Thinking of the JL/New to Jeep

[DCOURTS]

I've been a big Toyota guy for a while and have always been on the fence about buying a Wrangler Unlimited. Almost bought a JK but went 4Runner route instead. Now I'm back to being intrigued with the roll out of the JL. Jeep looks amazing, has everything you could want minus the big price tag.

My hang up is (and I know the history of issues with previous generations, etc), there seems to be an awful lot of issues, problems, horror stories with the JL. Leaky coolant, wobbly steering wheels, of course the well publicized bad welds, etc.

I know the problems and complaints get all the attention and you never hear enough about all the people who bought one and enjoying with no issue, but is it just me or does the JL seem to have more issues than normal?

Again, not to spark a war on the forums, just curious to hear from experienced Jeep owners and followers as I admit, I'm a curious outsider looking in.

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[CypressWrangler]

The amount of people with actual issues is very low considering how many have been sold. The 2018 models were the first year and there are issues like any brand. Also alot of the complaints are from people not use to have a jeep drives. These are not BMWs. Several threads on here with people who have lots of miles and zero issues.

As for me, 11K miles and zero issues until last week when I joined the "broken rear defroster wire" club. Go for a test drive if you haven't already. I think you will be happy getting one so long as you are aware of what you are buying......the best and coolest off road vehicle out there!

 

[Eddied118]

I love my Jeep, my wife loves it, the kids love it. Nothing like driving around topless and doorless (naked). I don't regret my purchase one bit... just know that it will demand all of you're spare income. The Jeep is happiest when mods are being installed.

 

[StammesOpfer]

Anything that isn't sorted out by FCA will be sorted by the aftermarket. Then you can justify it to yourself as an upgrade and your spouse as a necessity/safety item.

 

[dugal]

i bought my 2018 JLU Sahara V6 last September and have now logged 9K miles with no issues. If you're looking at engines, look at the forum for a comparison of the 4 liter vs the Pentastar V6, which by the way FCA has shipped over a million of. No complaints - go for it. The informed members of this forum can help with anything. Cheers

 

[Rubicon29527]

Jeeps arent for everyone and that is where a lot of complaints come from. They buy them and dont know how they work or operate and then it's all Jeeps fault

 

[SmoothJeepOperator]

I am head over heels for my jeep. My and kid love it. It's just a completely different experience. The fellow jeep lover community is one of a kind. I've started working on my own vehicle which I've never done before. The after market is exciting. I have a rolling document of what products I want for my jeep and a priority for each type put product. It's just fun! No vehicle has ever been this much fun! My biggest complaint is the water coming into the cabin when it rains and the door is open .although if I'm honest I kinda like that I can chalk it up as a jeep thing lol.

 

[Jeeporama]

My Jeep is awesome sauce

 

[offcamber]

I love Jeeps. I've owned about 15 over the years. The fact is the newer the Jeep the more problems. Love my JL but you cannot expect reliability out of a Fiat product.

 

[pablo_max3045]

Personally, I like the Jeep more than Toyota. But it is all down to personal preference, your expectations and where in the world you live.
For example, if I lived in Australia there is likely nothing which would convince to buy any FIAT or Chrysler product given their extreme anti-consumer behavior and total lack of concern for Australian consumer law. There is even a government investigation against them currently along with several class action suits. For less money you can have a 70 series land cruiser which is a superior vehicle. (Except for comfort)

In the US, it seems to be hit or miss depending on your local dealer network. Some are really good and try to help you whereas others try to jam things into your back side.
The 4runner is a good truck, but I am not too keen on the looks. It will likely be more reliable than the Wrangler though. That is not to say the Jeep will break down, just that it is more likely than the 4runner.
You need to make a list of the most important things for you. At the top of the list are things which you cannot compromise on and the further you go down the list, the least important the item in your selection process.
Either the Wrangler hits those boxes, or it doesn't.

