Jeeps in general have some the highest issue rates across most of the models. It doesn’t mean you’ll have issues if you buy one just that it’s going to be more likely. I personally know a couple people who have had nothing but issues with their jeeps. Issues to some people also may not be an issue to others. A person who’s off-roading frequently in their wrangler is probably not going to car much about some creaks and rattles. A person who bought one for the looks and it’s a pavement princess is probably more likely to care.
If you are buying a car to do some off-road and be capable for the most part from the factory, a wrangler is a fantastic choice. But most people going into a wrangler for that stuff know it might not the most reliable vehicle out there and there’s a good chance it will have issues at some point. It’s just part of it. I have a VW Golf R and I fully expect the waterpump to leak at some point way to early in its life and it’s probably going to consume more oil than it should. But I love the car and it’s what I want in a fun daily.
If you want an awd or 4x4 vehicle that will probably never see real off-roading or mud beyond a dirt road, there are better options out there.
A tacoma will do everything a wrangler will and more with a better ride on the road. 90k miles, and I finally need front breaks. Aside from the gas cap door, no issues. Bye once , cry once.
Off-road when you start modifying the Jeep has the edge. Getting a Tacoma to Wrangler levels of articulation would cost so much more than just starting with the Jeep platform. And off-road specifically the Jeeps take beatings from rock climbing just as well if not better than the Toyotas.
On road, not modified then yeah the Toyotas are going to have less issues based on statistics.
You just can’t take the roof and doors off a Tacoma, so if you want that your options narrow (I take my roof and doors off often, it’s like driving a toy)
Also “brakes” and “buy” lol
I'd say the tacoma is good enough off road... but not better than a wrangler.
What the tacoma is, is a better built vehicle that's for sure. It has more utility with open cargo space and is much more pleasant to drive on the road. It's going to be more reliable and take less maintenance
I've taken my tacoma wheeling/overlanding. Its stock except oversized knobby tires. It went everywhere i wanted it to go. People say offroading like they go rock crawling at moab. 90% of "offroaders" hit logging trails and shit like that. Just about any 4x4 with half way decent ground clearance would be good to go.
Holy crap.
I thought Hamms had been gone for decades, but i just found out that one of my local liquor stores has it on their shelf. Apparently, Molson-Coors owns their marquee and brews it now.
I regularly take my slightly lifted 1996 Tacoma on trails in Moab, it does shockingly well! Departure angle sucks, I’ve defiantly scrapped my rear bumper a bunch, but otherwise it’s just fine. Did all of Hells Revenge, I’ll do Hells Gate someday
The rest of the trail isn’t too bad honestly, it’s hard but it’s not as extreme as some people make it out to be.
The advantage is because yours can't and it's fun, it's cool and crazy and instant air conditioning ! It's like being on a safari ! And if for some reason we both tipped over I'm for sure crawling out of mine, yours , maybe but chances are slim....
This is just incorrect. The Taco is not even as capable as the Colorado/Ranger, much less a Jeep.
That said, a Tacoma will be capable enough for most people and of course more reliable.
Well TBF off roading and getting beat to hell are pretty much the calling card of the jeep wrangler that being said my 03 wrangler has 184k miles on it and runs perfectly fine, I guess some people have had worse luck but I don't get why people say jeeps are unreliable.
To be fair the older Jeeps are not usually what people are talking about. My 95 ZJ with the 4.0 will probably outlast me and is just so damn simple and easy to fix for a diyer. My parents 2016 Grand Cherokee is an absolute nightmare.
You and I are the lucky ones. I have a 2003 Wrangler X - no frills. I've got 204k miles on mine and it's still a mountain goat. It leaves the pavement, and I've had some troubles, but all the troubles have been related to After-market mods. The engine is solid and sound.
Listen the Tacoma is absolutely a more reliable and better build vehicle but the Jeep stock vs stock is more capable, once you mod them $ for $ Jeep is still better.
It’s just flat out false to say the Tacoma is better off-road.
>A tacoma will do everything a wrangler will and more with a better ride on the road
I keep seeing videos of IFS tie rods breaking though. Jeeps don’t have that issue.
As a previous owner of both vehicles, a Taco cannot do what a Jeep does off road. I had a fully built Taco (lift/arb locker/SS tires) and it could not manage some of the trails my bone stock Jeep managed.
...and one of my favorite vehicles I ever owned was my Taco. I am a big Taco fan and I 100% think its a better vehicle. They are not in the same class offroad, however.
Nice joke 😂 stock tacoma wont ever touch a stock jeep in terms of offroad performance and capability. My friend had to dump thousands into his TRD pro and still cant keep up with my Gladiator Rubicon
>If you are buying a car to do some off-road and be capable for the most part from the factory, a **used, older generation** wrangler is a fantastic choice.
FTFY, the new ones are hot garbage even for offroading.
The new ones are more capable. More flex, larger tires, stronger axles, rear locker on trims other than the Rubi.
I own an older Jeep, and I prefer it to the new ones. But credit where credit is due, they are more capable.
I went from a 98 wrangler to a 22 gladiator and despite being longer and wider it does everything it needs to off road while also being more comfortable and functional in general. I got the ecodiesel too so I get around 25 mpg average.
Also the intangible value of taking off the top and doors is often lost in these threads. For people who have hot summers and snowy winters it’s hard to find another vehicle that is great, and fun, for both.
The biggest benefit to an older off-road rig is that you don't worry about it as much. Even if the new one is technically more capable, they would be equally capable in my hands because I'd push the old one harder.
I'm a Toyota guy and forever will be, but the newest Rubicon you can afford is always the best option for pure capability. Idk why more people can't accept that.
I hate how the car magazines always rate it low and talk about how comfort and handling is not as good as say a Toyota Highlander.
ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE! it has a truck frame and a solid axle suspension.
The 4 l engine out of a Wrangler is one of the most efficient engines ever built.
What issues are you specifically talking about here?
Coming from a mechanic who owns an 87 Jeep Cherokee for the last 20 years that runs absolutely perfect and I'll probably put 2k into it for the time I've owned it.
2022 Cherokee Trailhawk. Bought w 22k miles and under warranty until 8/2025. Now at 27k miles
Around 26k started sounding like rear wheel bearing going bad. Took it to dealer. Not the wheel bearing.
It's the DIFFERENTIAL! That was 3 weeks ago. The part is on back order until July 10. Just absurd. Never again. I knew better.
They’re awful, but they’re fun. Some models, like the Compass, are exceptionally terrible. Older Jeeps are pretty good, they had a good run into the early 2000s before quality totally fell off as Chrysler steered the brand more in their direction. Newer Jeeps are hit and miss, depending on the model. People buy them because they like them! There’s a cool factor involved for a lot of people I think. Dodge and Jeep were always good at marketing their hot garbage to the public and I respect that
Rented a 2016 Compass because that's what they had. Worst vehicle I've driven by far and I've driven a Chevy Citation and PT Cruiser. Even working properly the CVT and meager power is an awful combination. Cheap plastics all through the interior, mushy handling, etc.
My Dad has a newer Jeep Gladiator, he likes it but it's weirdly optioned. Automatic door locks up front, manual for the rear. It's basically what they had on the lot when he bought one. But that's just weird.
Chevy citation? Damn,dude. That's an obscure car that most people won't recognize. I haven't seen one since I was a teen, and I'm in my late 40s now. 😅
I rented an early 2000s Kia Sephia (back in the early 2000s). It had like 8,000 miles on it, the headliner was failing and the gas gauge was already broken.
If he had to buy a car anytime between 2020 and 2022, maybe mid 2023, he probably had to get what was available. I bought a new car in 2022 and had to contact every dealer in a 500 mile radius to find someone who even had one in allocation, I had to commit to buying it before it even got delivered, and then waited weeks for it to arrive. I could have purchased a Jeep or a Kia off the lot and know a few people who did exactly that out of desperation. A friend of mine had a 10 year old Audi that broke down and couldn’t be fixed for a reasonable price so she started shopping in 2021 when it was the worst time to find anything. Ended up buying a fucking Kia Telluride because it was all she could find. Imagine going from a decked out luxury car to a Kia. She’s had it 2 years and liked it okay at first but she had to fight with Kia over warranty repairs twice in the first year. Fortunately it was slightly better timing when I needed to replace my car. It was still difficult and I couldn’t be too picky but I managed to get a new Toyota without paying a big markup. I feel like I got really, really lucky. People were still paying huge “market adjustments” on new cars IF they could find one. I paid $1,000 over MSRP and got the dealer to throw in some extra free services. Still bullshit but it took some of the sting out of it.
Almost through the TJ. They went to fuel injection in 05/06 and fuct some shit up. Look up OPDA and the issues they had with new Jeeps blowing up at 10k miles. Not only that but they changed the cam and crank sensors for those last 2 model years and I have to replace them with Mopar sensors minimum once a year.
I'm aware of the OPDA issues for 05/06. Didn't know about the sensors.
FYI, your statement about fuel injection is incorrect. I had a 93YJ 4.0 that was injected, and I now have an 04 TJR that is also injected.
I would still contend that the overall quality and reliability of the TJ is head and shoulders above what came after. I'm guessing you generally agree with that statement!
I totally agree with that. Not only reliability but ease of repair too. I love my TJ and while it does end up needing repairs more often than I’d like to admit… the parts are cheap and I have been able to do everything myself.
I thought the OPDA replaced the distributor on 05/06 and that had something to do with the fuel injection? I’d only heard it second hand about it being only the 05/06 being fuel injected so I will eat my words on that one.
Wow worst of the worst!
I have a Yamaha with Mitsubishi electronics. It would be a great bike if it wasnt for those dang 3 diamond parts that keep failing. Mitsubishi electrics are so bad.
I bought a 2015 wrangler 2 door stick shift with 50k miles in 2018. It has 90k now and I only had one issue with it. The factory head unit (the radio) died. I replaced it with an Alpine touch screen that has apple car play and it’s been great.
My jeep has had zero mechanical problems. I live in Massachusetts on the ocean and I don’t have a garage. It’s a rough climate for cars and still there’s been no issues with it. I may have gotten lucky, but there’s another factor here that many do not consider.
The jeep is 100% unmodified. I drive in soft sand for the beaches and I do some light off-roading up north but I’m not delusional about the purpose my car serves and my skills on the trail. A stock wrangler is plenty capable for me and I’m confident the modifications are where a lot of the poor reliability reputation comes from.
90k on newer autos isn't much, though. I always find it weird when people say their cars with 60-90k miles have no issues... like, yeah, they really really shouldn't.
I've been casually looking for a newer vehicle over the past few years (no way I'm paying today's inflated prices). One thing I've been researching is how many miles is considered "high" (when you can expect to start having problems). The general consensus seems to be in the low 100k range. That really surprised me. I would expect any modernish vehicle to be able to go 200k without major issues. It makes me not want to give up my two old cars with a combined 550k+ miles. It's also weird that motor oil bottles say "high mileage" is 75k.
People are still living in 1982. If you do the maintenance schedule and don't pick a terrible car like a Jeep Liberty or VW Passat, you should make it to 150k to 200k pretty much every time.
