Jeep’s Big Aussie comeback plan. Will it work?
 

<p align="justify"><img src=https://www.unsealed4x4.com.au/wp-content/uploads/KevinFlynn-scaled-e1596689291757.jpg alt="2020 jeep wrangler JL bikini colour " width="265" height="140" hspace="10" border="0" align="left"/><strong>Recently arrived FCA Australia MD and CEO Kevin Flynn takes some time out to speak with Unsealed 4X4 to outline Jeep’s Aussie comeback plan… a plan that’s aimed at fixing the marque’s damaged reputation in Australia.
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At the start of my one-on-one interview with Kevin Flynn, he told me he firmly believes that all of the DNA of the original Willys is baked into every Jeep built today. He should know, because although he’s only been at the helm of Jeep in Australia for around a year, prior to that he was President & Managing Director of FCA in India for almost five years, where he was charged with launching the Jeep brand and managing right-hand drive production of the Jeep Compass, as well as establishing an export strategy for Jeep brand right-hand markets, including parts distribution.

There’s no doubt the Jeep brand has problems in Australia, with horror stories over the past 10 years or more regarding reliability, high service costs and poor customer care. But Jeep has been working hard to turn this around, and is now putting a fair bit of effort in to explaining how it’s doing this in the Aussie market, clearly outlining the plan and the commitment on the Jeep website, which includes a five-year/100,000km warranty, capped price servicing, lifetime roadside assist, cheaper spare parts, more tech support and more emphasis on customer care.

“I’ve been here nearly a year and prior to coming here the business had experienced a decline for quite a number of years,” Flynn says, “and part of my appointment as a job is to find out what is the cause of that and, more importantly, what is the turnaround plan?”

Flynn explains that part of the problem was as Jeep vehicle sales increased in Australia, the level of customer care and the infrastructure behind that did not keep pace. In response to this problem, Flynn says Jeep is putting a lot of focus into after-sales and processes within after-sales, to reduce the response times to clients and owners when there’s an issue.

“One of the things I committed to do was put four ‘flying doctors’ (special technicians) out into the field… so that whenever we need to get to a situation we’ve now got people around the country mobilised to do it, and that’s their sole job… to respond to a need and to support dealers when they need assistance in diagnosing or sorting or whatever.

“We changed the whole processes within customer service so now there is a lot better link up with technical, customer service, parts acquisition, the whole thing is now really streamlined and cross-functional. It’s working so much better.”

As for parts and servicing costs, Jeep has also made significant steps to improve what many customers have considered a big issue.

“We did an evaluation of 17,000 part numbers that we sold last year, and we’ve re-priced those components,” says Flynn, adding, “and we’ve added the fixed-price servicing and lifetime roadside assist, so we’ve done a lot of things that we said we would do.”

“COVID has been a nightmare, but we have not missed one promise that we set out to our dealers and we set out to our global seniors who are absolutely backing us on this turnaround of the business (in Australia).

To get the message across to customers, Jeep Australia is using various channels including social media and television. And that message, according to Flynn, is that the company is hitting the “reset button”.

Through social media, Flynn says the message is essentially: “Look, not all may have been as well in the past, but there’s a big button on the wall and a bit of a reset”, followed by the promise, “It’s alright saying sorry but it’s another thing saying what are we going to do about it? And we started laying out those things.”

Kevin Flynn is optimistic about the future of the Jeep brand in Australia, pointing out that the company had a good sales result in June this year and that July was also looking strong. Since our interview last week, we’ve now seen the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) VFACTS sales figures for July and while some Jeep models have performed well, others have not.

While Compass and Cherokee continue to perform quite poorly in the market (down -46.2 per cent and -29.3 per cent respectively for the first seven months of 2020 compared to the same period last year) one of the brand’s core products, Wrangler, was up 3.2 per cent over the same period.

And while Jeep’s most popular model, the Grand Cherokee, was up 7.9 per cent in July 2020 compared to July 2019 (261 to 242 sales), in year-to-date terms it was down a worrying -19.5 per cent on last year (1424 to 1768).

The new Gladiator managed a very modest 33 sales in July 2020, and there’s little doubt Jeep would wish it could get its hands on a diesel variant.

Of the effort to claw back some sales momentum, Flynn admits, “It’s a journey. It won’t happen overnight and nor should it; we need to earn it back.”

