How reliable are Jeep Wranglers?

[hardy1000]

I am on my second Wrangler the first being a 2001 TJ Sahara and now a 2009 Wrangler Unlimited 4 door Rubicon that I purchased new. I put 25k miles on my TJ with no problems. I prefer the JK because of the longer wheel base and better ride and like the new hard tops because they are quieter and you can remove the T tops very easly if you want an open top. I have the Rubicon because I use it off road and it rides a little rougher than the X or Sahara. If you want a smoother ride try the Sahara and it is very off road capable also. I have 20 K on the JK and have had no problems. I average 13-16 MPG in the city and 19-21 on the highway. Starting in late 2008 they do not have steering lock which means you do not have to keep the key in the ignition or pull a fuse. Both the TJ and the JK are very reliable.

[njs42]

Wrangler, as far as it's reliablity, take a look at Consumers reports, and add the comments you have had so far from users. That should give you a good cross section of knowledge. I have owned Chryslers and they have been good cars---same with the Chevys, Fords and a host of other vehicles.

I have often thought of a Wrangler---but have balked because of the comfort factor and practicality for every day useage. If I want to take my dog and Grandkids to the mountains----there are better vehicles. If I am going to the store to pick up some wood or haul something fairly large---there are better vehicles. Stuff like that has kept me from owning one. If I want to commute fifty miles per day freeway, then there are better vehicles----all of which can be towed. I throw in my CR-V as one of those.


Commuting and every day use. They are rough riding and do not have the room or comfort or ease of access for passengers for that matter the resistence in crash test of other vehicles. So if comfort and saftey concern you then you may want to look at something else. If you expect to haul a lot of stuff then maybe not so good of a choice for every day use. If you will tire of bumping and bouncing on the road---then maybe something else?

If you get one it will last a long long time---but if you do not like driving it it will seem even longer.

For towing, although I have not owned one, I can't imagine an easier tow vehicle. Particularly when it comes to setting it up to tow with the hitch etc; Wrangler does not have a lot of fancy molding in the front so what ever system you use can be attached easily. Aside from that they are light and have engine transmission set ups that basically let you put it in neutral and go.

Then there is the "cult" factor (not a pejoritive term). Jeep Wranglers have a determined following---people just love them. Back in the seventies I believe it was Jeep produced Wranglers with square headlights----holy cow the afficinados just ripped Jeep a new one---because as everyone knows JEEPS HAVE ROUND HEADLIGHTS!!!!! Jeep changed back.

So I guess I'm saying there is a following to the Wrangler---it is the heir apparant to the old WWII Jeep fascination. If you want to be in that group I am sure you would be welcomed---just like people are here at IRV2

As for me as much as I would like one----I don't think my body would like it---as much as my heart---so my mind says no.

[JMonroe]

I've owned / driven a '47 CJ2A, '60 CJ5, '67 CJ5, '76 CJ7 and our current '07 Wrangler Unlimited. Those old, leaf sprung, very short wheelbase Jeeps did suffer from a very rough ride and the creature comforts consisted of a heater, period. Our '07 has over 70,000 miles on the odometer, about 20,000 as a toad, and has required only routine maintenance. While it's no Cadilac, the ride's not bad, it has A/C, cruise, power windows and lock and even Blue Tooth built into the radio. All this plus it's as simple to set up as a toad as anything on the road and it will go places few would believe.

Every manufacturer has put a few lemons out the door, and those tend to be the ones we hear the most about, but I'd not hesitate to buy another Jeep.

[tncruiser]

on our 2nd wrangler wife did not like the stick in the 2010, so 2011 is auto,4dr,hardtop
i will say it rides and drives as well as our 2006 mark lt pickup
quiet enough very smooth altho a little more power would be nice most of my vehicles have been v8 only service/warranty issue is the clock looses a minute a week that will be addressed on my next oil change just remember it is a jeep an American icon you are carrying on a tradition it is not a euro/japaneese piece of (enter your own word here)
i would never own a non American label (i grew up in detroit during the muscle era) so you are welcome to spend your $$ where you want i will spend mine where i want and not flame or be flamed for MY choices
brianj

[CJ7ole]

While on vacation in AK we rented a 2011 Jeep Wrangler (JK) for 4 hours at Denali. Hardtop, air, cruise, auto, street tires, nice radio, quiet, nice ride. Kind of like driving my wife's car. If that is what you like you will be happy with one, particularly with all of the Mercedes technology put into the newer ones.

