scared about issues I've been reading about

[JlEngineline]

The 3.6 has been around for a while and in the JLU since the release. The 2.0 with the e-Torque just started arriving in mid-August. Would you feel more confidant with one or the other engine choice at this point going forward? Any input on the steering issue? Thanks again.

Honestly I can't answer that. The farthest that I have ever driven a Jeep is 10 feet. From the water test to the cert line. I

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[MSteeves]

My friends have told me i am crazy to even consider buying a jeep. .

Why? Do their reasons make any sense? Are their reasons based in solid fact, or just on what they've heard.

I figure the majority aren't having issues, and they've sold a lot of wranglers

There ya go.

OK, so we have 2700 miles on ours - JLU Sport S, stock so far and likely to stay mostly that way. We have had zero problems. Last 4x4 I had was a '68 Scout. Before that, a '68 FJ40. Before that, an old Willys. These new JL's are nothing short of awesome. Well, sometimes I wish for the days of greater simplicity, but then, I think ... no points, plugs at least nominally going 100K, oil changes every 6-8K or more. More time to drive the beast and enjoy it, you see. And then ... ours is the 8-speed. Gosh. That thing is smooth as silk, and has had no problems off-road. I'd never go back to a swizzlebox after driving this offroad. On the highway, it's slicker than a llama's snot (don't ask). My wife loves it on and off-road.

As others have pointed out, the 2018's are the first in the new series. Some 'issues' are to be expected. If you get one, you may very well have some of those 'issues.' But as others have also pointed out, you drop it off at the dealer and drive a loaner for a bit till they tell you to come fetch it. Speaking of first in the series, our other vehicle is a 2002 KJ. I got it new, and have had zero problems with it. Well ... check that. There's the damned back window roller crapout thing, but otherwise, our Jeep experiences have been first rate. So far.

 

[viper88]

Honestly I can't answer that. The farthest that I have ever driven a Jeep is 10 feet. From the water test to the cert line. I

Thanks for the honest input. Again, much appreciated.

 

[photowiz]

You are figuring it right so get past your panic attack.

People who are having problems tend to post here 90% of the time. If you're not having problems you tend not to post. You read for information like me. I've had mine since mid-May and have had zero issues. We have been back one time to the dealership to fix the one recall, the speed/cruise control. They did it in 20 minutes. My advice, check the frame welds and test drive thoroughly. You'll love the JL.

 

[Aclud4]

Hi all, I spent the better part of my holiday weekend reading this forum and I'm overwhelmed to say the least.

My 18 Wrangler Unlimited Sport is my first ever new vehicle. I've always wanted a Jeep despite my family telling me otherwise.

I noticed while driving home from the dealer that it is very hard to go straight, constantly correcting my direction of travel. After reading some of the posts here I'm now afraid to put my kids in my Jeep. Mortified!

Another thing about mine, it has never turned off at a stop. Is the ESS on all new Jeeps? mine has a V6 and automatic.

It could be how you hold your foot on the brake. Lighter pressure keeps it from kicking the engine off. A more firm foot will shut it down.

 

[W1ck3d]

Jls aren't a bad vehicle.... The majority of the bugs in minor software issues that will be resolved it's a new electrical system... As for some of the cosmetic stuff you can't just blame the factory... They cars don't leave here and go right to the dealer... Most of them goto 3rd party companies who do certain add on to the jeeps ex put in the softtop for the cars that get the dual soft top option, or they install running boards, and they also are doing the cars that need hardtop replacement parts.... These cars make 3-4 stops before they even goto the dealer so the problem could lie anywhere... But overall these are pretty solid vehicles .. Id buy an 18 jl

 

[Tahoe Blue]

It could be how you hold your foot on the brake. Lighter pressure keeps it from kicking the engine off. A more firm foot will shut it down.

I tried standing on the pedal and nothing. My husband tried also and nothing. We also checked the battery volts and it has 14 volts running and off.

