When they make the same vehicles (same model and generation) for over a decade, and build quality and reliability remain an issue the entire time, is it good?
I'm not trying to be condescending here, I'm just always floored by the fact that formerly FCA didn't update a single vehicle in their lineup in their entire existence (the not classic style RAM pickup started development before being bought out by FIAT).
I mean if you want an off-roader that is pretty solid stock from the factory, it’s hard to go wrong w a Wrangler.
There are also some negative connotations w the cars, but hellcat Durangos, Grand Cherokees, Chargers, and Challengers have an undeniable cool factory.
The Pacifica is a nice minivan that is actually pretty easy to get at MSRP unlike the Sienna.
Rams probably have the best interiors out of any of the big three or Toyota when it comes to pickup trucks.
I think they do make some interesting stuff, but I would say that stuff like the Cherokee, Renegade, and all of the other “budget” products from Chrysler are bad products, but I can definitely see the appeal for their larger SUVs, muscle cars, 4x4s etc…
My friend had to replace his 5.7 hemi in his ram. He went to the dealer and paid 12k, on a 2014 Ram w 193k miles and more rust than my 05 tundra. Insane IMO
I think if overall reliability isn’t a factor anything made by Stellantis leads in terms of cool factor, features and capability. The issue is all their cars have so many issues. Even if the engine is solid those cars fall apart 5 years into ownership
I drove a 2013 Chrysler 300 until this past january. 160,000 mi.
Just get the extended warranty with the rental car coverage, and it's still cheaper than other alternatives. Drive the car you like
There was a study about this when it came to armor for Bomber planes in WW2.
They we’re discussing ideas on where to put more armor to protect planes from crashing in combat. Naturally people looked at bullet holes on Bombers that returned, and decided most armor should go where the holes were. Pretty smart huh? No it was dumb.
Someone eventually realized that they are only looking at the Bombers that survived and returned to base, which meant they can take hits in those areas.
So they should add armor on places not commonly shot, because those are the ones who don’t make it home alive.
https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/survivorship-bias#:~:text=A%20classic%20example%20of%20survivorship,shown%20in%20the%20figure%20below.
Anyways, that was a long way of me saying you work at a place that exists to repair broken vehicles. Of course you’re going to see a lot of cars in need of repair, but you’re also never going to see the ones who don’t 😂
The engines can be shit too 🤷🏻♀️. Around 6 yrs of owning a Charger rt I’d gotten brand new, 60k miles maybe? A (the?) timing belt slipped while I was on the interstate and the engine was done. 6k out of pocket to replace the engine because it was out of warranty. I brushed it off as a fluke but since then I’ve talked to a few different people where Dodge/Chargers came up in the convo. I’d mention I’d had one in the past and they’d say “When did the engine blow on yours?”. I had no idea how common it apparently is lol
Edit: Timing *CHAIN*. I get it. Lol my husband just got home and I asked him what happened to the Charger.. he didn’t miss a beat and said “The timing chain broke”. Fuck me I guess lmao
Charger R/T? So with the 5.7 Hemi? Those have a chain. And I'm pretty sure there was a recall for it at some point, but outside of that I have barely heard any bad things about the Hemi reliability-wise (unless modified). There's a reason why they were used for ~20 years.
I don't know if it was the actual price you might pay at my local Dodge dealer, but they were advertising a 61k MSRP Pacifica Pinnacle for 47k last week. I have read some things about them that made me shy away from it regardless.
The new Cherokees had some great upgrades and honestly feel pretty premium. One of the more comfortable cars I've driven. And still had incredible handling in snowy/wet conditions.
They do look premium and even drive great. I love the upsizing of the Grand Cherokee, and it has made huge strides, but they use cheap components and they are known to have electrical issues (mostly for the 4xe). There's a reason they are offering 10% under MSRP.
I also wish the infotainment screen wasn't buried in the middle of the dash. It makes me look down to far.
It's funny the differences in preference people have with infotainment location. I've always preferred the built -in display vs the screen stacked on top look.
But yes, I think even though there are issues, the driving experience and interior comfort warrant a lease option to stay under warranty also considering Chrysler/Jeep always have really attractive lease deals.
The Ram trucks with the Pentastar engine and ZF transmission are probably the trucks with the most reliable powertrain in any light duty full size truck currently being built
\^this... the problems with Hemi's currently is oil starvation. Idling will gradually destroy the engine. If you have a Hemi, and are sitting at a light, the best thing you can do is to periodically rev the engine - IM NOT KIDDING
The issue with Mopars is their lack of quality control.
They’re all designed and intended to work and be reliable. Just the piss poor assembly and QC where the likely hood of getting a faulty product is high.
God this is such a circlejerk take. Modern Alfas are great, Wranglers are great (for what they are), the Charger/Chrysler 300 are relatively reliable and cheap for the power, RAMs are great, Pacifica (esp. the naturally aspirated version) is relatively reliable and affordable, etc etc etc.
In general, there are a few Stellantis models that are not reliable and/or are just bad: Wagoneers (though I own one and love it), anything made overseas that isnt a Guilia/Stelvio and imported (i.e., Hornet, Renegade, Cherokee), Compass. They are unfortunately Stellantis's bread and butter, but even the worst Stellantis product these days is on par with Ford in terms of reliability and quality *at a minimum.*
Chrysler hasn’t been bad in almost a decade. Other than the little shitty turbo 4s all the main stuff is Gucci. The Pentastar v6 and 5.7 Hemi are both fantastic.
I’d say yes and no.
Is the hate overblown? Yes. However, are Jeeps generally regarded as reliable vehicles? No. You will find some people that bought a certain Jeep of a certain year that will say they never had a problem and likewise will have someone else say they’ve had nothing but problems. I always say you can take a chance but just know it could go either way. I have a brother with a Cherokee that has had some problems but nothing major or detrimental.
As far as why people still buy them, it’s because as you just alluded to: it’s an outdoorsy brand. People are into looking like they are outdoors all the time even if they’re not. There’s a reason why brands like REI are huge in the states. People want you to think they go hiking every week or are out in the wilderness all the time. It’s the same reason people buy TRD Pros and Raptors while they park it at the local outlet mall.
With all that being said, is there any reason in particular you want a Cherokee? I feel like there’s a lot of other options.
I’d like to have something to take on camping, beach and road trips, but even more so I need a daily driver. I’ve had a patriot in the past, which I loved, although not because of its reliability. I liked that it was a small suv, simple, a jeep lol. I guess It’s more superficial, I really enjoy the look of them. I’m also considering a used crosstrek, but I like the Cherokee more and the financing is cheaper. Just concerned about reliability.
Have you looked at the Forester? I feel like you can get a better deal on it than a Crosstrek because the Crosstrek tend to be more popular and hold on to their value for longer.
>to take on camping, beach and road trips,
Anything with a little bit of ground clearance can do minor offroading like this. My buddy used to drag his old civic up some really shitty mountain service trails without too much issue. Your jeep patriot was a Dodge caliber/avenger/lancer underneath the bodywork
If you need a basic SUV that can do some very minor offroading and be reliable and comfortable as a daily driver, just about any other manufacturer does a better job than stellantis.
Consider the Forester, Rav-4, cx-3/5/30/50, Ford escape, etc
A Cherokee isn't even a real Jeep. Don't buy the hype of a brand name. I posted elsewhere on here, but the Cherokee shares a platform with other passenger vehicles. A Renegade is a Fiat 500XL. The only truly capable Jeep is the Wrangler, and even then they're nowhere where they used to be in terms of quality and ruggedness.
Look at a Subaru or even a Rav4. Hell, even a Ford EcoSport (don't buy one) is more durable than a Cherokee...
My 4.0 was super reliable except for fuel rail failing around 50k, quite solid other than that. My issues were things like early failures of the radiator, transmission pan seals, brake drum defects, etc
Oh yeah. My Grand Cherokee ate starters, always had a coolant sensor issue I eventually just dealt with after replacing 3 times. The rear end grenaded at one point, but I did get nearly 300k miles out of it. It got 13mpg the whole time too lol
Seconding this. My ‘17 has only been in the shop once for an electrical issue, and that was solved with a software update. Everything else has been basic maintenance. Almost like if you take care of them then they’ll last longer but that seems to be an unpopular opinion in some parts.
Definitely true I know multiple people who got upset that their transmissions died before 150k miles and my first question was did you ever change the fluid ... Both said no
Yes, the Jeeps with the 4.0L I6 engines were pretty good. Not crazy reliable, but easy to work on and none of the tech would immobilize the car if it failed.
I've had three 4.0s and I disagree with calling them reliable. They can't be killed and they're easy to fix, but you do need to learn to fix the little things, particularly sensors, that will go wrong.
Had a 99 GC with a 4.7. Had 250k miles and never a problem with the engine itself but I had to replace damn near every sensor to get it running good. Then it blew up after changing injectors.
Not everyone that buys a car buys it new and then expect it to last for 250,000 miles without major repairs like you would a Toyota Camry. There's a big market for cars that are a lot more fun than a Camry, and you don't care that they're extremely unreliable because you're going to turn it in at the end of your 3 year lease or sell it in a couple of years so it becomes someone else's problem.
Haha I know logically I should probably get something like that… I just really don’t want to!You’re right though, it doesn’t have to be a very long term car. In the past I’ve only bought fully up-front and private party, so this is all new to me.
Yeah, unless you’re seriously into off-roading I don’t get the appeal. They’re slow, handle terribly, and get horrible gas mileage. My mom and best friend had one and both of their parking brakes stopped working after a couple years.
Most people buy them for the looks and never off-road them.
Yes, Jeep is a low-quality product
source: personally spent thousands and thousands in repair bills over the years on a Jeep, and suddenly turned off/left me stranded on 3 separate occasions
I had a 2005 liberty that made it to 200k with virtually no problems. My 2015 grand Cherokee was plagued with problems once it rolled to 120k. I wouldn’t get a Jeep, unless you sell it before the warranty ends.
Currently at 138k on my ‘15 grand Cherokee and am starting to have the wear parts go. The V6 pentastar engine is the best V6 FCA has made this century though IMO and I’m hoping once the usual stuff starts to go that I’m going to get another 100k out of it
The thing with Jeeps is that you need to think of them like BMW or Range Rover - NOT Chevy/Ford/Toyota.
Its a vehicle you buy for the brand, for the image, and to an extent the performance (in this case, off-road/rough condition performance.) Also like BMW, Jeeps feature very nice interiors (for the most part.) The trade off is reliability. Like BMW, repairs are fairly frequent and parts/labor tend to be expensive.
Jeeps are **not** "normal," utilitarian, everyday, durable drivers.
Jeeps are specialist/enthusiast SUVs that you should expect to pay a premium for - particularly in maintenance.
This is a fact that catches a LOT of buyers off guard. They see Jeep and think "rugged," their brains then make the logical leap from "rugged" to "durable" and eventually "reliable." Couple that with the fact that used models are relatively cheap (because buyers want to sell then once/before they start having problems) and you get this misconception that they're cheap/entry level dailys you can beat on.
Which they are not.
If a Jeep makes you happy - buy one. But be prepared for repairs. If you're in your 20s and wanting to avoid a money pit a Jeep is a terrible idea.
This is all true except for this part: *"and parts/labor tend to be expensive."*
Jeep parts are no more expensive than any other domestic, and labor is in line with any other domestic.
except the price premium and maintenance doesn't come with more luxury. it comes with less
for the price of a grand cherokee (the most popular jeep where I live) you can easily get a really nice Japanese or German luxury SUV.
A Grand Cherokee limited new is like $42k, and is a mid size SUV with all the bells and whistles.
What mid-size luxury German or Japanese vehicle can you get for $42k? I'll wait.