But that drive up in AK made me miss my CJ with the 4 speed and it's long shifter, the climb up into the seat, the tire noise, the bumpy ride, the wind with the doors off and just the bikini top on, no radio, cruise or A/C to worry about, just pure simple Jeeping in a 27 year old Jeep that I know every inch of and that still turns heads.

Don't get me started on Consumer's Report's reviews of American cars.

Oh, the CJ7 is our toad. With the right bumper, you don't need a baseplate and expensive towbar, a simple A frame works very well. Remove the orange shackles and the A frame pops right on.

[JMonroe]

Originally Posted by tncruiser

...only service/warranty issue is the clock looses a minute a week ...

Mine too. And it has since day one.

[Big Bear Local]

Nothing like a Jeep. I had a 1990 with 206,000 miles on it. Never had a problem. Have a 2004 today, bought new and have had no problems in 50,000 miles. Tows great.

Mark

[Brigadoon]

My '02 Sahara has 79k miles driving and has been towed 74k miles. Runs great. Had to replace the throttle position sensor about 6 years ago and just recently had to have some maintenance on the air conditioning. Not bad for just shy of 10 years old.

Have test driven 2 of the jk's with the v6 engine and just could not warm up to the power characteristics of that engine. Now I see they are coming out with the new six with more horsepower plus the new 5 speed auto trans. I may test drive one of those. Actually, I have been waiting for years for a diesel, but there's no solid evidence of a diesel that will actually make to sale in the US.

[JimM68]

00 sahara, 4.0, auto, cruise and ac. hardtop for the winter, soft for the summer. bought a year and a half ago for $4000 with 214k miles.

I like it so much it became my daily driver of choice, and I sold a corvette so it could go in the garage. 228k miles now, plus another 10k towed.

[bluepill]

Originally Posted by CJ7ole

Don't get me started on Consumer's Report's reviews of American cars.

Getting back to the OP's question of RELIABILITY, Consumers has rated it as MUCH WORSE THAN AVERAGE. (2011 Buying Guide)

The reviews of new vehicles that CR does are somewhat subjective, and can express the tester's bias.

Not so with their reliability data - It is all based on hundreds of thousands of surveys that are done every year. Each subscriber is mailed a survey form yearly.

In my experience, the results are very accurate. As an auto mechanic I see the exact failure areas that are reported actually show up in my shop.

To be fair, two of the worst areas reported on the Wrangler are body integrity and body hardware. These may be of less concern to Jeep owners than Mercedes owners, and may also reflect the harsh use that many may be subject to.

[Samc]

I agree with bluepill, sort of; Condemner's Reports compares all vehicles, without regard for purpose, price, type, etc so Jeeps show up badly compared to, say, their gold standard Camry. Plus, they take a beating (at least, mine does) so squeaks, rattles, and outright broken things are part of the deal; taking a liberal interpretation of CR's data, mine has had all the problems, but one problem with the CR data is that there is very little granularity in it; ANY issue with, for example, body hardware, counts the same; door falling off or loose screw, doesn't matter. So, it's a little deceptive. "Engine problems" can mean a rod through the block, or an oil change light that comes on too soon. One's serious, the other's trivial. Check NHTSA web site for info on safety-related recalls; there are very few. Fender liners are too close to brake lines (they fix that with a sharp knife to the liner, not the brake line) and early gas tanks spit back. Also, the CR stats show that the bigger 4-doors are much less reliable than the 2 doors, which are relatively compact and can turn a circle in a residential street. On the down side, the 2-door back seat is unusable except by dogs and small children. Compared with other vehicles I've had, I'd put the JK model jeeps (current version) middle of the pack for problems and well ahead of, for instance, a Miata, which is the most code-prone vehicle I've ever seen.

