The Last Cowboy
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Joe
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2020
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- Location
- San Antonio, TX
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- 2020 JL Willys 2 door
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- Straight shooter with a crooked grin
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- #1
I'm posting this rant in this forum because it seems like the best spot on this site, and because the viewership at the Wagoneer forum is, let's say, pretty much non existent.
Rewind to 2022. My wife falls in love with the Wagoneers, and after a few test drives, she settles on a Wagoneer Series III. We were told that Wagoneer was to be a premium/luxury offering and that there would be a significant increase in customer service, and dealership experience. More to come...
After 3 years and 30k miles, only 2 issues arose, not bad. First, the AM radio was removed during an OTA update. Second, the AC became weaker as time went on, and was really noticeable this summer. So we took it to the dealer before the warranty expired.
It was dropped off for an "appointment" at Ancira Jeep in San Antonio, on 8/13/25. Why there was an appointment, I don't know, as they said it wouldn't be looked at for days. I asked about a loaner and was told that they are few and far between, so no loaner...for a so called "premium" brand.
On 8/20/25 we went to pickup the Wagoneer. We were given the key. A service synopses, and no one to explain what they did. A service manger, Judd Villalobos, was nearby and he read the synopses to me and said that the AC was working adequately and required no service. I told him that I would not have brought it in if it was working as well as it did when it was newer. He said his tech checked it and it was good. I asked if they checked the charge level with gauges, and he said they did. I asked if they checked the operation of the compressor clutch, and he told me newer vehicles don't have compressor clutches (LIE!). He told me that he did what "they" (Stellantis) would allow. I asked if I was a paying customer if the outcome would be different, and he said yes, that the dealer would would do more to determine the cause. In this case he did all that "they" would cover. He told me that a temperature output of 48 degrees in the shade is adequate, and that 68 degrees out of the vents on a 100 degree day is satisfactory. I said adequate is not optimal. I asked what he would do if it was his vehicle, and he admitted that he would have the root of the cause determined and fixed. He asked if I wanted to leave it and have it checked again. I asked if it would be any more in depth than what Stellantis allows, and he said it would not. I asked if it was tested outside, or on the road, and he said no.
So, this is where the post relates to Wranglers. It's no wonder service is so bad, when their service mangers don't have a basic understanding of the systems they are working on, and are not willing to do more than the bare minimum. There is no way in hell I would go back to that dealer for any kind of work for warranty, much less as a paying customer. This is the largest Jeep volume dealer in San Antonio, and part of the large Ancira dealership network.
So this leaves me wondering, do I even bother to buy another Jeep product again? Yeah, my Wrangler has been great, no issues in 5 years. And the Wagoneer has been mostly great, except for the AC issue. but man, do you get treated like garbage at the dealer. I've read the many posts here about it, but never had experienced it myself until now.
And yeah, I get that a lot of other makes are just as bad when it comes to warranty work, and service in general. But don't think for a second that there is any "premium" experience just because you have some with the Wagoneer name on it.
Does this make us want to get rid of the Wagoneer?, No, it will just go to a independent shop from now on. But, when it comes time for a new SUV for my wife, a Stellantis product will not be on the list.
Rewind to 2022. My wife falls in love with the Wagoneers, and after a few test drives, she settles on a Wagoneer Series III. We were told that Wagoneer was to be a premium/luxury offering and that there would be a significant increase in customer service, and dealership experience. More to come...
After 3 years and 30k miles, only 2 issues arose, not bad. First, the AM radio was removed during an OTA update. Second, the AC became weaker as time went on, and was really noticeable this summer. So we took it to the dealer before the warranty expired.
It was dropped off for an "appointment" at Ancira Jeep in San Antonio, on 8/13/25. Why there was an appointment, I don't know, as they said it wouldn't be looked at for days. I asked about a loaner and was told that they are few and far between, so no loaner...for a so called "premium" brand.
On 8/20/25 we went to pickup the Wagoneer. We were given the key. A service synopses, and no one to explain what they did. A service manger, Judd Villalobos, was nearby and he read the synopses to me and said that the AC was working adequately and required no service. I told him that I would not have brought it in if it was working as well as it did when it was newer. He said his tech checked it and it was good. I asked if they checked the charge level with gauges, and he said they did. I asked if they checked the operation of the compressor clutch, and he told me newer vehicles don't have compressor clutches (LIE!). He told me that he did what "they" (Stellantis) would allow. I asked if I was a paying customer if the outcome would be different, and he said yes, that the dealer would would do more to determine the cause. In this case he did all that "they" would cover. He told me that a temperature output of 48 degrees in the shade is adequate, and that 68 degrees out of the vents on a 100 degree day is satisfactory. I said adequate is not optimal. I asked what he would do if it was his vehicle, and he admitted that he would have the root of the cause determined and fixed. He asked if I wanted to leave it and have it checked again. I asked if it would be any more in depth than what Stellantis allows, and he said it would not. I asked if it was tested outside, or on the road, and he said no.
So, this is where the post relates to Wranglers. It's no wonder service is so bad, when their service mangers don't have a basic understanding of the systems they are working on, and are not willing to do more than the bare minimum. There is no way in hell I would go back to that dealer for any kind of work for warranty, much less as a paying customer. This is the largest Jeep volume dealer in San Antonio, and part of the large Ancira dealership network.
So this leaves me wondering, do I even bother to buy another Jeep product again? Yeah, my Wrangler has been great, no issues in 5 years. And the Wagoneer has been mostly great, except for the AC issue. but man, do you get treated like garbage at the dealer. I've read the many posts here about it, but never had experienced it myself until now.
And yeah, I get that a lot of other makes are just as bad when it comes to warranty work, and service in general. But don't think for a second that there is any "premium" experience just because you have some with the Wagoneer name on it.
Does this make us want to get rid of the Wagoneer?, No, it will just go to a independent shop from now on. But, when it comes time for a new SUV for my wife, a Stellantis product will not be on the list.
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