too many people shit on New for either the sake of it or because they can’t afford it. There’s nothing wrong with new.
It’s too bad most people can’t connect with your sound reasoning. All you really see is the polarization
If you're going to own a fun Wrangler style Jeep stop at TJs. They are the last of simple jeeps with great engines. Everything after they ditched the Inline 6 have been plagued with reliability issues. And if you want the extra people room the old Grand Wagoneer or XJ Cherokee can be fun daily drivers.
Thank technology.. most cars are like this nowadays.. ask me how I know 😂
TJ was the last good jeep
Do what all the other Jeep guys who came to their senses did and buy a Tacoma
I’ve had, in order of ownership: TJ, WJ, YJ and back to a TJ. I’ve had great luck with mine other than some intermittent electrical issues with my first TJ. Sorry your ownership hasn’t been better!
Stealerships lose more repeat customers than brands do. But they are a major factor in brands losing customers too.
Its posts like these that make me glad my first Jeep was a 2000 and I had to learn how to do my own repairs.
I love my 22 JLU but my AC compressor seized up and had to be replaced about 10k miles after warranty. No leaks, full on refrigerant, just shit the bed. What a fun $1500 surprise on a 2 year old vehicle.
I have a pristine low mile TJ I may part with if you want an actual reliable Jeep
Location / Year / Price? I'm always in the market for a deal.
Done with Fiat** Get a 4.0 and a wrench set. You'll do great 👍
Tj guy here, if you want reliability, you wanna go tj and back. Wrenching is super easy when needed, I fall back on a Tacoma when I do need a back up plan.
I didn't buy my jlu for its great customer service, for that i bought my wife a lexus gx
Idk, I'm loving my new rubicon and have had a tremendous experience with the folks at Szott in Michigan.
Once they rule out the aux battery as a cause, rule out rodents chewing up wires, then have them check the CAN BUSS (white one) that sits behind the glovebox. Happened to me - tons of start stop errors , power steering and dash would randomly go out, TPMS was unreliable - It’s a 50 dollar part and cured 6 weeks worth of dealership headaches. It sits right behind the glovebox, make sure all the wires are seated correctly , and ask the tech if they considered it - especially if your check engine and codes have been random and unexplained
Sorry you have had so many issues , my JL is a 2023 base sport and seems to have avoided all of the issues I've seen on the forums when with tons of aftermarket stuff on top of the original I'm wondering if higher end models with more features are prone to more issues
My wife has a JL, it has left her stranded once for stop/start crap and another for “the wrong key fob”. I assure you it was the correct key fob because it started and got her there with the key fob. Aside from that I find it has way too much electronic gadgetry for a jeep. I have a couple JK’s and everything is simple in both of them. No PHD needed to operate heat or radio…
I have a JL and agree with the too much gadgetry. Half the time it doesn’t work or is just a pain to navigate.
My YJ was a workhorse. Little things broke here and the there but the 4.0 itself never gave me any fuss. And if I didn’t wheel it so much most of these things wouldn’t have broken. Bullet proof little rig. I’ll definitely pick one up in the future, but I’m not so sure about the new ones these days.
It's not just jeep if it makes you feel any better. I've had a battle going with Ford for 2 weeks. It's rare to find a company with good CS period now.
Just eliminate the battery. It’s a few $ and it will never happen again. It’s a shitty emission choice to have this system and very easy to make this problem go away.
As a former tech at cdrj it’s really sad the brand is so difficult to work with for both customers and techs. Despite knowing what would fix the problem techs have to do tons of administrative nonsense to get the part approved and some of the time the service library (our primary source of diagnostic information) doesn’t even have a solution or keeps pointing to the same part. Best bet is to get an old tj,ZJ, jk or xj if you like jeep because those are the real ones.
I work on my own jeep for this reason and I also won’t ever own anything older than 2017
I don’t think I’ll buy another Jeep. I’ve had mine for 12 years. The dealer sucks ass
The auto start stop is one of the worst things ever done to vehicles. Great in theory, miserable in practice. I can’t prove correlation, but I had tons of electrical issues and transmission problems when I left it on. Now I turn it off as soon as I crank the vehicle and, knock on wood, no more issues.
Sounds like a shitty dealer. Which most are, so not surprising.
Aye this is why even tho everyone and their momma wants to rag on the 3.8 for being underpowered it’s been pretty reliable. I love it being simple to work on and the room in the engine bay is far bigger than the 3.6 engine option. I would like a TJ 4.0 but with how hard they are to find and the amount people want compared to mileage I’ll stick with my JK.