“Without any shadow of doubt, we dented people’s trust and we need to earn that back and that’s not an overnight thing…”

“What I can say is that the engagement we see is significantly up on last year… and the attitude in our social media sentiment is moving from negative into a balance of neutral and positive…”

The Grand Cherokee is by far Jeep’s best-selling model, but it’s the oldest product in the company’s line-up. When asked why the Grand Cherokee continued to perform so well, Flynn responded, “First of all it doesn’t look as old as… like me, it’s ageing well (laughs). It’s still a very competent product, and I think the styling cues that have been changed as we’ve gone through the lifecycle have done well; it looks great on the road and, let’s be honest, it still delivers, it’s got a very, very strong towing capacity and all those things, so it’s got a place in the market and it’s got a level of respect.

“If we can make sure that the confidence levels in us, and our back-up are there, then I still think there’s room for Grand Cherokee to grow.”

Jeep Compass sales are in the doldrums in Australia right now, but this is a vehicle Flynn is very enthusiastic about. After all, the Aussie-market Compass is built in India where Flynn used to be the boss. In fact, one of the main reasons Flynn is talking to me right now is to promote the revamped MY20 Jeep Compass range, which scores new safety tech as standard, a larger touchscreen display and several other upgrades. The Compass Trailhawk model is still stamped with a Jeep ‘Trail Rated’ badge, meaning the company regards it as a genuinely capable off-roader.

Following on from his comments earlier about Willys DNA being baked into every Jeep product, Flynn says, “Even Compass… all of the off-road, all of the approach angles, the break-over point, even on the normal Compass, it starts off as a 4×4…”

“With the Compass, I’m proud of the fact that we got such a high level of quality, when we went live building the right-hand drive vehicles – and there were four plants making the vehicle – and the car that comes from India to Australia is the highest quality off the line; durability is great and the vehicle is good. Now, of course, for the ’20 model year, we’ve packed it with safety equipment, we’ve put the big screens in, the nice interiors, we’ve changed the model line-up… and then of course you’ve got the Trailhawk.

“Even when we launched that vehicle (in 2018)… the off-road capability… was outstanding, and I think there is a substance to that vehicle that you don’t find in other SUVs.”

As our interview time slot came to an end, I managed to squeeze in a couple of more questions regarding what I perceive to be some odd pricing strategies in the Jeep line-up. Why, for example, is the Gladiator Overland almost as expensive as the Gladiator Rubicon, yet the latter gets so much more equipment including its Rock-Trac Active On-Demand 4×4 system, front and rear lockers, front sway bar disconnect, Fox dampers, BFG muddies and more?

“The vehicle, it is not just the sum of its components, but it’s actually a style choice, an application choice,” Flynn says. “We’re doing nicely with Overland but actually the Rubicon is obviously where a lot of people have gone, so the big question is what do you want to do with it? I’m glad I’ve got Overland because otherwise it would be too polarised.

“We’ve got another (model grade) coming; we are launching a Sport S, which is going to be fantastic spec but it’s going to be a great package, so we’ll end up with a nice range, and then people can best choose the application and style they have, so I think that’s the best way to position it, it’s actually more of a style thing, but understanding that the Rubicon is great value.”

“.... now there is a lot better link up with technical, customer service, parts acquisition, the whole thing is now really streamlined and cross-functional. It’s working so much better.”

Well, well, well. This is just hype and a case of bullshitters believing their own bullshit.

Case #1. So I had a rear diff seal replaced on the JKU (by other than Jeep). The guys who did the replacement ordered the very specific and correct seal for the JKU 3.8 and were sent the wrong one. The JKU was on the hoist, with its guts stripped out for an extra 3 days while the correct part was waiting to be delivered. The changeover took 8 hrs or thereabouts but the so called streamlined and cross-functional customer service and parts acquisition was as disastrous as it has proven to be in the past and caused me 2B without the JKU for 3 days.

Case #2. I had to change valve cover gaskets that were spraying oil like an uncapped oil well in the Arabian desert. The guys ordered the gaskets from Jeep and were told they would get them in about 5 days. They still haven't about 30 days later. I ordered them from Quadratec USA and received them about 18 days later. They have now been placed into the JKU. The mechanics have still not heard from Jeep, despite ringing them several times, and this was when CV-19 had not closed the country down.

Case#3. "We did an evaluation of 17,000 part numbers that we sold last year, and we’ve re-priced those components"

Funny that.... For the price quoted for the 2 valve cover gaskets (without grommets for the retaining bolts) I had delivered to my front door 2 sets off valve cover gaskets with grommets, inlet manifold gaskets, water pump gaskets, EGR gaskets and some other bits and pieces. I can't see the re-pricing.... Also, even with $exchange rates, delivered to my door I got the same diff seal from the USA for less than half the price charged by Jeep.