If you like the jeep, you'll overlook the cheap plastic dash, rough ride, and flighty handling, and take joy in the fact that it can go just about anywhere, and is probably the easiest thing to flat tow, ever. if you don't, then it won't work for you. We just got back from a 3000 mile trip towing the jeep, used it to go places we might not have even walked, and it was a delight. Also, probably among the cheapest and simplest tows to rig; replace the plastic valance panel with the Currie baseplate, spring for the OEM or Cool Tech wiring harness, and voila! pretty much ready to go, no cutting or welding or skinned knuckles. Hardest part of setting it up to tow was fishing a wire through the firewall for the brakeaway switch.

[Hikerdogs]

Originally Posted by SAMCUDNEY

I agree with bluepill, sort of; Condemner's Reports compares all vehicles, without regard for purpose, price, type, etc so Jeeps show up badly compared to, say, their gold standard Camry. Plus, they take a beating (at least, mine does) so squeaks, rattles, and outright broken things are part of the deal; taking a liberal interpretation of CR's data, mine has had all the problems, but one problem with the CR data is that there is very little granularity in it; ANY issue with, for example, body hardware, counts the same; door falling off or loose screw, doesn't matter. So, it's a little deceptive. "Engine problems" can mean a rod through the block, or an oil change light that comes on too soon. One's serious, the other's trivial. Check NHTSA web site for info on safety-related recalls; there are very few. Fender liners are too close to brake lines (they fix that with a sharp knife to the liner, not the brake line) and early gas tanks spit back. Also, the CR stats show that the bigger 4-doors are much less reliable than the 2 doors, which are relatively compact and can turn a circle in a residential street. On the down side, the 2-door back seat is unusable except by dogs and small children. Compared with other vehicles I've had, I'd put the JK model jeeps (current version) middle of the pack for problems and well ahead of, for instance, a Miata, which is the most code-prone vehicle I've ever seen.

If you like the jeep, you'll overlook the cheap plastic dash, rough ride, and flighty handling, and take joy in the fact that it can go just about anywhere, and is probably the easiest thing to flat tow, ever. if you don't, then it won't work for you. We just got back from a 3000 mile trip towing the jeep, used it to go places we might not have even walked, and it was a delight. Also, probably among the cheapest and simplest tows to rig; replace the plastic valance panel with the Currie baseplate, spring for the OEM or Cool Tech wiring harness, and voila! pretty much ready to go, no cutting or welding or skinned knuckles. Hardest part of setting it up to tow was fishing a wire through the firewall for the brakeaway switch.

How quickly we forget this is the same Consumers Report magazine that rated American Tourister luggage #1 then later got caught taking a pay off from the manufacturer. They also rated the Renault Alliance #1 car of the year 10 months before they quit importing it into the US because of quality problems. They just recently condemed a number of child car seats. We found out months later they weren't testing them according to established standards. There are several other instances I can't recall at the moment, but you get the picture

[bbeane]

Have an 06 Wrangler Unlimited Rag top, 14 mpg, rides and drives just like a jeep (it ain't no town car). Tows great, goes anywere within reason, no mechanical issues 55k on the odo, round about 15k towed, Still on the oem brakes (M&G air tow brake system) Lot of fun running around with the top and doors off on the back trails.

[Mekanic]

Originally Posted by n9iui

We tow a 2006 Wrangler. I don't like the new model Wranglers; the 2006 is the last year for the "TJ's". The TJ is mostly old style Jeep and less Chrysler. It still uses the inline 6 engine which I prefer.
Yes, it rides a little harshly. Yes, it will go just about anywhere you would want to take it. You can park it in places most cars will not fit.
It tracks behind the Winnebago like it's on rails, and when we get where we're going we can drop the top and cruise!

I agree X2 with all but the stiff ride.
I have driven My TJ 1700 miles each way to Colorado once a year for the last three years. It rides quite well.
Now that i have my custom RV its going on a trailer for the trip this year.