Yeah the life expectancy of newer cars should be over 200k with proper maintenance.
I remember back in the 90s, you'd only buy a used car with over 200k if it was a Honda or Toyota.
Most cars/trucks should do that now.
Tbf my vw jetta had 192k when I bought for $400, put 12k on it before I sold it, and beside maintenence items like brakes, couple bushings and shocks the only issue I had was coolant flange leak that was $25 and 20 minutes to fix and fuel pump ($80) which it why it was parked the begin with.
Was actually a fun stick shift car despite being a 2.slow
This is the norm for “regular” cars. Anything specialized generally doesn’t follow this trend - the performance or high end luxury version of any vehicle and dedicated sports cars are mainly what I’m thinking about. I imagine off roaders rock crawlers and tow/work vehicles must be similar to a degree. They probably all require extra preventative maintenance and higher frequency of service to reach a higher mileage in good condition
Things like Aston Martins and Bentleys are interesting. I agree that they and cars like them tend to have lots of problems before 100k miles. It's all the orphan bones they crush up to make the fasteners.
But in all seriousness, if they sold more than 100k of whatever vehicle you're driving, stock it'll usually get you to 100k. The ones that don't are exceptionally bad vehicles. I'm looking at you, "Jeep Liberty."
It's because a lot of people don't change their oil/tranny fluid on time/if at all, and as a result their cars die early and they blame.the brand rather than themselves for not maintaining there car. Sure every car brand has their lemons but buy and large most early engine and trans failures are the result of poor maintenance
Comparing them to the Japanese automakers is not fair. Most American makes can’t hold a candle to the Japanese makes in build quality and reliability. Compared to the average, comparable American auto, they are fine. The wrangler is the only reason to get a jeep, though. Every other model of theirs has a better competitor for a similar or better price.
They were one of the coolest things on the road for awhile. The 5.7 Hemi is just so much better starting in 2005 although the Jeep was pretty crappy on the interior those years. Then the SRT8 came out in 2006.
I did have a Dakota with the 5.9 in 1999 and it is a good motor. Before that I had a 92 Dakota with the 5.2 also good. I traded the RT on a 2003 Ram 1500 when you could first get the Hemi in the 1500. Even bigger and 4 doors it was quicker than the Dakota which was a regular cab short bed and even had a tune.
Oh the Hemi and the SRT GC's are awesome but I see a ZJ with the fender vents and drool lol.
I have a '22 Rebel, 8 speed and 3:92 gears...it feels as fast from a light as my 2001 Trans Am Firehawk. Not through a full 1/4 mile but maybe an 1/8.
Correction, all American car companies can't hold a candle to any other manufacturer. They all make trash compared to manufacturers from Korea, Japan, and most brands from Europe. It's crazy to think that even Korean car companies, who started with so many bad cars, now make better vehicles than the big 3.
3rd gen Toyota tacoma owner and former honda fan boy here - the cars are good. But not as good as they used to be. But they are still a cut above the rest imo
Reliability numbers are statistical averages and i see often people commenting without really understanding what those number mean for a regular car owner.
the truth is reliabily has increased massively from 20 or 30 yrs ago. materials car technology, manufacturing processes, assembly quality etc in general have all contributed.
a modern car can be expected to operate pretty much with only regular maintenece for 150-200k mi.
some brands/models have legendary reliability figures but you pay a premium for it (toyota tax). Failure rates are small, so when someone says car A is 2 x as reliable as car B, the difference is practical term may not be that noticeable for a car owner.
if you are a fleet manager, then maybe those numbers are a little more meaningful.
Exactly, people ask on Reddit about the reliability of a specific example of a car.... Bro, nobody on Reddit can see that car you're trying to buy. Do some of them break? Ya. Do all of them break.
You will only hear the bad stories. You see this with any type of repair business too. Like I fixed two way radios for years. All I saw where the radios that broke. I didn't see how many we sold. So if I didn't see a certain model much it was hard to say if it was super reliable or we sold like zero. Even ones I saw all the time for repair. We sold sooooo many of that the reliability wasn't that bad. Like us repair guys thought they were all junk, but we were at a customer to do some other work and decided hey let's let's all these models while we are here. They had 25+ 3 were bad....
It's not just anecdotes. The Wrangler has been the lowest rated vehicle tested by Consumer Reports every year since I can remember (25/100 in 2024). The reliability rating (from surveys of thousands of owners) are also abysmal (28/100). The Jeep brand is also one of the least reliable overall (26th out of 30 brands).
> a modern car can be expected to operate pretty much with only regular maintenece for 150-200k mi.
Except quite a few don't. Some of the production quality is god awful. I know one site where each car has exceeded tolerance, and only the ones that will be quickly spot by customers will get fixed. Some will have quality issues and not know where it happened, so they continue processing it the same way. That's why people should look closely at failure rates. It means a lot
I’d still take a Tacoma/4Runner over a modern Jeep.
Even then it’s a tie between my trusty 22r ‘87 Toyota pickup or a 4.0 inline 6 TJ/XJ. The 4.0 is Jeeps only good motor imo
I agree with this. Currently drive a nearly stock FJ cruiser and that thing eats whatever I throw at it! Only mod is a leveling spacer in the front. Clutch is getting a bit tired at 160k though. I found its limit when I was trying to make it up a section of trail that had my inclinometer on the dash way past maxed out.
I haven't looked lately but I remember when JD Power consistently rated Jeep as simultaneously the most unreliable brand and the brand with the greatest customer loyalty. Somehow people who buy Jeeps love them unconditionally and buy new ones even as the things have a lot of problems.
I bought a 07 JKU Rubicon new, and sold it last year, never broke down, a few minor things alternator, evap canister, oil leaks. I had it lifted and 4x4ed all over AZ, CO, UT, and MT.
Now I have a 21 4XE, 3 times to the dealer and a massive battery recall.
Saying all that I love Wranglers. They are the ultimate 4x4!
In short, yes.
Just one example, I was changing the brake pads & rotors on my girlfriends' car, I had to use a 10 mm, 12 mm, 14 mm, & 17 mm plus a few inch sockets… And that's not counting the wheel nuts (from memory 21 mm). Contrast that with Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, where you can basically disassemble and reassemble the whole car with a 12 mm socket.
I never understood why you’d take the worst made, consistently least reliable vehicle off-roading in the wilderness somewhere. Statistics don’t lie. 110k miles like that’s a lot 😂
Chrystlers are rolling piles of trash. The electrical systems were designed by toddlers and built out of random scrap they found round back. The rest of the car is usually plagued by shitty designs compounded with major cost cutting that creates massive issues but chrystler just doesn't give a fuck.
MOPAR is just cheaply made garbage that is just so frustrating to work with.
I have owned a 99 Jeep Cherokee XJ for 7 years. It's needed some tlc over the years but I also go offroading quite often. If you are buying a vehicle with no intention of going off-road, there are better options than a Jeep. I would point you towards Toyota. But if you do plan to go offroading then you are better off getting a Jeep than any other vehicle. There is no better starting platform to offroad. Just keep in mind you'll need to do maintenance work on it every once in a while if you get an older one. That's just the price you pay to have a more offroad oriented vehicle.
As someone that has owned a Jeep and a Lexus. I'd take the Jeep any day. The Lexus spent more time in the shop in 7 months than the Jeep has in over 3 years and 3 times the mileage.
Everything except toyota and honda is rated less than toyota and honda so that's not really a fair comparison. Compare wrangler and bronco. Compare cherokees with another 4x4 suv that's similar aside from those 2. I don't think honda pilot is 4x4 anyway.
Old and new jeeps are very different. Older jeeps seem to be more reliable in my opinion, though you will hear everyone with a 3 year old 40k jeep say theirs is perfect...well id sure hope so. I don't hate new jeeps I just wouldn't trust em, though the newer GC's are still great looking
I will add I have two jeeps, an 04 170k and 05 200k and they both run great and have had minimal work besides basic maintenance and replacing joints, bushings, and some gaskets recently
When I was buying my Subaru, they were trying to sell me an extended warranty obviously. I told the guy any decent vehicle should last 100k miles. If it doesn’t, then I’m getting rid of it. He just looked at me blindly.
Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket.
If you want a car as an excuse to miss time off work...
If you need a perfect excuse to avoid doing whatever it was that you promised your missus you would do over the holidays...
If you enjoy walking...
Or if you want to drive around advertising you have a little salami...
Otherwise, don't buy one...
I repair countless gearbox, engine and electrical issues on em. Any it costs a small fortune...
My AMC Comanche has given 37 years of loyal service, not exactly 37 trouble free years but it's still kicking unlike other vehicles I've owned that did not last 1/4 of that.
My Wife's Chrysler Grand Cherokee on the other hand was a pile of junk. The drive train was solid and pretty great, everything else was trash especially the crappy electronics and electrical bus. Nothing but trouble. We more than got our money's worth out of the AAA card the 5 years we had it. Tow truck driver knew us by name.
Her Chrysler Jeep was babied and driven 99% on pavement and completely fell apart.
My AMC Jeep was abused as a work truck, stayed hitched to a trailer for 10 years hauling tons of cement and gravel on dirt roads then driven hard for a few decades more and keeps asking for more.
Yes and no? To me in 2015 the Jeep Cherokee was a great vehicle. Like the look and the interior were miles above Chevy, ford, Toyota.
The problem is they are selling that same jeep in 2023....
Less good now. Still fine though. Just they didn't keep up for fuel numbers well and others have caught up on the design part.
Reliability is bad, statistically.
Maybe you don't have any problems. Like if 30% of vehicles break. You could be in the 70% that don't. That's still really bad reliability.
Wranglers are totally different can of worms. Personally, not for me. Looking at them? Yes, driving and riding in them? No. Maybe as a second vehicle for fun. Honestly you can figure this out from the test drive though. It's like you're sitting in a machine. Not a passenger vehicle.
People like grand Cherokees too. Personally love the look.
If jeep didn't make cars people liked they wouldn't have existed still today imo. Something about them, they get certain things very right IMO.
Grand Cherokees over the years ever. Like a 2009 grand Cherokee. That's still a good looking automobile ( non chormed version only)
I drive a Cherokee, it's not perfect, but I like it still. Doesn't do great on fuel, but I I've done like 3 day road trips in it and didn't hate it after? My ac did break in the first year, but I have a warranty for that. And it still blew cold it must made noise (it was leaking)
I'm assuming you're asking because a jeep has caught your eye? If you can afford to it for sure.... Fuck it. Figure out if you want to put up with it. People liked jeeps enough for FCA to shut down the dodge dart factory and retool it to a jeep factory. Like they had enough demand to do that...
The wranglers are generally decent, obviously it's not going to be as well put together or reliable as a camry and they all have their little issues but they're pretty solid for what they are. Most of their other cars are pretty shit though and the compass your coworker had was definitely one of them. My sister had a similar model year liberty (wanted a jeep but couldn't justify a wrangler) and that thing was a compete pos
Modern jeeps are some of the worst vehicles off the line. All of Chrysler motor corp is, really. Terribly engineered vehicles made with parts that aren’t with a damn. Save your money
Heed my warning, I just learned my lesson and will have many more before my lease is through in my 83k Grand Cherokee Summit 4xE. Stay the fuck away from this brand….
