Warranty ending soon... What would you do...?

[aldo98229]

My Jeep will be three years old in November, which means my warranty ends in one month.

My 2018 JL has only 14,000 miles and it’s been mostly trouble-free. But I haven’t owned a vehicle without warranty since I was in college.

I don’t do hard-core off-roading anymore; these days it’s mostly easy-to-moderate trails and lots of winter driving. My Sahara with Selec-Trac works perfectly doing both.

I priced a 2023 Sahara similar to what I currently have: $59,610!

Mopar keeps sending me solicitations to buy an extended warranty. But I don’t really trust FCA —or Mopar— to honor its promises, nor my dealer for that matter.

It’s hard to put into words how BAD my Jeep dealer is. As I always say, “an extended warranty is only as good as your servicing dealer.” The next closest dealer is 30 miles down the freeway.

I’ve owned Jeeps for 25+ years and love Wranglers. But between my terrible dealer, Jeep’s price gouging and their ongoing indifference towards consistent quality and customer service, I am having a hard time justifying buying another one.

So, I have to decide if:

1. I want to keep the Jeep without a warranty, keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best
2. Trade it in for something else with 4WD —I just ain’t paying $60,000 for another Jeep
3. Buy the darn extended warranty and hope FCA and the dealer honor all their commitments when the time comes to pay up

What would YOU do in my position...?

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[Mtpisgah]

Determine how much you will get for your jeep bs buying a new one. Put that amount of money in the bank for repairs. If you do not need it, use it as a down payment for the next vehicle.

My jeep is two years old next month and is out of warranty due to mileage. I do not like extended warranties as they are usually not worth it. Plus, my jeep has been modded enough that it would only cover the electronics at this point. I will self warranty.

 

[Grayhound]

I didn’t see what motor you have but the 3.6 is a very common motor with relatively few issues at this point. If you’re running that motor, drive on as most mechanics can work on it with little issue. Your only other option in motor for 2018 was the 2.0 and it’s a great motor as well, but the turbo can be your biggest cost to repair, however reports of failure are low. All things considered, I’d just find a mechanic you trust, keep the maintenance up to date and let it roll on down the road!

 

[sconrad24]

Watching this closely. I remember your JKU days. 1. is the best of the options. 2. Well that means a truck, 4runner or Bronco. So not much out there. 3. With only 14,000 miles, hopefully you have several years of no issues atleast. I'd try to get a few more years out of yours before the next JL refresh and then reassess.

 

[Sidewalk]

Besides the car my ex and I bought in 2012, this is the first vehicle I have ever owned WITH a warranty. Feels weird actually having one, and will probably be the last time.

Never once used the warranty on that 2012 car. Only one minor thing ever broke in the 10 years I had it, before a cell phone driver smashed it.

4000 miles in 3 months on the JLR. Warranty will be gone soon enough I guess.

 

[Smoke Showing]

I wouldn’t waste the money if you have a Jeep that has never had a single issue. If I had a car with gremlins I would extend it. Find a good local mechanic and stay away from your horrible dealer because they will fix it until it’s broken.

 

[NoVaRockCrawler]

I would shop around for other extended warranty offers if you are not comfortable letting it lapse. There are better deals out there than FCA will offer. I voted to "Do nothing"

 

[TopWright]

Love'em or hate'em my last 3 vehicles came from CarMax and have not been disappointed. a 2 yr old MBenz ML350, an Infiniti JX35 and now my 2019 JL Rubicon with 31K miles. I really tire of dealership price negotiaing. I have purchased their extended warranties each time to cover to 5 yr 150K miles. Have used it when the wife's Infiniti's AC compressor went out (parts and labor $1600) and it cost me $250 and another time when her blower motor fan went out ($800) and it cost me another $250. The warranty has paid for itself already and still has miles to go. I purchased the same 5yr/150K mile warranty thru CMax on my JL for peace of mind. I have 59 months/119K miles left on the warranty. I've only had positive experience so far and hope that continues. Just my thoughts.

 

[stylin7]

Recently rolled over 36K on my 2020, not worried at this point. Only needed to 1 visor replaced under warranty and now just waiting on getting into the body shop for the corrosion issues. Still miles left on the power train warranty.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

If nothing new that you want on the new JL's I would just sit on it and wait for something to happen that I wanted.

 

[aldo98229]

I didn’t see what motor you have but the 3.6 is a very common motor with relatively few issues at this point. If you’re running that motor, drive on as most mechanics can work on it with little issue. Your only other option in motor for 2018 was the 2.0 and it’s a great motor as well, but the turbo can be your biggest cost to repair, however reports of failure are low. All things considered, I’d just find a mechanic you trust, keep the maintenance up to date and let it roll on down the road!

Yeah, my Sahara has the regular 3.6 V6.

 

[dragoneggs]

Personally, I never buy extended warranties on anything. I figure it is a money maker for the company and the money I save from not buying a bunch of warranties can go to the product that actually needs fixed during that time... which in my case, is virtually never.

 

[GrayWolf.Overland]

My warranty expired 2 months back. Its been issue free even after the ton of mods I have made.

My only regret - not putting the effort to go to multiple dealers in the area and find someone who would agree to do the steering box TSB. My Jeep tracks like on rails, so its only a minor "could have" regret.. the aluminum box (the updated one 2020) does ok

 

[Punkn89]

keep it. Now is not the best time to buy. Find a good mechanic. Enjoy the shit out of it.

And if you are making payments, another good reason to keep it. Build that equity. The average car loan has skyrocketed. You don’t want to start a new loan over and the amortization clock resets.

if you’re worried about repairs down the road, put money away every month specifically for that reason. I also tell everyone this - GET UNDER THAT JEEP, grab a wrench AND LEARN!

 

[MilkSteak]

Only 14k miles? You should have way more before having any major issues. I had my JK over 100k miles with no extended warranty and never had any issues besides a thrown belt and leaky thermostat housing. The 3.6 is a champ, I'd choose that any day over the other current options.

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