Case #4: And then there is the labour cost. When I enquired (just out of curiosity) of Jeep what it would cost to change the valve cover gaskets I was quoted nearly $1000 in labour!!! WTF... 3-3.5 hrs labour means an hourly rate of about $285 per hour. R U SERIOUS!!! The guys did mine for about $100 per hr which seems to be the common charge for mechanics.

Case # 5: Re the Compass: I have not read any reviews praising this car: in fact it regularly features in about the top 20 worse cars that Americans are advised NOT to buy.

Apparently, [I]there’s a big button on the wall ”,and "the company is hitting the “reset button”.

I am still laughing!!! Perhaps its a really small button, or Jeep's etc people are really blind, or have a touch softer than a wet tissue. Too little too late. The public are still being taken for fools with some crap vehicles but even crappier service, and parts pricing.

Re "all of the DNA of the original Willys is baked into every Jeep built today" This is a romanticised version of what has always been a very basic and unreliable vehicle. The Jeeps of the WW2 era played their part but trying to capitalise on this 80yrs later is a big stretch. Even then they were not reliable.

Jeep should not make COVID-19 an excuse, directly or indirectly. It had laid the ground work for the shit it now finds itself in long, long, before now.

And >$90000 for the Gladiator.... get real. The modest 33 sales in July (Oz wide) were probably pre-orders from buyers too eager to wait to see what the rip off purchase price would be.Lets see how many more will sell...


Just my 2 cents worth...


And I like my JKU Rubi, but only when its not with Jeep service centres!

I reckon given the pathetic sales numbers over the last few years that Jeep just like Holden will be gone from our market in under 5 years.
I am starting to believe with Covid impact on the economy they could actually be gone in 3.

From what I gathered Gladiator Rubicon is actually on par with the USA as $60,000us for a Rubicon. That's about about $83,500au. I know I have seen the us sites say about $44k but at the dealer web sites in the US they say around $60k with the same spec as the Aussie version.

https://www.daytonadodgechrysler.net...jjtbg3ll145878

I think the only thing that will come close to improving the Gladiator sales is a diesel across the 3 trim levels when the sport finally arrives. Oh and a finance deal like the usa offers.

Unfortunately for Jeep it will only be us Jeep tragic's that keep buying but even I wouldn't even consider anything other then Wrangler, Gladiator or Grand Cherokee with their current offerings.

What colour is it? These adverts voted as the best mv adverts ever,sold record numbers of WKs ,still best bang for your buck on the market as a tow vehicle.
FCA should get another ad agency ,they still have a winner yet sales declining ! More WKs towing on the road than ever here in Qld,less Vics in their LCs for obvious reasons.

Remember those Jeep factory endorsed clothing/fashion stores that were dotted around the country selling hoodies, t-shirts, hats and everything else? When they were around they were very popular and got the name out there. This was at the height of their popularity. Maybe doing something as simple as this again would be an easy and cheap way of getting people interested in the Jeep name again? Also, where do you now get this sort of stuff at a reasonable price?

It all sounds hunky dory but I don't know if I could trust them again. I've had 2 XJ Cherokees and a Pentastar JK Wrangler Unlimited Sport.

The first XJ was a magnificent car. The second was an absolute disaster and Jeep couldn't get rid of it and me off their books when the warranty expired. The problems then continued at my [substantial] cost for the next three years. All up repairs were costed at some $25G.

After a break from Jeep I bought the Wrangler and it was a great car. No issues....BUT.... six monthly servicing was required for warranty and in the first year they were pricey but tolerable. Then I was advised that the next years 2 x services would cost over $4G...and be ongoing. This was something which they lied about when I was buying the car. No way so at a big loss the Wrangler was sold.

Could or should I trust them again. Dunno.....but probably not.

Re parts prices. There was an Oz thread where I read about a windscreen washer bottle costing $1000.00. I've looked at later prices and saw it was $750.00. WOW....for a moulded bit of plastic that should last the life of the car and only cost some $50.00 at most.

I'm due to replace my current ride at the end of the year and would prefer a Jeep as a replacement. I've been watching Mr Flynns progress as head honcho but as I said earlier......can they be trusted??????? Dropping some $80G on a new Jeep is no small matter.