 

[Capt-Zoom]

Wow....the jl coolaid levels in this forum have now reached Apple and Harley Davidsons proportions.

All anybody is really saying against the jl is for new buyers to thoroughly check them out before purchase or wait for a 2019 or get a jk. The people stating this are coming from first hand experience due to the problems and months of hassels they had with FCA before reaching a resolution if the have yet. Odds are it wont happen to the op but the risk is there. Hopefully it doesnt happen to anybody else.

My own situation probably wont be fully resolved until at least halloween and thats after a 2.5 month fight with FCA.

 

[COBill]

Hi everyone,
Maybe I'm being paranoid, but has anyone else been hesitant to get the JL based on the issues we've been reading about?
My friends have told me i am crazy to even consider buying a jeep.
I figure the majority aren't having issues, and they've sold a lot of wranglers.

Quite frankly, in my personal experience reliability is the very last thing you should have on your shopping list when buying a Wrangler. It was true for my Wrangler and it's been true for every new iteration of the Wrangler since.

On the other hand, there are few other vehicles made that can do what the Wrangler can that you can purchase new, off the lot, and it's certainly true for vehicles of the Wrangler's size.

You are the only person who can decide whether you want to potentially accept some degree of unreliability and a ton of quirks for the fun and enjoyment Wrangler ownership can bring.

While many people here use theirs as their daily driver, I would highly recommend that if you can avoid doing so, you do, the same way you could use a Ferrari as your daily driver but it wouldn't generally be recommended.

Many people say there is a good warranty, but the question is how much time can/do you want to spend at your dealer? I can virtually guarantee you that any visit will actually be two, as they take the first day you drop your vehicle off to find the part they need to order, and you get to go back a week or two later to have them install that part, and odds are very high that replacement of said part will not actually fix the problem in question, all while you have to find alternate transportation if you didn't take my daily driver advice, as most dealers will not supply you with a loaner vehicle while yours is in the shop.

I'm not trying to trash the Wrangler per se, but rather many of the issues it has date in some way back to the YJ or before, indicating that as long as they sell Jeep would rather try to handle many issues on a case by case basis for anyone who complains about them than fix them on a model-wide basis.

 

[old8tora]

All anybody is really saying against the jl is for new buyers to thoroughly check them out before purchase or wait for a 2019 or get a jk. The people stating this are coming from first hand experience due to the problems and months of hassels they had with FCA before reaching a resolution if the have yet.
My own situation probably wont be fully resolved until at least halloween and thats after a 2.5 month fight with FCA.

Good luck @Capt-Zoom . Hopefully before winter , lol . Keep a thick tow rope handy , lol .

 

[cabnfvr]

We bought our JL in April when we stopped in for an oil change on our 2012 Liberty. Our dealer had te JLon the showroom floor and it had all the options from our must have list. And it was the right color. We've had a CJ7, YJ, TJ, and they've all been great fun. In between were a couple of original version Cherokees and both generation Libertys. When the new JL came out we started looking and knew that's what we wanted. Vehicle wise we've smiled more in the last five months in the JL than in the last 5 years (with the exception of taking a stock Liberty Jet to the end of Cement Creek in Crested Butte Colorado. Wrong Jeep, wrong tires, just all wrong. Low range 1st gear 5000 rpms and I though it wasn't going to pull that last incline. When we got to the top a guy on a DS400 said, "That was impressive." to which I replied with a big grin, "Nope, that was stupid.")

Life's too short to miss out on fun. Buy the JL.

 

[Matthew/E36]

Hi everyone,
Maybe I'm being paranoid, but has anyone else been hesitant to get the JL based on the issues we've been reading about?
My friends have told me i am crazy to even consider buying a jeep.
I figure the majority aren't having issues, and they've sold a lot of wranglers.