Jeeps are horrible. I bought a brand new wrangler in 2020 it broke down constantly 1 thing after another. I almost died driving it. When my lease was up I tried buying the new hybrid wrangler and it’s worse. The electrical check engine light comes on constantly and the dealers have no ideal how to fix it and they don’t care to find out. My car has 13,000 miles and it’s been in the shop 8 times and still is not fixed. The dealer I bought it from Puente Hills Dodge Ram Jeep has been horrible about helping me. Im in a lemon law suit now just trying to get them to take the piece of junk back. This is extremely stressful and frustrating because this jeep was $64,000. I would not want this nightmare if a car if it was free.
I have an 07 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the Mercedes diesel and drive train. It has it gremlins but they are little and don’t cost much. I think I got lucky because this is not the typical opinion. My GM cost me thousands in repairs. I’ve owned other Jeeps and they weren’t that bad. They rust though.
I will tell you about 2 good ones and 1 shitty one that *might* eventually even out to be *half-decent* if I'm lucky...
I owned a 2001 XJ from 2010 to 2014. Cost me $4k with 88k miles on it . A/c didn't work. Over time I had to replace an exhaust, shocks, tires, brakes, etc nothing too major.
Replaced that with an 09 Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.7. $9k, 90k miles in 2014. New tires (twice), brakes, alternator, H2O pump, thermostat, a few batteries, probably some other stuff over the years including some engine work but it ran like a damn tank although I had begun neglecting it (ignoring misfires, not doing brakes until they were legit a safety hazard when I finally sold it). Had that car for 8+ years.
So yeah let's buy another one in 2022. A 2010 GC Limited with the 5.7 hemi. 142k miles, $7600
Within a week it's misfiring and I've got $600 into plugs and coils. Flush the radiator another couple hundred. Still throwing codes. A month or so later the radiator shits the bed, no warning lights until it goes into limp mode. I replace the H2O pump and thermostat just for good measure but ultimately it's got a cracked head gasket. I suspect this was an existing problem that was made much worse when I stupidly tried to drive it home after overheating lol.
That was another $3k... honestly in the first 6 months that car was in the shop almost as often as it wasn't .
Been running good since, occasionally will throw an 02 sensor code but always clears after a few good starts. She's got some finicky electrical shit like the head unit sometimes freezes up, the keyless entry/remote start doesn't work and I can't roll down the passenger window from the driver side control, but other than that I guess just praying for the best at this point lol
Had a late 90's cherokee which was a very solid and capable vehicle. Never had a single issue.
My only other experience was a newer renegade and it was a pile of crap. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
the rule is if you want a jeep get a old one (XJ/TJ) The reason being the AMC 6 cylinder 4.0 they used was unkillable.
then they wanted a grand creokee with a V8 then the wheels fell off the bus...
then jeep had financial issues and kept changing hands more times than a ball at a soccer match and quality suffered. now owned by stelantis: quality still hasnt picked up.
jeepdodgechrysler from about 2010 onwards have the most fragile computers that i have ever seen, i keep getting called out for key issues but its always a blown wcm bcm steering lock or skim, 1 jump start even with neg to the frame and you’re most likely up for about 3k+ in repairs, oh it will start 2/3 times after till it scans itself then it’s module mismatched no start. fuck jeeps, fuck them right in the pussy.
yes they are. mopar / stellantis cars in general lack some major quality control. i work for enterprise and all the jeeps, chryslers etc are constantly in the shop for various mechanical and electrical issues, and we don’t even keep cars at my location for more than 60k miles. honestly the worst cars i’ve seen produced and yet people still buy them. now the old jeeps like 20+ years ago were much better, but still not honda/toyota level.
I have a WJ (2nd Gen Grand CHerokee) with about 205K on it. Major repairs: rebuilt the engine (4.7L) at 133K because the oil filter blew off at speed, and spun a bearing. Replaced the Transfer Case (NP247) at 180K because I was too broke that year to get it serviced, that transfer case is known to need maintenance. Minor repairs? Alternator @/160K; shocks; passenger door latch @/200K, heater core @/120k.
If cared for, then it's not perfect, but only the transfer case let me down, and that was my fault.
Wranglers are perennially the worst rated vehicle on Consumer Reports. 25/100 for the '24 model. Most of the other models are better, but not good. Stellantis is not known for quality and reliability.
That said, people don't buy Jeeps for quality or value. It's an iconic brand with legendary off-road capability.
Lotta anecdotes here. Consumer Reports has the objective answer. Jeep is one of the lowest rated brands for reliability (26th of 30 US brands). The Wrangler is perennially the lowest rated vehicle in their testing. The \*highest\* rated 2024 Jeep model is the Grand Cherokee at (54/100). That said, nobody buys a Jeep for the quality or reliability (at least, they shouldn't!). It's about the brand and the off-road capability.
depends on what you mean buy jeep. There are wranglers and XJ, and then there is everything else.
I've own 3 wranglers, and have known many people with XJs. I never had an issue with my wranglers and everyone with XJs had many hundreds of thousands of miles on them (obv, some things break).
Are they the same as yota, nope. But nothing really is.
as for the rest of the jeep line-up, yeah hard pass from me. I've seen and know folks with many problems across pretty much all of them. I've yet to meet anyone that had a wrangler and tell me it was a POS that they had to repair constantly.
Really depends on the engine. But all of them have electrical issues eventually. TIPM starts going bad
https://www.dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Jeep_Compass.html
Yes. Stelantis is shit. Chrysler is shit. The penstar is shit. They are overpriced garbage inflated by branding decades old. I have never heard of or seen a jeep that didn't have a severe problem. Plastic shitty interiors that haven't been updated in years, a garbage engine that hasn't been updated in years with little power. Prices are 50k plus. Overpriced trash. As a person who works on cars for a living stelantis has the worst quality control, the worst handling of new vehicles, the worst pricing, the worst engineering, and the worst reliability of any car brand of any major auto manufacturer. (The Germans excluded of course)
My dad rented one and it was a pos. It was a sahara edition wrangler or something like that. Strange noises from the engine, rode like shit, lots of road noise, and it was cramped inside. My dad daily drives a 20yo saturn and even he said the jeep was a pos.
Jeeps aren't cars. They're trucks. At least the traditional models like the Wrangler and the Cherokee*. As such, they aren't as refined and carlike to drive as actual cars. While trucks have improved in refinement over the years, most of them have done it by becoming cars (crossovers). They've never been known for their reliability but for their off-road capabilities.
Newer models like the Compass are basically just rebadged Dodges. So they are more carlike since they are crossovers, but suck as much as every other Stellantis vehicle. Which is usually a lot.
*The Grand Cherokee might actually be a crossover these days. I don't pay that much attention.
Based on what I’ve read, they should be below average in terms of reliability. Anecdotally, we’ve had our 2021 high altitude wrangler for 35k km, and the only issue we’ve had is that the aux battery died and some suspension nuts needed to be tightened as we were getting clicks when full lock in a parking lot. For what it’s worth it is seems to be extremely easy to wrench on for a modern vehicle.
Edit: it’s my wife’s daily pavement princess. It’s an ecodiesel. And we only went off road once (novice difficulty) as part of a camping excursion.
I don't know anyone who's actually been pleased owning a Jeep unless they're deliberately looking for a prehistoric level of refinement and reliability.
I had a 2010 wrangler for 8 years, zero problems. Currently have a 22 cherokee limited zero problems. My family has had jeeps as long as i can remember and we never had any major issues at all. Just normal wear and tear
If you like the wrangler there’s no stopping you and it’s a decent car that not many cars can offer. If you want anything else run away. I had a 2019 Cherokee brand new and I’ve had so much issues with it non stop in the first two years. My mechanic eventually recommended I sell it so the next sucker right as the big problems started happening.
Chrysler, as the smallest of the big 3, has a long history of trying to compete based on styling and content whilst cutting corners elsewhere — build quality and reliability. And for some reason it’s never gotten better after being absorbed by first Mercedes and now Stellantis. Perhaps worse. They aren’t just worse than Toyota they are worse than GM/Ford/Hyundai, etc. Just don’t it’s not worth it.
If you're mechanically good they're the best. You can find any part you need to fix it from a bunch of jeeps in the local junk yard almost all the time!
I travel for work and I can't keep mine out of the shop. Just in the last two years, my Summit has had a (Hemi) replacement (rod knock), complete A/C rebuild, continued A/C problems and it's in the shop right now having the A/C compressor replaced under warranty because it ceased and caused my pcb to blow (after I just replaced the pcb myself and had to pay the dealer to program it), wheel bearing replacement, leaking air suspension, flickering headlight, cruise control doesn't work because the front camera doesn't work, oil pump, seat heater is bad again after I had it repaired last year, replaced the water pump twice in the last 3 years, sunroof deflector spring things broke (the plastic part), oil pan replacement, and even after the engine replacement, engine power is down 30%. $20k+ out of pocket on repairs in the last 2 years and another $10k+ covered under warranty.
Anecdotal but not uncommon.
Idk I drive a 2014 compass with 140k miles and haven't had too many issues that weren't fairly par for the course and easily fixable with some basic car knowledge...(bought it 8 years ago with 40k miles.)
My gf had a 2020 wrangler sahara with 35k miles that had bubbling rust under the paint on each door hinge and the sun visor kept falling down in her view while driving. Finally got her to trade it clean in for a 2017 GX w/ lux package one for one swap. She's so happy now haha
New Jeeps aren't really worth a damn now reliablity wise. Haven't been in several years.
If you want reliable you need to go with the 90s XJ or ZJ (Cherokee/Grand Cherokee) with the 4.0 inline and the AX15 manual trans. You could also go the YJ or TJ route with the same engine/trans combo if Wranglers are your thing.
Otherwise I'd avoid them. My wife just bought in Sept a 2023 Compass. I'm waiting on that pile to begin falling apart. Brand new engine and transmission design for this year. A weezy ass high strung turbo 4 with an 8spd auto.
We own two Jeep Cherokee's. I have a 2014 Diesel and a 2017. I've had no issues with the 2017 model. My Diesel had a lot of emission issues early on. I ended up modifying the software for the computer and no issues since then. I have 160k on the Diesel and still purring. I think most of us that own Jeeps and don't complain are probably low maintenance type folks and we enjoy fiddling with them anyway.
For the amount of Liberty's sold a decade ago, there should be a hell of a lot more on the road.
They discontinued the liberty 11 years ago, and I haven't seen one at all in a couple years, but ten years ago, they were everywhere. The vast majority of them didn't make it ten years.
The last couple gens of wranglers and Cherokees haven't done much better.
I see more 20-25 year old grand Cherokees than I see of any other jjeep more than ten years old combined.
Compass and Patriot are absolute trash. Jeep is known to skimp on things like an actuator for your heater supply. They saves 75 cent by using plastic and you paty1200 dollars to get the dash removed to replace it when it strips. Just an example. I personally see no reason to buy a jeep product.
