Sport S Reliability?

[JLRyder]

Purchased my ‘19 used April of ‘20. Same thing, lift and 35’s. Nothing really to complain about…stock gears also. I stay on top of my Mx so that might help a lot also. Hope yours treats you the same!

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[txj2go]

In which case you don't need a lift. A lift makes it more difficult to drive on-road and can cause extra wear and tear.

Depending on the lift and tires, suspension components will wear faster with a lift and will wear faster with heavier than stock tires. If you want the look of bigger tires and assuming you don't do significant offroading you could put on 33s and leave the rest of the suspension stock.
I have a 2018 4-door Sport, 3.6, 8-speed. I have Rubicon 33s on it and Rubicon springs that provide 1.75" of lift, but I as much offroading as I can. Other than offroading I do a lot of long highway trips with it.
From my observations the most likely problem is with the 2 batteries. I bought the best full size battery I could find and disconnected the small battery.

 

[Ramen]

Best thing to do to keep it reliable is staying current with the maintenance. We have a 2010 Sport (the 3.8L that everyone loves to hate). For most of its life it has had a lift and 37" tires and has seen a lot of rough off-roading. It currently has over 200,000 miles on the original engine and transmission and still running strong (knock on wood). Oil changed every 3,000 miles.

That's impressive. My 2008 JK has 160k miles. Replaced the radiator, head gaskets, etc. Isn't the most reliable but it is my first Jeep. Thank you for your input!

 

[Ramen]

I think you’ve got a winner as is...looks great!

Thank you!

 

[Ramen]

Depending on the lift and tires, suspension components will wear faster with a lift and will wear faster with heavier than stock tires. If you want the look of bigger tires and assuming you don't do significant offroading you could put on 33s and leave the rest of the suspension stock.
I have a 2018 4-door Sport, 3.6, 8-speed. I have Rubicon 33s on it and Rubicon springs that provide 1.75" of lift, but I as much offroading as I can. Other than offroading I do a lot of long highway trips with it.
From my observations the most likely problem is with the 2 batteries. I bought the best full size battery I could find and disconnected the small battery.

See that is what I was thinking too was the fact that I could downsize tires JUST to make sure the components don't wear and tear as fast as they would as of today. HOWEVER, I have great warranty on the JLU so we should be okay unless I notice something... Thank you for the response!

 

[Ramen]

Purchased my ‘19 used April of ‘20. Same thing, lift and 35’s. Nothing really to complain about…stock gears also. I stay on top of my Mx so that might help a lot also. Hope yours treats you the same!

Awesome! Love the 35s honestly. I think theyre the new 33s. Glad to hear yours is doing well still!

 

[Ramen]

This is what I popped in to say - if the question is of reliability relative to other trims, the Sport and Sport S should be the most reliable by virtue of the fact that they have less stuff to break.

Honestly, I didn't really think of it that way. I forget that the Sahara and Rubicon have nicer things but more things to break at the same time. Always wanted a Rubicon for the sway bar disconnect and lockers, but I realistically can still do that to mean with a few extra $$$.

 

[flyer92]

Honestly, I didn't really think of it that way. I forget that the Sahara and Rubicon have nicer things but more things to break at the same time. Always wanted a Rubicon for the sway bar disconnect and lockers, but I realistically can still do that to mean with a few extra $$$.

This is exactly why I always recommend base models, such as the Sport or Sport S. Stellantis grossly overcharges for factory components that you may or may not want on the "higher" trim levels, and in most cases you're better off installing quality aftermarket versions as you need them.

Case in point, is Rubicon's swaybar disconnect. While it is cool to push a button and disconnect, an Antirock swaybar requires no action at all, and is a much simpler, more reliable design. Even if you kept the stock swaybar on a Sport/Sport S, there are several great QD options out there that are far more reliable. Frankly, I love my manual seats, locks, and windows, although I realize that's not for everyone. Other than keeping things simple, keeping up with routine maintenance is obviously critical for reliability as others have already stated. Focus on those two strategies, and you'll likely get the most out of your Jeep with fewer down days and less stress on your bank account. Best of luck and happy Jeepin'!

