New 2021 Horrible Experience. Does FCA Even Care?

[McGilli]

Still not sure if Im out of demo mode (think Im still in it, because I cannot pull up weather for my location...just shows like 8 other big cities.)

I'm in Canada and I only have like 8 USA cities to choose from

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[The Last Cowboy]

I didn't read all of this. How good are you at spotting a body or paint repair? I would take it to an independent shop and have the vehicle fully inspected. It sounds like some damage was done on the shop lift or on a test drive and they are trying like hell to keep from spending more money or telling you the truth and losing even more money.

Post pics of the door jamb, the scratch and the areas around it. Post pics of the latches and the bolts on the hinges. Something isn’t right here. Also have the frame and all of the new suspension inspected. I cant imagine a factory weld being so bad in the door jamb that it is so big that it causes problems with the door closing. Sounds like a quick and bad repair. I can’t even think of a place where a weld bead shows in the door jamb.

 

[Gorpf]

Was your son's lifted as well?? It's my understanding that just installing the Mopar lift, may leave a lot of things "undone" with the original geometry.

Still sucks. Hope you get it all figured out.

G.

Wise words. Bigger tires and a properly done lift is just the beginning of what needs to be done if you do not want to start breaking things. The geometry of the steering and suspension should be adjusted each time a lift is done too. Sure, you can slap some bigger wheels on and do a lift, but it will not be an optimal setup without further adjustments and eventually problems will pop up. The OP’s issue may or may not be related. One would guess that a dealership would have an experienced mechanic work on a new vehicle. (never know the state of mind or capability of random mech working on your vehicle when you drop it off anywhere)

 

[BullittEV]

You should name the dealership. This is the only recourse for these people to stop being sleaze we have. Even if they do fix it, they did not treat you like a paying customer. You were treated like a second class citizen that they had to deal with.

 

[TheRaven]

Waiting for the next appointment I was driving one night and all of the sudden all lights on my dash came on. Service Electronic Stability Control, 4x4, etc. Then after about 20 minutes and two restarts the lights all went off.

Right here is the point where you should have been done. This should have been within the 30-day return period so you should have just said "ok i'm done with this" and tossed them the keys, then headed to the next CDJR dealer to order again. With the way automakers mass-produce and crank out automobiles, there are bound to be issues here and there, but once you hit this point, that's far too many problems for a brand new vehicle. Time to spin the wheel again.

Yeah it sucks that you'd have to start the process all over again but that part isn't as much FCA's fault, under normal circumstances they could build you a new one in 2-3 weeks. This market sucks so if it were me i'd just be waiting until it cools down.

 

[calemasters]

I ordered a new 2021 JLU Rubicon fully built on 1/27. After delays and regressions in the process it arrived on 3/14, no big deal here, I have heard horror stories about the wait so this wasn’t that bad. They installed the Mopar lift kit I ordered with it and I picked it up on 3/19. That was the last time I was able to enjoy my new vehicle.

Within days I noticed a hard pull to the left. I called the dealer and made an appointment. I dropped it off at 7:30am and at 3:00pm I got a call that it was ready. I asked what was wrong, they told me they aligned the vehicle. I drove it off the service lot and same issue. Called back they got me in a week later. During the wait for that visit I noticed my passenger rear was drooping about 2 inches. When I took it in for the pulling issue I told them to look at the rear. They told me the rear replacement lift shock was bad. Then they said the issue with the pulling was the steering stabilizer so they were going to order both.