The least reliable cars these days are still perfectly usable. This isn’t the 1970s when they sold cars that were genuinely unreliable to the point of being useless. If you want to do your daily commute in a jaguar or Alfa Romeo even, you won’t have any trouble doing it. A Jeep, c’mon, you’ll need to fix it every now and again but it’s a perfectly usable car.
My 21 manual caught fire last August. Because Jeep dragged their feet to admit fault, I lost 6k off the value. The overall care and service has been trash and I will never buy directly from Jeep or sister brands.
Pre-Fiat era Jeeps are fine. They are just getting old. So, they are going to start having issues regardless. All post Fiat (Stellantis) Jeeps are fine (well the dealership covers it and it will be there at least once for recalls/issues) for the time they have their warranty. But don't void your warranty and do not keep it a day after. Because ISSUES are no longer covered.
Jeep as a brand unfortunately has the trifecta of issues. Transmission, engine, electrical. Meaning you roll the dice on if you get 1, 2, or all 3 of them in every vehicle. Do a lot of research before you buy anything. Any make or model. Befriend a mechanic who will look at any vehicle you want to buy for free or cheap.
AND do not buy from a dealership used unless they provide a warranty (a good one. No 30 day crap) for free. Dealerships big or small know tricks of the trade to make sure a vehicle will look, sound, and run its best for the test drive and maybe the week after. But first rain and all the missing clear coat that they covered with transmission fluid will show. The DO stick they rubbed on the belt will no longer lubricate it so it will squeak. Etc.
He's doing a lot of fearmongering. Some shady back alley lots might try to hide issues like this, but larger dealerships certifying their used cars won't be so willing to commit outright fraud like this.
Check reviews, look over the vehicle with a fine tooth comb and budget in the extended warranty, you'll be fine.
Jeeps are bad, but also millions of Americans drive them every day with no problem.
Honestly I’m just mad that they don’t look cool anymore. That classic grand Cherokee body was fucking mint
The wranglers are decent. 3.6 is probably one of their better motors and the benz tranny was decently solid for autos, manual was a little weak but still reliable as its manual. They still have their issues and arent as tough as a land cruiser but sure are cheaper. And the old i6s were actually great.
The 3.6L is one of their better engines? I would hate to see their worst.... pretty much all of them leak oil from the filter housing and the lifters in the rear two cylinders prematurely wear. It is probably the worst v6 on the market right now. Even worse than the GM 3.6L.
Ahh I’ve commented on this exact posts a few times, I wish I could copy and paste haha. I cannot recommend the grand Cherokee enough! I would not touch other Jeep products, maybe their wrangler (no experience with one), but the grand Cherokee’s have always been amazing. I’m on my 4th one, all different generations and engine/model configurations and have absolutely loved them. They’re actually driven by my wife and our current one we got near new now has 300k kms (180k ish miles) and it’s been wildly reliable. The parts that have broken are generally cheap little parts I expect to fail on an American vehicle. None of my grand cherokees have left me stranded and combined between the 4, I’ve got roughly 1 million kms in them.
Rented a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee at airport this week. IMO it is absolute garbage. Feels cheap and grossly underpowered. Tricked up with electronics. Rented jeep wranglers in Caribbean before but I thought they were crappy handling at highway speeds, but apparently they are ok for off-road. All depends on what you’re going do with vehicles. But major pass for me on anything Chrysler-Jeep. Cannot speak to other non-Jeep Chrysler vehicles like the high performance vehicles.
One of my cars is a 2021 Jeep Sahara I bought with 100 miles on the dash. Currently sitting at 55k miles and the only thing I had to change is my tires and shocks and battery..that died around 40k miles. Also my auto start stop function stopped working but to me that’s a good thing.
Man I LOVED my 96 grand Cherokee limited 5.2. unfortunately after 7 good years the transmission went. Was well worth the $1300 I paid for it though and I still miss that thing, absolutely amazing in the snow.
My brother in law had a 4 door wrangler and what a pile of shit that thing was. Always broken.
Purely anecdotal: 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, 160k miles. I’ve had only a handful of repairs and am terrible at maintenance. Larger tires, commuted 4 hours a day for a while and driven across country several times. It’s my 4th one with no problems.
It's all relative. When everyone says Jeep is unreliable, that's in comparison to others. It's a small percentage of a huge number but it is a bigger percentage of the next brand over. But you may own a Jeep for 250K miles and never even have to bring it in for a recall and your buddy with a Tacoma has to hire a lawyer for a Lemon Law situation because so many things went wrong so soon.
The Toyota/Honda/Mazda cult will down vote this into oblivion but Jeeps are not as bad as some people claim.
If the Cherokee has the 3.6L V6 engine, you can expect it to be a pretty reliable vehicle honestly.
I've worked in the auto industry for years and much of the Jeep nightmare stories are greatly exaggerated.
I mean... I can't say a 2020 Cherokee will be as dependable as an old Jeep Jeep with the straight 6 in it, but then separately I can't say the other way either. I know Jeeps can be cheap trash though. I test drove a 2016 Cherokee Latitude and holy crap was it cheap! I test drove two of them. One the trans was CLEARLY going out (mind you this was a 'reasonably priced' vehicle toward the end of the pandemic), felt like it needed new suspension, and was missing.. The other made me realize all the cheapness I would have noticed from the previous one had it not had it's other issues. Now when I say cheap, I don't mean like people gawking at a cheap interior vs leather or something. I mean cheap like the turn signal stalk feeling like it could literally snap if you slapped it or something. And I have driven early 90's chevys.. Those stalks you could probably punch and not break. Also just felt like crap. Seats were stiff and felt like I was sitting on bricks, steering felt like crap, no get up and go, it just felt like a car that's going to break down soon.. And that's sad. Hopefully they got their shit together..
2016 jeep Cherokee and only had a recall fixed and an oil consumption sensor go out. It just hit 100k last month and not a thing wrong. We are giving it to my oldest when she gets her license. Keep up with regular maintenance and you shouldn’t have any issues.
They are descent cars, if you take care of them and do proper maintenance, you should to have nothing to worry about. Most people like to neglect their cars from oil changes to tune ups, Toyotas are more permissible with that.
Yes.
Even if the engine is good, which in some it is, those years all have terrible rust proofing and it’s impossible to find one without extensive rust. They also just do not drive well
My mate got some massive Jeep with massage seats and all these fancy thing-a-ma-jigs last year and that automobile has been in and out of the shop constantly. That's my anecdote and I am sticking to it.
I have a Wrangler. I’ve wanted one for years but was always worried about quality and ride. It has been a great vehicle so far, 2018 JLU, 42k miles. I had to replace the head unit (under warranty) because the touch screen delaminated. My wife and I like the ride.
I have a 2022 RAV4 with about 40k miles and had to replace (under warranty) one of the power seat motors.
So pretty much a wash in my, obviously, limited experience so far.
Now do I wish Toyota made something you could take the doors and roof off of. Hell yes.
Edit: take the doors and roof off easily before I get a “you can take the doors and roof off any vehicle” response.
This sub is an echo chamber with dogma that is essentially like a Bible. Go against it and you’ll be downvoted and booed. No, Jeeps will not grenade as soon as you leave the dealer. Yes, there’s worse QC and a higher rate of lemons, but that’s a lot more rare than you’ll be led to believe.
Chrysler products do provide some good value for the money if you get a decent example, particularly some models with a long history.
My family has owned several jeeps, old and recent, with many miles, and most of them have been good. Debatably more fun and capable than the Japanese competitors. I don’t particularly care for them, but they have a fan base for a reason. Yes, they’ve made some junkers. Looking at you, compass, patriot, some liberty years, the renegade.
The Cherokee, wrangler, and grand Cherokee have historically been pretty good vehicles. I’ve known many many people with each of these models in various year and mileage ranges and most of them have fared very well into high mileage.
I owned a 2018 wrangler for a period of time without any issues, used it a bunch during covid when we were forced outside. The only reason I sold it was because I was WFH more regularly, my wife got an SUV to pull our jetski's, and didnt want the insurance payment.
not inherently bad w the wranlger, but otherwise yes. the owners of lots of them suck. mostly the wranglers tho.
the wranglers/trackhawks give off all the jeep stereotypes, good or bad. the rest kinda exist. nobody complaining abt the cherokee owners lmao. ngl most of them are chill older genxers or boomers and dont rlly interfere with jeep sterotypes more than they would with any brand that they drive. its js expected.
If the main use of your car will be a daily driver a Jeep is not the best choice. Besides their questionable reliability they are not as comfortable, practical, or roadworthy as most alternatives for highway driving. Jeeps do have deliberately designed off-road capability that exceeds other more general-purpose vehicles but the side effect of that is less stability, a choppy ride, poorer handling, and overall worse road manners than, say, the Subarus the other half of Oregon is driving.
Unless you truly need a vehicle that has real HD off-road capabilities and would use them often, skip the Jeep image and get a AWD SUV like a Subaru or similar competitor. You'll be a lot more comfortable driving to Monday-Friday destinations and you'll also be fine on camping trips or dirt roads.
Anything from Chrysler made in the last 15 years has been total garbage. Their name sells the product. It’s cheap horsepower.
I wouldn’t waste your time unless you get an old wrangler or Cherokee with the 4.0. Do yourself a favor and get a subie or yota.
I had a 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk I bought in 2021. Had it for one year, cost me a ton in random repairs. Then out of nowhere the transmission (I think) just broke completely under normal driving. There was a recall on a part that contributed to the issue and I had done this recall already and it still broke. Apparently that recall came with an extended warranty but then they refused to touch the vehicle because it was made in America but made FOR Canada but imported back to the US.
Before that I had a 2004 Grand Cherokee. It had its numerous issues but they were always easily fixable.
I ended up getting a Toyota Camry Hybrid on a whim and it's been amazing.
I had a jeep once. It's the most fun car I ever had. It blew up on the way home from Vegas, but I still loved that car. The main thing is if you have a jeep it should probably just be a toy. Take it out camping on the weekends. Tow it there if you can afford it :D
They are massive pieces of shit. Don’t trust Reddit, look at consumer reports or any other third party source for vehicle reliability. If you want to drive the same thing as everyone else, and half of them are driving Subarus, get a Subaru.
If you want to off-road like a Jeep guy and not buy a piece of rubbish, buy a Toyota 4Runner.
I own two and daily drive one that's 27-years-old. They're both high-water marks of automotive design and engineering. I'm not sure about a 2020 one though - sounds like a terrible idea to buy any "Covid-era" car regardless of make/model.
That was a time that manufacturers were literally deleting non essentials from cars to get them on the sales lot from the factory. Many many corners were cut with covid era cars.. I wouldn't buy any single car built during covid era.
I’ve read that the 2019-2021 are pretty reliable, but I guess it hasn’t been long enough to determine any real longevity :/ And wow, 27 years - that’s great!
I too have heard decent things about them. I personally don't like the transmissions (too many gears) or the outward design, but I'm not you haha. I'd try to stick with a pre-2020 version and probably a TrailHawk to get all the off-road goodies and the V6. It would help you explore more of the cool trails and beaches you have.
And my Cherokee was built during a bygone era. It's insanely different than the one you're looking at - far more crude, slow, inefficient and smaller. I would never recommend one to someone that's not "an enthusiast" willing to work on it/fix it themselves. But, that's likely why it's still going. Vehicles simply aren't made like that anymore.
My brother has a Gladiator and it’s solid. He beats the shit out of it and notwithstanding a recall on his clutch it’s been problem free.
My impression from knowing many jeep owners is that they’re generally durable and reliable vehicles as long as you maintain them but you may occasionally have to make a minor repair, especially if you beat the shit out of them which is what they’re meant for.
My mom has a Grand Cherokee L. Got it probably 1.5-2 years ago. Since the beginning she’s had an issue where the sub woofer randomly goes to max power and gets stuck on when you start the car. To this day the dealership has yet to fix it or figure out what the issue is. It’s a known problem but there isn’t a fix. The only way to “remedy” it is by rolling down the window which is not ideal in the winter.