You may also consider renting one for a week from your local car hire place. Maybe it will cost you 500 bucks, but that is peanuts compared to the price of the car. After a week of driving it around, you should have a good idea if the Wrangler is something you can live with. Personally, I have done this with nearly every car I purchased. As short test drive simply isn't enough before dropping 50k.

 

[krucam]

Stolen from Reddit:

The Toyota is tough, reliable and a beast off-road. Change the oil regularly and it will last forever. The Jeep will get worse mpg, break more often, be uncomfortable and is a beast off road.

The Toyota will move you and is probably a better vehicle. However, the Jeep will move your soul.

It's a tough decision. It's really win/win. The Toyota is like the wife always there, reliable, familiar. The Jeep is the wild chick you met on spring break, you got wasted had crazy sex and she stole your wallet.

 

[Lou Bunn]

Not quite 2 weeks into owning our first Jeep (Sport S) and the honeymoon is still on! It's a unique vehicle, you can't really compare it to anything else as there isn't anything quite like it. I'm 59 years old and have had a lot of cars/trucks/ vans - boats (don't get me started on them!) and my advice to you is this. Ask yourself what are you going to be doing with the Jeep - not what you may or would like to do, but what will you be doing on day one. Is it going to be your daily driver to work? Or a weekend toy for fun, date nights etc? If it's just for fun - GET IT! Don't look back at all. But, if it's a daily driver and grocery runner, you should know there are many other choices that will ride better, better mpg, have more room and cost less depending on the model. But, there is nothing out there that (for me at least) will put a big grin on your face just going for a ride. I believe the V-6 and 8 speed automatic in the Jeep is as good as anything else on the market now. I believe the issues that some folks had with welds/steering are getting taken care of and that Jeep is improving from those mistakes. Like someone said, most Jeeps are fine, but some did have that first year problem child thing. I know, dealerships get a lot of hate, sneaky salesman, crooked finance guys and service that couldn't replace a light bulb, yes there are some like that. You have to shop dealership as well as vehicle, think of it this way, when you get married, you don't just get a wife, you get the whole family or trailer park in certain regions! So you better be sure the dealer is first class all the way, even if they don't have the absolute lowest price. They have to make a profit to stay in business, and I'm ok with that as long as they handle any warranty work correctly the first time. I know 2 weeks isn't that long a period of time but, with my wife and daughter all driving it and all 3 of us happy - I figure it must be a good Jeep.

 

[HealthRebel]

I love my Jeep, my wife loves it, the kids love it. Nothing like driving around topless and doorless (naked). I don't regret my purchase one bit... just know that it will demand all of you're spare income. The Jeep is happiest when mods are being installed.

"JEEP"... J-ust E-mpty E-very P-ocket, right?

 

[Spartan99]

Jeeps suck don’t get one.

 

[xtopherm]

JK owner who just purchased a JL.

Jeep quality is pretty solid because a lot of the components like engine and electronics are shared across a big group of FCA models, so the cost of really good testing and QA can be amortized. Anecdotally I have had zero quality issues myself. There were definitely a couple early glitches with some of the first JLs while they got the kinks out of the production system for the new generation, but I think they are really well-sorted now.

Also, keep in mind that when it comes to things like steering wobble, some of the complaints on the internet can be generated by modified vehicles, or vehicles which have had the living crap wheeled out of them over rocks and have bashed steering components, etc.

As for Jeep vs Toyota, it is tough for any company to top the excellent reliability record Toyota has worked so hard for so long to develop, but the modern Jeeps are solid in on-road reliability, and off-road they offer quite a bit more articulation and traction in stock form and have a marketplace with a ton of affordable mods to enhance that further. A Jeep wrangler Rubicon with an affordable 2" lift and 35" tires is really about as capable an off road vehicle as you can get. If you take any other vehicle (such as a Toyota), add those same basic mods to it and you are not going to be close to the very lightly modded Jeep in terms of capability. To get a Toyota to perform as well off-road as that Jeep is going to be much bigger project with a much greater degree of modification.

Hope that helps.

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