Need advice on buying a used Rubicon

[DogplasmaPeopleplasma]

That’s what she told me she wanted so i’ve been looking into that model specifically for her lol. They are all 4x4 from my understanding which is the main thing. She would like to have fun and take it on some simple trails but nothing crazy. At this point anything over 2015 should be good. She’s going to the bank this saturday to she what she qualifies for but has about 10-15k to put as a downpayment. I prefer something with low miles. Tires/rims can easily be added down the road like you said. she was going to do that anyway.

Beware with used JL's from a pricing perspective. I have been watching used ones for some time and the market is just way out of control for asking prices. You can go to Carvana, find a decent 2019 JLUR for say $49k with 10k miles on it.......then click the link to show original sticker and you will see that they asking 4-6k ABOVE what it cost new to begin with! The same issue also seems to be in action at Carmax, Vroom, Autolenders and Carsense + or - $2k. You can always get the technical issues handled through recalls and TSB's, but just make sure you do your research on pricing so if you do find one in your price range, you aren't being taken advantage of. Its just an insane time for car buying where in some cases, new is CHEAPER than used, so if you aren't in any rush.....my advice would be to wait. And oh, I do recall reading Consumer Reports charts a few years ago when I was on the fence about a 2018 JL vs. JK and they call out the 2015 and newer to be the more reliable JKUR's FWIW.....definitely stay away from the 2012/2013's for sure.

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[Oli8]

Beware with used JL's from a pricing perspective. I have been watching used ones for some time and the market is just way out of control for asking prices. You can go to Carvana, find a decent 2019 JLUR for say $49k with 10k miles on it.......then click the link to show original sticker and you will see that they asking 4-6k ABOVE what it cost new to begin with! The same issue also seems to be in action at Carmax, Vroom, Autolenders and Carsense + or - $2k. You can always get the technical issues handled through recalls and TSB's, but just make sure you do your research on pricing so if you do find one in your price range, you aren't being taken advantage of. Its just an insane time for car buying where in some cases, new is CHEAPER than used, so if you aren't in any rush.....my advice would be to wait. And oh, I do recall reading Consumer Reports charts a few years ago when I was on the fence about a 2018 JL vs. JK and they call out the 2015 and newer to be the more reliable JKUR's FWIW.....definitely stay away from the 2012/2013's for sure.

I’m in the san diego area and found a nice JL that a private party was selling for 35k with some nice mods and it sold quick! Im glad i got some feed back from you guys. Definitely will be saying away from the early 3.6 motors

 

[Punjabi New Yorker]

I’m in the san diego area and found a nice JL that a private party was selling for 35k with some nice mods and it sold quick! Im glad i got some feed back from you guys. Definitely will be saying away from the early 3.6 motors

Not the 3.6. Need to stay away from the 3.8s (till MY 2012). The 3.6 replaced the 3.8 and is probably the most reliable Chrysler motor right now. The 2.0 Turbo is another good option IMO

you will do good with any JK or JL that is a 2014/2015 or later

 

[The Last Cowboy]

She can buy a brand new Sport S for less than a used Rubicon right now. If you insist on used, buy low miles and no mods, you don’t want to pay to fix someone else's mistakes or poor taste.

 

[Spank]

That’s what she told me she wanted so i’ve been looking into that model specifically for her lol. They are all 4x4 from my understanding which is the main thing. She would like to have fun and take it on some simple trails but nothing crazy. At this point anything over 2015 should be good. She’s going to the bank this saturday to she what she qualifies for but has about 10-15k to put as a downpayment. I prefer something with low miles. Tires/rims can easily be added down the road like you said. she was going to do that anyway.

That being the case, I wouldn't immediately go to a Rubicon. She can have just as much fun in the other trims and either save money, or get more bang for her buck with a relatively newer Jeep.

Ultimately, it's her money, but a Rubicon is not required for simple trails. Hell, a Sport or Sahara can handle moderate and even difficult trails with slight mods and/or decent tires.