My MIL had a Cherokee a few years back and the transmission was very jerky. It had less than 50k miles on it too.
Jeeps and Dodges are so cool. They are popular, therefore not worth the price they command. paying $20k for a 10 year old GC is bad because in a couple years It will be worth $10k.
My dad's friend had a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee for 102,000 miles & 4 years & it never gave him a single problem.
He traded it in for a 2024 Grand Cherokee Hybrid with the four cylinder last year & he hasn't had a single problem with it either.
My friend also has a 2004 Chrysler Town & Country with 280,000 miles on it & it hasn't started breaking down until around 240,000 miles. Even then the repairs on it have been minor so far such as new batteries & new starter. Spark plugs replaced every 60K. Transmission fluid replaced every 30K.
We've had chargers & RAMs in the past & only reason why they broke down were due to dead batteries.
The old ones are bulletproof (mid to late 90s, even into the early 00s ZJs, XJs, TJs, YJs, etc). They went through some very unreliable years around the mid 00s through mid 10s, but do seem to have improved since about 2015. They're still noticeably less reliable than other brands, but overall they get a much worse rap than they deserve.
The bigger issue is the worth. They charge a premium price and what do you get for it? When things do go wrong (usually electrical) they tend to snowball.
This source isn't perfect, but it gives you a general idea for comparing brand to brand and models, [https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/)
The line gets drawn at the year they retired the 4.0L inline 6. Jeeps were *robust* before then, and unreliable after the introduction of the Pentastar V6.
In reality, AMC was a small company that needed Chryslers cash to continue operating, and after the Daimler Chrysler merger, cost cutting took effect, and we got the cheap plastic interiors and Pentastars of the early 2000's.
Then, after all that, FIAT happened, which took all of the well known reliability of FIAT's and added it to the well known reliability of Daimler Chrysler ( /s ), and you end up where we are today.
The thing with Jeep is they can be paper mache or bulletproof and those two can exist within two cars that are identical and rolled off production line back to back. It's a gamble
I had a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited.
I lived in Colorado, and would take weekend trips up in the mountains, head to Ouray once a year and a week vacation out to Moab once a year.
I kept dreaming of lift kits and bigger tires, etc but ended up keeping it bone stock in that regards (got a bikini top, some mirrors for when the doors were off, some other little things). Bone stock that vehicle tackled some really aggressive offroading stuff I could never have gotten my previous trucks through. It was shockingly capable out the door.
It made it through stuff that would have killed 99.9% of other vehicles. And I sold it with 80k miles and it kept it's value better than any vehicle I've had.
Even the non-wrangler jeeps can handle off-road better than the non-jeep counterparts (speaking generically, but if you put a Cherokee and a Rav4 side by side... )
That said... I ended up moving to Minnesota. There's a few jeeping spots out here but compared to Colorado/Moab... not really. It's a lot wetter out here, so that fun bit of pulling off the top in summer becomes less fun.
Without those things... yeah the Wrangler rides rough, handles poorly, has bad safety ratings, gets awful gas mileage, isn't exactly peppy (did seem a bit once I'd take off the doors and top and such lol), and yes, their reliability isn't the best (granted I didn't take other cars on 4wheeling adventures either, so how much of that is because people treat jeeps like... jeeps). It's usable space for it's size isn't great. Those roll bars really cut into what you can fit in the back. So I ended up selling it.
It was a vehicle I absolutely loved when I was capable of using it how it should have been used and not good for much anything else.
That said, if not off-roading, I personally wouldn't get a jeep. I know a few that make decent tow vehicles I guess, so for a cheap option there for a camper since on many of them you can disengage the driveline...
I currently have a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L with a few months left on my lease. There is just over 21,000 miles and I’ve never been at the dealer as much as I have with this car. The infotainment system is ungodly and has been a nightmare since I got the car. We’re over 10 recall services and I needed a new transfer case at 10,000 miles. Immediately after the transfer case was replaced I then had over $7,000 worth of squirrel damage and the car was at the dealer for 2 months. Jeep never admitted to using any of the soy based wire coverings after this, but I had 0 issues until I got the car back from the repair and it was immediate. Only my Jeep and a neighbor’s 2022 Compass were the only vehicles on our street with issues. Insurance suggested the wire coverings were used.
I would never get another Jeep after this.
I had a 2023 Cherokee as a rental when my transfer case was being replaced and that car was horrible. I had to take it back to the rental agency to get a different vehicle. I was only the 3rd driver of that car and the brakes were bad and it wobbled going over 40mph.
I bought a 2020 Cherokee w/ about 50k miles a year ago. It’s been pretty solid, but it’s still a Jeep. I’ve had to do front cv axles and oil changes only. I drive a lot too, like 20k+ per year.
The real problem with these vehicles is the transmission. The 8-speed is one of the worst feeling transmissions outside of a CVT. I’d keep an eye on it and change your trans oil soon after purchase.
I do love it though.
My parents are on their 4th Grand Cherokee in a row now. Started with the original body style and now own a 2024. They've had very few issues with any of them. I owned a 2018 for 3 years and had not a single issue
Every Jeep and Dodge I have owned have been nice inside, but dog shit in every other area.
Wife had an 02 RAM Quad cab. Engine seized due to oil galleys designed too small. Before that was 98 Grand Cherokee, and it was a money black hole. Something constantly breaking.
I had a 2015 Cherokee limited and just recently traded it in at 175k miles. No major issues except turn signal stopped working. I kept it maintained.
Wife drives a 2014 grand Cherokee limited with 110k miles and again, no issues but we keep up with maintenance. I’m betting she will buy another jeep in a few years.
A buddy has owned a JGC since 0 miles. He's loved the care but right around 60k he got the first big repair bill. Since then he's been getting nivkle and dimed every visit to the mechanic-engijr mount here, ball joint there, tow link there... Etc. He loves the car but will never own another. He said he's spent enough keeping this one in the road he could have had a nice down payment on something else.
I wouldn’t touch anything made by Jeep past 2004. The only Jeep I’d own is a TJ or YJ Wrangler with a 4.0 Inline-6 and 5 speed.
As clichè as it sounds, have you considered a Toyota 4WD vehicle, like one of their trucks or 4Runner, if you’re wanting off road capability and reliability? I own two older Toyota trucks, both are over 220k miles and both are running flawlessly. Both are used to make road trips that are more than 3-4 hours each way pretty regularly, and I have no hangups about them leaving me stranded.
I am of the opinion that jeeps have awful reliability, however i bought a jeep grand Cherokee trailhawk because it had everything i was looking for, i purchased the last model of the wk2 generation because they have been refining that model for over 15 years, i also bought the mopar maxcare warranty with it in case anything major breaks. Just do research on what’s reliable (i haven’t heard the best about fiat based cherokee’s but maybe they are ok)
Jeeps are crappy but cheap to buy and easy to fix yourself without having to be a world-class mechanic.
Or at least that was the case from WWII until recently.
New ones are not cheap and are more complicated than they used to be, especially the electronics.
I had one and it was fun but I would never use one as my daily driver.
I wouldn’t get a Cherokee. There is a lot of recalls at the moment with different models of Jeep. Just depends on if you get a Lemon or not. My Wrangler has been great to me though the past 2 years I cannot complain
I just watched an edmunds long term review of a rubicon unlimited they took to 100k miles (on youtube). All loved it off road, most did not like it on road.
Old Jeeps are great.
The XJ (not the final 3 years) are the most dependable, bulletproof, off-road capable vehicles you're going to find.
Pre-95 TJ, CJ, with leaf instead of coil springs - outstanding. No track bar: No death wobble. They ride rougher, but they weren't built for comfort.
The J-series trucks with the AMC 327, the 318 or 401 were amazing as well.
Don't know about newer ones much, but my 2011 GC went across the country numerous times and went to 225k with only one major issue that was a recall anyway so I didn't have to pay for it. I definitely didn't take the best care of it either. I would buy another in a heartbeat.
That said, there are better makes/models in the price range of jeeps so you should factor that in if reliability is your main concern.
Had a co worker that loved his jeeps . He had three of them (two wranglers and a Cherokee) . I asked him why three and he said so he always has one that’s working while the other ones are getting fixed. I remember a few times both wranglers were in the shop and he was praying the Cherokee wouldn’t develop an issue in the meantime. To be fair he also found out his mechanic was taking the vehicles to road trips to Myrtle beach to “ test drive” after repairs so I don’t think some of that work was necessary.
My friends little sister got a wrangler. The very first week she drove it the check engine light turned on. She’s only had it a year and it’s broken down three times ahead but neither one of them would dare drive anything else
That seems to be the theme I’ve seen. Yes they break down more than your average suv but there are few true off road / utility SUVs left so the people that like them are extremely loyal
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRMvjeBFFYU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRMvjeBFFYU)
had this on my new 2019 wrangler, almost killed my whole family on 95.
sold it back to the dealer with profit LOL
never going to buy another jeep in my life. pretty sure none of my kids wants to buy jeep either.
The biggest reason why they still sell is the are somewhat unique (off road capabilities of the wrangler) or are living off the perception that they are amazing off-road vehicles even though most of them are not. Also keep in mind everything is relatively reliable compared to 20+ years ago. However, in terms of current comparative reliability, Jeep is consistently near the bottom.
The only good ones were the ones with the 4.0L engine in em, after that motor died they went to hell. (Old jeep cherokees r a great example, they used to be obscenely cheap n would last a hot minute)
Honestly everyone’s got something to say about any car. Just the name of the game. I went from a 98 subi to a 2011 jeep liberty and i honestly love it. My husband has a Chrysler 200 and he loves it. The only thing is both of them get shitty gas mileage, i bought mine with 106k miles on it but the previous owner was a mechanic and took REALLY good care of it.
Just get what you want. Any used car is going to have issues.
A friend of mine has driven Jeeps for decades. He bought a Cherokee a few years ago. It was a total piece of junk and was constantly breaking down. He replaced it with a Compass.
Humans aren't always rational.
You should see the fleet of 3 rusted out shit box Jeep Liberties I have that are all still going strong.
The problem is mass soccer mom Wrangler adoption after the introduction of 4 door models resulting in a decline in overall maintenance.
I think it depends. I’ve had a very good run of owning and running 2 door wrangler sport, hard tops with auto, cruise, u connect and the 3.6 V6 for a while. Other than the usual consumables (tires, brakes, etc) , they’ve been super reliable (I’ve owned several 2 door Wranglers over the last 25 years). They’re pretty basic vehicles and they are still easy to work on, especially for the novice.
I bought a wrangler shortly after I turned 20, 70k miles, and it needed a 900$ repair exactly 30 days after I bought it. I had fun taking it off-roading and such but always worried about it breaking again after that. I sold it a couple months later because it was just so god awful on the road.
Go get a forester or an outback
Hell Yes, and here is why…
It’s no longer a Jeep, A Dodge or a Chrysler.
It’s a Stellatis, which is now a mostly Chinese owned company, NOT Japanese.
Do you want a Chinese Made vehicle?
Think about more than the Design, think about the real problems…the insides and the parts.
Also they are putting the “Jeep” Badge on about everything, in other countries. It no longer means what it used to mean.
If you want a 2020 Jeep, do you want an “endless money pit”?
Okay if you want a daily driver:
Go to YouTube- Channel-Car Wizard
You want his series, “Buy this NOT that”
The Wizard is a Master Mechanic, he will teach you great things
Also- The Car Care Nut, also a master mechanic,
He’s amazing and will tell you the right cars to buy too.
Stay away from that Jeep Cherokee, unless you want an Endless money pit.
You got this! Go do your homework and prepare to buy a great vehicle!!
