Reliability

[daveprice7]

I'm kind of a manual transmission die-hard (really more of an anti-automatic curmudgeon), and I must say... My wife's automatic Wrangler drives/shifts better than I can with my manual Wrangler. It's one of the better automatics I've driven and the clutch on the manual Wrangler is just.. kind of... weird for some reason. I haven't gotten used to it in 11K miles of driving it. Plus, since you can now order most 2021 Wranglers with full-time AWD if you get the automatic, it's a great choice for mixed winter road conditions.

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[entropy]

The Wrangler mechanics are solid. They are relatively simple mechanically and come with solid engine options and transmission, much better than what they put in the other jeeps. The pentastar is a solid engine and the 2.0 so far has been good but has a short history.

Axles are solid, as well as control arms, suspension, etc... Better or same than stock competition for dirt roads and pavement.

People lift their jeeps and put huge tires, which causes the stock parts to break and fail prematurely.

Now outside of mechanics I dont know how good jeeps are. I havent had any electronic issues with mine but some peeps have.

There are some small things that were built very cheaply and are quite disappointing. Such as the front seat release mechanism in the 2 doors, it is probably the worst quality system/parts I have ever seen in a 2 door car. Interior parts have the worst quality plastic, like the plastic pieces that hold the rear storage cubby. It is pathetic. Ive had 2 JLs and it broke in both.

Take a look at the guy in youtube that took a JK all over Africa and an older Jeep all the way to patagonia, he has nothing but good things to say about Wranglers reliability.

They are easy to fix and run for a decent amount of time if kept in good condition.

 

[Pig-Pen]

i have one of each (mustang and wrangler). i highly recommend getting both lol. mustang for summers and jeep for, all the time. lots of people i know back east says mustang does fine with winter tires. but if you get heavy snow, wrangler would obviously be better.

if you do get the mustang, just be sure to put the chains on the right end of the vehicle

 

[RubenZ]

The Wrangler mechanics are solid. They are relatively simple mechanically and come with solid engine options and transmission, much better than what they put in the other jeeps. The pentastar is a solid engine and the 2.0 so far has been good but has a short history.

Axles are solid, as well as control arms, suspension, etc... Better or same than stock competition for dirt roads and pavement.

People lift their jeeps and put huge tires, which causes the stock parts to break and fail prematurely.

Now outside of mechanics I dont know how good jeeps are. I havent had any electronic issues with mine but some peeps have.

There are some small things that were built very cheaply and are quite disappointing. Such as the front seat release mechanism in the 2 doors, it is probably the worst quality system/parts I have ever seen in a 2 door car. Interior parts have the worst quality plastic, like the plastic pieces that hold the rear storage cubby. It is pathetic. Ive had 2 JLs and it broke in both.

Take a look at the guy in youtube that took a JK all over Africa and an older Jeep all the way to patagonia, he has nothing but good things to say about Wranglers reliability.

They are easy to fix and run for a decent amount of time if kept in good condition.

This is very well said as well. I think the Drivetrain on the Wranglers is as solid as it gets. Where jeep messed up is all the emissions and electronics they had to add to please the Mall crawler and soccer mom image and add all these cool technical features.

 

[JimLee]

This is very well said as well. I think the Drivetrain on the Wranglers is as solid as it gets. Where jeep messed up is all the emissions and electronics they had to add to please the Mall crawler and soccer mom image and add all these cool technical features.

I agree, the drivetrain i'm very comfortable with. Its the electronics that scare me, and most mechanics will not be able to troubleshoot or repair these problems on the trail.

 

[Spank]

My JL has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned and that still astonishes me to this day being an FCA product. It's one of the earliest '18 models out of the factory, I've beaten the hell out of it, its been in two accidents, and my UConnect just recently ate shit. Despite all that, it has always taken me wherever I've wanted to go without any issue.

 

[Oldbear]

rememberwhen you read about car problems on a forum the one’s who complain are the One’s who have had issues. Folks who have had No problems typically aren’t writing about it. It’s the same on all vehicle forums. Given that (1) only a small fraction of Jeep owners are even ON the forum and ( 2) Only a small small % of those are complaining it think its safe to say MOST Jeepers are pretty content with their purchase. You will love a Jeep in the snow-look at getting a limited slip dif and you’ll love it even more. The JL is an incredibly capable machine.

 

[nostatic]

My JL has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned and that still astonishes me to this day being an FCA product. It's one of the earliest '18 models out of the factory, I've beaten the hell out of it, its been in two accidents, and my UConnect just recently ate shit. Despite all that, it has always taken me wherever I've wanted to go without any issue.

