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New JLU owner... Not too Happy

TIDALWAVE

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Rather than worry about whether or not the first units off the line are lemons...you should do some research concerning the dealership that you may have to take your problem to. I had a Chrysler van that was in my local dealership for 5 out of the first 6 weeks with a suspension problem. They finally told me that it was a design defect and nothing could be done about it! I took it to another dealership...their mechanics fixed it in less than 15 minutes! They were incredulous that my dealership didn't know that Chrysler had sent out a simple fix months before!
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maguro

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I'm not concerned about buying a first year model but I'm willing to wait it out a few months. Just to give my dealerships some more hands-on training and some time to stock up on parts.

Works out well since the color I want isn't available for order yet.
 

FCrackerJLRubi

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I'm not concerned about buying a first year model but I'm willing to wait it out a few months. Just to give my dealerships some more hands-on training and some time to stock up on parts.

Works out well since the color I want isn't available for order yet.
I worked as a Chrysler mechanic

1) There is no official level training as a mechanic, its all self taught online at the Chrylser academy. You pass all the courses and presto your a certified master jeep mechanic.
2) Dealers stock the basic high fail parts (and i mean very basic), but you can guarantee the JL will be backlogged on parts for a while yet...ever heard of people trying to get fan assemblies for their new renegade? its still an issue nearly a year later.
3) Hands on (non mechanic) is the lowest common denominator for salesman. If they care they learn, if not they are just another lump selling a vehicle they know nothing about (90% of them fit this category, and that is generous)
4) Mechanics dont get paid for shit, if the book said a clutch replacement took 5 hours then thats all I got paid, even if it took 12 hours, my check was for 5 on that job. Lobbyists arent just the political world....hence why im no longer an official mechanic. Dealers charge $125+ per hour of labor...the mechanic sees maybe $15-$25 of that and only for what the holy Chrysler book says the job takes. If a head replacement take the mechanic a legit 12 hours (thank you dodge Nitro warranty fails), and they keep your jeep for 2 days...he still only makes 4 hours because thats what the great book says.
5) Mechanics are told at length....up sale, up sale, up sale. I almost got fired (ended up quitting) for refusing to up sale an old man on a complete brake overhaul he didnt need.

Now that my lawyer is having a heart attack I will shut up....

So please, dont give the mechanic a hard time...most of these dudes are great dudes, hard working blue collar folks! There are exceptions to this of course.

Dealers dont make their mass money on new sales (some might that are real go getters and have a good market)...its the shop that keeps most afloat.
 
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maguro

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So please, dont give the mechanic a hard time...most of these dudes are great dudes, hard working blue collar folks! There are exceptions to this of course.

Dealers dont make their mass money on new sales (some might that are real go getters and have a good market)...its the shop that keeps most afloat.
Didn't mean it in a negative way. Just thinking out loud as a someone in the service industry who also goes through these pains each time we release a new generation of our products.
 

FCrackerJLRubi

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Didn't mean it in a negative way. Just thinking out loud as a someone in the service industry who also goes through these pains each time we release a new generation of our products.
Oh i know you didnt, I just involuntarily starting spitting my own personal hate towards a situation that happened years ago and I couldnt stop! lol

Like the GI Joes use to say after each cartoon

tenor.gif
 

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Mid-life Wrangler

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Oh i know you didnt, I just involuntarily starting spitting my own personal hate towards a situation that happened years ago and I couldnt stop! lol

Like the GI Joes use to say after each cartoon

tenor.gif
...And knowing is half the battle. How did that stick after all these years?
 

RonH

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I think @Overland should go with a 2019 JK. I can GUARANTEE there will be no issues with those!
LMAO...you guys roasted him well before I could even jump in. I'm feeling a bit left out and marginalized...now I have to go find a safe space...
 

FCrackerJLRubi

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Spank

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So far, it seems a lot of these problems are unique to their respective vehicle. And while that certainly sucks for the owners of said vehicles, this shouldn't be a huge concern until we start seeing dozens or hundreds of JLs that have cut remote start wiring or bad airbag sensors. These vehicles are insanely complicated feats of engineering. Sensors going bad is never a huge surprise, although still BS in a brand new vehicle. Cut wiring is certainly a concern with the regards to the vehicle as a whole that makes you question if it was assembled correctly.

My JL is flawless save for a weird audio glitch with my UConnect system that I was able to remedy with a quick fuse-pull, but as disappointed as I'll be if a CEL appears or the damn thing breaks down, I will absolutely not be surprised.
 

PavementWarrior

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So far, it seems a lot of these problems are unique to their respective vehicle. .
Ya you can split problems into 2 types, production issues and design level. Over the next couple of months the production stuff will mostly get sorted out.

Design level stuff may not show up right away, and sometimes it can be parts from a 3rd party the engineers selected.

The OPs problems are mostly "whoops" stuff that occurs on a new production line (even though it should get spotted sooner than customer)

Despite the rabid fan boy attacks on the guy waiting, its a valid thing many people will do.

If you wait a couple of months, you can hope the 1st category is sorted out, and they clear up the "whoops level stuff" on production line.

If you wait the 2 years like the one guys decided, you might avoid some design defect (could be something Jeep designed or a 3rd party part they leveraged). However, Keep in mind products are never static, they may add new problems even if they find and fix a couple of things. People burned in the past on new models will likely wait til next year, its a fairly safe bet to do.

I am fairly hopeful on this design, why?

  1. its leveraging alot of pieces that despite getting some tweaks are not totally new.
  2. Jeep claims to have tested the hell out of the design, with x million miles etc etc (i forget exact numbers).
  3. The concept of the design is well understood (and we gotta hear they got it). Lots of designs fail cause the concept is bad or has conflicting requirements, we know this is not the case
  4. It is a priority for the company. Again lots of designs fail because more important projects steal critical resources from the project. We know this is nto the case
so I guess I am not surprised to see production snafus (not ok, but it happens early), but I dont see anything to indicate fear into waiting 2 years.