In the meantime I noticed an issue with my driver door not closing. It will close 1 out of 5 times without shutting it hard. So I looked and a nice grooved scratch was inside the door at the bottom. Turns out there is a big weld at the bottom of the door that is causing the door not to close and scratching the inside of the vehicle. So when a couple weeks later the rear shock and stabilizer came in I took the vehicle up to the dealer and showed them the issue with the door as well. The service manager said she would look at it. They called me at the end of the day and said all was done. I asked if the pulling was fixed, they said yes. I asked if the door was fixed, they said yes. I asked if the shock was fixed, they said yes. I went to the dealer and looked at the door. Nope, not fixed. I asked the service manager what was done. She said she put some rubbing compound on it and adjusted it. I opened and closed the door right in front of her and it didn’t close at all. I could not believe that she tried to pass this off as fixed. Then I asked what my options were, she said to fix it we would have to sub it out to a body shop and have the weld ground down then the door and the unibody in this section would have to be repainted but I would have to break the manufacturing paint. She kept shaking her head. Giving me the feeling that I should just live with this giant scratch that would eventually expose the metal in the body and the weld. I live in the north and if I do that here comes rust. I told her I would think about it. I drove off the lot and within a few seconds I noticed that the steering wheel was off about 15 degrees to the right. I then took it to the same flat road and it pulled so hard to the left I would be in the ditch in less than 10 seconds if I didn’t yank back to the right. Of course I called and made another appointment.

Waiting for the next appointment I was driving one night and all of the sudden all lights on my dash came on. Service Electronic Stability Control, 4x4, etc. Then after about 20 minutes and two restarts the lights all went off. I called the next day and they said come in. They fixed the alignment on the steering wheel and said they aligned the tires again. They said the dash light issue was a rear wheel sensor and they would have to order it. Again, drove off the lot. The steering wheel was straight but the pulling was still there. That’s when I got a Jeep case manager on it. They worked on it with the dealer and told me they would look at something during the next appointment when they replaced the rear wheel speed sensor. I took it in, they replaced the sensor. I don’t know what they actually did for the pulling this time but needless to say it didn’t fix it.

The case manager ran it up the chain and got a Star case started. The FCA techs told the dealer to check the Thrust Angle. I thought cool, maybe now it would be fixed. So I took it in again… Keep in mind all these times I have bee dropping it off at 7:30am. Then they call me at 2:30 to let me know they are just taking it back. Right before they close they call me and tell me it is done. I went in and asked the service manager what was done. He said the tech told him the loosened the control arms and axle bolts, they shoved it as far as it would go the other way, and then tighten the bolts to factory specs. I drove off the lot and it was worse. If I take my hands off the wheel I am in a ditch in 5-6 seconds every time to the left. I took a video and sent it to the higher case manager. Which I should have mentioned I was doing for both case managers. I sent them videos of the issues I was having.

This brings us to today. Today I met the Area Manager at the dealer. He, the service manager, and I went for a ride. We found a very flat road and I showed them the problem, over and over again. He was quiet and I think a little scared when we kept almost going in the ditch. Her answer, “well you can’t take your hands off the wheel.” This made me so angry. Me having to hold it straight is the problem. As I said 5-6 seconds to being completely in the ditch is NOT OK.

We went back to the dealer and talked. Keep in mind this is a 2021. He suggests replacing the Steering Gearbox. Then the service manager told me that they were 5 weeks out with appointments. There is absolutely no urgency on this issue. So now after all this time off of work and time without my brand new vehicle. There is going to have to be another appointment to replace a part that even on the spot with all of us the Lead Technician said probably won’t fix the issue. Then we go back in and I remind him of the door issue. He looks at the weld and the scratches. We are not talking a little issue. The main scratch (there are a few now) is a couple inches and as I said grooved. His initial response was to leave it. I showed him several times that the door did not close unless slammed. I explained about how it is digging into the paint and the metal will eventually be exposed. He finally agreed living in the same area that it would be affected by the salt in the winter. So now he suggests we take care of the steering gearbox and then visit the paint issue later. He then had enough nerve to ask me if I was happy. I said, No, Not At All but this is the plan.

So the twist to this entire story is that the same night I bought mine, my son bought the same exact same vehicle. Just a different color. This was an awesome Father Son experience. We both saved for our dream vehicles and it finally happened. His however, is perfect. No regression issues, No problems. He got his weeks earlier than I got mine. No steering issues at all.