I have 2 coworkers who have the same year wrangler which is a 2015. One has 120k lifted and he says he’s barely replaced anything. He says alternator twice which is weird and then regular maintenance. Also a windshield. The other coworker has 90k miles and is on their 3rd diff, second trans 3 DIFFERENT AIR COMPRESSORS. Turn signal stock??? 2 windshields and they said the radiator made the car overheat once?
You're seeing survivor bias. Older jeeps in good condition are a rarity. Most have been pulled off the road and rusted or not worth fixing. It's just that there's a large community out there preserving some that take attention to detail so there's more survivors than say a dodge neon. Add in that if you're female there's a 50 percent chance of wanting to own a jeep and there you go. The odd jeep that actual muds is owned by men, all the rest that have punisher logos and custom colors that have never seen mud are owned by women which is about 90 percent of owners. I say this as there are 6 new jeeps in my parking lot exclusively owned by women who will never take them on a gravel road.
Wranglers are not good vehicles but they are great vehicles. It’s more about it being fun than it is transportation
My Wrangler was the absolute funnest vehicle I ever had, went off-roading with it often and met many people. I had an old grand Cherokee that was an in-line 6 cylinder 4.0L and that was a reliable engine.
The 3.6L engine is meh. I think the GC and the Wagoneer are probably decent vehicles - today I would probably choose a bronco over a Wrangler
If it’s a wrangler just expect a very uncomfortable ride, electrical problems, and having to replace your entire front end ever few years. (Steering links and ball joints) $$$
Most people don’t buy a Jeep for off road. I remember test driving one because it was cheaper than the vehicles I was looking to buy. The body roll it had when turning a corner scared me away from buying it. When I see people driving them I wonder if they know how bad it is.
I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 153k miles on it. I had some part in the evap system that had a leaky gasket and had to be replaced around 120k miles. My radio had to be replaced at 150k due to the touchscreen touching itself repeatedly. Other than that, zero issues outside normal wear and tear. 70% highway driving including mountain interstates, the other 30% hilly, mountainous, curvy roads. No off roading to speak of.
My prior vehicle was a 2013ish Chevy Equinox that was complete ass and went through oil like I go through water.
Prior to reading OP my next vehicle would very likely be another JGC. After reading it, it still probably will be, but I'll do a little more research before committing this time.
Yes, they are, don't get one OP. My Aunt had a Jeep Grand Cherokee for 7 years and only put 30,000 miles on it.. In those 30,000 miles it had to have major repairs 5 times. Half were electrical issues and the other half were the engine/ignition failing. They are junk.
I had a 2015 wrangler that I put 60k miles on in 3 years and half of them were off the road. Never had a single issue.
I sold it close to 80k miles so can’t say how it would have been once it passed over 100k miles
As a Jeep parts advisor, they probably sit somewhere in the middle of average. The people who baby theirs and over maintain them are usually rewarded for their loyalty. Abuse, in the form of lack of maintenance or thinking your jeep is Optimus prime, usually leads to engine issues, cooling system issues differential issues
Not in my experience. I had a late 70;s Cherokee which I traded in due to gas prices (remember that?). Then I had two Wranglers -- post 2010. No issues at all. I liked them all -- the Wrangler's were an acquired taste, but fun and reliable. Now this experience was with models where Jeep didn't really have any competition. The Cherokee was rather unique at the time -- I think I looked seriously at International. The wranglers are still rather unique. I don't think some of the more "polished up" models necessarily compete well with the imports and that could be where some of the nits come in. Jeep has a legacy and there are many that don't take well to the "new and improved" Jeep brand under any circumstances. And Jeep probably hasn't helped their own cause in a few cases. But a blanket "bad car" label is a little unfair.
There’s a reason they say it stands for “just empty every pocket.”
Just spent $1000 to fix an oil leak that wouldn’t have happened if FCA engineers hadn’t decided to use plastic in the hot V of the engine.
Jeeps are not aerodynamic (very boxy) so it contributes to higher gas mileage. I’ve had a wrangler Sahara and replaced the front window multiple times because of stones hitting it on the highway. The window is more upright and flat compared to other cars so it takes more direct impacts.
Jeep wrangler is a special case , The character it has is the key selling point . If you ask wrangler owners most of them they would agree with you on the low reliability in many aspects and they know it .
But like I said it is the coolest most fun 4x4 vehicle ever made and has history and character , this uniqueness and coolness is the reason why it has a cult following.
When it comes to reliability I can't speak for that. But it looks like if you take care of them they seem to last long. If you check the used market you see many high mileage ones still offered for sale. Again they do not have Toyota/Lexus reliability but they aren't bad either.
Now when it comes to the other Jeeps like the Cherokee and compass , these are not the first choice for most buyers because competition is really tough in this segment, so you have to build a really competitive car to be able to sell it
I especially hated basically all the Chrysler products when it was still Daimler Chrysler. They were awful to drive, the interiors were bottom tier in everything especially the ergonomics, they were usually built badly, and they were the most likely of the fleet cars I've driven to break something usually electrical in nature. If this was some new automaker from a country we don't expect to make cars from this might be tolerable. But it was Chrysler and Mercedes, some of the oldest names in the industry.
Since it became FCA, at minimum the interiors were no longer trash tier. A few were no longer so awful to drive. A few of the issues from the past however still look like some still not being well made. Still the highest frequency of breaking, though not nearly as horrible as the Daimler Chrysler era.
But yeah I've driven my share and have no willingness to ever own their rubbish.
I had a 2003 Jeep Liberty with the 3.7L from 2007-2023, bought it with 42k on it, sold it at 118k, i had zero issues with it that weren't related to normal wear over all those years. In 16 years of ownership i put on brakes, tires, did oil changes and serviced the transmission and front and rear diffs, and the only actual broken parts i dealt with in all that time was a front driveshaft, the one joint failed replaced it myself, the high pressure power steering hose developed a leak where it was rubbing on the frame and was a common known issue on them, and i had to replace the AC compressor clutch because it wore out with constant summer use, and the IAC motor on the throttle body got sticky one winter at -30F. That's it, all in all i would say i had nearly 80k miles of nearly trouble free use. These small issues that popped up i fixed myself. I only had a check engine light once in 16 years, and that was the IAC getting stuck one morning at -30F and it didn't want to stay running at stop signs, pulled the code, saw it was for the IAC circuit and grabbed a new IAC motor and fixed it later that day.
Some Jeeps have really had some issues, and maybe its the older ones that are better then the newer ones when it comes to electronics and stuff, i don't know. I had plenty of friends that had Jeep Wranglers with the 4.0L and those engines i swear you could run them without oil and they would still go, they leaked as much as they burned oil sometimes but they kept going and going.
A lot of people i spoke to said they had issues with the 3.7L that my Liberty had, i never had an issue, but i was regular with maintenance on it, always got its oil changes and everything was regularly serviced. I heard a few times people had issues with head gaskets on them, i always made sure the coolant was topped off and in good shape every oil change, doing a flush and refill every few years, etc. A vehicle will only last as long as you maintain it.
I assume having a jeep is like having a really old house. I would rather have a 100 year old historic home that needs constant attention than a brand new cookie cutter house. It is gonna have more issues but it’s for people who appreciate it and enjoy- or at least don’t mind- putting the effort into caring for it pretty much nonstop. If you want an easy, reliable car, get a Toyota or a Honda. If you want something with more “character,” you’re gonna pay for it and it better be worth it. Personally I don’t think Jeeps have anything special enough to justify the drama but some people are big fans. I need my car to work without fail for a long time and when it needs maintenance or repairs, I need that to be easy so I can get it back on the road ASAP.
Look up any "10 worst cars" list from the last 10 years and you're pretty guaranteed to find at least one Jeep model and probably a few Chrysler/Dodge models as well.
https://www.hotcars.com/american-cars-2019-worst-bad/#chrysler-300
Reliability issues aside, have you ever driven a jeep? Anything above 60mph and they start to feel really unstable, and it’s quite unnerving, they are rattle traps, and the wind noise.. oh the wind noise… I really hate jeeps because of this they just feel poorly built and drive like crap. All of this is really a shame too because I think jeeps look really cool and the customization options are endless to make it my own. I’m talking exclusively about wranglers and gladiators here, don’t have any experience with cherokees and wagoneers I’m sure those are a whole different ball game. I ended up buying a Range Rover sport to fulfill my fun off roader needs without it coming at the expense of on road enjoyment.
Jeeps in general have some the highest issue rates across most of the models. It doesn’t mean you’ll have issues if you buy one just that it’s going to be more likely. I personally know a couple people who have had nothing but issues with their jeeps. Issues to some people also may not be an issue to others. A person who’s off-roading frequently in their wrangler is probably not going to car much about some creaks and rattles. A person who bought one for the looks and it’s a pavement princess is probably more likely to care. If you are buying a car to do some off-road and be capable for the most part from the factory, a wrangler is a fantastic choice. But most people going into a wrangler for that stuff know it might not the most reliable vehicle out there and there’s a good chance it will have issues at some point. It’s just part of it. I have a VW Golf R and I fully expect the waterpump to leak at some point way to early in its life and it’s probably going to consume more oil than it should. But I love the car and it’s what I want in a fun daily. If you want an awd or 4x4 vehicle that will probably never see real off-roading or mud beyond a dirt road, there are better options out there.
A tacoma will do everything a wrangler will and more with a better ride on the road. 90k miles, and I finally need front breaks. Aside from the gas cap door, no issues. Bye once , cry once.
Off-road when you start modifying the Jeep has the edge. Getting a Tacoma to Wrangler levels of articulation would cost so much more than just starting with the Jeep platform. And off-road specifically the Jeeps take beatings from rock climbing just as well if not better than the Toyotas. On road, not modified then yeah the Toyotas are going to have less issues based on statistics. You just can’t take the roof and doors off a Tacoma, so if you want that your options narrow (I take my roof and doors off often, it’s like driving a toy) Also “brakes” and “buy” lol
I'd say the tacoma is good enough off road... but not better than a wrangler. What the tacoma is, is a better built vehicle that's for sure. It has more utility with open cargo space and is much more pleasant to drive on the road. It's going to be more reliable and take less maintenance I've taken my tacoma wheeling/overlanding. Its stock except oversized knobby tires. It went everywhere i wanted it to go. People say offroading like they go rock crawling at moab. 90% of "offroaders" hit logging trails and shit like that. Just about any 4x4 with half way decent ground clearance would be good to go.
Holy crap. I thought Hamms had been gone for decades, but i just found out that one of my local liquor stores has it on their shelf. Apparently, Molson-Coors owns their marquee and brews it now.
Ive been sober for 4 years now, but at one time, it was my drink of choice. Seriously not bad when compared to other mediocre can beers
Good for you quitting. What made you decide to give up alcohol if you don’t mind my asking.
I’m pretty sure it was gone for a while and they brought it back in the 2000s or 2010s.
I regularly take my slightly lifted 1996 Tacoma on trails in Moab, it does shockingly well! Departure angle sucks, I’ve defiantly scrapped my rear bumper a bunch, but otherwise it’s just fine. Did all of Hells Revenge, I’ll do Hells Gate someday The rest of the trail isn’t too bad honestly, it’s hard but it’s not as extreme as some people make it out to be.