Most of you guys should go and buy another brand of car. You seem to loathe your Jeep experience, so move on and find happiness. Like many of you, I've got other brands of cars to compare my Jeep to; they're all good, and they're all shit. Same, same.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

Talk to any guy who works in a multi franchise operation.All makes seem to have problems some more than others.Many companies work their spares on the just in time princpal,ie when last part is in stock ,order.or some eg Mazda, can get parts in overnight from hubs in Singapore .NRMA told me a couple of years ago Jeep wasnt the only one at the top of the list for lack of parts and cost,Nissan and Mazda were nearly as bad.

When the Australian Gladiator doesn't come standard with the 33" tyres cause we are getting weaker axles you wonder how seriously they are taking the Australian market

In Walmart I could buy the exact same T shirts for $6US...here $45.00. Why? Same brand, same culture....

Why are ford rangers so popular when you hear all the stories about engine and gearbox failures. One Mazda mechanic I know talks about engine replacements in BT50’s like oil changes.

A lot of vehicles have issues. We don’t hear a lot about them, but some we do, and still they sell heaps. Case in point - Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. The two biggest sellers, but heaps of problems. HiLux with DPF issues (heavily reported but still sells well), and 5 cylinder Rangers with turbo, head and auto issues (sells well also). I think that if a company has a bad name (Jeep) or a good name (Toyota) it doesn’t matter too much what they do in the future as that reputation will pretty much stick.

I too hear the stories about Rangers and BT50's which is why I haven't bought one. Am thinking of an Amarok, but no doubt they also have their issues...or I might get the new model Isuzu when it comes out which has apparently got a can't kill under stressed truck engine. Should have a lot more creature comforts than the model it will replace.

I have actually liked my JKU Rubicon and have been surprised at the fun I have had, the places I have been to and my experience with its reliability, in part due to me doing preventative maintenance, which so far has cost me about $25K over the nearly 14 yr life of the vehicle...better than being stuck in the middle of nowhere. I am going to keep it for a while yet even with a second 4WD.

I just think that Jeep dealers etc have dropped the ball with their customers, as I have experienced. It would take a lot for me to rely on them.

I also come across a lot of happy Cherokee and Grand Cherokee owners all over the country who think they r the duck's guts for towing and touring and many have swapped over from many years of owning toyotas, fords, mazda etc and swear they would never own another one again.

The Jeep merchandise must be extraordinarily high quality and have a price which reflects such. I was spending $40G+ in a Jeep dealership and as part of the deal I asked for a Jeep cap. Well........ they absolutely refused to give me one but they were happy to add it to the invoice..

It's not just the fact that Jeeps have problems although perhaps they should not have as many as they do. Their reputation is an amalgam of what goes wrong, how long it takes to have it repaired plus the parts price and availability. There is another factor but this is an intangible. Namely if there is a problem then the attitude and effectiveness of the dealer and then the manufacturer when dealing with warranty claims. The owner is justifiably angry if his/her Jeep is off the road due to delays in repairs. Then the issue is all about a loan car. Later on a 'make -up and kiss' offer aka maybe like a free service or something as an acknowledgement of delays will work wonders on an aggrieved owner. Result = one very happy customer who will sing the praises of Jeep to all and sundry..

Another factor is this. Jeep, whether they like it or not, is a cult with Wrangler and to a lesser degree Grand Cherokee being instantly recognizable icons of the cult. This polarizes people and fosters a love or hate attitude in the general community. The problem for Jeep is to implement an action strategy to over come the haters...such as I have briefly touched upon.

Me.......I'm definitely in the pro cult side of the family.

It’s these simple things that make a difference. I bought my GC 6 weeks ago, and the dealer was just up the road from the Jeep dealer. I rang the Jeep dealer to buy a rear cargo matt over the phone and told them what my situation was. They were happy to take it to the other dealer and put it in for me. Something simple and easy, but like I said, it’s the simple things that make a difference. I emailed FCA Australia and told them how happy I was and was thanked for the positive feedback. I also received a call from the dealer with a thank you. It may take a while, but if Jeep finally can create some positive dealer experiences for customers then this will hopefully create some good exposure for them.

My XJ will outlast FCA, and whatever they may call themselves after Stellantis etc.

The biggest mistake they made in Oz is not sticking to two or three models like they did when Chrysler hit our shores in the mid 90s.

They will need to ditch the smaller cars and concentrate on their core competency which is selling well built cars that can go from pavement to dirt and back in the blink of an eye.