Most of the things described on the forums that I may assume you are worried about can be solved with a quick checklist and test drive. I had one for my factory order including all the "dont' forget to make sure it has this" to ensure there were no missing extras like tools, etc.

There are some real things that have affected some people. They have a right to be upset. I haven't seen enough to indicate there is a high probability of any one of them happening. Again, I'd be outraged if it happened, but the odds are low. Same with buying used, or probably a lot of other new vehicles.

Don't dive in if you are too worried, but the water seems fine!

 

[Matthew/E36]

Hi all, I spent the better part of my holiday weekend reading this forum and I'm overwhelmed to say the least.

My 18 Wrangler Unlimited Sport is my first ever new vehicle. I've always wanted a Jeep despite my family telling me otherwise.

I noticed while driving home from the dealer that it is very hard to go straight, constantly correcting my direction of travel. After reading some of the posts here I'm now afraid to put my kids in my Jeep. Mortified!

I never combed the threads on steering, but I've seen several people state that just adjusting tire pressure made a difference. Yours may be more severe, but if you are afraid to drive it you need to get it to the dealer!

GL!

 

[Matthew/E36]

On average, it takes a manufacturer about three model years to identify and redesign mechanical deficiencies. Something like the steering issue will require testing, engineering, manufacturing implementation, etc. Same with the starter noise and the atomic cloud at start up. Issues that can be corrected on-the-fly during manufacturing (like welds and installation problems) can be fixed quickly. If you’re going to wait until “the kinks are worked out,” you’ll likely be waiting for the 2020 or 2021 models. Manufacturers also usually only implement updated parts “moving forward” and only backwards if a vehicle under warranty experiences a catastrophic failure. If your piston gaskets were installed incorrectly, you’ll only get a fix if your engine is throwing codes and you’re under warranty. That’s why, when your dealer doesn’t know how to fix your steering issue, they’ll call you and say something canned by a lawyer like, “the steering is performing as designed.” You think it’s loose—but is it? Is it? Because, after all, steering and handling are subjective.

Also, keep in mind that there’s a whole group of people who will never notice anything wrong with a car. My wife, for example, drove our Infiniti 25 miles with a completely flat tire and never noticed. Ruined the rim. Is she ever going to care about the welds on our JL’s frame? That’s likely a negative, Ghost Rider. A coworker swears his JK doesn’t have a single issue. Yet, his radio doesn’t work and his headlights flash when he turns on his blinker.

We bought ours knowing it would probably have a bunch of issues. We also bought it knowing every issue would be a battle with the service department. Going into it with realistic standards has helped keep our blood pressure normal-ish. We wanted a fun vehicle. If we wanted something reliable and comfortable, we would have bought a Toyota.

It’s sort of like buying a whole summer wardrobe at Old Navy. You damn well know it’s all going to turn into toddler clothes in the first wash but the patterns are so fun! And OMG, is that a pair of salmon shorts with palm trees on them?!? Must. Have.

Good points!

You're right many won't notice a thing and some vocal ones will show up on the forums. All good though and things to take a look at on the lot before you drive away.

Old Navy clothes...lol, too accurate!!! I'm sure you've heard this in your house too: "I saved so much money buying new clothes!"

 

[azamani]

Hi everyone,
Maybe I'm being paranoid, but has anyone else been hesitant to get the JL based on the issues we've been reading about?
My friends have told me i am crazy to even consider buying a jeep.
I figure the majority aren't having issues, and they've sold a lot of wranglers.

Could you elaborate on "My friends have told me i am crazy to even consider buying a jeep."?

I got my first wrangler just over a month ago now and love it. I'm assuming your friends are meaning it's crazy to get a Jeep as a daily driver in general, not specifically about this models reported issues.

I will say, if you think the Jeep will drive like any other modern SUV then you will be disappointed. The JL to me is smooth enough to be used as a daily and has enough interior luxuries to also satisfy my needs. I personally haven't had any issues with mine and love it more every day!

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