My best to-date have been VWs, first a '67 bug (many years ago) and more recently a '15 GTI (still have it). People love to hate on VWs, particularly the newer ones but the GTI has been a gas-and-oil vehicle. The '67 - that thing was a cockroach that should have died multiple deaths at the hands of the 16 year old me.

Modern cars are complicated but are less prone to some problems than the older ones, more prone to others. Electronics seem to be pretty hit-or-miss, as you have silicon and software replacing a lot of mechanical things. Some whir away issue-free while other ones have gremlins that can be maddening to trace.

Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go yell at some kids - they're on my lawn!!!

 

[drvn]

I have had two Wranglers. A 2014 and now a 2020. They both have had non trivial (read pain in the ass) issues. My family was surprised I bought a second. I did so mostly for nostalgia (when I had the prior it was a great time of life...never thought I'd be one of those guys. Lol) Anyway, in conclusion, there are most definitely more reliable 4wd/awd vehicles. If that is your #1 concern, don't buy a wrangler. However, wrangler has a loyal following for two reasons. 1) Incredible out of the box off road prowess and ability to customize 2) Historically minimal competition/choice for those with that priority.
Whatever you choose...good luck and best wishes!

 

[cosine]

this is my second jeep. the first one was a 07 grand cherokee and it was very reliable, low maintenance cost. it had a 3.7 pentastar motor with a 5 spd auto. at 91k miles it crapped out due to an unknown reason. if it hadnt crapped out , i'd still be driving it well pass 100k miles. the only maintenance i did was the oil changes. 1 brake job. that was it. so mechanical aspect of the jeep is very reliable. i replaced that jeep with a 2019 jl 2 door sport base model. which has a well improved 3.6 pentastar motor with a awesome 8 spd auto. like my other jeep, i'm planning on keeping this one for a long time. i've looked at other 4 wheel drive vehicles and just couldnt step away from jeep because the reliability and cost of ownership (to me) is great. yeah the dealer service is crappy, just like any other dealers. but i just take my jl to my mechanic who loves working on any jeep especially wranglers. with that i dont plan on getting any extended warranty because i never have on any other vehicles i've had. i've talked to other jeep owners and they are very happy with their jeep.

 

[Spank]

My best to-date have been VWs, first a '67 bug (many years ago) and more recently a '15 GTI (still have it). People love to hate on VWs, particularly the newer ones but the GTI has been a gas-and-oil vehicle. The '67 - that thing was a cockroach that should have died multiple deaths at the hands of the 16 year old me.

Prior to my JL, my most reliable are a toss up between my '67 Cutlass Convertible and my '84 Cougar. The Cutlass was second to a tank, but it eventually succumbed to frame rust. My Cougar had a 5.0L out of a Mustang, but had transmission gremlins nobody could solve. However, despite said gremlins, it still always got me to my destination (not always smoothly, though). That car was a blast, though.

My JL, to this day, hasn't been in the shop for anything mechanical whatsoever. I've done all the recalls just to get them out of the system, but I haven't had a single engine, transmission, weld, steering, oil, or performance problem. I had a busted seat latch and I broke my UConnect from flashing an update I shouldn't have, but those are on me.

 

[JJMalone]

Bought 20 JLR 2/29/20 (fully loaded with all the extras that are supposed to just add to the complexity and make it less reliable) and now has 38,450 miles on it. Not one single issue, glitch, or hair out of place. I’ve bought and sold 3 Toys since ’08 (FJCruiser, Tacoma TRD OR, 4Runner TRD Pro) and they all had minor issues. Strongly recommend the Wrangler and it is way more fun than the Mustang.

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

If you saw me in a parking lot I’d tell you that the Jeep I’m driving is a replacement for one that was lemon-lawed/bought back. I’d tell you that it was an incredibly frustrating and maddening experience.

Then I would tell you that I loved it despite the issues and *had* to have another. I’d say that my Recon is a blast to drive on and off-road and I can’t imagine not driving a Jeep. It makes running errands fun.

I wanted a CJ when I was in high school but got an MGB instead (goodness I loved that thing). I’m so glad I finally got my Wrangler.

 

[RoadiJeff]

This is very well said as well. I think the Drivetrain on the Wranglers is as solid as it gets. Where jeep messed up is all the emissions and electronics they had to add to please the Mall crawler and soccer mom image and add all these cool technical features.

Many people have said that if it were not for all of those comfort features and things, the Wrangler would have died years ago. It's the soccer moms and others who will never drive off-road that keep the sales numbers as high as they are.

 

[entropy]

Many people have said that if it were not for all of those comfort features and things, the Wrangler would have died years ago. It's the soccer moms and others who will never drive off-road that keep the sales numbers as high as they are.

Silent heros.

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