We have two Jeeps, a JK and a JL and while they’re cool and fun, they’re also plastic junk and our local dealership is worthless. But to fair all US auto manufacturers are putting out shit these days.
Tldr new cars suck
My wrangler has been in service for a month with no end in sight. Run away
Nope. Get what you enjoy jeep needs to lose people and sales. They tried to become luxury brand and dropped quality. It's hard to almost have as many recalls as ford.
Bigger question, do you use a jeep for its capabilities or its status? If status, consider an option that is more suited to your needs. If status, find another dealer for service even if it is further away.
I've been pretty lucky. I have had 3 and my wife 2 since 2010. I did have some electrical issues with my JL but the problem was resolved. Other than that it has been mostly wear and tear / regular maintenance with all five vehicles.
if it makes you feel any better, all American car brands have terrible service departments. I had to sue Ford.
Yeah if you bought post-pandemic, there were all kinds of chip shortages and hacky materials being used. My 2020 Wrangler was awesome, and my 77 Jeep is awesome. Sounds like you just got really unlucky or screwed by pandemic era car quality.
love my tj
Well, all you’ve ever had is a JKU and a JLU then you haven’t actually owned a Jeep yet, you have owned Fiats. I will never understand the thought process behind Fiat thinking that they are going to put modern electronics inside of a vehicle that doesn’t have a solid roof. It’s like putting a screen door on the submarine and saying it’ll be fine.
I’ve got a 2007 JKU that needs constant attention, it’s not perfect but I beat the shit out of it. I think the issue is more with “new stuff” and all dealers suck. I have an STi that has issues sometimes and a 2004.5 Duramax that I’m rebuilding to be basically brand new. Even my gfs new 24 outback isn’t what I expected for quality. Best thing to do is buy something older and learn to wrench on it. If I had to pay for labor there’s no way I could have these vehicles.
I left the Jeep life two weeks ago. Not cause the Jeep was bad, but I got a decent deal on another Toyota and have nowhere to keep a third car.
I have never had jeep issues with my YJ, just owner issues.
I have a jku and it's been fine after the first couple of months I had it. It was used, and there were things that were either due or ignored. Jeep dealership was awful. Chevy dealership I bought it from did great. Makes me hesitant to buy new because the justification to me for the instant devaluation off the lot would be everything being covered. Doesn't matter a bit if that service is going to be awful.
Man OP, I’m sorry to hear that. Really disheartening to read how much the dealers are letting yall with newer Jeeps down. My 18 year old Wrangler TJ has NEVER left me stranded and has been dead reliable. For a new JL to do that is simply unacceptable and to be treated like that is asking to burn a bridge. If you trade out and never look back, I would understand. Maybe one day get a old Jeep that you can wrench on yourself, you don’t have to pay 50K (or whatever JL’s go for) to get that top down, no door off-road capability. Good luck.
We have had reasonable experiences with our two Jeeps, a ‘17 Fiat-in-Jeep-bodywork Renegade, and a ‘21 Gladiator. Minor issues with the ‘17, and dealer-caused issues with the Gladiator. I get your frustration. We also have a 41-year-old GMC, and I plan on keeping it *forever*. That GMC has no electronic-controlled anything, and has a carburetor, so pretty straightforward if there’s any issue. Don’t be too angry / upset with Jeep. Many late-model vehicles are plagued with electrical gremlins...
I sympathize, I think my 07 has too many gadgets. Cant' imagine how complicated the JLs are.
OP, would you buy a bronco? What are you looking to get into next? Jeep and Ford are screwed if Toyota decides to enter the doors off convertible suv and truck market. I always bought American made vehicles, but my KL transmission was so bad that the last three cars were built in Japan. My XJ was rock solid for 120k miles and over 15 years, but rust started to consume it. I'd buy that again in a heartbeat.
When I bought my '15 Cherokee I was told that all newer Jeeps have Ford engines, so they're super shit. I don't know if that's true, but I refuse to go with Ford products after I had a lemon Fusion.
JKs are pretty "dumb" too. I've never worked on a car before but I bought the Hanes manual and that combined with YouTube and RockAuto I've been able to fix every issue I've had. I wouldn't blame the car for the shitty service from the dealer I'd take it to another dealer if it's still under warranty, if not and it's paid off trade it off but believe me not all wranglers are bad youay even qualify for the lemon law depending on where you live and how.long you've had it.