 

[rubileon]

If possible, avoid any JK from 2014 or earlier. While there's nothing wrong with the Pentastar JKs in and of themselves, the first couple of years of that engine's debut in the Wrangler were a little rough. 2012 and 2013 had the infamous faulty head issue and 2014 were known to have bad oil pressure sensors (and fixing them requires removing the intake mantifold). While the faulty head was covered under a recall, the sensor was not. After 2015, FCA seemed to get a lot of the engine issues under control.

Aside from the engine, you'd obviously want to take a look at the suspension, the driveshaft (especially the front), test the lockers and sway bar disconnect, and just make sure the vehicle feels and functions properly.

Had a 2013 build no issues. I did things to the engine than what's legal to mention in some places (outside of Cali)

 

[Sean L]

Yeah, but used JL Rubicon’s for <$30k aren’t lol

As I said a few posts later, lol

 

[Oli8]

Seems like the new sport and sport s new are around 32-35k I’m going to see what she thinks. What are the main reasons to go with the sport s over the regular sport.

 

[Sean L]

Seems like the new sport and sport s new are around 32-35k I’m going to see what she thinks. What are the main reasons to go with the sport s over the regular sport.

Power windows and door locks would be the big one.

 

[AuroraStanley]

I was in her shoes about 2.5 months ago (minus the down payment.)

Previously, I worked with a whole group of guys that were Jeep guys. I fell in love with Jeeps & I had been searching for the right deal on a JKU 2015 or newer with under 85,000 miles, under $30,000. Only other preference I had was for a hard top & power windows (I wasn't even looking for a Rubicon..) The few that I did find that weren't ragged out, were modded all to hell with cheap parts, had salvage titles, or God only knows what else. I searched for months & honestly just wasn't impressed with what I found, for the money. Hubs didn't want to get rid of his car.. I refused to let go of my dream car.. & we couldn't justify a third car payment. So life moved on.

Then on July 22nd, my dream car was totaled. Once insurance made the decision and told me what they wanted for buy-back ( ) I immediately started looking for a Wrangler. During this time, we were fortunate to rent a Granite Crystal 2020 JLU Sahara, 2.0 i4. I fell in love. With the same parameters (2015+, <85k miles, <$30k, etc.) I searched online within 500 miles& in-person at every dealership I could think of within 100 miles for the right Wrangler. I'd find something I really liked, but when I'd test drive & look under it, I'd inevitably find something wrong. Last straw was a 2015 Sahara with all the right mods, 65k miles & in Anvil.. my favorite.. listed for $29,950. Fell in love with it, test drove it, still loved it.... when the dealer finally agreed to put it on a lift so I could really get under it & look around.. I found that it needed $3000+ worth of repairs that they didn't have ability to address for two months (parts unavailable.) I spent over 8 hours (over two days) at that dealership getting the run-around before I finally threw my hands up & said screw it. Found a dealer we really like & trust... ordered a 2021 JLU Willys in Sting Gray with all the upgrades I wanted for under $44k.

It is set to arrive between 10/06 - 10/20. The best part is that our payment will only be about $100 more, because of better interest rate & longer term.. which will absolutely pay for itself with the Warranty & Jeep Wave program. (We're also snowballing debt right now anyway, so even that I wasn't terribly concerned with.)

So long story short.. if she is looking for a Rubi that new & for that price, she's probably better off to just look at something new &/or maybe consider a different trim.

 

[Oli8]

I was in her shoes about 2.5 months ago (minus the down payment.)

Previously, I worked with a whole group of guys that were Jeep guys. I fell in love with Jeeps & I had been searching for the right deal on a JKU 2015 or newer with under 85,000 miles, under $30,000. Only other preference I had was for a hard top & power windows (I wasn't even looking for a Rubicon..) The few that I did find that weren't ragged out, were modded all to hell with cheap parts, had salvage titles, or God only knows what else. I searched for months & honestly just wasn't impressed with what I found, for the money. Hubs didn't want to get rid of his car.. I refused to let go of my dream car.. & we couldn't justify a third car payment. So life moved on.