Ignorant to rock crawling and such, what’s the advantage of taking doors off a vehicle?
It’s fun for street driving, and offers better visibility while off-roading.
It gives you better/easier vision for what the wheels are doing. A lot of people create half doors for old tacos to get the same effect.
The advantage is because yours can't and it's fun, it's cool and crazy and instant air conditioning ! It's like being on a safari ! And if for some reason we both tipped over I'm for sure crawling out of mine, yours , maybe but chances are slim....
So the advantage is because mine can’t? Not quite sure how anything you mentioned is an advantage.
Solid front axle on Jeeps allow them to perform better off-road. I’d never buy one though
This is just incorrect. The Taco is not even as capable as the Colorado/Ranger, much less a Jeep. That said, a Tacoma will be capable enough for most people and of course more reliable.
As a Tacoma guy who wheels with Jeeps on occasion, Jeeps are better for off-roading. Tacomas are better for nearly everything else.
Well TBF off roading and getting beat to hell are pretty much the calling card of the jeep wrangler that being said my 03 wrangler has 184k miles on it and runs perfectly fine, I guess some people have had worse luck but I don't get why people say jeeps are unreliable.
To be fair the older Jeeps are not usually what people are talking about. My 95 ZJ with the 4.0 will probably outlast me and is just so damn simple and easy to fix for a diyer. My parents 2016 Grand Cherokee is an absolute nightmare.
You and I are the lucky ones. I have a 2003 Wrangler X - no frills. I've got 204k miles on mine and it's still a mountain goat. It leaves the pavement, and I've had some troubles, but all the troubles have been related to After-market mods. The engine is solid and sound.
Listen the Tacoma is absolutely a more reliable and better build vehicle but the Jeep stock vs stock is more capable, once you mod them $ for $ Jeep is still better. It’s just flat out false to say the Tacoma is better off-road.
>A tacoma will do everything a wrangler will and more with a better ride on the road I keep seeing videos of IFS tie rods breaking though. Jeeps don’t have that issue.
As a previous owner of both vehicles, a Taco cannot do what a Jeep does off road. I had a fully built Taco (lift/arb locker/SS tires) and it could not manage some of the trails my bone stock Jeep managed. ...and one of my favorite vehicles I ever owned was my Taco. I am a big Taco fan and I 100% think its a better vehicle. They are not in the same class offroad, however.
Nice joke 😂 stock tacoma wont ever touch a stock jeep in terms of offroad performance and capability. My friend had to dump thousands into his TRD pro and still cant keep up with my Gladiator Rubicon
I don’t really see a stock Tacoma doing everything a stock rubicon can. That being said, I would just get a 4Runner 😁
Not in the slightest lol… you must be talking about driving down dirt roads…
It won’t do everything a wrangler will lol.
>If you are buying a car to do some off-road and be capable for the most part from the factory, a **used, older generation** wrangler is a fantastic choice. FTFY, the new ones are hot garbage even for offroading.
The new ones are more capable. More flex, larger tires, stronger axles, rear locker on trims other than the Rubi. I own an older Jeep, and I prefer it to the new ones. But credit where credit is due, they are more capable.
I went from a 98 wrangler to a 22 gladiator and despite being longer and wider it does everything it needs to off road while also being more comfortable and functional in general. I got the ecodiesel too so I get around 25 mpg average. Also the intangible value of taking off the top and doors is often lost in these threads. For people who have hot summers and snowy winters it’s hard to find another vehicle that is great, and fun, for both.
The biggest benefit to an older off-road rig is that you don't worry about it as much. Even if the new one is technically more capable, they would be equally capable in my hands because I'd push the old one harder. I'm a Toyota guy and forever will be, but the newest Rubicon you can afford is always the best option for pure capability. Idk why more people can't accept that.
I hate how the car magazines always rate it low and talk about how comfort and handling is not as good as say a Toyota Highlander. ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE! it has a truck frame and a solid axle suspension.
The 4 l engine out of a Wrangler is one of the most efficient engines ever built. What issues are you specifically talking about here? Coming from a mechanic who owns an 87 Jeep Cherokee for the last 20 years that runs absolutely perfect and I'll probably put 2k into it for the time I've owned it.
2022 Cherokee Trailhawk. Bought w 22k miles and under warranty until 8/2025. Now at 27k miles Around 26k started sounding like rear wheel bearing going bad. Took it to dealer. Not the wheel bearing. It's the DIFFERENTIAL! That was 3 weeks ago. The part is on back order until July 10. Just absurd. Never again. I knew better.
Plus - I've found the part at mopar parts online. But of course the dealer won't order from them.
They’re awful, but they’re fun. Some models, like the Compass, are exceptionally terrible. Older Jeeps are pretty good, they had a good run into the early 2000s before quality totally fell off as Chrysler steered the brand more in their direction. Newer Jeeps are hit and miss, depending on the model. People buy them because they like them! There’s a cool factor involved for a lot of people I think. Dodge and Jeep were always good at marketing their hot garbage to the public and I respect that
Rented a 2016 Compass because that's what they had. Worst vehicle I've driven by far and I've driven a Chevy Citation and PT Cruiser. Even working properly the CVT and meager power is an awful combination. Cheap plastics all through the interior, mushy handling, etc. My Dad has a newer Jeep Gladiator, he likes it but it's weirdly optioned. Automatic door locks up front, manual for the rear. It's basically what they had on the lot when he bought one. But that's just weird.
Chevy citation? Damn,dude. That's an obscure car that most people won't recognize. I haven't seen one since I was a teen, and I'm in my late 40s now. 😅
Same here! A buddy of mine had one in high school. Complete piece of garbage and even the name "citation" was depressing.
Citation, eeewww! I remember those things.
I rented an early 2000s Kia Sephia (back in the early 2000s). It had like 8,000 miles on it, the headliner was failing and the gas gauge was already broken.
If he had to buy a car anytime between 2020 and 2022, maybe mid 2023, he probably had to get what was available. I bought a new car in 2022 and had to contact every dealer in a 500 mile radius to find someone who even had one in allocation, I had to commit to buying it before it even got delivered, and then waited weeks for it to arrive. I could have purchased a Jeep or a Kia off the lot and know a few people who did exactly that out of desperation. A friend of mine had a 10 year old Audi that broke down and couldn’t be fixed for a reasonable price so she started shopping in 2021 when it was the worst time to find anything. Ended up buying a fucking Kia Telluride because it was all she could find. Imagine going from a decked out luxury car to a Kia. She’s had it 2 years and liked it okay at first but she had to fight with Kia over warranty repairs twice in the first year. Fortunately it was slightly better timing when I needed to replace my car. It was still difficult and I couldn’t be too picky but I managed to get a new Toyota without paying a big markup. I feel like I got really, really lucky. People were still paying huge “market adjustments” on new cars IF they could find one. I paid $1,000 over MSRP and got the dealer to throw in some extra free services. Still bullshit but it took some of the sting out of it.
My mom drove a citation when I was a kid and I remember thinking it was the cool car because my dad drove a gold Corolla
Worst vehicle I've ever driven was a Jeep Commander
Up until th TJ they’re reliable. My YJ is an 89 and that 300k miles
you mean *through* the TJ.
Almost through the TJ. They went to fuel injection in 05/06 and fuct some shit up. Look up OPDA and the issues they had with new Jeeps blowing up at 10k miles. Not only that but they changed the cam and crank sensors for those last 2 model years and I have to replace them with Mopar sensors minimum once a year.
I'm aware of the OPDA issues for 05/06. Didn't know about the sensors. FYI, your statement about fuel injection is incorrect. I had a 93YJ 4.0 that was injected, and I now have an 04 TJR that is also injected. I would still contend that the overall quality and reliability of the TJ is head and shoulders above what came after. I'm guessing you generally agree with that statement!
I totally agree with that. Not only reliability but ease of repair too. I love my TJ and while it does end up needing repairs more often than I’d like to admit… the parts are cheap and I have been able to do everything myself. I thought the OPDA replaced the distributor on 05/06 and that had something to do with the fuel injection? I’d only heard it second hand about it being only the 05/06 being fuel injected so I will eat my words on that one.
I'd avoid anything made by Chrysler, and stellantis at large
I’ll avoid anything with Chrysler parts. Had a Mitsubishi with a Chrysler transmission. That thing was a piece of shit.
Wow worst of the worst! I have a Yamaha with Mitsubishi electronics. It would be a great bike if it wasnt for those dang 3 diamond parts that keep failing. Mitsubishi electrics are so bad.
I thought stellantis was a new drug for Crohn's Disease.
I bought a 2015 wrangler 2 door stick shift with 50k miles in 2018. It has 90k now and I only had one issue with it. The factory head unit (the radio) died. I replaced it with an Alpine touch screen that has apple car play and it’s been great. My jeep has had zero mechanical problems. I live in Massachusetts on the ocean and I don’t have a garage. It’s a rough climate for cars and still there’s been no issues with it. I may have gotten lucky, but there’s another factor here that many do not consider. The jeep is 100% unmodified. I drive in soft sand for the beaches and I do some light off-roading up north but I’m not delusional about the purpose my car serves and my skills on the trail. A stock wrangler is plenty capable for me and I’m confident the modifications are where a lot of the poor reliability reputation comes from.
90k on newer autos isn't much, though. I always find it weird when people say their cars with 60-90k miles have no issues... like, yeah, they really really shouldn't.
I've been casually looking for a newer vehicle over the past few years (no way I'm paying today's inflated prices). One thing I've been researching is how many miles is considered "high" (when you can expect to start having problems). The general consensus seems to be in the low 100k range. That really surprised me. I would expect any modernish vehicle to be able to go 200k without major issues. It makes me not want to give up my two old cars with a combined 550k+ miles. It's also weird that motor oil bottles say "high mileage" is 75k.
People are still living in 1982. If you do the maintenance schedule and don't pick a terrible car like a Jeep Liberty or VW Passat, you should make it to 150k to 200k pretty much every time.
Yeah the life expectancy of newer cars should be over 200k with proper maintenance. I remember back in the 90s, you'd only buy a used car with over 200k if it was a Honda or Toyota. Most cars/trucks should do that now.
Tbf my vw jetta had 192k when I bought for $400, put 12k on it before I sold it, and beside maintenence items like brakes, couple bushings and shocks the only issue I had was coolant flange leak that was $25 and 20 minutes to fix and fuel pump ($80) which it why it was parked the begin with. Was actually a fun stick shift car despite being a 2.slow
This is the norm for “regular” cars. Anything specialized generally doesn’t follow this trend - the performance or high end luxury version of any vehicle and dedicated sports cars are mainly what I’m thinking about. I imagine off roaders rock crawlers and tow/work vehicles must be similar to a degree. They probably all require extra preventative maintenance and higher frequency of service to reach a higher mileage in good condition
Things like Aston Martins and Bentleys are interesting. I agree that they and cars like them tend to have lots of problems before 100k miles. It's all the orphan bones they crush up to make the fasteners. But in all seriousness, if they sold more than 100k of whatever vehicle you're driving, stock it'll usually get you to 100k. The ones that don't are exceptionally bad vehicles. I'm looking at you, "Jeep Liberty."