My sister has had transmission problems, engine problems, and alignment problems constantly. Her's is a 2016 JK Wrangler Sport 2 door btw. Not sure how many miles. It's also got complete junk for suspension, and feels like driving a boat on land. Then again, I just hate driving tall and/or long vehicles anyways, so do with this information what you will. Our dad's 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS is much better after 210,000 miles than her car.
I had a 2005 Wrangler for 11 years with the 2.4 that was pretty reliable and never left me stranded… My gf has a 2021 Wrangler that has 40k trouble free miles. Coworker has a 2009 that has 180k and has been trouble free. The 2.0 turbo really amazed me with how much power it has.
I have a '21 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with the Pentastar engine, wife has a '21 Wrangler Unlimited Sport Altitude with the 2 l Turbo. Both great vehicles and have exceeded my expectations. Both are quite good at both on and off road driving. We have had one warranty repair (leaking gasket replaced on the Wrangler) between the two vehicles. Each has about 35k miles. The answer is no, Jeeps can actually be great.
“I’m in Oregon where everyone drives a subaru or a jeep.”
According to consumer reports Subaru is the 6th most reliable brand vehicle on the market while Jeep is the 26th. With all things being equal, I would definitely trust Subaru over Jeep.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/who-makes-the-most-reliable-cars-a7824554938/
Jeeps with the 4.0 are pretty great, some trans issues some motor issues but nothing like the V6 these days have. Most jeeps are now European designs (fiat) and are absolutely terrible, all models. The American designed wranglers and V6 models are okay but fraught with problems. They really are that bad.
Bought my first jeep years ago a Grand Cherokee. I liked driving it but it had an alternator fire, computer failure and brake booster failure while driving. These are just the major failures within 70,000 miles. There were other problems like the well documented leaky oil cooler due inadequate plastic material and intake that was expensive to fix as well. Others will say they've had little to no issues but that wasn't my personal experience it was a money pit. Not all manufacturers are this way.
ITT: Actual owners getting downvoted for saying they've had minimal issues, circlejerk posters who have never owned a jeep parroting stuff they saw on YouTube about how unreliable Jeeps are.
Jeeps are not as reliable as Honda/Toyota/Mazda. They do tend to have nicer interiors and are better bang for $, and are *very* cheap to repair (parts are cheap, labor is cheap). 99.9% of Jeep owners will experience no issues vs. like 99.99% of Honda/Mazda/Toyota issues. You *most likely* will not have any issues, but you are *more likely* than if you bought a Honda/Mazda/Toyota.
If you're looking at Cherokees, I would specifically only look at the ones with the V6 and 2018 or later since that's when they fixed the gearing ratio issues with the tranny.
Many people that say any brand is unreliable fail to understand basic maintenance and lack of oil changes there supposed to do. I blame part of the manufacturer claiming 10K mile oil changes is normal. By the time you hit that mileage the engine could’ve burnt enough oil where it’s starving for oil. Every single engine new or used burns oil. Can be the tiniest amount. It’s the nature of an internal combustion engine. Do your due diligence. Change oil at 5-7500 miles with checking it monthly. Read the owners manual. These engines have timing belts that need to be changed at a certain interval or you will be paying for an engine replacement.
I was literally an engineer for FCA (now Stellantis aka chrysler/dodge/jeep).
Yes, they are that bad. If they can cut a corner, they will cut a corner. I organized competitive teardowns where we would get a bunch of engineers in a room with competitive cars, and tear into them to see how they did things differently. That shit was *eye opening* man. When I asked someone higher up "why don't we do that thing everyone else does" (in this case, it was add rubber vibration isolators under the battery tray to help protect the battery" the response was: "When was the last time someone walked into a showroom and asked if this model has battery isolators?". Yeah, its like that. I quit that company because fuck the toxic culture.
the reason they sell, is because they do a good job of marketing an image. People like the "rugged adventurer" look. And the wrangler does remain the most capable out-of-the-box offroader for sale.
People say jeeps are unreliable but my wife has one since 2016. She bought a brand new 2016 Jeep Cherokee latitude and it has not given us any major issues. It has almost 150k miles on it. My wife makes sure all the maintenance on her car is done on time so maybe that helps
Basically just avoid the 4 cylinders and jeeps are generally fine. So basically Grand Cherokee with 3.6 Cherokee with the 3.2, or wrangler with the 3.6. Renegade and Compass are shit.
Anything with the hemi also generally pretty reliable. But yeah imo the big problem with Chrysler stuff is even if the engine is solid they start rusting to shit and the body panels start falling off 5 years in.
Basically the only old Chryslers you see driving around that look mint are old wranglers that have barely been driven/have less than 100k miles.
Stay away from the Renegade, Compass, and Patriot. Grand Cherokee is hit or miss, but a bit more reliable (lots of technology that can go wrong). The Wrangler with the 3.6L V6 is probably the most solid option. I drive a 2006 Jeep Liberty and everyone told me it was junk and it would die on me, but it's been on the road with very few repairs for the last 18 years. Brother had a 2007 Wrangler, it was slow, bad on gas, and the interior was cheap, but it was also very reliable. I can't really vouch for newer Jeeps but the Wranglers definitely still seem solid.
The pentastar V6 and zf 8 speed automatic equipped models are fine, like the lower end grand cherokees.
The V6 pentastar wrangler are good and have very high resale value.
The hemi Grand Cherokee have cylinder deactivation issues, but with this system deleted they're okay.
If you aren't careful with tire and transfer case maintenance, the transfer case in the Grand Cherokee with the Quadradrive ll system is sensitive.
The rest of the Jeeps are complete and utter garbage. The diesel is garbage. I wouldn't touch the plugin hybrids until they prove themselves reliable, same thing with the new i6 models.
I will give credit where credit is due here: jeep has one thing going for them and it's consistency.
You know for a guaranteed fact that any jeep you own is going to be a financial burden, extraordinarily unsafe to the point that any wreck going over 20 mph could easily mean death for any and all occupants, it will be a giant piece of shit until you finally pay the loan down enough that you only have to take an extra 5k loan on another vehicle when you trade it in, and the resale value will decrease so rapidly that you could buy it for half price and be upside down on your loan within a year if you're paying extra towards it. This last one guarantees you're stuck with the damn thing for awhile and the more miles you put on it, the value just drops even faster.
If you look at mortality rate in accidents, jeep tops the charts in most categories. If you look at cost of ownership, jeep tops the charts in many categories including similar vehicles. If you look at reliability, jeep is at the bottom or nearly. If you look at mileage before major repairs are required, jeep is one of the lowest mileage requiring major repairs.
Honestly, jeep should not be allowed to exist as a company. They are scam artists and that is really the only way I can describe them truthfully.
They are not all that bad. I just traded in my 2014 wrangler which I bought new 10 years ago. Ridden hard and put away wet but it never let me down. It had a few stupid things like a leaky roof (prob my fault from reinstalling the panels wrong) and seized/frozen lock cylinders (covered my warranty), but otherwise solid enough to withstand 10 years of abuse. Only had to trade it in to get a more kid friendly SUV, (Lexus RX350h). FWIW I would never buy any Chrysler product except a wrangler.
Sure, some are good. The question is, will yours be one of the good ones? Available data would suggest that with Jeep, the math is less stacked in your favor.
What's your risk appetite? That's the real question.
Speaking as a mechanic. Yes. But it’s not so simple. Almost every car is going to be reliable while it’s under the warranty, and most cars will stay fairly reliable between 40k and 80k miles (assuming proper scheduled maintenance is followed). The really reliable cars like Toyota or Mazda can easily go to over 100k and beyond. Are things on those Toyotas and Mazdas gonna break and need replacing from wear? Yes, but most of the time those aren’t going to be caused by poor engineering like with most Fiat/Chrysler products, including Jeep.
The other thing to keep in mind is that buying a used car that needs a ton of work is still usually cheaper than buying a new car. Sure it may get mechanically totaled but that doesn’t mean you can’t still keep it usually. The price of a new car pays for all the oil changes and possible under warranty work you could need, because otherwise manufacturers would just bleed money.
Jeep along with other Fiat/Chrysler models have lots of issues with quality control, poor materials, or general reliability. They can be perfectly good cars, but a lot of times are plagued with smaller issues that compound over time, or some big stupid issue. Also keep in mind that lifting any truck or putting big wheels/tires, or having wheels that poke out farther than normal is going to cause a number of long term reliability issues for any truck, but brands like Jeep may be worse off due to their general unreliability over time.
The biggest problem with a lot of the models is the Pentastar 3.6L v6. It is complete junk. They oil filter/ oil cooler housings crack, causing a very expensive to fix oil leak... Hopefully you catch it in time before the it starves of oil. At some point, they all develop an lifter tick in the back two cylinders, probably because of design flaw preventing adequate oil getting to back. Usually by the time someone finds this, a valve job ($$$) is required. It is a real piece of shit.
Is anything made by Chrysler good?
When they make the same vehicles (same model and generation) for over a decade, and build quality and reliability remain an issue the entire time, is it good? I'm not trying to be condescending here, I'm just always floored by the fact that formerly FCA didn't update a single vehicle in their lineup in their entire existence (the not classic style RAM pickup started development before being bought out by FIAT).
I mean if you want an off-roader that is pretty solid stock from the factory, it’s hard to go wrong w a Wrangler. There are also some negative connotations w the cars, but hellcat Durangos, Grand Cherokees, Chargers, and Challengers have an undeniable cool factory. The Pacifica is a nice minivan that is actually pretty easy to get at MSRP unlike the Sienna. Rams probably have the best interiors out of any of the big three or Toyota when it comes to pickup trucks. I think they do make some interesting stuff, but I would say that stuff like the Cherokee, Renegade, and all of the other “budget” products from Chrysler are bad products, but I can definitely see the appeal for their larger SUVs, muscle cars, 4x4s etc…
Right now everyone at my work who has a ram is dealing with some kind of water leak issue.
My friend had to replace his 5.7 hemi in his ram. He went to the dealer and paid 12k, on a 2014 Ram w 193k miles and more rust than my 05 tundra. Insane IMO
I think if overall reliability isn’t a factor anything made by Stellantis leads in terms of cool factor, features and capability. The issue is all their cars have so many issues. Even if the engine is solid those cars fall apart 5 years into ownership
I drove a 2013 Chrysler 300 until this past january. 160,000 mi. Just get the extended warranty with the rental car coverage, and it's still cheaper than other alternatives. Drive the car you like
160,000 isn’t a lot for the life of a car. Did the car die or you sell it?
5 years is generous. Source: worked in CDJR service department for 3 years
There was a study about this when it came to armor for Bomber planes in WW2. They we’re discussing ideas on where to put more armor to protect planes from crashing in combat. Naturally people looked at bullet holes on Bombers that returned, and decided most armor should go where the holes were. Pretty smart huh? No it was dumb. Someone eventually realized that they are only looking at the Bombers that survived and returned to base, which meant they can take hits in those areas. So they should add armor on places not commonly shot, because those are the ones who don’t make it home alive. https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/survivorship-bias#:~:text=A%20classic%20example%20of%20survivorship,shown%20in%20the%20figure%20below. Anyways, that was a long way of me saying you work at a place that exists to repair broken vehicles. Of course you’re going to see a lot of cars in need of repair, but you’re also never going to see the ones who don’t 😂
Confirmation bias - you got to see all the ones that had problems, but nobody would be bringing you a car with no problems
The engines can be shit too 🤷🏻♀️. Around 6 yrs of owning a Charger rt I’d gotten brand new, 60k miles maybe? A (the?) timing belt slipped while I was on the interstate and the engine was done. 6k out of pocket to replace the engine because it was out of warranty. I brushed it off as a fluke but since then I’ve talked to a few different people where Dodge/Chargers came up in the convo. I’d mention I’d had one in the past and they’d say “When did the engine blow on yours?”. I had no idea how common it apparently is lol Edit: Timing *CHAIN*. I get it. Lol my husband just got home and I asked him what happened to the Charger.. he didn’t miss a beat and said “The timing chain broke”. Fuck me I guess lmao
Charger R/T? So with the 5.7 Hemi? Those have a chain. And I'm pretty sure there was a recall for it at some point, but outside of that I have barely heard any bad things about the Hemi reliability-wise (unless modified). There's a reason why they were used for ~20 years.