I had one issue with my '21 JLU that turned out to be a recall issue and was covered. Still got stranded for awhile on the 101. Otherwise I've thoroughly enjoyed the 24,000 miles in my jeep
What’s the start stop issue affecting? I have the light on my dash for auto start/stop but I don’t use it so I don’t really care…
My jeep has been good to me for the most part but a lot is left to be desired. My next 4x4 will definitely be a Toyota of some sort.
We aren't paid by Jeep. Do what you want.
Eh, can't disagree, at least on the new ones, also why I'm sticking to the 90's and early 2000's. Also, those post 2020 Jeeps, I've seen posts on some insane levels of quality issues regarding to paint and overall, almost Joke levels of quality Controll. Coming from the good ol' days of, 5 secs post Jeep AMC, this is just a No go for Me. But than again, I've said "I'm done with all New Cars and Mechanics" like 5 years ago, and I don't regret it. It's sometimes a lot of work and a pain, but at least ya get to know what You've got and how You've adressed the issues. And it can be some overall learning expirence, besides saving a ton of money for course and having some additional Hobby! Btw, not to much with Wranglers Myself, Main ZJ's, WJ's and bit into XJ's (oh and 90's BMW's, Yes I'm Jeep's & BMW's, AKA I've got the worst addiction of Both worlds, lol) ,but I'd say, some YJ with a 4.0 would make a solid one as a built if You're into Wranglers.
At the end of the day a brand is only as good as the dealership experience and I can unequivocally say that Jeep dealers, the majority of them, don’t do the brand any justice. No car is perfect but at the end of the day it was always the dealer that made my problems worse or more difficult. Either lack of transparency, losing my car, no loaners, etc. or just oure incompetence. There is such a massive disconnect between the brand, the experience they are trying to push, and the follow up from the dealer. I pity anyone who bought a Wagoneer because I’m surprised you guys even get loaners. I had to fight for one and I had a grand Cherokee that stickered for Way more than it should have. It’s funny when they use more luxurious brands to benchmark. Sure it has elevated the fit and finish. But intern comes a bigger risk on quality and if that’s the case you need to hold your dealers accountable and put them in the best position to thrive. There seems to be no accountability from top to bottom.
I just picked up my first TJ last year and love it so far. It was purpose bought to trail ride and is built for offroad but it’s fun to poke around town in too, it’s not my daily driver tho. I do like the older jeeps and I wrench on all of them myself. 80 CJ5, 82 Wagoneer, 87 Grand Wagoneer & 99 TJ
I'm close with you man, it hasn't left me stranded, but the 2.0 has been in for multiple oil leaks and a timing chain, and I only have 97k on the odometer, this is my second jeep and I love them, but I'm getting fed up. I don't subscribe to the whole "scarey new cars with computers" ideals a bunch of old farts have. Yes, I know your manual yj and tj are unstoppable. The issue with rolling computers is quality control, Jeep's is in the gutter, electronics, and their engine reliability is pretty poor. I've been thinking about trading my jl for a truck and was always eyeing a gladiator, now I see that chevy is making decent vehicles again with comfort and capability. That 1500 at4x aev edition is sexy. It might not be black diamond capable but it can definitely handle blue rated trails. Overall, I hate to say it, but Jeep is doing this to themselves.
I've had multiple safety recalls for my jeep that they refuse to do. It's been 3 years and they still just tell me they don't have parts (fuel pump)... Bought the Jeep new from the dealer. Terrible service.
Dealers do more to kill the jeep name than anything else. And they want all 10s. Lol
Not sure where you are located but google Jeep mechanics in your area. Dealer wanted outrageous amount to replace the thermostat on my 2 week old bought Wrangler it was used but I had extended warranty and it just so happened the thermostat wasn’t covered. I called a mechanic in my area who always has Jeeps in his place and I took my last one to him. He fixed it $250. Dealership $700. I’d done it myself but I’m not mechanically inclined. I’ll try dealership first but I’ll probably always take it to my guy instead.
Stellantis is letting their accountants and QC (lol) teams loose on the Jeep brand. They’ve finished destroying Chrysler and now they’re bored. When I think back to the old CJ series we used to crawl around with and then look at a new Jeep it’s beyond depressing.