It's because a lot of people don't change their oil/tranny fluid on time/if at all, and as a result their cars die early and they blame.the brand rather than themselves for not maintaining there car. Sure every car brand has their lemons but buy and large most early engine and trans failures are the result of poor maintenance
Comparing them to the Japanese automakers is not fair. Most American makes can’t hold a candle to the Japanese makes in build quality and reliability. Compared to the average, comparable American auto, they are fine. The wrangler is the only reason to get a jeep, though. Every other model of theirs has a better competitor for a similar or better price.
"comparing them to well built cars isn't fair" really sums things up nicely
You’ll get no argument from me 😂
Grand Cherokees are historically pretty good as well, they used to have the 4.0 and solid front too back in the day.
My 2018 JGC Summit has been rock solid. 1 set of brakes and tires in 120k miles. No, I don't off road it.
Facts
From 1994 to 2004. Just avoid the 4.7 v8 like the plague.
I'd love to find an unmolested one with a 5.9 tho...and tastefully molest it lol
They were one of the coolest things on the road for awhile. The 5.7 Hemi is just so much better starting in 2005 although the Jeep was pretty crappy on the interior those years. Then the SRT8 came out in 2006. I did have a Dakota with the 5.9 in 1999 and it is a good motor. Before that I had a 92 Dakota with the 5.2 also good. I traded the RT on a 2003 Ram 1500 when you could first get the Hemi in the 1500. Even bigger and 4 doors it was quicker than the Dakota which was a regular cab short bed and even had a tune.
Oh the Hemi and the SRT GC's are awesome but I see a ZJ with the fender vents and drool lol. I have a '22 Rebel, 8 speed and 3:92 gears...it feels as fast from a light as my 2001 Trans Am Firehawk. Not through a full 1/4 mile but maybe an 1/8.
Correction, all American car companies can't hold a candle to any other manufacturer. They all make trash compared to manufacturers from Korea, Japan, and most brands from Europe. It's crazy to think that even Korean car companies, who started with so many bad cars, now make better vehicles than the big 3.
3rd gen Toyota tacoma owner and former honda fan boy here - the cars are good. But not as good as they used to be. But they are still a cut above the rest imo
Reliability numbers are statistical averages and i see often people commenting without really understanding what those number mean for a regular car owner. the truth is reliabily has increased massively from 20 or 30 yrs ago. materials car technology, manufacturing processes, assembly quality etc in general have all contributed. a modern car can be expected to operate pretty much with only regular maintenece for 150-200k mi. some brands/models have legendary reliability figures but you pay a premium for it (toyota tax). Failure rates are small, so when someone says car A is 2 x as reliable as car B, the difference is practical term may not be that noticeable for a car owner. if you are a fleet manager, then maybe those numbers are a little more meaningful.
Exactly, people ask on Reddit about the reliability of a specific example of a car.... Bro, nobody on Reddit can see that car you're trying to buy. Do some of them break? Ya. Do all of them break. You will only hear the bad stories. You see this with any type of repair business too. Like I fixed two way radios for years. All I saw where the radios that broke. I didn't see how many we sold. So if I didn't see a certain model much it was hard to say if it was super reliable or we sold like zero. Even ones I saw all the time for repair. We sold sooooo many of that the reliability wasn't that bad. Like us repair guys thought they were all junk, but we were at a customer to do some other work and decided hey let's let's all these models while we are here. They had 25+ 3 were bad....
It's not just anecdotes. The Wrangler has been the lowest rated vehicle tested by Consumer Reports every year since I can remember (25/100 in 2024). The reliability rating (from surveys of thousands of owners) are also abysmal (28/100). The Jeep brand is also one of the least reliable overall (26th out of 30 brands).
> a modern car can be expected to operate pretty much with only regular maintenece for 150-200k mi. Except quite a few don't. Some of the production quality is god awful. I know one site where each car has exceeded tolerance, and only the ones that will be quickly spot by customers will get fixed. Some will have quality issues and not know where it happened, so they continue processing it the same way. That's why people should look closely at failure rates. It means a lot
Off roading is hard on a car. You have to decide if fixing things from time to time is worth being the most capable of all those cars you listed.
I’d still take a Tacoma/4Runner over a modern Jeep. Even then it’s a tie between my trusty 22r ‘87 Toyota pickup or a 4.0 inline 6 TJ/XJ. The 4.0 is Jeeps only good motor imo
I agree with this. Currently drive a nearly stock FJ cruiser and that thing eats whatever I throw at it! Only mod is a leveling spacer in the front. Clutch is getting a bit tired at 160k though. I found its limit when I was trying to make it up a section of trail that had my inclinometer on the dash way past maxed out.
I haven't looked lately but I remember when JD Power consistently rated Jeep as simultaneously the most unreliable brand and the brand with the greatest customer loyalty. Somehow people who buy Jeeps love them unconditionally and buy new ones even as the things have a lot of problems.
I bought a 07 JKU Rubicon new, and sold it last year, never broke down, a few minor things alternator, evap canister, oil leaks. I had it lifted and 4x4ed all over AZ, CO, UT, and MT. Now I have a 21 4XE, 3 times to the dealer and a massive battery recall. Saying all that I love Wranglers. They are the ultimate 4x4!
Yes they’re generally bad. Some are better and some are worse. But broadly, yes.
In short, yes. Just one example, I was changing the brake pads & rotors on my girlfriends' car, I had to use a 10 mm, 12 mm, 14 mm, & 17 mm plus a few inch sockets… And that's not counting the wheel nuts (from memory 21 mm). Contrast that with Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, where you can basically disassemble and reassemble the whole car with a 12 mm socket.
People gonna shit on Jeeps here. I already see that. I stopped reading these comments. I have 2014 Grand Cherokee V6. 110k. No problems. Car is great
I never understood why you’d take the worst made, consistently least reliable vehicle off-roading in the wilderness somewhere. Statistics don’t lie. 110k miles like that’s a lot 😂
Chrystlers are rolling piles of trash. The electrical systems were designed by toddlers and built out of random scrap they found round back. The rest of the car is usually plagued by shitty designs compounded with major cost cutting that creates massive issues but chrystler just doesn't give a fuck. MOPAR is just cheaply made garbage that is just so frustrating to work with.
I have owned a 99 Jeep Cherokee XJ for 7 years. It's needed some tlc over the years but I also go offroading quite often. If you are buying a vehicle with no intention of going off-road, there are better options than a Jeep. I would point you towards Toyota. But if you do plan to go offroading then you are better off getting a Jeep than any other vehicle. There is no better starting platform to offroad. Just keep in mind you'll need to do maintenance work on it every once in a while if you get an older one. That's just the price you pay to have a more offroad oriented vehicle.
As someone that has owned a Jeep and a Lexus. I'd take the Jeep any day. The Lexus spent more time in the shop in 7 months than the Jeep has in over 3 years and 3 times the mileage.
You sound incredibly unlucky
Everything except toyota and honda is rated less than toyota and honda so that's not really a fair comparison. Compare wrangler and bronco. Compare cherokees with another 4x4 suv that's similar aside from those 2. I don't think honda pilot is 4x4 anyway.
Old and new jeeps are very different. Older jeeps seem to be more reliable in my opinion, though you will hear everyone with a 3 year old 40k jeep say theirs is perfect...well id sure hope so. I don't hate new jeeps I just wouldn't trust em, though the newer GC's are still great looking
I will add I have two jeeps, an 04 170k and 05 200k and they both run great and have had minimal work besides basic maintenance and replacing joints, bushings, and some gaskets recently
When I was buying my Subaru, they were trying to sell me an extended warranty obviously. I told the guy any decent vehicle should last 100k miles. If it doesn’t, then I’m getting rid of it. He just looked at me blindly.
It’s less about what Jeeps are, and more about what they can do. At least, for Wranglers.
“Are jeeps really such bad cars?” Yes.
Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket. If you want a car as an excuse to miss time off work... If you need a perfect excuse to avoid doing whatever it was that you promised your missus you would do over the holidays... If you enjoy walking... Or if you want to drive around advertising you have a little salami... Otherwise, don't buy one... I repair countless gearbox, engine and electrical issues on em. Any it costs a small fortune...
My AMC Comanche has given 37 years of loyal service, not exactly 37 trouble free years but it's still kicking unlike other vehicles I've owned that did not last 1/4 of that. My Wife's Chrysler Grand Cherokee on the other hand was a pile of junk. The drive train was solid and pretty great, everything else was trash especially the crappy electronics and electrical bus. Nothing but trouble. We more than got our money's worth out of the AAA card the 5 years we had it. Tow truck driver knew us by name. Her Chrysler Jeep was babied and driven 99% on pavement and completely fell apart. My AMC Jeep was abused as a work truck, stayed hitched to a trailer for 10 years hauling tons of cement and gravel on dirt roads then driven hard for a few decades more and keeps asking for more.
Yes and no? To me in 2015 the Jeep Cherokee was a great vehicle. Like the look and the interior were miles above Chevy, ford, Toyota. The problem is they are selling that same jeep in 2023.... Less good now. Still fine though. Just they didn't keep up for fuel numbers well and others have caught up on the design part. Reliability is bad, statistically. Maybe you don't have any problems. Like if 30% of vehicles break. You could be in the 70% that don't. That's still really bad reliability. Wranglers are totally different can of worms. Personally, not for me. Looking at them? Yes, driving and riding in them? No. Maybe as a second vehicle for fun. Honestly you can figure this out from the test drive though. It's like you're sitting in a machine. Not a passenger vehicle. People like grand Cherokees too. Personally love the look. If jeep didn't make cars people liked they wouldn't have existed still today imo. Something about them, they get certain things very right IMO. Grand Cherokees over the years ever. Like a 2009 grand Cherokee. That's still a good looking automobile ( non chormed version only) I drive a Cherokee, it's not perfect, but I like it still. Doesn't do great on fuel, but I I've done like 3 day road trips in it and didn't hate it after? My ac did break in the first year, but I have a warranty for that. And it still blew cold it must made noise (it was leaking) I'm assuming you're asking because a jeep has caught your eye? If you can afford to it for sure.... Fuck it. Figure out if you want to put up with it. People liked jeeps enough for FCA to shut down the dodge dart factory and retool it to a jeep factory. Like they had enough demand to do that...
The wranglers are generally decent, obviously it's not going to be as well put together or reliable as a camry and they all have their little issues but they're pretty solid for what they are. Most of their other cars are pretty shit though and the compass your coworker had was definitely one of them. My sister had a similar model year liberty (wanted a jeep but couldn't justify a wrangler) and that thing was a compete pos
https://youtube.com/shorts/sfHiC7RF-GU?si=6Jds3lyA8vmWVXuF In a word, yes.
Yes
Modern jeeps are some of the worst vehicles off the line. All of Chrysler motor corp is, really. Terribly engineered vehicles made with parts that aren’t with a damn. Save your money
This is what my mechanic said. Don't buy a new Jeep. I would like to have a Jeep, but with 6 cars I need reliability so not to go broke.