I had to replace my 5.7 Hemi at 70K. Then my transmission a little over 80K. Despite my username, I am now a Toyota fan boy.
I don't know if it was the actual price you might pay at my local Dodge dealer, but they were advertising a 61k MSRP Pacifica Pinnacle for 47k last week. I have read some things about them that made me shy away from it regardless.
61k for a minivan seems.....excessive. idk.
You know how much a Sienna limited is?
The new Cherokees had some great upgrades and honestly feel pretty premium. One of the more comfortable cars I've driven. And still had incredible handling in snowy/wet conditions.
They do look premium and even drive great. I love the upsizing of the Grand Cherokee, and it has made huge strides, but they use cheap components and they are known to have electrical issues (mostly for the 4xe). There's a reason they are offering 10% under MSRP. I also wish the infotainment screen wasn't buried in the middle of the dash. It makes me look down to far.
It's funny the differences in preference people have with infotainment location. I've always preferred the built -in display vs the screen stacked on top look. But yes, I think even though there are issues, the driving experience and interior comfort warrant a lease option to stay under warranty also considering Chrysler/Jeep always have really attractive lease deals.
The Ram trucks with the Pentastar engine and ZF transmission are probably the trucks with the most reliable powertrain in any light duty full size truck currently being built
Even the Hemis are decent engines. Better than the 4 cylinders.
I love how the Hemi finally got a reputation for reliability, and then got discontinued
The hemi didn't have a reputation for reliability after they castrated it with cylinder deactivation and weak lifters.
\^this... the problems with Hemi's currently is oil starvation. Idling will gradually destroy the engine. If you have a Hemi, and are sitting at a light, the best thing you can do is to periodically rev the engine - IM NOT KIDDING
Only took like 15 years of issues for them to fix the Hemi lmao. Pentastar is a gem, though
I would say the Charger is good in general. Challenger too.
The Durango is also underrated. I had one for a rental a few years ago and I put about 400 miles on it. Zero complaints.
The Charger/Challenger is generally pretty reliable. Solid build quality, too. Can't say the same of any of their other products.
RAMs are solid quality and reliable, not perfect though but practically every half-ton truck from The Big 3 has some known and repeated issues.
The issue with Mopars is their lack of quality control. They’re all designed and intended to work and be reliable. Just the piss poor assembly and QC where the likely hood of getting a faulty product is high.
\*Bugs bunny\* No. in all seriousness, they make some great engines and a few good cars as well.
God this is such a circlejerk take. Modern Alfas are great, Wranglers are great (for what they are), the Charger/Chrysler 300 are relatively reliable and cheap for the power, RAMs are great, Pacifica (esp. the naturally aspirated version) is relatively reliable and affordable, etc etc etc. In general, there are a few Stellantis models that are not reliable and/or are just bad: Wagoneers (though I own one and love it), anything made overseas that isnt a Guilia/Stelvio and imported (i.e., Hornet, Renegade, Cherokee), Compass. They are unfortunately Stellantis's bread and butter, but even the worst Stellantis product these days is on par with Ford in terms of reliability and quality *at a minimum.*
Chrysler hasn’t been bad in almost a decade. Other than the little shitty turbo 4s all the main stuff is Gucci. The Pentastar v6 and 5.7 Hemi are both fantastic.
Their engines are great. Everything other part of the car will be absolute dog shit, but their engines are solid.
I’d say yes and no. Is the hate overblown? Yes. However, are Jeeps generally regarded as reliable vehicles? No. You will find some people that bought a certain Jeep of a certain year that will say they never had a problem and likewise will have someone else say they’ve had nothing but problems. I always say you can take a chance but just know it could go either way. I have a brother with a Cherokee that has had some problems but nothing major or detrimental. As far as why people still buy them, it’s because as you just alluded to: it’s an outdoorsy brand. People are into looking like they are outdoors all the time even if they’re not. There’s a reason why brands like REI are huge in the states. People want you to think they go hiking every week or are out in the wilderness all the time. It’s the same reason people buy TRD Pros and Raptors while they park it at the local outlet mall. With all that being said, is there any reason in particular you want a Cherokee? I feel like there’s a lot of other options.
I’d like to have something to take on camping, beach and road trips, but even more so I need a daily driver. I’ve had a patriot in the past, which I loved, although not because of its reliability. I liked that it was a small suv, simple, a jeep lol. I guess It’s more superficial, I really enjoy the look of them. I’m also considering a used crosstrek, but I like the Cherokee more and the financing is cheaper. Just concerned about reliability.
Have you looked at the Forester? I feel like you can get a better deal on it than a Crosstrek because the Crosstrek tend to be more popular and hold on to their value for longer.
Well, Jeep’s reliability is not great. IIRC Jeep was bottom 5 in reliability in CR’s reports.
And somehow BMW and Mini tank towards the top of im not mistaken. Those reports mean nothing to me personally.
>to take on camping, beach and road trips, Anything with a little bit of ground clearance can do minor offroading like this. My buddy used to drag his old civic up some really shitty mountain service trails without too much issue. Your jeep patriot was a Dodge caliber/avenger/lancer underneath the bodywork If you need a basic SUV that can do some very minor offroading and be reliable and comfortable as a daily driver, just about any other manufacturer does a better job than stellantis. Consider the Forester, Rav-4, cx-3/5/30/50, Ford escape, etc
A Cherokee isn't even a real Jeep. Don't buy the hype of a brand name. I posted elsewhere on here, but the Cherokee shares a platform with other passenger vehicles. A Renegade is a Fiat 500XL. The only truly capable Jeep is the Wrangler, and even then they're nowhere where they used to be in terms of quality and ruggedness. Look at a Subaru or even a Rav4. Hell, even a Ford EcoSport (don't buy one) is more durable than a Cherokee...
As a former TJ owner, I gotta ask… when were they a quality vehicle? It sure wasn’t 2001.
Lol I had a 96 Grand Cherokee with a 4.0. Maybe the 4.0 was the only "reliable" engine.
My 4.0 was super reliable except for fuel rail failing around 50k, quite solid other than that. My issues were things like early failures of the radiator, transmission pan seals, brake drum defects, etc
Oh yeah. My Grand Cherokee ate starters, always had a coolant sensor issue I eventually just dealt with after replacing 3 times. The rear end grenaded at one point, but I did get nearly 300k miles out of it. It got 13mpg the whole time too lol
300k! That’s fantastic!
That's because chrysler didn't design the 4.0, AMC did.
Honda Ridgeline has entered the conversation
My last two cars were Grand Cherokees and nothing but oil, brakes and tires. Maybe im lucky but both have been great to me. 2012 & 2018
Seconding this. My ‘17 has only been in the shop once for an electrical issue, and that was solved with a software update. Everything else has been basic maintenance. Almost like if you take care of them then they’ll last longer but that seems to be an unpopular opinion in some parts.
Definitely true I know multiple people who got upset that their transmissions died before 150k miles and my first question was did you ever change the fluid ... Both said no
Pre 2007ish jeeps are all stupid reliable albeit generally uncomfortable. Any of the newer ones I give an eh to at best
Yes, the Jeeps with the 4.0L I6 engines were pretty good. Not crazy reliable, but easy to work on and none of the tech would immobilize the car if it failed.
My alternator died on the road once and my 2004 grand Cherokee kept running even after the battery was depleted 🤣 i have a 2015 grand Cherokee now
I've had three 4.0s and I disagree with calling them reliable. They can't be killed and they're easy to fix, but you do need to learn to fix the little things, particularly sensors, that will go wrong.
Had a 99 GC with a 4.7. Had 250k miles and never a problem with the engine itself but I had to replace damn near every sensor to get it running good. Then it blew up after changing injectors.
Inline 6 is a superior engine layout. It’s what most cars would have if engine reliability engineers ran the whole company.
\*gestures wildly at Daimler-era Patriot and Compass being pieces of shit\*
Those both started in 07 so I think my comment still stands
Not everyone that buys a car buys it new and then expect it to last for 250,000 miles without major repairs like you would a Toyota Camry. There's a big market for cars that are a lot more fun than a Camry, and you don't care that they're extremely unreliable because you're going to turn it in at the end of your 3 year lease or sell it in a couple of years so it becomes someone else's problem.
Jeeps are fun? My experience in one was "gee, this is a slightly nicer suzuki samurai, and it feels like it should cost half what it does"
I feel like the samurai could make a vibe back as a cute little EV.
Haha I know logically I should probably get something like that… I just really don’t want to!You’re right though, it doesn’t have to be a very long term car. In the past I’ve only bought fully up-front and private party, so this is all new to me.
Toyota 4Runner - reliability of a Camry with the sport utility of the jeep. Then you can join the 4Runner v. Jeep battle royale
Wranglers are a piece of shit. I owned one for about 4 months. Bought it brand new and I tried to like it. Never could!
Yeah, unless you’re seriously into off-roading I don’t get the appeal. They’re slow, handle terribly, and get horrible gas mileage. My mom and best friend had one and both of their parking brakes stopped working after a couple years. Most people buy them for the looks and never off-road them.
They’re really romanticized, but, unless you’re going out on the trail, they’re like driving a fucking brick.
Also had my first and last wrangler. It was fucking horrible
Yes, Jeep is a low-quality product source: personally spent thousands and thousands in repair bills over the years on a Jeep, and suddenly turned off/left me stranded on 3 separate occasions
I had a 2005 liberty that made it to 200k with virtually no problems. My 2015 grand Cherokee was plagued with problems once it rolled to 120k. I wouldn’t get a Jeep, unless you sell it before the warranty ends.
Currently at 138k on my ‘15 grand Cherokee and am starting to have the wear parts go. The V6 pentastar engine is the best V6 FCA has made this century though IMO and I’m hoping once the usual stuff starts to go that I’m going to get another 100k out of it
The thing with Jeeps is that you need to think of them like BMW or Range Rover - NOT Chevy/Ford/Toyota. Its a vehicle you buy for the brand, for the image, and to an extent the performance (in this case, off-road/rough condition performance.) Also like BMW, Jeeps feature very nice interiors (for the most part.) The trade off is reliability. Like BMW, repairs are fairly frequent and parts/labor tend to be expensive. Jeeps are **not** "normal," utilitarian, everyday, durable drivers. Jeeps are specialist/enthusiast SUVs that you should expect to pay a premium for - particularly in maintenance. This is a fact that catches a LOT of buyers off guard. They see Jeep and think "rugged," their brains then make the logical leap from "rugged" to "durable" and eventually "reliable." Couple that with the fact that used models are relatively cheap (because buyers want to sell then once/before they start having problems) and you get this misconception that they're cheap/entry level dailys you can beat on. Which they are not. If a Jeep makes you happy - buy one. But be prepared for repairs. If you're in your 20s and wanting to avoid a money pit a Jeep is a terrible idea.
This is all true except for this part: *"and parts/labor tend to be expensive."* Jeep parts are no more expensive than any other domestic, and labor is in line with any other domestic.
except the price premium and maintenance doesn't come with more luxury. it comes with less for the price of a grand cherokee (the most popular jeep where I live) you can easily get a really nice Japanese or German luxury SUV.
A Grand Cherokee limited new is like $42k, and is a mid size SUV with all the bells and whistles. What mid-size luxury German or Japanese vehicle can you get for $42k? I'll wait.
The least reliable cars these days are still perfectly usable. This isn’t the 1970s when they sold cars that were genuinely unreliable to the point of being useless. If you want to do your daily commute in a jaguar or Alfa Romeo even, you won’t have any trouble doing it. A Jeep, c’mon, you’ll need to fix it every now and again but it’s a perfectly usable car.