I am going to wait a few months (getting a 2 door so partially no choice), if I was really worried (I am not personally) I would wait a year to get a feel if anything at design level is really borked. Waiting longer, well then there are new parts coming in to worry about lol.

Worst case when warranty ends, I sell it. Thats same for any vehicle I buy,.
 
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Hip2u77

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The one guy i know online who actually works in the factory is still working the JK line and said a lot of other veterans are too. So if you want the pros to build your Wrangler you have to wait until they shut down the JK line. I'm guessing they will move the guys with seniority over to the JL line and lay off the freshers while they re-tool for the JT.

Having experience definitely can help, but just so everyone isn't completely freaked out over his comment. I spent 7 years at the Kansas City Ford assembly plant. In that time I was involved in 2 model changes; from Tempo to Contour and Contour to Escape. On a model change, or new build, everyone has to learn a new job so experience only means so much at that point. When you're doing 50 an hour you become an expert at your job very quickly, regardless of how long you've worked there. (I have no idea what line speed they run. On the Contour we started out around 2-3 an hour and ramped up, after a couple months, to 55-58 an hour.) With that said, the main problem I saw were usually from new hires with zero mechanical ability as they weren't skilled enough to see a problem. (I.E. They strip out a screw or cross thread one and don't realize some bracket wasn't fully installed. Or, they're scared to get in trouble so they don't tell anyone. Out of sight, out of mind to them, but a month later a customer is cussing because his new vehicle has a weird rattle behind the dash, or whatever. But, like I said, even a new hire learns quick just due to the sheer number of vehicles they're building.)

With that said, we bought an early build '07JKUR, owned it for 120k miles and in that time the only issue we had were related to the lockers not wanting to work right. (after about 80k miles) At 100k I called GKN driveline - the company who makes the lockers - and asked about replacement parts only to be shot down. After he found out our Rubicon was still riding on stock wheels / tires he wanted ours for research so he flew down, along with a guy from Dana, and they replaced both lockers, for free. Other than that, it was just typical maintenance stuff that needed to be fixed. We had no issues in 48k on our late '11 built 2012 JKUR.


Finally, we ordered an Ocean Blue JKUR last night so I'm definitely interested to see how it turns out. We're keeping our '14 JKUR also, so we'll have that to compare it to as it ages.
 

Cowboy JK

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IMO, the only two brands that practically guarantee a tank are Honda & Toyota. And even that isn't a lock; we had a Honda with a transmission failure.

But to call out FCA as if it's an exception rather than the rule might be overstating the case. Both MB & BMW are notorious for defects, many of which require incredibly expensive fixes. When my wife decided to exchange her Lexus for an MB, we did so under a lease with the knowledge that we could flip it back if it got out of control.

It's like a big bell curve, with Toy/Hon on one side, and the other occupied by Range Rover, Jag, FIAT (500), Porsche, and others. FCA, Ford, GM, Mazda, et al all sit in the middle within the same general quality range. Some might have problems, while others may prove to be performers.

But if you really want to complain, try getting an MB or BMW. I cannot tell you how many people we know who have constant problems, are either getting their cars towed from their homes, or are driving dealer loaners.
Honda and Toyota are great if you don't mind getting your throat slit by the killer Takata airbag.
 

PavementWarrior

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Honda and Toyota are great if you don't mind getting your throat slit by the killer Takata airbag.
Oddly my Ford has been great, then after 10 years I get a letter telling not to let anyone sit in front seat til they have a fix for the air bag in about a year.. wtf..

Scary part is they probably knew they had a sub par part, but waited a few more years to be forced to do a recall, and waited to try to figure out how to fix it. :/

It also scares me how much electronics they are putting in these vehicles today, esp when the average electronic device has a life span of 3-4 years and I want to keep my Jeep much longer.
 

Vintage

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Like many of you, I have owned a ton of cars - yes, its a problem. Car issues, whether production or design, have happened in some form on many of them. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to a specific brand. I am thinking of a BMW in particular as that car nearly killed me (2010 Z4).

As for the JL, sorry to all that are having problems on a brand new vehicle. It is a real downer. I pick my JL up in a couple of months, hopefully, and then drive it home on a 1,600 mile shake down cruise. It will include off-roading in Utah. So, fingers crossed all is well. I will report any and all issues with my new Rubi as well as all of the awesome adventures!
 

Harleydz

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Hello my name is Leticia, just bought a New JLU Sahara. But 2 days after I took it home, Remote start wouldn't work. So took it in, they kept it for 4 days. Found out it was a cut wire in the harness, that registers if the door is closed or not. That was repaired and I finally get to pick it up, remote start works Great. Then 2 days later I go to turn on my AC, to find out no cold air blowing. So I take it back, they said it had No Freon in it, so they charged it, tried it briefly it blew super cold air. Turned it off, because I don't need the AC. Now the next day after leaving the service Dept. I start my JLU, and hear a Hissing sound coming out of the defrost vent area. It only makes it when I have the air on and comes and goes. Also ONLY the driver's side vents blow out Cold air, the passenger side vents just blows regular temp air, maybe like 70°-73°. So I'll be taking it back Monday to drop it off. Just not too Happy about it, they've had it longer in their possession than I have, since I bought it. I truly hope this is the last issue I have with it.
What the heck is the 1195 dealer prep for.? It should be to go through a complete set up to make sure all is right before delivering. Or is it to just wash it and get our money. Not helping, am I? Sorry
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