In the US, the Compass gets a different engine to the engine we get out here. The US engine is too under powered for the car. Anybody interested in the car, should use reviews from Australia and India.

The Compass Trailhawk could be my next car..............

It's not the vehicles that are giving Jeep a poor reputation, it's the dealers and the backup (or lack of) from Jeep Australia. I can't even get a reply to an email, and it's not even a complaint (yet)!!

I do agree with Classic Boy, given the poor sales numbers in recent years, I believe Jeep will be phased out of our market in less than five years too. :(

Dealership service centre suck
 

My gripe with Jeep is that it seems their mechanics are learning on the job and not specialists at all. I would pay good money for good service but that’s not my experience.
One of our new Jeeps was only serviced at the dealership and every time it came back the hose webbing was cut, they used a different coolant which messed up the reservoir…and one time my dashcam was still running (they normally disconnect it) and the tech was replacing the reverse camera and he had a blown up diagram on the bonnet, scratching his head, asking others questions and the like…which is great to see at least he’s consulting. But still showed he lacked the experience his other colleagues seem to have. The Jeep was in there for the whole day for a poxy camera replacement.

I won’t take mine back for servicing unless it’s critical…would rather risk taking it to a professional mechanic who knows his stuff and whose reputation is at risk if he does a crap job. Yes big risk but at this point I believe it’s a greater risk taking to the dealership service centre.

The bad news is that this particular dealership no longer sells Jeep…the good news is that they no longer service them either….just my experience.

This makes for interesting reading:

https://www.news.com.au/technology/m...352872d18184fe

Cheers

That's a pity. I know we all like to share very negative reviews about the products and services but how do you like idea of sharing the good ones as well? Recently i found someone to write a paper for me https://domypaper.com/ and i honestly didn't expect such a quality material after couple of days only. For those who decide to get a second diploma or for those who have kids in college - this service is just excellent

Not a bright future
 

As our Wk2 Diesel is coming to the end of its warranty period, have started to look at the next vehicle.

Having a caravan a criteria if 3.5T braked towing. Went to the local Jeep dealer showroom to be underwhelmed by the poor offer, uncompetitive pricing and, the indignity and perhaps reflection of Jeep's current standing, was that sitting proudly as the feature vehicle in the Jeep showroom was a RAM.

The sales person admitted that the withdrawal of a diesel engine has resulted in the towing segment going elsewhere -thus the RAM. Looking at new vehicle sales stats Jeep is best described as in a sales doldrums.

Went next door to Ford and the Ranger/Everest is all razzle-dazzle with an emphasis on the recent upgrades to towing capabilities and features.

Unless there is a seismic shift in the short term it may be farewell Jeep from our shores which has serious implications on resale value and the availability & price of spare parts and servicing.

It will be interesting to see if Stellantis does eventually bring the Wagoneer to Australia (in its current form). It may be a better alternative to a RAM truck for heavy hauling albeit with a twin turbo hurricane engine. I am guessing that they won't bother converting the Wagoneer to RHD just for this market alone. Therefore, it may be that the only Stellantis offering for hauling duties is the RAM.

When Chrysler Jeep hit our shores in the mid 90s, the lineup of the XJ, ZJ and TJ sold well because they were reasonably priced. Pricing remained in reach during the Daimler years and the 3.0L diesel opened up a new market with the Commander and GC. However, the current pricing is not competitive with the traditional diesel crew cab Utes and their extensive dealer networks not to mention the emerging Chinese ute and 4wd lineup.

I think Stellantis needs to look at the basic Jeep offerings of the mid 90s. Too much tech and electrification will burn buyers pockets when the cars are out of warranty. Resale may be an issue.

The Jeep dealerships are disappearing quickly. I remember a time when there was a stand alone Jeep dealer in Broken Hill (mid 90s). I don't know what it's like near other state capitals. Since I last checked, there is no dealer in Bathurst or Penrith now. It is a Jeep dealership dead zone between the existing dealers in Orange and Parramatta. Hardly inspires confidence for a prospective Jeep owner who lives somewhere in between to buy a Jeep if there is no local dealer service available for warranty work - especially for cars that are over loaded with screens, and electronics.

Meanwhile, in a mid sized country town near me, the Ford dealership can't replenish its Ranger and Everest stock quickly enough. Sales are going gangbusters. There is new stock appearing every week, and they are no longer bothering to put trays into the Rangers, they are bare with their ladder frames. The town's Toyota dealership is doing fine with new Hilux and 70 series, keeping a healthy stock of used Utes.