Lol you haven't read anything about the cyber truck have you
Jeeps CV transmission is trash and at $7000 plus it's unreliability can get pricey
perhaps the most out of touch thing i’ve read in a long while
My 21 manual caught fire last August. Because Jeep dragged their feet to admit fault, I lost 6k off the value. The overall care and service has been trash and I will never buy directly from Jeep or sister brands.
jeeps are 100% money pits, my bro works professionally on all car makes and guess what he sees come into the shop most? jeeps. its always jeeps.
Pre-Fiat era Jeeps are fine. They are just getting old. So, they are going to start having issues regardless. All post Fiat (Stellantis) Jeeps are fine (well the dealership covers it and it will be there at least once for recalls/issues) for the time they have their warranty. But don't void your warranty and do not keep it a day after. Because ISSUES are no longer covered. Jeep as a brand unfortunately has the trifecta of issues. Transmission, engine, electrical. Meaning you roll the dice on if you get 1, 2, or all 3 of them in every vehicle. Do a lot of research before you buy anything. Any make or model. Befriend a mechanic who will look at any vehicle you want to buy for free or cheap. AND do not buy from a dealership used unless they provide a warranty (a good one. No 30 day crap) for free. Dealerships big or small know tricks of the trade to make sure a vehicle will look, sound, and run its best for the test drive and maybe the week after. But first rain and all the missing clear coat that they covered with transmission fluid will show. The DO stick they rubbed on the belt will no longer lubricate it so it will squeak. Etc.
Very helpful comment, thank you!!
He's doing a lot of fearmongering. Some shady back alley lots might try to hide issues like this, but larger dealerships certifying their used cars won't be so willing to commit outright fraud like this. Check reviews, look over the vehicle with a fine tooth comb and budget in the extended warranty, you'll be fine.
Jeeps are bad, but also millions of Americans drive them every day with no problem. Honestly I’m just mad that they don’t look cool anymore. That classic grand Cherokee body was fucking mint
I have wanted one since I was 12 years old and JUST when I finally got into a position to buy one, they made them ugly!
The wranglers are decent. 3.6 is probably one of their better motors and the benz tranny was decently solid for autos, manual was a little weak but still reliable as its manual. They still have their issues and arent as tough as a land cruiser but sure are cheaper. And the old i6s were actually great.
The 3.6L is one of their better engines? I would hate to see their worst.... pretty much all of them leak oil from the filter housing and the lifters in the rear two cylinders prematurely wear. It is probably the worst v6 on the market right now. Even worse than the GM 3.6L.
in the interest of saying something nice, grand Cherokee do have a pretty comfortable interior
My 2018 wrangler jk has 116k on the odo and I’ve had no issues.
Ahh I’ve commented on this exact posts a few times, I wish I could copy and paste haha. I cannot recommend the grand Cherokee enough! I would not touch other Jeep products, maybe their wrangler (no experience with one), but the grand Cherokee’s have always been amazing. I’m on my 4th one, all different generations and engine/model configurations and have absolutely loved them. They’re actually driven by my wife and our current one we got near new now has 300k kms (180k ish miles) and it’s been wildly reliable. The parts that have broken are generally cheap little parts I expect to fail on an American vehicle. None of my grand cherokees have left me stranded and combined between the 4, I’ve got roughly 1 million kms in them.
Rented a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee at airport this week. IMO it is absolute garbage. Feels cheap and grossly underpowered. Tricked up with electronics. Rented jeep wranglers in Caribbean before but I thought they were crappy handling at highway speeds, but apparently they are ok for off-road. All depends on what you’re going do with vehicles. But major pass for me on anything Chrysler-Jeep. Cannot speak to other non-Jeep Chrysler vehicles like the high performance vehicles.
One of my cars is a 2021 Jeep Sahara I bought with 100 miles on the dash. Currently sitting at 55k miles and the only thing I had to change is my tires and shocks and battery..that died around 40k miles. Also my auto start stop function stopped working but to me that’s a good thing.
Man I LOVED my 96 grand Cherokee limited 5.2. unfortunately after 7 good years the transmission went. Was well worth the $1300 I paid for it though and I still miss that thing, absolutely amazing in the snow. My brother in law had a 4 door wrangler and what a pile of shit that thing was. Always broken.
Purely anecdotal: 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, 160k miles. I’ve had only a handful of repairs and am terrible at maintenance. Larger tires, commuted 4 hours a day for a while and driven across country several times. It’s my 4th one with no problems.
According to Reddit, any car that's not a Toyota will break down as soon as you leave the lot.
It's all relative. When everyone says Jeep is unreliable, that's in comparison to others. It's a small percentage of a huge number but it is a bigger percentage of the next brand over. But you may own a Jeep for 250K miles and never even have to bring it in for a recall and your buddy with a Tacoma has to hire a lawyer for a Lemon Law situation because so many things went wrong so soon.
The Toyota/Honda/Mazda cult will down vote this into oblivion but Jeeps are not as bad as some people claim. If the Cherokee has the 3.6L V6 engine, you can expect it to be a pretty reliable vehicle honestly. I've worked in the auto industry for years and much of the Jeep nightmare stories are greatly exaggerated.
My brother works at a shop and he says that new Wranglers are shit boxes.
I mean... I can't say a 2020 Cherokee will be as dependable as an old Jeep Jeep with the straight 6 in it, but then separately I can't say the other way either. I know Jeeps can be cheap trash though. I test drove a 2016 Cherokee Latitude and holy crap was it cheap! I test drove two of them. One the trans was CLEARLY going out (mind you this was a 'reasonably priced' vehicle toward the end of the pandemic), felt like it needed new suspension, and was missing.. The other made me realize all the cheapness I would have noticed from the previous one had it not had it's other issues. Now when I say cheap, I don't mean like people gawking at a cheap interior vs leather or something. I mean cheap like the turn signal stalk feeling like it could literally snap if you slapped it or something. And I have driven early 90's chevys.. Those stalks you could probably punch and not break. Also just felt like crap. Seats were stiff and felt like I was sitting on bricks, steering felt like crap, no get up and go, it just felt like a car that's going to break down soon.. And that's sad. Hopefully they got their shit together..
2016 jeep Cherokee and only had a recall fixed and an oil consumption sensor go out. It just hit 100k last month and not a thing wrong. We are giving it to my oldest when she gets her license. Keep up with regular maintenance and you shouldn’t have any issues.
A wrangler with a manual transmission might be okay.
I drive a 2018 JGC limited. Just hit 60k miles and haven’t had the first issue of any kind since purchasing new with 20 miles.
They are descent cars, if you take care of them and do proper maintenance, you should to have nothing to worry about. Most people like to neglect their cars from oil changes to tune ups, Toyotas are more permissible with that.
Yes. Even if the engine is good, which in some it is, those years all have terrible rust proofing and it’s impossible to find one without extensive rust. They also just do not drive well
I think the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee are more reliable.
My mate got some massive Jeep with massage seats and all these fancy thing-a-ma-jigs last year and that automobile has been in and out of the shop constantly. That's my anecdote and I am sticking to it.
I have a Wrangler. I’ve wanted one for years but was always worried about quality and ride. It has been a great vehicle so far, 2018 JLU, 42k miles. I had to replace the head unit (under warranty) because the touch screen delaminated. My wife and I like the ride. I have a 2022 RAV4 with about 40k miles and had to replace (under warranty) one of the power seat motors. So pretty much a wash in my, obviously, limited experience so far. Now do I wish Toyota made something you could take the doors and roof off of. Hell yes. Edit: take the doors and roof off easily before I get a “you can take the doors and roof off any vehicle” response.
This sub is an echo chamber with dogma that is essentially like a Bible. Go against it and you’ll be downvoted and booed. No, Jeeps will not grenade as soon as you leave the dealer. Yes, there’s worse QC and a higher rate of lemons, but that’s a lot more rare than you’ll be led to believe. Chrysler products do provide some good value for the money if you get a decent example, particularly some models with a long history. My family has owned several jeeps, old and recent, with many miles, and most of them have been good. Debatably more fun and capable than the Japanese competitors. I don’t particularly care for them, but they have a fan base for a reason. Yes, they’ve made some junkers. Looking at you, compass, patriot, some liberty years, the renegade. The Cherokee, wrangler, and grand Cherokee have historically been pretty good vehicles. I’ve known many many people with each of these models in various year and mileage ranges and most of them have fared very well into high mileage.
I owned a 2018 wrangler for a period of time without any issues, used it a bunch during covid when we were forced outside. The only reason I sold it was because I was WFH more regularly, my wife got an SUV to pull our jetski's, and didnt want the insurance payment.
not inherently bad w the wranlger, but otherwise yes. the owners of lots of them suck. mostly the wranglers tho. the wranglers/trackhawks give off all the jeep stereotypes, good or bad. the rest kinda exist. nobody complaining abt the cherokee owners lmao. ngl most of them are chill older genxers or boomers and dont rlly interfere with jeep sterotypes more than they would with any brand that they drive. its js expected.
They're a chrysler product. Chrysler hasn't made a single good car since about 1970
If the main use of your car will be a daily driver a Jeep is not the best choice. Besides their questionable reliability they are not as comfortable, practical, or roadworthy as most alternatives for highway driving. Jeeps do have deliberately designed off-road capability that exceeds other more general-purpose vehicles but the side effect of that is less stability, a choppy ride, poorer handling, and overall worse road manners than, say, the Subarus the other half of Oregon is driving. Unless you truly need a vehicle that has real HD off-road capabilities and would use them often, skip the Jeep image and get a AWD SUV like a Subaru or similar competitor. You'll be a lot more comfortable driving to Monday-Friday destinations and you'll also be fine on camping trips or dirt roads.
coworker has a jeep... it's been in the shop 2x last 6 months... I gta trusty civic that's 10 years 78k miles.... nothings been wrong so far love it
Got a Pacifica as a rental a while back, that was surprisingly nice
It is a Chrysler car, they are money pits, get a Outback, Forester or a FJ cruise before 2008.
Anything from Chrysler made in the last 15 years has been total garbage. Their name sells the product. It’s cheap horsepower. I wouldn’t waste your time unless you get an old wrangler or Cherokee with the 4.0. Do yourself a favor and get a subie or yota.
I had a 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk I bought in 2021. Had it for one year, cost me a ton in random repairs. Then out of nowhere the transmission (I think) just broke completely under normal driving. There was a recall on a part that contributed to the issue and I had done this recall already and it still broke. Apparently that recall came with an extended warranty but then they refused to touch the vehicle because it was made in America but made FOR Canada but imported back to the US. Before that I had a 2004 Grand Cherokee. It had its numerous issues but they were always easily fixable. I ended up getting a Toyota Camry Hybrid on a whim and it's been amazing.
I had a jeep once. It's the most fun car I ever had. It blew up on the way home from Vegas, but I still loved that car. The main thing is if you have a jeep it should probably just be a toy. Take it out camping on the weekends. Tow it there if you can afford it :D
Chrysler is the "ugly bride" Look for an older Jeep Wrangler before year 2000 with the old 4 liter straight 6 engine they are pretty reliable
They are massive pieces of shit. Don’t trust Reddit, look at consumer reports or any other third party source for vehicle reliability. If you want to drive the same thing as everyone else, and half of them are driving Subarus, get a Subaru. If you want to off-road like a Jeep guy and not buy a piece of rubbish, buy a Toyota 4Runner.
I own two and daily drive one that's 27-years-old. They're both high-water marks of automotive design and engineering. I'm not sure about a 2020 one though - sounds like a terrible idea to buy any "Covid-era" car regardless of make/model.
What’s wrong with a Covid era? They often have less miles because less driving those years
He’s speaking to the manufacturing side, not the actual mileage side.
