Little Help... JL experience vs. expectation

[rtg]

Two 2018 JLU Sahara’s in my garage. The only issue is going to be fixed—ESS and ESC simultaneous error lights come on for one of the JLs. Both are factory orders, one received in April (18k miles and no issues) and the other in September (9k miles and only that ESS/ESC).

Thank you AM

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[rtg]

2019 JLUR delivered 3 weeks ago. 1800 miles so far, zero issues. Today was my first day off-road. I replaced a 2008 JKUR with the 2019. I cannot stress strongly enough the difference in the two vehicles off-road from a comfort level. Today was a bounce house of articulation, slow crawling and challenges that required moving back and forth between lockers and no lockers. The JL (automatic) also has a manual mode for shifting through gears by hand, so I was able to control speed on hills both up and down quite easily. Trails that would have jarred my back last year were handled in comfort (a relative term) this year.

Order what you want, be darn sure before you sign that everything is to your standards, then enjoy it.

Thank you Gunners. Appreciate your insight.

 

[rtg]

I ordered my 2018 JL Rubicon 2.0l in July of 2018, received it at the beginning of August. It has 8000 miles or so to date, along with a treasure trove of mod's. I am very pleased, on road and off. Definitely the most fun vehicle I've ever had. This is my 4th Jeep over 25 years, and it is the best yet. It is not perfect, mind you, but I would use the word "great" without hesitation.

I've owned GM, Ford, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, Harley Davidson and Victory/Polaris products over the last 35 years. This easily beats the quality I experienced on all of my Dodge, Chevy, Ford, BMW, HD and Toyota products, no question. Victory/Polaris, GMC and Nissan were as good an experience, yet those were not perfect, either.

I think this may be the first time I have expressed on a forum how pleased I've been with my JL experience (knocking on wood), although I am pretty active here. I think it is human nature for us to be more vocal about our issues than about their good experiences...so I would weigh that in when judging the number of issues/complaints posted. Definitely not diminishing the issues others have had, just emphasizing that a lot of us are quiet, but happy.

Thank you Mike,
Helpful perspective. Great point that folks are often more vocal about bad experience unprompted (probably true of me as well). A good reminder. Appreciate your sharing good experiences.

rtg

 

[ugafan706]

I had a 2013 4 door jk...lifted...35s...mts....now have a 19 4 door Rubicon v6 auto....like comparing a caddy to an aveo(lol...maybe exaggerating)...but my wife has a newer tahoe...when I had the jk if it was over 6 miles we took the tahoe...now...I'll drive the jeep!

 

[Sorbs]

My wife and I being interviewed here about our JL. Also, info on where to order to save big $$$ and other insights on what mods to be considered.

Enjoy!

 

[rtg]

Several of us have posted about our experiences... there are plenty discussing problems; some are random, some are specific to a handful of owners, others are widespread and well-known. A handful poo-poo their JL & say 'never again.' I'm a first-time Jeep owner, so I didn't have many specific expectations outside of not having to make trips to the dealer for random, unexpected problems. I wanted to enjoy the vehicle for what it is, its capabilities, and the overall experience. So far, I'm 3-for-3. It's a fun drive, it's great up in the mountains, it's fantastic for the beach, and I'm glad spring is almost here. It also totally owns neighborhood speed bumps.

I'd say most of us are already well aware of the NHTSA findings. You've done your research (as anyone should), but you'll also find a lot of information here in the forum, which I like to call, "the owner's manual." I have an '18, 3200 miles, and I've not experienced the infamous death wobble. I'd buy another, but I'm keeping this one since I've made a good number of modifications & I want to get the most out of the work I've done for as long as I can.