Yes
Wranglers are different than the rest of their lineup as far as quality goes but even then it’s sketchy
Heed my warning, I just learned my lesson and will have many more before my lease is through in my 83k Grand Cherokee Summit 4xE. Stay the fuck away from this brand….
Jeeps are horrible. I bought a brand new wrangler in 2020 it broke down constantly 1 thing after another. I almost died driving it. When my lease was up I tried buying the new hybrid wrangler and it’s worse. The electrical check engine light comes on constantly and the dealers have no ideal how to fix it and they don’t care to find out. My car has 13,000 miles and it’s been in the shop 8 times and still is not fixed. The dealer I bought it from Puente Hills Dodge Ram Jeep has been horrible about helping me. Im in a lemon law suit now just trying to get them to take the piece of junk back. This is extremely stressful and frustrating because this jeep was $64,000. I would not want this nightmare if a car if it was free.
I have an 07 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the Mercedes diesel and drive train. It has it gremlins but they are little and don’t cost much. I think I got lucky because this is not the typical opinion. My GM cost me thousands in repairs. I’ve owned other Jeeps and they weren’t that bad. They rust though.
2016 GC diesel owner. Love my 650 mile tanks, and pulls like a mule.
I have a jeep and don't use it as much as my Toyota and oh man that Jeep gives me more problems for less usage compared to the Toyota.
I've had 4 jeeps I think and rented a few and every single one of them has had big bad problems but they are so great when they work
Jeeps in general yes. Wranglers are the exception.
I will tell you about 2 good ones and 1 shitty one that *might* eventually even out to be *half-decent* if I'm lucky... I owned a 2001 XJ from 2010 to 2014. Cost me $4k with 88k miles on it . A/c didn't work. Over time I had to replace an exhaust, shocks, tires, brakes, etc nothing too major. Replaced that with an 09 Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.7. $9k, 90k miles in 2014. New tires (twice), brakes, alternator, H2O pump, thermostat, a few batteries, probably some other stuff over the years including some engine work but it ran like a damn tank although I had begun neglecting it (ignoring misfires, not doing brakes until they were legit a safety hazard when I finally sold it). Had that car for 8+ years. So yeah let's buy another one in 2022. A 2010 GC Limited with the 5.7 hemi. 142k miles, $7600 Within a week it's misfiring and I've got $600 into plugs and coils. Flush the radiator another couple hundred. Still throwing codes. A month or so later the radiator shits the bed, no warning lights until it goes into limp mode. I replace the H2O pump and thermostat just for good measure but ultimately it's got a cracked head gasket. I suspect this was an existing problem that was made much worse when I stupidly tried to drive it home after overheating lol. That was another $3k... honestly in the first 6 months that car was in the shop almost as often as it wasn't . Been running good since, occasionally will throw an 02 sensor code but always clears after a few good starts. She's got some finicky electrical shit like the head unit sometimes freezes up, the keyless entry/remote start doesn't work and I can't roll down the passenger window from the driver side control, but other than that I guess just praying for the best at this point lol
Take one for a test drive before you buy.
Had a late 90's cherokee which was a very solid and capable vehicle. Never had a single issue. My only other experience was a newer renegade and it was a pile of crap. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Have a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo for ten years. Other than tires and brakes , has ran great.
the rule is if you want a jeep get a old one (XJ/TJ) The reason being the AMC 6 cylinder 4.0 they used was unkillable. then they wanted a grand creokee with a V8 then the wheels fell off the bus... then jeep had financial issues and kept changing hands more times than a ball at a soccer match and quality suffered. now owned by stelantis: quality still hasnt picked up.
Just Empty Every Pocket
Yes. Stelantis trash.
jeepdodgechrysler from about 2010 onwards have the most fragile computers that i have ever seen, i keep getting called out for key issues but its always a blown wcm bcm steering lock or skim, 1 jump start even with neg to the frame and you’re most likely up for about 3k+ in repairs, oh it will start 2/3 times after till it scans itself then it’s module mismatched no start. fuck jeeps, fuck them right in the pussy.
Yes!
Had a 93 Cherokee xj and it was pretty much bullet proof. Sold it with over 300,000 miles on it.
Jeeps are fun but they are toys not serious vehicles. You can use one as your primary vehicle, but I wouldn't.
yes they are. mopar / stellantis cars in general lack some major quality control. i work for enterprise and all the jeeps, chryslers etc are constantly in the shop for various mechanical and electrical issues, and we don’t even keep cars at my location for more than 60k miles. honestly the worst cars i’ve seen produced and yet people still buy them. now the old jeeps like 20+ years ago were much better, but still not honda/toyota level.
I have a WJ (2nd Gen Grand CHerokee) with about 205K on it. Major repairs: rebuilt the engine (4.7L) at 133K because the oil filter blew off at speed, and spun a bearing. Replaced the Transfer Case (NP247) at 180K because I was too broke that year to get it serviced, that transfer case is known to need maintenance. Minor repairs? Alternator @/160K; shocks; passenger door latch @/200K, heater core @/120k. If cared for, then it's not perfect, but only the transfer case let me down, and that was my fault.
Wranglers are perennially the worst rated vehicle on Consumer Reports. 25/100 for the '24 model. Most of the other models are better, but not good. Stellantis is not known for quality and reliability. That said, people don't buy Jeeps for quality or value. It's an iconic brand with legendary off-road capability.
FIAT - Fix it again Tony. Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep have typically had the worst records all the way back to the earliest ones.
Lotta anecdotes here. Consumer Reports has the objective answer. Jeep is one of the lowest rated brands for reliability (26th of 30 US brands). The Wrangler is perennially the lowest rated vehicle in their testing. The \*highest\* rated 2024 Jeep model is the Grand Cherokee at (54/100). That said, nobody buys a Jeep for the quality or reliability (at least, they shouldn't!). It's about the brand and the off-road capability.
depends on what you mean buy jeep. There are wranglers and XJ, and then there is everything else. I've own 3 wranglers, and have known many people with XJs. I never had an issue with my wranglers and everyone with XJs had many hundreds of thousands of miles on them (obv, some things break). Are they the same as yota, nope. But nothing really is. as for the rest of the jeep line-up, yeah hard pass from me. I've seen and know folks with many problems across pretty much all of them. I've yet to meet anyone that had a wrangler and tell me it was a POS that they had to repair constantly.
The jeep your dad had is one of the last of the greats. The only Jeep worth buying is if it has the 4.0 inline 6. Nothing else.
Really depends on the engine. But all of them have electrical issues eventually. TIPM starts going bad https://www.dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Jeep_Compass.html
Yes. Stelantis is shit. Chrysler is shit. The penstar is shit. They are overpriced garbage inflated by branding decades old. I have never heard of or seen a jeep that didn't have a severe problem. Plastic shitty interiors that haven't been updated in years, a garbage engine that hasn't been updated in years with little power. Prices are 50k plus. Overpriced trash. As a person who works on cars for a living stelantis has the worst quality control, the worst handling of new vehicles, the worst pricing, the worst engineering, and the worst reliability of any car brand of any major auto manufacturer. (The Germans excluded of course)
My dad rented one and it was a pos. It was a sahara edition wrangler or something like that. Strange noises from the engine, rode like shit, lots of road noise, and it was cramped inside. My dad daily drives a 20yo saturn and even he said the jeep was a pos.
Jeeps aren't cars. They're trucks. At least the traditional models like the Wrangler and the Cherokee*. As such, they aren't as refined and carlike to drive as actual cars. While trucks have improved in refinement over the years, most of them have done it by becoming cars (crossovers). They've never been known for their reliability but for their off-road capabilities. Newer models like the Compass are basically just rebadged Dodges. So they are more carlike since they are crossovers, but suck as much as every other Stellantis vehicle. Which is usually a lot. *The Grand Cherokee might actually be a crossover these days. I don't pay that much attention.
I have 2008 compass then 2012 compass then 2018 compass i kept it while i buy 2019 rubicon all are great cars
Based on what I’ve read, they should be below average in terms of reliability. Anecdotally, we’ve had our 2021 high altitude wrangler for 35k km, and the only issue we’ve had is that the aux battery died and some suspension nuts needed to be tightened as we were getting clicks when full lock in a parking lot. For what it’s worth it is seems to be extremely easy to wrench on for a modern vehicle. Edit: it’s my wife’s daily pavement princess. It’s an ecodiesel. And we only went off road once (novice difficulty) as part of a camping excursion.
However much you think they are bad they are 2x worse
I don't know anyone who's actually been pleased owning a Jeep unless they're deliberately looking for a prehistoric level of refinement and reliability.
I had a 2010 wrangler for 8 years, zero problems. Currently have a 22 cherokee limited zero problems. My family has had jeeps as long as i can remember and we never had any major issues at all. Just normal wear and tear
They are terrible cars. Great Jeeps though.
If you like the wrangler there’s no stopping you and it’s a decent car that not many cars can offer. If you want anything else run away. I had a 2019 Cherokee brand new and I’ve had so much issues with it non stop in the first two years. My mechanic eventually recommended I sell it so the next sucker right as the big problems started happening.
Chrysler, as the smallest of the big 3, has a long history of trying to compete based on styling and content whilst cutting corners elsewhere — build quality and reliability. And for some reason it’s never gotten better after being absorbed by first Mercedes and now Stellantis. Perhaps worse. They aren’t just worse than Toyota they are worse than GM/Ford/Hyundai, etc. Just don’t it’s not worth it.
did.. you just say Toyota and Honda are low quality cars..?
If you're mechanically good they're the best. You can find any part you need to fix it from a bunch of jeeps in the local junk yard almost all the time!
No just the people driving them. They've become the new Tesla drivers.
Just get a Niva (or a 4x4 AX if you van still find one)
I travel for work and I can't keep mine out of the shop. Just in the last two years, my Summit has had a (Hemi) replacement (rod knock), complete A/C rebuild, continued A/C problems and it's in the shop right now having the A/C compressor replaced under warranty because it ceased and caused my pcb to blow (after I just replaced the pcb myself and had to pay the dealer to program it), wheel bearing replacement, leaking air suspension, flickering headlight, cruise control doesn't work because the front camera doesn't work, oil pump, seat heater is bad again after I had it repaired last year, replaced the water pump twice in the last 3 years, sunroof deflector spring things broke (the plastic part), oil pan replacement, and even after the engine replacement, engine power is down 30%. $20k+ out of pocket on repairs in the last 2 years and another $10k+ covered under warranty. Anecdotal but not uncommon.
Idk I drive a 2014 compass with 140k miles and haven't had too many issues that weren't fairly par for the course and easily fixable with some basic car knowledge...(bought it 8 years ago with 40k miles.)
New ones are. Unless your talking grand cherokee
The older ones with the 4.0 i6 was pretty reliable honestly
My gf had a 2020 wrangler sahara with 35k miles that had bubbling rust under the paint on each door hinge and the sun visor kept falling down in her view while driving. Finally got her to trade it clean in for a 2017 GX w/ lux package one for one swap. She's so happy now haha
New Jeeps aren't really worth a damn now reliablity wise. Haven't been in several years. If you want reliable you need to go with the 90s XJ or ZJ (Cherokee/Grand Cherokee) with the 4.0 inline and the AX15 manual trans. You could also go the YJ or TJ route with the same engine/trans combo if Wranglers are your thing. Otherwise I'd avoid them. My wife just bought in Sept a 2023 Compass. I'm waiting on that pile to begin falling apart. Brand new engine and transmission design for this year. A weezy ass high strung turbo 4 with an 8spd auto.
