Questions about buying used

[Valpo Jeep]

We are needing to replace our car soon and I really like our new to us 18 JLU which has me thinking . . . . second Wrangler Unlimited. I am currently looking at JKUs and JLUs. Yeah I know this is a JL forum not really a JK forum but I bet a majority of you have had a JK prior and can weigh in on that platform

Our JLU is a hardtop and we like that but being a second wrangler I am fine going soft or hard top, not making that a limiting factor. My limiting factors are negligible actually. Gotta like the color and has to be an auto, no more manuals if I can help it.

I am fine with it being in a minor wreck as long as it was repaired. Aftermarket goodies I am fine with them. Not really gonna do any hard core off-roading. As long as the Jeep looks like it hasn't been beaten on 13 million boulders.

I guess my biggest question / concern is mileage. How many miles are too many miles to buy used? I can do most repairs myself so I am not too concerned with doing them. My only exception would be internal transmission work.

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[Bmeister]

Mileage doesn't matter so much, to a point, if there is legitimate, documented maintenance. The most often neglected item is transmission fluid and transfer case fluid changes and axle lube changes. If the interior is clean and in good shape, odds are the owner was meticulous in most maintenance. The obvious things, really. One thing I would never do unless I knew the prior owner very well is buy a used Wrangler that has significant, abusive signs of rock crawling off-road or flooding....run...or buy it cheap and hope for the best.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Mileage is directly linked to price, IMO. It also depends on your commute and who is driving it. I would drive an older car but would prefer my Wife have a newer one to presumably have fewer issues. I typically look for used cars that have around 50k miles on them with a max of 75k miles. That being said, if you are looking for a big cost savings, vehicles tend to take a value hit once they roll over 100k miles. At least, it used to be that way.

 

[Dan M.]

I agree with Bmeister. There are a ton of articles online about buying used vehicles. HOwever, the thing that is different about buying a used Jeep is the increased possibilty of off road abuse.
I would look a used Jeep over real well before buying.

 

[sailscall]

I try to by CPO when possible. It would scare the heck out of me to buy a $50k one to two year old JL without a strong warranty. Gimme a 2012 JK with 110k miles on it for $15k otherwise. You’ll get lots of opinions on this one.

 

[zrickety]

We are needing to replace our car soon and I really like our new to us 18 JLU which has me thinking . . . . second Wrangler Unlimited. I am currently looking at JKUs and JLUs. Yeah I know this is a JL forum not really a JK forum but I bet a majority of you have had a JK prior and can weigh in on that platform

Our JLU is a hardtop and we like that but being a second wrangler I am fine going soft or hard top, not making that a limiting factor. My limiting factors are negligible actually. Gotta like the color and has to be an auto, no more manuals if I can help it.

I am fine with it being in a minor wreck as long as it was repaired. Aftermarket goodies I am fine with them. Not really gonna do any hard core off-roading. As long as the Jeep looks like it hasn't been beaten on 13 million boulders.

I guess my biggest question / concern is mileage. How many miles are too many miles to buy used? I can do most repairs myself so I am not too concerned with doing them. My only exception would be internal transmission work.

I would say miles are not as important if it has been taken care of. Ironically a higher mile Jeep has probably spent it's life on road, but you never know. Carfax is a great tool, but doesn't always tell the whole picture. A good visual inspection and negotiating a good price have worked for me in the past... and I've bought some really high mileage cars. The JL is only 4 years old at most, lots of good examples out there, so shop around.
Edit- I would steer clear of the rust belt vehicles if possible. It's worth driving for a clean one.

 

[Shibadog]

As always, buyer beware. I had a friend of mine who was VERY tough on his vehicles. One of his would get more abuse in 10k miles than mine will in 100k. I’d look most closely at “stock” or nearly so and be very wary of lifted, big tired rigs. They (1) may have been used very hard, or (2) may have been built for “the look” with components of unknown quality. Unless built correctly, these things can inflict a lot of wear and tear on other drivetrain components, not to mention causing wonky handling and low mpg’s.. A “stocker” that shows no signs of abuse and has lived on the street will almost always give you better long term reliability. IF you find one with mods YOU want, and IF you can document the quality of the components AND installer you might be ok, however even then the seller is likely going to want to recoup $$ for those items, which means the rig is gonna cost more $$.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

If you get a JK be sure to go for 2013 and newer. 2007-2011 had the underpowered 3.8L engine and the 2012 as the 1st year of the 3.6L had issues.

 

[ZigZag]

I would suggest you might consider a 2-door for variety sake. That is if your lifestyle would work with one. (Kids being the most likely issue.)

 

[Valpo Jeep]

Thanks for the info. Not totally sure on 2 or 4 door at this point. I would need to drive a 2 door to see how I like the ride. Have my eye on a 14 JKU soft top Dune colored with 47k miles and an 18 JL soft top Ocean Blue with 89k miles. There are a few others in the area in the 100-115k miles with a bit better pricing as well.

To be honest part of me wants to just keep the car as well but it has cost a lot this year in parts and I am just afraid of whats next with the thing. 2012 Audi A7 with 222,000 miles. I am WFH now so it barely gets driven anymore. We have only logged 8,000 miles in the last 11 months on it. Before I was doing 10,000 miles in 100 - 110 days with my commute.

 

[J0E]

I agree with Bmeister. There are a ton of articles online about buying used vehicles. HOwever, the thing that is different about buying a used Jeep is the increased possibilty of off road abuse.
I would look a used Jeep over real well before buying.

True, you might be buying from the 5% who go off road or even worse, the .5% who do serious off road.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Agree with the above posts about buying one unmoddified. Also, a pickup is nice to have if you own a house. Maybe consider a Gladiator.

 

[Smoke Showing]

I always use carfax as a starting point. I’ll check the maintenance records and when and where it spent it’s early life. Years back we had car lots filled with superstorm Sandy cars. They weren’t flooded to the point of getting insurance claims or being reported on carfax but were in saltwater up to the door sills. I made this mistake when I bought my Yukon Denali XL. I had bought it from the used car lot of a gmc dealer figuring it was just a trade in but they had bought it at auction. I was constantly replacing parts under it from corrosion. Ironically I laughed my way out of the same dealer when they offered me cash sight unseen for the car so they could get a suv on their lot during Covid. Trust your instIncts if it seems like too good of a deal for today’s market.

I also recommend getting the same JLU but in a soft top, you will basically be getting the dual top group for both jeeps by default.

 

[Vinman]

If you’re adamant about an auto tranny equipped Jeep I would choose the JL over the JK every time. The JL’s eight speed auto is leaps and bounds better than any auto ever previously offered in a Jeep.

 

[Xcoaste]

I owned a JK for 8 years before I bought my JL. There a few differences you may want to consider.

The auto in the JK isn't as good as the auto in the JL so if you are used to the JL auto be sure to go on a long test drive. The manual I found very good on the JK.

The soft tops on the JK used zippers but you can now replace them with a style closer to the JL. The hard top doesn't have as good as visibility due to the rear wiper placement on the JK.

As stated, target 2013 and up JK models for the 3.6 engine. 2011 was the interior refresh and 2012 had some issues with the 3.6.

Lastly, I get about 2 mpg better milage in my JL than I did in my JK. Both were the 3.6 engine.

I did enjoy my JK, but my JL is better in almost every way. If I was to consider a 2 door Jeep, I would be looking at a TJ, but my commute is short.

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