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FCA Jeep Quality Control left much to be desired. Dilemma of owning a Jeep.

KenPewPew

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Summary:

My 2 weeks old Jeep CEL came on, brought it back to dealership - wires were pinched and some not routed properly. Frustration mounted cause I negative experience with my previous Jeep where the differential is clicking. Surprised that it was a minor issue and that FCA did not checked it before approving their vehicle to be delivered. Dilemma of constant fear of owning a problematic Jeep and not finding any alternative to Jeep because I am a stupid noob for loving Jeep too much.

Details:

As some of you know I recently purchased a 2021 2 Dr Rubicon that was delivered mid September. Two weeks later, the check engine light (CEL) came on, and based on the recommendations of many here to check the gas cap, I did tighten the gas cap and CEL went away. However the next day it came back on again and I decided to call my dealership and was advised to bring my Jeep back for checkup on the same day.

Suresky Jeep of Goshen, NY was quick to prioritize my situation and they determined that the check engine light was due to some wire harness (specifically fuel injector harness) that was being pinched. They fixed it in a pronto and did a full diagnostic on my Jeep and found out that the heater hose was not routed correctly which I believe would lead to overheating and they fixed that problem.

I used to own a one and year half pentastar 2019 2dr Sport S Jeep which I traded in for this Rubicon because my Jeep was clicking on the differentials and it was driving me crazy. Needless say, I am super leery about anything that might happen to this new Jeep because my experience with my previous Jeep was subpar. But then I love my Jeep so much - especially after driving it topless last summer and I don't think that anything can replace a Jeep (yes I am not even interested in the new Broncos. Jeep to me its the Jeep with its rich history and iconic designs).

Having say this - I was surprised that FCA did not do any full quality check (QC) on the vehicles that they produced (I dont know what is their acceptable defect rates - but judging from the uncertainties and complain here - I think it must be pretty high). Or trying to reduce the rejection rate. Or if my dealership mechanic can do a full diagnostic and found such problem why cant FCA do it before the delivery approval.

It can be nerve racking to invest into something that I don't feel - what 95% confident about? (100% would be unrealistic). I know that if my CEL comes on again, I am going to plotz. And I don't think that I will be buying any other vehicle aside from Jeep (its my secondary "fun" ride). This is my dilemma - almost a love/hate(worries) about owning my current Jeep. And it is not a good feeling to have.

Also - I am REALLY thankful that I did not buy from a dealership that is 4-5 hours away from me. Yes the dealership that I purchased from is about an hour and fifteen minutes, but I am super thankful that I could reach out to my dealership (its not their fault anyway - and again a shout out to Alex Musumeci from Suresky Jeep in Goshen for assuring and dealing with my issue so promptly.) Had I bought from long distance, I think I would be embarrassed to bring it to any Jeep dealership here (especially my previous dealership which I still have good relationship) - it would be a walk of shame with "See thats what happened when you don't buy from us!!"

Additional thought - Someone recommended that I go to Autozone to get OBD-II to check out for code (I did) but I think that their database are only able to identify the code IF they are able to sell you items to fix your vehicle. It can be selective - or either that my Jeep is too new but I find it hard to believe when they said that they cannot find the error that was in the OBD-II system on the computer.
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Windshieldfarmer

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Yep - in 5,000 miles I’ve done a hard battery disconnect to get my keyless entry to start working again and used my programmer to reset the CEL after I got a couple of weird codes. Neither faults have repeated but this does not foster confidence....
 

Heimkehr

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Someone recommended that I go to Autozone to get OBD-II to check out for code (I did) but I think that their database are only able to identify the code IF they are able to sell you items to fix your vehicle. It can be selective - or either that my Jeep is too new but I find it hard to believe when they said that they cannot find the error that was in the OBD-II system on the computer.
OBD II diagnostic apps are available for free in Google Play. The related Bluetooth adapters are sold, at varying pricepoints, on Amazon (N.B. -- some require proprietary apps.)

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bluetoot...a7edaeb72595b909018cb0&tag=youcanic-search-20

Diagnostic trouble codes can be obtained, interpreted and erased using the aforementioned app and BT device. Online research can fill in the information gaps that the app might not sufficiently address.
 
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KenPewPew

KenPewPew

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Thanks for TLDR.

You had a problem and dealership fixed it. Wonderful
Thanks for your TLDR and sarcasm! I guess you miss out the main part about my Jeep being ONLY 2 weeks old. This is not just "a problem and the dealership fixed it", I was sharing about my experience and anxiety with my new Jeep which was problematic. And that is normal. A little bit of empathy would be nice!

The CEL didn't come on for 2 weeks....which means the QC inspection at FCA wouldn't have caught it anyway.
Sean, I totally can see your logic! :like: I would think that the FCA would not only use the CEL as a benchmark for quality control. The mechanic at my dealership ran a through diagnostic check after fixing the wires and found out that the heater was not routed properly. Coming from a production background -I am sure that FCA have their own method of quality control. If there are a lot of errors or problem post production or post purchase, they will have problem with consumer confidence (as Randy posted) in the long run. Especially with the new Broncos that is coming out.