A little bit of the good, the bad, and the ugly > > >

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/positive-jl-jlu-observations.23405/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-jlur-but-now-not-sure-too-problematic.22605/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/positivity-thread-only.20476/

Thank you melendez. Appreciate your providing perspective of the good and the less so.
It's good to read many buyers are having an experience in line with expectations. Feeling more strongly about my readiness to buy.

cheers, rtg

 

[BrntWS6]

Just picked my '19 sahara up last Thursday but so far the steering is very tight. Tires were over inflated and the fuse box complaints are real. I popped the cover to check due to numerous posts about it and yup, every single fuse needed to be seated.

Some minor things i have noticed so far i dont like are the gas cap needs a hook for the teather, it will rest on the paint. And the clip for the hood prop is plastic, i can see that snapping off at some point but have not seen any complaints.

 

[blnewt]

Ordered our 19 JL in late October, picked it up mid January. Took the delivery checklist from this post w/ me when we picked it up~
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-delivery-checklist.3453/page-20#post-329364
Everything checked out great, took the Jeep for a decent test run at speed to verify steering stability and it's been excellent.
Put 1300 miles on so far and another 500 mile round trip upcoming. The amazing thing to me (after owning a 74 CJ5 and 80 CJ7) is how refined the drive is w/ these JLs, very quiet & solid, not an easy thing to achieve, and ours is a 2dr, so even w/ the shorter wheelbase it's very composed on the choppy bumps. And the V6 w/ the 8spd auto is SWEET!
Agree w/ BrntWS6 regarding that hood prop clip, it seems a bit stiff & brittle so I be sure to hold it down w/ one of my fingers when prying off the hood prob bar, I'd imagine it wouldn't take much to break it. And yeah, check that fuse box, at least 6 weren't fully pressed in.

 

[rtg]

Ordered our 19 JL in late October, picked it up mid January. Took the delivery checklist from this post w/ me when we picked it up~
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-delivery-checklist.3453/page-20#post-329364
Everything checked out great, took the Jeep for a decent test run at speed to verify steering stability and it's been excellent.
Put 1300 miles on so far and another 500 mile round trip upcoming. The amazing thing to me (after owning a 74 CJ5 and 80 CJ7) is how refined the drive is w/ these JLs, very quiet & solid, not an easy thing to achieve, and ours is a 2dr, so even w/ the shorter wheelbase it's very composed on the choppy bumps. And the V6 w/ the 8spd auto is SWEET!
Agree w/ BrntWS6 regarding that hood prop clip, it seems a bit stiff & brittle so I be sure to hold it down w/ one of my fingers when prying off the hood prob bar, I'd imagine it wouldn't take much to break it. And yeah, check that fuse box, at least 6 weren't fully pressed in.

blnewt, thank you for the comprehensive post and checklist. Very helpful as I will likely need it... the positive posts and helpful tips in the thread are helping cement my move to go ahead with the purchase

 

[rtg]

Just picked my '19 sahara up last Thursday but so far the steering is very tight. Tires were over inflated and the fuse box complaints are real. I popped the cover to check due to numerous posts about it and yup, every single fuse needed to be seated.

Some minor things i have noticed so far i dont like are the gas cap needs a hook for the teather, it will rest on the paint. And the clip for the hood prop is plastic, i can see that snapping off at some point but have not seen any complaints.

Thank you Brnt. Appreciate tip on the fuse box. cheers, rtg

 

[rtg]

My wife and I being interviewed here about our JL. Also, info on where to order to save big $$$ and other insights on what mods to be considered.

Enjoy!

Thanks Sorbs, great interview. Appreciate your sharing. br rtg

 

[rtg]

I had a 2013 4 door jk...lifted...35s...mts....now have a 19 4 door Rubicon v6 auto....like comparing a caddy to an aveo(lol...maybe exaggerating)...but my wife has a newer tahoe...when I had the jk if it was over 6 miles we took the tahoe...now...I'll drive the jeep!

Thanks Ugafan, that's a compelling comparison! Appreciate the post.