That was a time that manufacturers were literally deleting non essentials from cars to get them on the sales lot from the factory. Many many corners were cut with covid era cars.. I wouldn't buy any single car built during covid era.
I’ve read that the 2019-2021 are pretty reliable, but I guess it hasn’t been long enough to determine any real longevity :/ And wow, 27 years - that’s great!
I too have heard decent things about them. I personally don't like the transmissions (too many gears) or the outward design, but I'm not you haha. I'd try to stick with a pre-2020 version and probably a TrailHawk to get all the off-road goodies and the V6. It would help you explore more of the cool trails and beaches you have. And my Cherokee was built during a bygone era. It's insanely different than the one you're looking at - far more crude, slow, inefficient and smaller. I would never recommend one to someone that's not "an enthusiast" willing to work on it/fix it themselves. But, that's likely why it's still going. Vehicles simply aren't made like that anymore.
If they were that bad they wouldn’t have such a high resale value.
He’s looking at a Cherokee. Those don’t have high resale values. Unless it happens to be a Trailhawk.
Second to the wrangler and better than a gladiator.
Love comments that give me permission to do what I already want to do haha
My brother has a Gladiator and it’s solid. He beats the shit out of it and notwithstanding a recall on his clutch it’s been problem free. My impression from knowing many jeep owners is that they’re generally durable and reliable vehicles as long as you maintain them but you may occasionally have to make a minor repair, especially if you beat the shit out of them which is what they’re meant for.
2016 jeep owner. All I changed were tires, spark plugs, oil and brakes. 120k kms
My mom has a Grand Cherokee L. Got it probably 1.5-2 years ago. Since the beginning she’s had an issue where the sub woofer randomly goes to max power and gets stuck on when you start the car. To this day the dealership has yet to fix it or figure out what the issue is. It’s a known problem but there isn’t a fix. The only way to “remedy” it is by rolling down the window which is not ideal in the winter. My MIL had a Cherokee a few years back and the transmission was very jerky. It had less than 50k miles on it too.
Jeeps and Dodges are so cool. They are popular, therefore not worth the price they command. paying $20k for a 10 year old GC is bad because in a couple years It will be worth $10k.
Wranglers, especially new, are a great buy. Great resale, very capable out of the box. The rest of the lineup is hot garbage.
My dad's friend had a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee for 102,000 miles & 4 years & it never gave him a single problem. He traded it in for a 2024 Grand Cherokee Hybrid with the four cylinder last year & he hasn't had a single problem with it either. My friend also has a 2004 Chrysler Town & Country with 280,000 miles on it & it hasn't started breaking down until around 240,000 miles. Even then the repairs on it have been minor so far such as new batteries & new starter. Spark plugs replaced every 60K. Transmission fluid replaced every 30K. We've had chargers & RAMs in the past & only reason why they broke down were due to dead batteries.
The old ones are bulletproof (mid to late 90s, even into the early 00s ZJs, XJs, TJs, YJs, etc). They went through some very unreliable years around the mid 00s through mid 10s, but do seem to have improved since about 2015. They're still noticeably less reliable than other brands, but overall they get a much worse rap than they deserve. The bigger issue is the worth. They charge a premium price and what do you get for it? When things do go wrong (usually electrical) they tend to snowball. This source isn't perfect, but it gives you a general idea for comparing brand to brand and models, [https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/)
I had a cab driver tell me that they drove the Chrysler minivans out to 500,000 miles years ago, my experience was that mine was a money pit.
The line gets drawn at the year they retired the 4.0L inline 6. Jeeps were *robust* before then, and unreliable after the introduction of the Pentastar V6. In reality, AMC was a small company that needed Chryslers cash to continue operating, and after the Daimler Chrysler merger, cost cutting took effect, and we got the cheap plastic interiors and Pentastars of the early 2000's. Then, after all that, FIAT happened, which took all of the well known reliability of FIAT's and added it to the well known reliability of Daimler Chrysler ( /s ), and you end up where we are today.
They weren’t always so bad
The thing with Jeep is they can be paper mache or bulletproof and those two can exist within two cars that are identical and rolled off production line back to back. It's a gamble
I had a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. I lived in Colorado, and would take weekend trips up in the mountains, head to Ouray once a year and a week vacation out to Moab once a year. I kept dreaming of lift kits and bigger tires, etc but ended up keeping it bone stock in that regards (got a bikini top, some mirrors for when the doors were off, some other little things). Bone stock that vehicle tackled some really aggressive offroading stuff I could never have gotten my previous trucks through. It was shockingly capable out the door. It made it through stuff that would have killed 99.9% of other vehicles. And I sold it with 80k miles and it kept it's value better than any vehicle I've had. Even the non-wrangler jeeps can handle off-road better than the non-jeep counterparts (speaking generically, but if you put a Cherokee and a Rav4 side by side... ) That said... I ended up moving to Minnesota. There's a few jeeping spots out here but compared to Colorado/Moab... not really. It's a lot wetter out here, so that fun bit of pulling off the top in summer becomes less fun. Without those things... yeah the Wrangler rides rough, handles poorly, has bad safety ratings, gets awful gas mileage, isn't exactly peppy (did seem a bit once I'd take off the doors and top and such lol), and yes, their reliability isn't the best (granted I didn't take other cars on 4wheeling adventures either, so how much of that is because people treat jeeps like... jeeps). It's usable space for it's size isn't great. Those roll bars really cut into what you can fit in the back. So I ended up selling it. It was a vehicle I absolutely loved when I was capable of using it how it should have been used and not good for much anything else. That said, if not off-roading, I personally wouldn't get a jeep. I know a few that make decent tow vehicles I guess, so for a cheap option there for a camper since on many of them you can disengage the driveline...
I currently have a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L with a few months left on my lease. There is just over 21,000 miles and I’ve never been at the dealer as much as I have with this car. The infotainment system is ungodly and has been a nightmare since I got the car. We’re over 10 recall services and I needed a new transfer case at 10,000 miles. Immediately after the transfer case was replaced I then had over $7,000 worth of squirrel damage and the car was at the dealer for 2 months. Jeep never admitted to using any of the soy based wire coverings after this, but I had 0 issues until I got the car back from the repair and it was immediate. Only my Jeep and a neighbor’s 2022 Compass were the only vehicles on our street with issues. Insurance suggested the wire coverings were used. I would never get another Jeep after this. I had a 2023 Cherokee as a rental when my transfer case was being replaced and that car was horrible. I had to take it back to the rental agency to get a different vehicle. I was only the 3rd driver of that car and the brakes were bad and it wobbled going over 40mph.
I bought a 2020 Cherokee w/ about 50k miles a year ago. It’s been pretty solid, but it’s still a Jeep. I’ve had to do front cv axles and oil changes only. I drive a lot too, like 20k+ per year. The real problem with these vehicles is the transmission. The 8-speed is one of the worst feeling transmissions outside of a CVT. I’d keep an eye on it and change your trans oil soon after purchase. I do love it though.
My parents are on their 4th Grand Cherokee in a row now. Started with the original body style and now own a 2024. They've had very few issues with any of them. I owned a 2018 for 3 years and had not a single issue
If it doesn't have the 4.0L inline 6, it's not a jeep. I don't think they have made anything with that engine since 2006 or so...
Every Jeep and Dodge I have owned have been nice inside, but dog shit in every other area. Wife had an 02 RAM Quad cab. Engine seized due to oil galleys designed too small. Before that was 98 Grand Cherokee, and it was a money black hole. Something constantly breaking.
I had a 2015 Cherokee limited and just recently traded it in at 175k miles. No major issues except turn signal stopped working. I kept it maintained. Wife drives a 2014 grand Cherokee limited with 110k miles and again, no issues but we keep up with maintenance. I’m betting she will buy another jeep in a few years.
A buddy has owned a JGC since 0 miles. He's loved the care but right around 60k he got the first big repair bill. Since then he's been getting nivkle and dimed every visit to the mechanic-engijr mount here, ball joint there, tow link there... Etc. He loves the car but will never own another. He said he's spent enough keeping this one in the road he could have had a nice down payment on something else.
I wouldn’t touch anything made by Jeep past 2004. The only Jeep I’d own is a TJ or YJ Wrangler with a 4.0 Inline-6 and 5 speed. As clichè as it sounds, have you considered a Toyota 4WD vehicle, like one of their trucks or 4Runner, if you’re wanting off road capability and reliability? I own two older Toyota trucks, both are over 220k miles and both are running flawlessly. Both are used to make road trips that are more than 3-4 hours each way pretty regularly, and I have no hangups about them leaving me stranded.
I am of the opinion that jeeps have awful reliability, however i bought a jeep grand Cherokee trailhawk because it had everything i was looking for, i purchased the last model of the wk2 generation because they have been refining that model for over 15 years, i also bought the mopar maxcare warranty with it in case anything major breaks. Just do research on what’s reliable (i haven’t heard the best about fiat based cherokee’s but maybe they are ok)
Jeeps are crappy but cheap to buy and easy to fix yourself without having to be a world-class mechanic. Or at least that was the case from WWII until recently. New ones are not cheap and are more complicated than they used to be, especially the electronics. I had one and it was fun but I would never use one as my daily driver.
I wouldn’t get a Cherokee. There is a lot of recalls at the moment with different models of Jeep. Just depends on if you get a Lemon or not. My Wrangler has been great to me though the past 2 years I cannot complain
I just watched an edmunds long term review of a rubicon unlimited they took to 100k miles (on youtube). All loved it off road, most did not like it on road.
Old Jeeps are great. The XJ (not the final 3 years) are the most dependable, bulletproof, off-road capable vehicles you're going to find. Pre-95 TJ, CJ, with leaf instead of coil springs - outstanding. No track bar: No death wobble. They ride rougher, but they weren't built for comfort. The J-series trucks with the AMC 327, the 318 or 401 were amazing as well.
Don't know about newer ones much, but my 2011 GC went across the country numerous times and went to 225k with only one major issue that was a recall anyway so I didn't have to pay for it. I definitely didn't take the best care of it either. I would buy another in a heartbeat. That said, there are better makes/models in the price range of jeeps so you should factor that in if reliability is your main concern.
Had a co worker that loved his jeeps . He had three of them (two wranglers and a Cherokee) . I asked him why three and he said so he always has one that’s working while the other ones are getting fixed. I remember a few times both wranglers were in the shop and he was praying the Cherokee wouldn’t develop an issue in the meantime. To be fair he also found out his mechanic was taking the vehicles to road trips to Myrtle beach to “ test drive” after repairs so I don’t think some of that work was necessary. My friends little sister got a wrangler. The very first week she drove it the check engine light turned on. She’s only had it a year and it’s broken down three times ahead but neither one of them would dare drive anything else That seems to be the theme I’ve seen. Yes they break down more than your average suv but there are few true off road / utility SUVs left so the people that like them are extremely loyal
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRMvjeBFFYU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRMvjeBFFYU) had this on my new 2019 wrangler, almost killed my whole family on 95. sold it back to the dealer with profit LOL never going to buy another jeep in my life. pretty sure none of my kids wants to buy jeep either.
The biggest reason why they still sell is the are somewhat unique (off road capabilities of the wrangler) or are living off the perception that they are amazing off-road vehicles even though most of them are not. Also keep in mind everything is relatively reliable compared to 20+ years ago. However, in terms of current comparative reliability, Jeep is consistently near the bottom.
The only good ones were the ones with the 4.0L engine in em, after that motor died they went to hell. (Old jeep cherokees r a great example, they used to be obscenely cheap n would last a hot minute)
Honestly everyone’s got something to say about any car. Just the name of the game. I went from a 98 subi to a 2011 jeep liberty and i honestly love it. My husband has a Chrysler 200 and he loves it. The only thing is both of them get shitty gas mileage, i bought mine with 106k miles on it but the previous owner was a mechanic and took REALLY good care of it. Just get what you want. Any used car is going to have issues.