OBD II diagnostic apps are available for free in Google Play. The related Bluetooth adapters are sold, at varying pricepoints, on Amazon (N.B. -- some require proprietary apps.)

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bluetoot...a7edaeb72595b909018cb0&tag=youcanic-search-20

Diagnostic trouble codes can be obtained, interpreted and erased using the aforementioned app and BT device. Online research can fill in the information gaps that the app might not sufficiently address.
Heimkehr - thank you for the info. I did not know that such tool exist. Appreciate the link - I think I might just purchase one for the ease of mind. And I wholeheartedly agree about getting answers from the Internet!
 

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GtX

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Thanks for your TLDR and sarcasm! I guess you miss out the main part about my Jeep being ONLY 2 weeks old. This is not just "a problem and the dealership fixed it", I was sharing about my experience and anxiety with my new Jeep which was problematic. And that is normal. A little bit of empathy would be nice!
You forgot the "/s" in you post.
 

Paul19JLR

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I'm not sure how a diagnostic check would let one know a heater line was misrouted.
With the packaging it would be hard to route one wrong.
 
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Spank

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Having say this - I was surprised that FCA did not do any full quality check (QC) on the vehicles that they produced
FCA doesn't have this "quality check" thing you speak of.

I had a rattling noise in my dash once that I couldn't figure out for the life of me, so I ended up popping off some of the panels and an entire person fell out! Turned out one of assembly plant employees fell in and got lost in there. Ridiculous.
 

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FWIW i have a electric car and it’s had a bunch of issues, most of which aren’t actually fixed.
all manufacturers need improvement in the QC department. I had a 2017 4 runner and it’s the only vehicle I’ve ever lemon law’d.

im really looking forward to my Jeep but to expect a vehicle to be without issues is fixating yourself on the path to disappointment. Humans to some degree still build vehicles and all of them make mistakes. Ultimately your experience will be defined by three factors; customer service, enjoyment of the vehicle and whether or not it suits your needs
 

HeavyUser

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Count your blessings that the only issue you have experienced so far was a faulty wiring harness.

These JLs are certainly not known for their build quality, anyone who cares to refute that should take a look over at the issues section of the forum . . . 100 pages long in only 2 years.
 

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nostatic

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FCA doesn't have this "quality check" thing you speak of.

I had a rattling noise in my dash once that I couldn't figure out for the life of me, so I ended up popping off some of the panels and an entire person fell out! Turned out one of assembly plant employees fell in and got lost in there. Ridiculous.
only one? You’re lucky. I had a noise coming from the back and found three plant employees playing cribbage. I’m still trying to figure out how they got the margarita mix for their blender. I figure the tequila came in the transfer case...

And don’t get me started about their work hours. Back in my day...

 

aldo98229

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It is true that most automakers have quality issues these days; even Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs. But at least one has a good chance of getting a decent dealer treatment with those brands. These Jeeps are fast approaching luxury prices but FCA's customer treatment is still as if we bought a used K-Car.

In the OP's case, he is happy with his dealer. That's half the battle right there.
 

emptyminded42

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Lots of new vehicles have issues. It's fortunate that you found yours quickly in its life and it was fixed by the dealer without any hassle. It does suck that you had a noisy diff on your last Jeep and the new one is having issues but I wouldn't necessarily worry about your new Jeep.

For instance, my Mazda3 had a rattling passenger door speaker since new and around 15k miles the passenger door switch that turns the interior lights became inoperative. Both fixed without issue at my local dealer (which has been outstanding).

Meanwhile, my wife's Forester had a leaky A/C condenser after 2.5 years/40,000 miles - just outside of the 3 year/36k bumper-to-bumper warranty so we had to pay $900 out of pocket to fix. Fortunately Subaru just released a warranty extension that covers it to 5 years/unlimited miles so we will get it reimbursed. They also extended the CVT's warranty to 10 years/100k miles. It also had a bad wheel bearing go out just a few k shy of the 60k powertrain warranty last year. It also has a recall on its passenger seat harness because if it gets wet it might not detect a passenger correctly which would cause the airbags to malfunction. Our local Scoob dealer has been outstanding at taking care of us, too. Different dealer group than the Mazda.

My '18 has wandering steering and the clutch recall to deal with. I'm eventually going to call for an appointment but hard to find the time to get out to a dealer given my work/home situation. I don't know yet if local CJDR dealers are good or not. We shall see.

Almost every new vehicle has an issue - big or small - and my confidence in my fleet hasn't been impacted by the warranty extensions, issues covered under warranty, or the recall.

I strongly recommend you get a bluetooth OBD-II reader to pull codes yourself - it will allow you to Google your code and get an idea of what's wrong. They're cheap, like $20 or less.
 

Movenpuck

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I have no confidence in Jeeps quality control,
my JLUR arrived with 2 different fenders. 1 rubicon and one sport. Being my first Wrangler I didnt notice until 2 weeks later. Granted the dealer did provide a wrangler loaner until it was straightened out.
 

zrickety

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A pinched harness is not too bad... If this is the worst problem you have you're lucky. I believe they are engineering parts at 85% integrity, they can't have your car last forever can they? The issue is even at 85%, they will all fail eventually 100% of the time. I blame CHINA!!
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