Is this how FCA/Stellantis treats customers? Is this the experience they want people to have. I sure hope not. I would not wish this upon anyone. So now that it has been two months. My new vehicle is an unsafe chore to drive and all the fun has been stolen. I am not saying all experiences buying a Jeep Wrangler would be bad but mine was. It was like two different experiences with me and my son.

@JeepCares Your Thoughts?

Call Steve Lehto, Lemon Law attorney in the Detroit area. I think he can help. Also, you need another dealer. Make the change.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

If the road is crowned and pulling you one way or the other I can understand. If not and it's pulling that bad then the alignment is off, or the axle is off, or something is off. Plain as that...

FCA should train their techs to work on SFA vehicles and learn the intricacies of getting the vehicle to drive straight down the road if they're going to sell them.

Then again, maybe luck of the draw you got one of those dealers we hear so much about on these forums...

It's your call and I get that you bought a vehicle and they should make it right but maybe bring it to a local 4x4 specialty shop and get a free diag so you can share with the dealer what they think it may be. I'm just one of those guys that doesn't have the time to go back and forth with a dealer. If it saves me time and frustration to take it to a local 4x4 shop for simple fixes I will do that in a heartbeat.

 

[#1 for me]

Name the dealer

Name the dealer

I'll name one to not purchase from DAVE DENNIS JEEP BEAVER CREEK , OHIO worst Dealer there is !

 

[betsy]

I ordered a new 2021 JLU Rubicon fully built on 1/27. After delays and regressions in the process it arrived on 3/14, no big deal here, I have heard horror stories about the wait so this wasn’t that bad. They installed the Mopar lift kit I ordered with it and I picked it up on 3/19. That was the last time I was able to enjoy my new vehicle.

Within days I noticed a hard pull to the left. I called the dealer and made an appointment. I dropped it off at 7:30am and at 3:00pm I got a call that it was ready. I asked what was wrong, they told me they aligned the vehicle. I drove it off the service lot and same issue. Called back they got me in a week later. During the wait for that visit I noticed my passenger rear was drooping about 2 inches. When I took it in for the pulling issue I told them to look at the rear. They told me the rear replacement lift shock was bad. Then they said the issue with the pulling was the steering stabilizer so they were going to order both.

In the meantime I noticed an issue with my driver door not closing. It will close 1 out of 5 times without shutting it hard. So I looked and a nice grooved scratch was inside the door at the bottom. Turns out there is a big weld at the bottom of the door that is causing the door not to close and scratching the inside of the vehicle. So when a couple weeks later the rear shock and stabilizer came in I took the vehicle up to the dealer and showed them the issue with the door as well. The service manager said she would look at it. They called me at the end of the day and said all was done. I asked if the pulling was fixed, they said yes. I asked if the door was fixed, they said yes. I asked if the shock was fixed, they said yes. I went to the dealer and looked at the door. Nope, not fixed. I asked the service manager what was done. She said she put some rubbing compound on it and adjusted it. I opened and closed the door right in front of her and it didn’t close at all. I could not believe that she tried to pass this off as fixed. Then I asked what my options were, she said to fix it we would have to sub it out to a body shop and have the weld ground down then the door and the unibody in this section would have to be repainted but I would have to break the manufacturing paint. She kept shaking her head. Giving me the feeling that I should just live with this giant scratch that would eventually expose the metal in the body and the weld. I live in the north and if I do that here comes rust. I told her I would think about it. I drove off the lot and within a few seconds I noticed that the steering wheel was off about 15 degrees to the right. I then took it to the same flat road and it pulled so hard to the left I would be in the ditch in less than 10 seconds if I didn’t yank back to the right. Of course I called and made another appointment.

Waiting for the next appointment I was driving one night and all of the sudden all lights on my dash came on. Service Electronic Stability Control, 4x4, etc. Then after about 20 minutes and two restarts the lights all went off. I called the next day and they said come in. They fixed the alignment on the steering wheel and said they aligned the tires again. They said the dash light issue was a rear wheel sensor and they would have to order it. Again, drove off the lot. The steering wheel was straight but the pulling was still there. That’s when I got a Jeep case manager on it. They worked on it with the dealer and told me they would look at something during the next appointment when they replaced the rear wheel speed sensor. I took it in, they replaced the sensor. I don’t know what they actually did for the pulling this time but needless to say it didn’t fix it.