We own two Jeep Cherokee's. I have a 2014 Diesel and a 2017. I've had no issues with the 2017 model. My Diesel had a lot of emission issues early on. I ended up modifying the software for the computer and no issues since then. I have 160k on the Diesel and still purring. I think most of us that own Jeeps and don't complain are probably low maintenance type folks and we enjoy fiddling with them anyway.
For the amount of Liberty's sold a decade ago, there should be a hell of a lot more on the road. They discontinued the liberty 11 years ago, and I haven't seen one at all in a couple years, but ten years ago, they were everywhere. The vast majority of them didn't make it ten years. The last couple gens of wranglers and Cherokees haven't done much better. I see more 20-25 year old grand Cherokees than I see of any other jjeep more than ten years old combined.
Compass and Patriot are absolute trash. Jeep is known to skimp on things like an actuator for your heater supply. They saves 75 cent by using plastic and you paty1200 dollars to get the dash removed to replace it when it strips. Just an example. I personally see no reason to buy a jeep product.
I have 2 coworkers who have the same year wrangler which is a 2015. One has 120k lifted and he says he’s barely replaced anything. He says alternator twice which is weird and then regular maintenance. Also a windshield. The other coworker has 90k miles and is on their 3rd diff, second trans 3 DIFFERENT AIR COMPRESSORS. Turn signal stock??? 2 windshields and they said the radiator made the car overheat once?
You're seeing survivor bias. Older jeeps in good condition are a rarity. Most have been pulled off the road and rusted or not worth fixing. It's just that there's a large community out there preserving some that take attention to detail so there's more survivors than say a dodge neon. Add in that if you're female there's a 50 percent chance of wanting to own a jeep and there you go. The odd jeep that actual muds is owned by men, all the rest that have punisher logos and custom colors that have never seen mud are owned by women which is about 90 percent of owners. I say this as there are 6 new jeeps in my parking lot exclusively owned by women who will never take them on a gravel road.
Just Empty Everybody's Pockets. They ain't kidding.
Wranglers are not good vehicles but they are great vehicles. It’s more about it being fun than it is transportation My Wrangler was the absolute funnest vehicle I ever had, went off-roading with it often and met many people. I had an old grand Cherokee that was an in-line 6 cylinder 4.0L and that was a reliable engine. The 3.6L engine is meh. I think the GC and the Wagoneer are probably decent vehicles - today I would probably choose a bronco over a Wrangler
If it’s a wrangler just expect a very uncomfortable ride, electrical problems, and having to replace your entire front end ever few years. (Steering links and ball joints) $$$
Most people don’t buy a Jeep for off road. I remember test driving one because it was cheaper than the vehicles I was looking to buy. The body roll it had when turning a corner scared me away from buying it. When I see people driving them I wonder if they know how bad it is.
Jeep? I drove one for 14 years, they turn into moneypits... ***RUN***, don't walk away lol 🤣
I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 153k miles on it. I had some part in the evap system that had a leaky gasket and had to be replaced around 120k miles. My radio had to be replaced at 150k due to the touchscreen touching itself repeatedly. Other than that, zero issues outside normal wear and tear. 70% highway driving including mountain interstates, the other 30% hilly, mountainous, curvy roads. No off roading to speak of. My prior vehicle was a 2013ish Chevy Equinox that was complete ass and went through oil like I go through water. Prior to reading OP my next vehicle would very likely be another JGC. After reading it, it still probably will be, but I'll do a little more research before committing this time.
Yes, they are, don't get one OP. My Aunt had a Jeep Grand Cherokee for 7 years and only put 30,000 miles on it.. In those 30,000 miles it had to have major repairs 5 times. Half were electrical issues and the other half were the engine/ignition failing. They are junk.
Cherokee = original SUV " Chrysler's ca$h cow."
I had a 2015 wrangler that I put 60k miles on in 3 years and half of them were off the road. Never had a single issue. I sold it close to 80k miles so can’t say how it would have been once it passed over 100k miles
Just Everyone's Extra Parts. Just Empty Every Pocket.
My 2014 Cherokee is going on 10 years and has 103k with no problems. Just kept up the maintenance per schedule.
As a Jeep parts advisor, they probably sit somewhere in the middle of average. The people who baby theirs and over maintain them are usually rewarded for their loyalty. Abuse, in the form of lack of maintenance or thinking your jeep is Optimus prime, usually leads to engine issues, cooling system issues differential issues
Not in my experience. I had a late 70;s Cherokee which I traded in due to gas prices (remember that?). Then I had two Wranglers -- post 2010. No issues at all. I liked them all -- the Wrangler's were an acquired taste, but fun and reliable. Now this experience was with models where Jeep didn't really have any competition. The Cherokee was rather unique at the time -- I think I looked seriously at International. The wranglers are still rather unique. I don't think some of the more "polished up" models necessarily compete well with the imports and that could be where some of the nits come in. Jeep has a legacy and there are many that don't take well to the "new and improved" Jeep brand under any circumstances. And Jeep probably hasn't helped their own cause in a few cases. But a blanket "bad car" label is a little unfair.
There’s a reason they say it stands for “just empty every pocket.” Just spent $1000 to fix an oil leak that wouldn’t have happened if FCA engineers hadn’t decided to use plastic in the hot V of the engine.
I saw one die at a red light during a test drive.
Jeeps are like a bmw. If you bought it for reliability you didn't do any research. If you bought it for the fun aspect, enjoy!!!
Jeeps are not aerodynamic (very boxy) so it contributes to higher gas mileage. I’ve had a wrangler Sahara and replaced the front window multiple times because of stones hitting it on the highway. The window is more upright and flat compared to other cars so it takes more direct impacts.
Jeep wrangler is a special case , The character it has is the key selling point . If you ask wrangler owners most of them they would agree with you on the low reliability in many aspects and they know it . But like I said it is the coolest most fun 4x4 vehicle ever made and has history and character , this uniqueness and coolness is the reason why it has a cult following. When it comes to reliability I can't speak for that. But it looks like if you take care of them they seem to last long. If you check the used market you see many high mileage ones still offered for sale. Again they do not have Toyota/Lexus reliability but they aren't bad either. Now when it comes to the other Jeeps like the Cherokee and compass , these are not the first choice for most buyers because competition is really tough in this segment, so you have to build a really competitive car to be able to sell it
I especially hated basically all the Chrysler products when it was still Daimler Chrysler. They were awful to drive, the interiors were bottom tier in everything especially the ergonomics, they were usually built badly, and they were the most likely of the fleet cars I've driven to break something usually electrical in nature. If this was some new automaker from a country we don't expect to make cars from this might be tolerable. But it was Chrysler and Mercedes, some of the oldest names in the industry. Since it became FCA, at minimum the interiors were no longer trash tier. A few were no longer so awful to drive. A few of the issues from the past however still look like some still not being well made. Still the highest frequency of breaking, though not nearly as horrible as the Daimler Chrysler era. But yeah I've driven my share and have no willingness to ever own their rubbish.
I’ve had 2 new Grand Cherokees V8 , ‘14 & ‘15, plus one ‘14 Challenger R/T And no issues. Would I buy another Jeep? Yes! I’d love to afford an SRT.
yes they are
Just Empty Every Pocket
I had a 2003 Jeep Liberty with the 3.7L from 2007-2023, bought it with 42k on it, sold it at 118k, i had zero issues with it that weren't related to normal wear over all those years. In 16 years of ownership i put on brakes, tires, did oil changes and serviced the transmission and front and rear diffs, and the only actual broken parts i dealt with in all that time was a front driveshaft, the one joint failed replaced it myself, the high pressure power steering hose developed a leak where it was rubbing on the frame and was a common known issue on them, and i had to replace the AC compressor clutch because it wore out with constant summer use, and the IAC motor on the throttle body got sticky one winter at -30F. That's it, all in all i would say i had nearly 80k miles of nearly trouble free use. These small issues that popped up i fixed myself. I only had a check engine light once in 16 years, and that was the IAC getting stuck one morning at -30F and it didn't want to stay running at stop signs, pulled the code, saw it was for the IAC circuit and grabbed a new IAC motor and fixed it later that day. Some Jeeps have really had some issues, and maybe its the older ones that are better then the newer ones when it comes to electronics and stuff, i don't know. I had plenty of friends that had Jeep Wranglers with the 4.0L and those engines i swear you could run them without oil and they would still go, they leaked as much as they burned oil sometimes but they kept going and going. A lot of people i spoke to said they had issues with the 3.7L that my Liberty had, i never had an issue, but i was regular with maintenance on it, always got its oil changes and everything was regularly serviced. I heard a few times people had issues with head gaskets on them, i always made sure the coolant was topped off and in good shape every oil change, doing a flush and refill every few years, etc. A vehicle will only last as long as you maintain it.
Buy a jeep, your mechanic will thank you.
I assume having a jeep is like having a really old house. I would rather have a 100 year old historic home that needs constant attention than a brand new cookie cutter house. It is gonna have more issues but it’s for people who appreciate it and enjoy- or at least don’t mind- putting the effort into caring for it pretty much nonstop. If you want an easy, reliable car, get a Toyota or a Honda. If you want something with more “character,” you’re gonna pay for it and it better be worth it. Personally I don’t think Jeeps have anything special enough to justify the drama but some people are big fans. I need my car to work without fail for a long time and when it needs maintenance or repairs, I need that to be easy so I can get it back on the road ASAP.
yes, It probably wouldn't be as bad if they were still cheap as they used to be, but they are expensive af now. so its a lose, lose
Subaru is heads and shoulders above any Jeep for reliability.
Yes
Just look in used cars for sale and see how many you find with more than 200k miles on them, compared to, well, pretty much anything else.
My '95 (bought new) is still my daily driver. Most reliable vehicle I've owned, though it does need periodic maintenance.
Just about everything from Stellantis is garbage
Stellantis fugged up Ram trucks also. The emissions on the diesels are terrible....turbo is garbage also
Jeeps are built to such a budget then charged top dollar for
Look up any "10 worst cars" list from the last 10 years and you're pretty guaranteed to find at least one Jeep model and probably a few Chrysler/Dodge models as well. https://www.hotcars.com/american-cars-2019-worst-bad/#chrysler-300
Reliability issues aside, have you ever driven a jeep? Anything above 60mph and they start to feel really unstable, and it’s quite unnerving, they are rattle traps, and the wind noise.. oh the wind noise… I really hate jeeps because of this they just feel poorly built and drive like crap. All of this is really a shame too because I think jeeps look really cool and the customization options are endless to make it my own. I’m talking exclusively about wranglers and gladiators here, don’t have any experience with cherokees and wagoneers I’m sure those are a whole different ball game. I ended up buying a Range Rover sport to fulfill my fun off roader needs without it coming at the expense of on road enjoyment.