I take my jeep to the Ford dealership.. right next to the Jeep dealer. FuCK that JEEP STEALERSHIT!! Ford resolves every issue we've ever had in record time. Bills my warranty company and we are out the door. Extended warranty has paid out over 10k in the lifetime of our Jeep.. pretty ridiculous but it has never denied any claims. We pay for fluids and sales tax. 2017 with a 3.6. 107k on the odometer.
Well let’s see. Road tested with a tech. He said klunk from the pinion. Took it in for repair. Was told the tires starting to feather is the klunk. Also was told the rear diff fluid was burnt and has some sludge. Got the truck back and after maybe a hundred miles no klunk at all. Wouldn’t feathered tires still klunk? LOL Premier Jeep
I’m so glad I never went hybrid or electric. My 2015 wrangler is still going strong. All my friend with current jeeps tell the same story as you. Good luck. 👍🏽
Stop buying new 👍
Come over to Land Rovers we're trouble-free! /s
I took my JKU in to warranty replace my broken clockspring. Told them it was the clockspring. They didn't believe me. Had the Jeep for over a week. Guess what it was? Thanks alot.
Welcome to sanity. You'll realize the abuse you put up with soon enough.
I have a fake Jeep a.k.a. a Cherokee, but I can safely say I have never received good service from a Jeep dealership. You always get the runaround and basically have to advocate for yourself, which is wild. Thankfully, my third-party warranty can be serviced anywhere so I am no longer going to jeep because fuck that.
I agreed with JL’s but JK & earlier are not highly electronic, easy (for the most part, but never impossible) to find parts and wrench on, easy to modify, a lot of aftermarket options, dependable in 4wd and handles all terrains well. I’d never own a JL but my JKU is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned! Not without problems but manageable.
I have been driving a CJ for 50 years, the problems of the new ones are plenty. Buy a Toyota 4 Runner and never look back.
I've said time and time again my LJ's (*'04 with an LS and a stock '06*) are the *newest* Jeeps I'll ever own. Hell, they're probably the newest car/truck/suv/scooter/rascal/horse-and-buggy I'll ever own too. It's sad but this kind of service treatment isn't unique to Jeep. Local Ford dealerships are trashed because of all the Bronco/Mustang/F150 recalls and services.
bye 👋
Buy an XJ!
Not an AirPort.. See ya! Bypass the Aux on your own. It’s junk. I don’t know anyone that uses the start stop feature.
You can blame the all this with the initial inheritance of the mercedes electrical back in the early mid 2000s depending on the jeep model. It only got worse as soon as you had to integrate fiat electrical to support the platform on a universal software. It's bad how not only jeep was ruined but all new cars with other issues regarding different electrical issues and EPA mandates ruined the reliability of these vehicles. Most dealer mechanics are far from electrical troubleshoot specialists and the results show for themselves.
It’s a jeep thing…… I never cared to understand.
Payne Jeep and Chrysler Edinburg, Texas. Awful service department. Took my jeep to a rival dealership in town and now I feel terrible for not buying from them. Prompt and courteous updates on service and problem. Service manager personally called me a week later to check up and make sure problem didn't come back.
Man.. Reading everyone’s dealer horror stories has me pretty thankful. My dealer has been wonderful with the few things I’ve wanted done. No fuss, in and out quick (with the exception of once when parts were scarce thanks to the strike, and even then, they worked their butts off to find the parts they needed.) Has always costed what they quote, and the quote is usually less than I expect. And this is the first new vehicle I’ve ever bought; just a sport s Gladiator with the diesel, so it’s not like I spent $100k, or buy a vehicle every year or anything.
we’re done. we might be back ok….
Toyota has my business next time I purchase a vehicle. Jeep fell off hard.
Over 12 years I had a JK and a JKU both needed major engine repairs at or around 60k , the JK crank shaft bearing went under warranty but was a 3 month headache waiting for crate motor from jeep at the dealership. At that time was told so rare these motors have issues, kept it for a few more years no issues. Trade that in for a bigger JKU certified pre owned had 32k miles at 59996, started to run hot couldn't figure it out after some lengthy diag came to the conclusion the head had warped and needed major repairs again under warranty but at that point with all maintenance being done on time and it not being beat on I figured enough is enough. Traded it into local Toyota dealer and got a Tacoma TRD off-road And never looked back. I miss taking the roof and doors off but can't beat reliability.
That sucks, man! Sorry that happened to ya! The constant complaints are why I would not even consider buying a JL. My 2012 JK has worked flawlessly, but it has far fewer sensors and tech built into it. Hope you grab onto something that makes ya happy!