The case manager ran it up the chain and got a Star case started. The FCA techs told the dealer to check the Thrust Angle. I thought cool, maybe now it would be fixed. So I took it in again… Keep in mind all these times I have bee dropping it off at 7:30am. Then they call me at 2:30 to let me know they are just taking it back. Right before they close they call me and tell me it is done. I went in and asked the service manager what was done. He said the tech told him the loosened the control arms and axle bolts, they shoved it as far as it would go the other way, and then tighten the bolts to factory specs. I drove off the lot and it was worse. If I take my hands off the wheel I am in a ditch in 5-6 seconds every time to the left. I took a video and sent it to the higher case manager. Which I should have mentioned I was doing for both case managers. I sent them videos of the issues I was having.

This brings us to today. Today I met the Area Manager at the dealer. He, the service manager, and I went for a ride. We found a very flat road and I showed them the problem, over and over again. He was quiet and I think a little scared when we kept almost going in the ditch. Her answer, “well you can’t take your hands off the wheel.” This made me so angry. Me having to hold it straight is the problem. As I said 5-6 seconds to being completely in the ditch is NOT OK.

We went back to the dealer and talked. Keep in mind this is a 2021. He suggests replacing the Steering Gearbox. Then the service manager told me that they were 5 weeks out with appointments. There is absolutely no urgency on this issue. So now after all this time off of work and time without my brand new vehicle. There is going to have to be another appointment to replace a part that even on the spot with all of us the Lead Technician said probably won’t fix the issue. Then we go back in and I remind him of the door issue. He looks at the weld and the scratches. We are not talking a little issue. The main scratch (there are a few now) is a couple inches and as I said grooved. His initial response was to leave it. I showed him several times that the door did not close unless slammed. I explained about how it is digging into the paint and the metal will eventually be exposed. He finally agreed living in the same area that it would be affected by the salt in the winter. So now he suggests we take care of the steering gearbox and then visit the paint issue later. He then had enough nerve to ask me if I was happy. I said, No, Not At All but this is the plan.

So the twist to this entire story is that the same night I bought mine, my son bought the same exact same vehicle. Just a different color. This was an awesome Father Son experience. We both saved for our dream vehicles and it finally happened. His however, is perfect. No regression issues, No problems. He got his weeks earlier than I got mine. No steering issues at all.

Is this how FCA/Stellantis treats customers? Is this the experience they want people to have. I sure hope not. I would not wish this upon anyone. So now that it has been two months. My new vehicle is an unsafe chore to drive and all the fun has been stolen. I am not saying all experiences buying a Jeep Wrangler would be bad but mine was. It was like two different experiences with me and my son.

@JeepCares Your Thoughts?

I know it’s a silly question but, did you drive it before the lift ? If they can’t figure out the steering problem, I would guess that the guy that installed the lift didn’t know what he was doing either, have them put it back to stock suspension and alignment, that might answer one question!

 

[ekimgnuj]

I ordered a new 2021 JLU Rubicon fully built on 1/27. After delays and regressions in the process it arrived on 3/14, no big deal here, I have heard horror stories about the wait so this wasn’t that bad. They installed the Mopar lift kit I ordered with it and I picked it up on 3/19. That was the last time I was able to enjoy my new vehicle.

Within days I noticed a hard pull to the left. I called the dealer and made an appointment. I dropped it off at 7:30am and at 3:00pm I got a call that it was ready. I asked what was wrong, they told me they aligned the vehicle. I drove it off the service lot and same issue. Called back they got me in a week later. During the wait for that visit I noticed my passenger rear was drooping about 2 inches. When I took it in for the pulling issue I told them to look at the rear. They told me the rear replacement lift shock was bad. Then they said the issue with the pulling was the steering stabilizer so they were going to order both.