 

[TheRaven]

Honestly, I didn't really think of it that way. I forget that the Sahara and Rubicon have nicer things but more things to break at the same time. Always wanted a Rubicon for the sway bar disconnect and lockers, but I realistically can still do that to mean with a few extra $$$.

To me the only advantage to the Rubicon is the axles. That's why I would go for it. I don't care about the lockers or disconnects. It's price-prohibitive to upgrade the axles on a Sport just to get the strength and gearing of a Rubicon. Now if you are planning on swapping axles to something even bigger, then it really doesn't matter.

 

[JLeco2022]

Honestly, I didn't really think of it that way. I forget that the Sahara and Rubicon have nicer things but more things to break at the same time. Always wanted a Rubicon for the sway bar disconnect and lockers, but I realistically can still do that to mean with a few extra $$$.

imo electric sway bar disconnect is horrible, it would be better to run the disconnect pints in the sport bar tbh

 

[JeeperKeeper]

So I have had two Jeeps before, one being a 2013 4 door Sport and the other being a 2008 2 door Sport (still have it). I have a new 2023 Jeep JLU Sport S and I wanted to see if anyone had tips or tricks to make it more reliable. I have a 2'' spacer lift with 35s on it (straight from the dealership) and wanted to make it last as long as possible. Any suggestions?

(I do plan on getting an aftermarket tire carrier and would like AEV bumpers, but worried about the weight added on)

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[bllprk]

How to keep a vehicle lasting as long as possible:

1. Drive it less.
2. Drive it gently, like a grandma who can't really see.
3. Don't drive it in the winter. (stay away from salt)
4. Keep it stock.
5. Address problems with the correct fix and Mopar parts.
6. Perform fluid / maintenance as requested by the OEM.
7. Store it in a garage.
8. Get lucky. No one buys a wrangler because its reliable.

 

[TheRaven]

8. Get lucky. No one buys a wrangler because its reliable.

This is important to remember - we're not talking about a Toyota or Chevy here. The JL generation of the Wrangler seems to be very hit or miss - if you get a good one you will have a great experience but if you get a bad one it's going to be a nightmare of epic proportions and you'll probably swear off the brand for good.

As long as you aren't going to mod it too extensively, a MaxCare plan would be smart insurance...that's what I did - the price was well worth it...it's already paid for itself and we really haven't had much work done.

 

[Ramen]

This is exactly why I always recommend base models, such as the Sport or Sport S. Stellantis grossly overcharges for factory components that you may or may not want on the "higher" trim levels, and in most cases you're better off installing quality aftermarket versions as you need them.

Case in point, is Rubicon's swaybar disconnect. While it is cool to push a button and disconnect, an Antirock swaybar requires no action at all, and is a much simpler, more reliable design. Even if you kept the stock swaybar on a Sport/Sport S, there are several great QD options out there that are far more reliable. Frankly, I love my manual seats, locks, and windows, although I realize that's not for everyone. Other than keeping things simple, keeping up with routine maintenance is obviously critical for reliability as others have already stated. Focus on those two strategies, and you'll likely get the most out of your Jeep with fewer down days and less stress on your bank account. Best of luck and happy Jeepin'!

Yea. After reading all the replies, I am really started to think it was in my best interest to get a Sport S. Thank you for the response! You do the same.

 

[Ramen]

How to keep a vehicle lasting as long as possible:

1. Drive it less.
2. Drive it gently, like a grandma who can't really see.
3. Don't drive it in the winter. (stay away from salt)
4. Keep it stock.
5. Address problems with the correct fix and Mopar parts.
6. Perform fluid / maintenance as requested by the OEM.
7. Store it in a garage.
8. Get lucky. No one buys a wrangler because its reliable.

Since mine is a daily driver, I don't really think I will lift it any higher or do any big mods. Thank you for the response! Best of luck

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