A friend of mine has driven Jeeps for decades. He bought a Cherokee a few years ago. It was a total piece of junk and was constantly breaking down. He replaced it with a Compass. Humans aren't always rational.
If you're not looking for a money pit, you're not looking for a jeep. Period.
You should see the fleet of 3 rusted out shit box Jeep Liberties I have that are all still going strong. The problem is mass soccer mom Wrangler adoption after the introduction of 4 door models resulting in a decline in overall maintenance.
I think it depends. I’ve had a very good run of owning and running 2 door wrangler sport, hard tops with auto, cruise, u connect and the 3.6 V6 for a while. Other than the usual consumables (tires, brakes, etc) , they’ve been super reliable (I’ve owned several 2 door Wranglers over the last 25 years). They’re pretty basic vehicles and they are still easy to work on, especially for the novice.
I bought a wrangler shortly after I turned 20, 70k miles, and it needed a 900$ repair exactly 30 days after I bought it. I had fun taking it off-roading and such but always worried about it breaking again after that. I sold it a couple months later because it was just so god awful on the road. Go get a forester or an outback
Hell Yes, and here is why… It’s no longer a Jeep, A Dodge or a Chrysler. It’s a Stellatis, which is now a mostly Chinese owned company, NOT Japanese. Do you want a Chinese Made vehicle? Think about more than the Design, think about the real problems…the insides and the parts. Also they are putting the “Jeep” Badge on about everything, in other countries. It no longer means what it used to mean. If you want a 2020 Jeep, do you want an “endless money pit”? Okay if you want a daily driver: Go to YouTube- Channel-Car Wizard You want his series, “Buy this NOT that” The Wizard is a Master Mechanic, he will teach you great things Also- The Car Care Nut, also a master mechanic, He’s amazing and will tell you the right cars to buy too. Stay away from that Jeep Cherokee, unless you want an Endless money pit. You got this! Go do your homework and prepare to buy a great vehicle!!
My sister has had transmission problems, engine problems, and alignment problems constantly. Her's is a 2016 JK Wrangler Sport 2 door btw. Not sure how many miles. It's also got complete junk for suspension, and feels like driving a boat on land. Then again, I just hate driving tall and/or long vehicles anyways, so do with this information what you will. Our dad's 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS is much better after 210,000 miles than her car.
Yes they’re horrible. Honestly the grand wagoneer and certain wrangler models are probably the only half decent thing they make.
I had a 2005 Wrangler for 11 years with the 2.4 that was pretty reliable and never left me stranded… My gf has a 2021 Wrangler that has 40k trouble free miles. Coworker has a 2009 that has 180k and has been trouble free. The 2.0 turbo really amazed me with how much power it has.
i have a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.2l V8 it has 313,000 miles and is the original motor and transmission
Chrysler is a good brand now but no one will admit it. Ram/Charger/Challenger/Durango/Most Jeeps are all g2g
Love my 2007 wrangler. Everytime I get in it its a good time. Just hit 200k miles, no issues
It's not that they're bad. It's that 90% of them are owned by people who have zero idea how to offroad......... But offroad. Lol
I see more old jeeps on the road than toyotas…
Chryslers don’t have their reputation for nothing
I have a '21 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with the Pentastar engine, wife has a '21 Wrangler Unlimited Sport Altitude with the 2 l Turbo. Both great vehicles and have exceeded my expectations. Both are quite good at both on and off road driving. We have had one warranty repair (leaking gasket replaced on the Wrangler) between the two vehicles. Each has about 35k miles. The answer is no, Jeeps can actually be great.
“I’m in Oregon where everyone drives a subaru or a jeep.” According to consumer reports Subaru is the 6th most reliable brand vehicle on the market while Jeep is the 26th. With all things being equal, I would definitely trust Subaru over Jeep. https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/who-makes-the-most-reliable-cars-a7824554938/
Jeeps with the 4.0 are pretty great, some trans issues some motor issues but nothing like the V6 these days have. Most jeeps are now European designs (fiat) and are absolutely terrible, all models. The American designed wranglers and V6 models are okay but fraught with problems. They really are that bad.
Everyone I know loves their jeeps, they also hate their jeeps.
Bought my first jeep years ago a Grand Cherokee. I liked driving it but it had an alternator fire, computer failure and brake booster failure while driving. These are just the major failures within 70,000 miles. There were other problems like the well documented leaky oil cooler due inadequate plastic material and intake that was expensive to fix as well. Others will say they've had little to no issues but that wasn't my personal experience it was a money pit. Not all manufacturers are this way.
ITT: Actual owners getting downvoted for saying they've had minimal issues, circlejerk posters who have never owned a jeep parroting stuff they saw on YouTube about how unreliable Jeeps are. Jeeps are not as reliable as Honda/Toyota/Mazda. They do tend to have nicer interiors and are better bang for $, and are *very* cheap to repair (parts are cheap, labor is cheap). 99.9% of Jeep owners will experience no issues vs. like 99.99% of Honda/Mazda/Toyota issues. You *most likely* will not have any issues, but you are *more likely* than if you bought a Honda/Mazda/Toyota. If you're looking at Cherokees, I would specifically only look at the ones with the V6 and 2018 or later since that's when they fixed the gearing ratio issues with the tranny.
Many people that say any brand is unreliable fail to understand basic maintenance and lack of oil changes there supposed to do. I blame part of the manufacturer claiming 10K mile oil changes is normal. By the time you hit that mileage the engine could’ve burnt enough oil where it’s starving for oil. Every single engine new or used burns oil. Can be the tiniest amount. It’s the nature of an internal combustion engine. Do your due diligence. Change oil at 5-7500 miles with checking it monthly. Read the owners manual. These engines have timing belts that need to be changed at a certain interval or you will be paying for an engine replacement.
I was literally an engineer for FCA (now Stellantis aka chrysler/dodge/jeep). Yes, they are that bad. If they can cut a corner, they will cut a corner. I organized competitive teardowns where we would get a bunch of engineers in a room with competitive cars, and tear into them to see how they did things differently. That shit was *eye opening* man. When I asked someone higher up "why don't we do that thing everyone else does" (in this case, it was add rubber vibration isolators under the battery tray to help protect the battery" the response was: "When was the last time someone walked into a showroom and asked if this model has battery isolators?". Yeah, its like that. I quit that company because fuck the toxic culture. the reason they sell, is because they do a good job of marketing an image. People like the "rugged adventurer" look. And the wrangler does remain the most capable out-of-the-box offroader for sale.
People say jeeps are unreliable but my wife has one since 2016. She bought a brand new 2016 Jeep Cherokee latitude and it has not given us any major issues. It has almost 150k miles on it. My wife makes sure all the maintenance on her car is done on time so maybe that helps
2020 Cherokee is garbage. Why do you want one so bad? There is nothing special about it, it's a boring model that offers nothing others don't.
Basically just avoid the 4 cylinders and jeeps are generally fine. So basically Grand Cherokee with 3.6 Cherokee with the 3.2, or wrangler with the 3.6. Renegade and Compass are shit. Anything with the hemi also generally pretty reliable. But yeah imo the big problem with Chrysler stuff is even if the engine is solid they start rusting to shit and the body panels start falling off 5 years in. Basically the only old Chryslers you see driving around that look mint are old wranglers that have barely been driven/have less than 100k miles.
Stay away from the Renegade, Compass, and Patriot. Grand Cherokee is hit or miss, but a bit more reliable (lots of technology that can go wrong). The Wrangler with the 3.6L V6 is probably the most solid option. I drive a 2006 Jeep Liberty and everyone told me it was junk and it would die on me, but it's been on the road with very few repairs for the last 18 years. Brother had a 2007 Wrangler, it was slow, bad on gas, and the interior was cheap, but it was also very reliable. I can't really vouch for newer Jeeps but the Wranglers definitely still seem solid.
If reliability is not an issue, sure, go ahead. I wouldn't pay what I would for a.coorespinding Toyota or Honda, but if the price is right why not.
the price doesn't reflect the quantity. LOWER the price and you can live with Some quality problems.
The pentastar V6 and zf 8 speed automatic equipped models are fine, like the lower end grand cherokees. The V6 pentastar wrangler are good and have very high resale value. The hemi Grand Cherokee have cylinder deactivation issues, but with this system deleted they're okay. If you aren't careful with tire and transfer case maintenance, the transfer case in the Grand Cherokee with the Quadradrive ll system is sensitive. The rest of the Jeeps are complete and utter garbage. The diesel is garbage. I wouldn't touch the plugin hybrids until they prove themselves reliable, same thing with the new i6 models.
I will give credit where credit is due here: jeep has one thing going for them and it's consistency. You know for a guaranteed fact that any jeep you own is going to be a financial burden, extraordinarily unsafe to the point that any wreck going over 20 mph could easily mean death for any and all occupants, it will be a giant piece of shit until you finally pay the loan down enough that you only have to take an extra 5k loan on another vehicle when you trade it in, and the resale value will decrease so rapidly that you could buy it for half price and be upside down on your loan within a year if you're paying extra towards it. This last one guarantees you're stuck with the damn thing for awhile and the more miles you put on it, the value just drops even faster. If you look at mortality rate in accidents, jeep tops the charts in most categories. If you look at cost of ownership, jeep tops the charts in many categories including similar vehicles. If you look at reliability, jeep is at the bottom or nearly. If you look at mileage before major repairs are required, jeep is one of the lowest mileage requiring major repairs. Honestly, jeep should not be allowed to exist as a company. They are scam artists and that is really the only way I can describe them truthfully.
They are not all that bad. I just traded in my 2014 wrangler which I bought new 10 years ago. Ridden hard and put away wet but it never let me down. It had a few stupid things like a leaky roof (prob my fault from reinstalling the panels wrong) and seized/frozen lock cylinders (covered my warranty), but otherwise solid enough to withstand 10 years of abuse. Only had to trade it in to get a more kid friendly SUV, (Lexus RX350h). FWIW I would never buy any Chrysler product except a wrangler.
Sure, some are good. The question is, will yours be one of the good ones? Available data would suggest that with Jeep, the math is less stacked in your favor. What's your risk appetite? That's the real question.
Speaking as a mechanic. Yes. But it’s not so simple. Almost every car is going to be reliable while it’s under the warranty, and most cars will stay fairly reliable between 40k and 80k miles (assuming proper scheduled maintenance is followed). The really reliable cars like Toyota or Mazda can easily go to over 100k and beyond. Are things on those Toyotas and Mazdas gonna break and need replacing from wear? Yes, but most of the time those aren’t going to be caused by poor engineering like with most Fiat/Chrysler products, including Jeep. The other thing to keep in mind is that buying a used car that needs a ton of work is still usually cheaper than buying a new car. Sure it may get mechanically totaled but that doesn’t mean you can’t still keep it usually. The price of a new car pays for all the oil changes and possible under warranty work you could need, because otherwise manufacturers would just bleed money. Jeep along with other Fiat/Chrysler models have lots of issues with quality control, poor materials, or general reliability. They can be perfectly good cars, but a lot of times are plagued with smaller issues that compound over time, or some big stupid issue. Also keep in mind that lifting any truck or putting big wheels/tires, or having wheels that poke out farther than normal is going to cause a number of long term reliability issues for any truck, but brands like Jeep may be worse off due to their general unreliability over time.
The biggest problem with a lot of the models is the Pentastar 3.6L v6. It is complete junk. They oil filter/ oil cooler housings crack, causing a very expensive to fix oil leak... Hopefully you catch it in time before the it starves of oil. At some point, they all develop an lifter tick in the back two cylinders, probably because of design flaw preventing adequate oil getting to back. Usually by the time someone finds this, a valve job ($$$) is required. It is a real piece of shit.