In the meantime I noticed an issue with my driver door not closing. It will close 1 out of 5 times without shutting it hard. So I looked and a nice grooved scratch was inside the door at the bottom. Turns out there is a big weld at the bottom of the door that is causing the door not to close and scratching the inside of the vehicle. So when a couple weeks later the rear shock and stabilizer came in I took the vehicle up to the dealer and showed them the issue with the door as well. The service manager said she would look at it. They called me at the end of the day and said all was done. I asked if the pulling was fixed, they said yes. I asked if the door was fixed, they said yes. I asked if the shock was fixed, they said yes. I went to the dealer and looked at the door. Nope, not fixed. I asked the service manager what was done. She said she put some rubbing compound on it and adjusted it. I opened and closed the door right in front of her and it didn’t close at all. I could not believe that she tried to pass this off as fixed. Then I asked what my options were, she said to fix it we would have to sub it out to a body shop and have the weld ground down then the door and the unibody in this section would have to be repainted but I would have to break the manufacturing paint. She kept shaking her head. Giving me the feeling that I should just live with this giant scratch that would eventually expose the metal in the body and the weld. I live in the north and if I do that here comes rust. I told her I would think about it. I drove off the lot and within a few seconds I noticed that the steering wheel was off about 15 degrees to the right. I then took it to the same flat road and it pulled so hard to the left I would be in the ditch in less than 10 seconds if I didn’t yank back to the right. Of course I called and made another appointment.

Waiting for the next appointment I was driving one night and all of the sudden all lights on my dash came on. Service Electronic Stability Control, 4x4, etc. Then after about 20 minutes and two restarts the lights all went off. I called the next day and they said come in. They fixed the alignment on the steering wheel and said they aligned the tires again. They said the dash light issue was a rear wheel sensor and they would have to order it. Again, drove off the lot. The steering wheel was straight but the pulling was still there. That’s when I got a Jeep case manager on it. They worked on it with the dealer and told me they would look at something during the next appointment when they replaced the rear wheel speed sensor. I took it in, they replaced the sensor. I don’t know what they actually did for the pulling this time but needless to say it didn’t fix it.

The case manager ran it up the chain and got a Star case started. The FCA techs told the dealer to check the Thrust Angle. I thought cool, maybe now it would be fixed. So I took it in again… Keep in mind all these times I have bee dropping it off at 7:30am. Then they call me at 2:30 to let me know they are just taking it back. Right before they close they call me and tell me it is done. I went in and asked the service manager what was done. He said the tech told him the loosened the control arms and axle bolts, they shoved it as far as it would go the other way, and then tighten the bolts to factory specs. I drove off the lot and it was worse. If I take my hands off the wheel I am in a ditch in 5-6 seconds every time to the left. I took a video and sent it to the higher case manager. Which I should have mentioned I was doing for both case managers. I sent them videos of the issues I was having.

This brings us to today. Today I met the Area Manager at the dealer. He, the service manager, and I went for a ride. We found a very flat road and I showed them the problem, over and over again. He was quiet and I think a little scared when we kept almost going in the ditch. Her answer, “well you can’t take your hands off the wheel.” This made me so angry. Me having to hold it straight is the problem. As I said 5-6 seconds to being completely in the ditch is NOT OK.

We went back to the dealer and talked. Keep in mind this is a 2021. He suggests replacing the Steering Gearbox. Then the service manager told me that they were 5 weeks out with appointments. There is absolutely no urgency on this issue. So now after all this time off of work and time without my brand new vehicle. There is going to have to be another appointment to replace a part that even on the spot with all of us the Lead Technician said probably won’t fix the issue. Then we go back in and I remind him of the door issue. He looks at the weld and the scratches. We are not talking a little issue. The main scratch (there are a few now) is a couple inches and as I said grooved. His initial response was to leave it. I showed him several times that the door did not close unless slammed. I explained about how it is digging into the paint and the metal will eventually be exposed. He finally agreed living in the same area that it would be affected by the salt in the winter. So now he suggests we take care of the steering gearbox and then visit the paint issue later. He then had enough nerve to ask me if I was happy. I said, No, Not At All but this is the plan.