 

[Shots]

Well, not to beat a dead horse, but I'm completely satisfied with my JL too.
Mine arrived on July 5th, and I picked it up that day. I don't drive a lot of miles, but I've gotten to experience sun, rain, snow, ice and dirt with it. I bought a Sahara, because I don't plan on any serious off-roading, but still expect to be able to clear an obstacle in the woods when necessary. I'm glad to report it's done exactly what I expect of it, and has handled all the previously mentioned conditions flawlessly.
The road manners are nice, and even in stock form it goes everywhere my modified Ram would. I'm very happy with the quality, and it's a blast to drive.

I heard about the weld issues too, but mine was not one of the ones included in the reacall. I checked the welds because it's production time was close to when the issue had occurred. The recall was pretty small in comparison of how many JL's have been sold, but it got a lot of attention. Rightfully so, because it was a pretty significant issue, even if relatively isolated. That issue has been resolved for quite a while now, so you shouldn't have to worry about it now.
The death wobble, seems to be linked to oversize tires and taller lifts. I assume the added tire weight, and altered geometry of the remaining stock suspension parts exceeds the suspension's capability. Beefier, aftermarket components can likely be added to remedy the issue, and should be considered as part of the lift/tire upgrade.

As Marc mentioned, you're wise to do the research before buying. Understanding what the potential issues are, and what to look for is important. Also as recommended, take a test drive in the Jeep you're buying before signing off.

I'm 100% satisfied with my JL, and have had no issues.

 

[Sean L]

Hi folks,
I am interested in hearing experience of new JL owners.

I am considering buying my first Jeep. I've been considering for a year and waiting as the JLs have gotten into the market. I've rented a JL and JKs on vacations and loved them (Colorado Mountains, Islands to get to surf spots).

I was about to make the plunge when I found the NHTSA site with 573 complaints 433 of which have to do with steering (death wobble), weld problems, and other problems.https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/JEEP/WRANGLER

I've researched Wranglers and I am excited about lifestyle promise. What I'm not excited about is a $40K car that comes out of the box with serious quality issues.

Ask: For those of you who have purchased a new JL (2 or 4 door), would you share if you are experiencing build quality problems. What is your experience vs your expectation?

Appreciate your thoughts.

Mine was built in January of 2018, so very early in the production run. I have had no issues as far as death wobble, wandering steering, UConnect glitches or any of the sort. Some of the minor annoyances have been fixed by TSBs and my welds have been inspected and they came out good to go. If you're looking into a JL, its a good vehicle.

 

[Mrcake3014]

Hi folks,
I am interested in hearing experience of new JL owners.

I am considering buying my first Jeep. I've been considering for a year and waiting as the JLs have gotten into the market. I've rented a JL and JKs on vacations and loved them (Colorado Mountains, Islands to get to surf spots).

I was about to make the plunge when I found the NHTSA site with 573 complaints 433 of which have to do with steering (death wobble), weld problems, and other problems.https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/JEEP/WRANGLER

I've researched Wranglers and I am excited about lifestyle promise. What I'm not excited about is a $40K car that comes out of the box with serious quality issues.

Ask: For those of you who have purchased a new JL (2 or 4 door), would you share if you are experiencing build quality problems. What is your experience vs your expectation?

Appreciate your thoughts.

I am new to the Wrangler fold. Had a 2009 Liberty with a one touch roof. I loved the vehicle. Really I loved the roof. Jeep stopped making the Liberty and I had the same dilemma you have the price tag. I leased a Edge Titanium. IT was a good car and served my purpose. My lease was up and I gave the Wrangler another shot. Quite frankly I hates not being able to tell my car apart from everyone else's. I knew I would only get a hard top and that I would only be taking off the t-top part of the hard top. I said forget it I'll just keep my Edge. It had everything in it. …….. Then I saw that Jeep came out with the sky one roof and I was sold. The roof was like the one I had on my Liberty. I had time till the lease was up. I ordered it the way I wanted to. Got for 6% below invoice. I am a happy camper. glad I did it. Added bonus high resale value.

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