Then on July 22nd, my dream car was totaled. Once insurance made the decision and told me what they wanted for buy-back ( ) I immediately started looking for a Wrangler. During this time, we were fortunate to rent a Granite Crystal 2020 JLU Sahara, 2.0 i4. I fell in love. With the same parameters (2015+, <85k miles, <$30k, etc.) I searched online within 500 miles& in-person at every dealership I could think of within 100 miles for the right Wrangler. I'd find something I really liked, but when I'd test drive & look under it, I'd inevitably find something wrong. Last straw was a 2015 Sahara with all the right mods, 65k miles & in Anvil.. my favorite.. listed for $29,950. Fell in love with it, test drove it, still loved it.... when the dealer finally agreed to put it on a lift so I could really get under it & look around.. I found that it needed $3000+ worth of repairs that they didn't have ability to address for two months (parts unavailable.) I spent over 8 hours (over two days) at that dealership getting the run-around before I finally threw my hands up & said screw it. Found a dealer we really like & trust... ordered a 2021 JLU Willys in Sting Gray with all the upgrades I wanted for under $44k.

It is set to arrive between 10/06 - 10/20. The best part is that our payment will only be about $100 more, because of better interest rate & longer term.. which will absolutely pay for itself with the Warranty & Jeep Wave program. (We're also snowballing debt right now anyway, so even that I wasn't terribly concerned with.)

So long story short.. if she is looking for a Rubi that new & for that price, she's probably better off to just look at something new &/or maybe consider a different trim.

Yea after getting some feedback here. She does not need a Rubicon. I’m going to try and steer her towards a Sport S then throw some nice rims and tires and she’ll be set. Plus she’ll have a warranty which is 60k miles or 5 year i think. Which is great for me since i’m the one always fixing the cars in the family if i can lol

 

[aldo98229]

When I was shopping for mine a year ago, I found a 2018 JL Sahara with 17,000 for $27,000 at Carvana. That was the lowest price I could find for a well-equipped Sahara.

It had leather seats, 8.4” & Alpine sound, LEDs, Cold Weather Group, Safety Group, proximity door locks, body-color hardtop, Selec-Trac, 3.6 V6 and 8-speed automatic. But it only had the remaining half of the 36,000-mile warranty.

 

[Spank]

Had a 2013 build no issues. I did things to the engine than what's legal to mention in some places (outside of Cali)

Not all 2013s are bad or even 2012s for that matter, but for as good as the Pentastar is, it did not have a good track record in the beginning. The JK became fairly refined and reliable towards the end of its run, but since the OP's in-law is eyeing a JL, it's kind of a moot point now. Regardless, I'd still avoid any JK before 2015 unless you're familiar with Jeeps and/or know how to address FCA's QC issues.

My 2014 had both the faulty head issue (which I think was still a problem on some early 2015 models) and faulty oil pressure readings. Having to dismantle the top of the engine just to get to a POS sensor not covered under a recall or TSB really pissed me off. The part was easy and cheap to replace, but getting to it wasn't.

 

[Spank]

Yea after getting some feedback here. She does not need a Rubicon. I’m going to try and steer her towards a Sport S then throw some nice rims and tires and she’ll be set. Plus she’ll have a warranty which is 60k miles or 5 year i think. Which is great for me since i’m the one always fixing the cars in the family if i can lol

Yeah, being new to Jeeps, I'd take a Sport with a warranty over a Rubicon that doesn't. She'll have a blast, either way.

 

[rubileon]

Not the 3.6. Need to stay away from the 3.8s (till MY 2012). The 3.6 replaced the 3.8 and is probably the most reliable Chrysler motor right now. The 2.0 Turbo is another good option IMO

you will do good with any JK or JL that is a 2014/2015 or later

I'm not a fan of the 3.8 but I do see higher mileage models up for sale. So it's not like they stop working. The issues with the 3.6 mentioned are for the model years 2012-2013.

For the JKs, 2014 seems to have been the best year because those big issues have been ironed out but it doesn't have the ECU restrictions and on-floor "sand woofer" sound systen introduced in the 2015 and above.

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