So the twist to this entire story is that the same night I bought mine, my son bought the same exact same vehicle. Just a different color. This was an awesome Father Son experience. We both saved for our dream vehicles and it finally happened. His however, is perfect. No regression issues, No problems. He got his weeks earlier than I got mine. No steering issues at all.

Is this how FCA/Stellantis treats customers? Is this the experience they want people to have. I sure hope not. I would not wish this upon anyone. So now that it has been two months. My new vehicle is an unsafe chore to drive and all the fun has been stolen. I am not saying all experiences buying a Jeep Wrangler would be bad but mine was. It was like two different experiences with me and my son.

@JeepCares Your Thoughts?

You need to look at the lemon law requirements for your state, and keep it in the shop until it is fixed or meets those triggers.

 

[Pat’s Sahara Unlimited]

Was your son's lifted as well?? It's my understanding that just installing the Mopar lift, may leave a lot of things "undone" with the original geometry.

Still sucks. Hope you get it all figured out.

G.

Actually, I was thinking how harder the fight would be for the steering issue if a 3rd party would be involved…

 

[bkgray115]

I can't continue to read the post it's all just too much. If you depend on a dealership for everything this is what you get. If you put the time in to reading about lifts and everything needed and involved you would know the Mopar lift is not a complete kit. Returning the jeep to the same dealer that doesn't seem to know a damn thing about lifted jeeps so can't find a bad or out of spec part is a joke.
Jeep pulls and 4 wheel alignment doesn't fix it. First I would rotate tires IF it still pulls it is not tires... now look for bad joints or play in parts. You have to go down the list and check and confirm each part is working before going on to the next part.
Just putting more parts on can lead to other problems that can hide or change what to orig. prob was.
Just my 2 cents

 

[gato]

If not and it's pulling that bad then the alignment is off, or the axle is off, or something is off. Plain as that...

There is nothing to "align" on a stock (or Mopar lifted) JL that will change pull to one side. Only two things can be adjusted: tie-rod length to control total toe, and draglink length to center the steering wheel.

What causes pulling with the Mopar lift is a combination of bound control arms (from not loosening and torquing on the ground), slightly off center/rotated axles (again causing bind in the control arms).

Properly set adjustable track bars, good spring perches and properly set up spring, properly torqued control arms and properly set drag link, should eliminate all pull.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

There is nothing to "align" on a stock (or Mopar lifted) JL that will change pull to one side. Only two things can be adjusted: tie-rod length to control total toe, and draglink length to center the steering wheel.

What causes pulling with the Mopar lift is a combination of bound control arms (from not loosening and torquing on the ground), slightly off center/rotated axles (again causing bind in the control arms).

Properly set adjustable track bars, good spring perches and properly set up spring, properly torqued control arms and properly set drag link, should eliminate all pull.

Welll there is on mine. I have adjustable CA's. But for the Mopar fixed length yeah just toe.

The problem with the Mopar lift is it doesn't come with spring correction perches and the coils bow. I would never suggest anyone go that option imo.

 

[maxmxa]

I was considering a new 4Xe (I sold my JLUR last year), but now when I read these kinds of posts I get discouraged and worried to end up with same kind of problems. I know not all have the same issues, but I've read way too many posts by different people having issues with poor frame welds (had this on my JLUR), unresolvable problems due to lack of good knowledgeable dealers, and the steering issues (had this on my JLUR).
Don't worry about exposing the dealer name, because I really don't think they care either way. These kinds of reactions from the dealer shows they don't take pride in their work and customer satisfaction. They are just out to make the money and don't give a hoot if anyone reports them to BBB (which absolutely means nothing) or any Jeep forum. Post photos and dealership info to prove this is a real problem and to help others avoid this place or any place like that.

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