WK2 2012-13. Issues to look for?
 

Hi all, new to the forum. As the heading says I’m looking at 2012-13 GC’s, 3.6 petrol or 3.0 diesel for everyday driving plus a little off road fun. I’m a little worried though with so many horror stories going around. What are the main things to look out for? Are they expensive to service? Thanks in advance for any advice.

I have a 2013 Diesel 100,000k's no issues. Check the service history, get under it and look for damage. if you know someone who has one take them with you to check it out.

Thanks for the info. I don’t know anyone with one. Geez, I don’t know anyone with a 4x4 of any kind. Maybe I need to find some new friends 🤔

I recently purchased a 2012 GC Laredo, 3.6 Petrol with quadra lift. It only had 24,000 kms on it when I brought it and I paid $22,000 if that helps you at all with your search. The factory upgrade of the quadra lift (along with the low kms) was a huge factor in my purchase.

It is quite good on fuel on the highway for a large V6 @ 10L/100 kms. I have only ventured off road once and it was EXCELLENT. We took it down a step snotty rocky with loose dirt hill, put it in rock mode (low range and highest suspension setting) and I actually had to accelerate to get it down. Traction was THAT good.

Coming from an AWD Territory I'm loving having real 4WD and the extra ground clearance.

I have no issues to report so far.

welcome but where are all these horror stories ? Sure there are lemons but looks at all other brands. All the same , but ppl just sensationalise jeep issues .................

Thanks for the info. A Territory is my other option. But a Jeep sounds much better.

It’s just that if you google reviews quite a bit of negativity pops up. Like all the recalls etc. But since I’m buying second hand then all of that should have been fixed. But you are right, people do sensationalise Jeep issues. That idiot “Jeep Lemon” guy on the news last year. I think he might even be on YouTube. Most problems seem to be with the dealers. But I wouldn’t go through them anyway.

the "idiot" jeep lemon guy is also on these forums :p


as for recalls well all cars have recalls . Service your car when it's supposed to and look after it and it will treat you well . My my14 has just cracked 115,000 and not one major issue other than the usual wear and tear .

Mine is a 2013 GC Laredo diesel. Great car, full stop.

Laredo is amazingly well equipped for a so called lead-in model. I went for diesel to tow a caravan. The GC is much more comfortable, economical and better put together than the (petrol) Territory I had previously. No comparison really. Servicing also no more expensive than any other car *IF* you steer clear of dealers and find a good independent Jeep specialist. You might get some leads if you tell us where you're located.

Go the Jeep, hands down! Our Territory (TS Diesel AWD) was OK but once we got over 150,000 kms I had to replace a LOT of parts. All front end bushes, both front CV shafts, front tail shaft, front ball joints and more...

I still have it if you want a good deal :p

Seriously the Jeep is hands down a better car. Having a REAL 4WD (not AWD) has already paid dividends for us. I shopped around until I found one with low k's and Quadra lift.

Good luck ;-)

As for servicing costs, what sort of prices are being charged? My wife drives a diesel Captiva and we have never been charged more than $350. If it’s similar then I would be very happy.

totally different cars . Servicing anywhere from $300 for general service to $1k for major services .

the fact you are comparing a craptiva to a grand cherokee for servicing costs makes me wonder if a grand is the car best suited to your needs

Comparing the two for servicing costs means that a GC is not suited to my needs because....? I do realise that they are different vehicles. But as they are both diesels I was interested in servicing costs between the two. As for it being called a “Craptiva”? People do seem to “sensationalise” issues about them, as they do about Jeep products. These were mostly for the older models. But I am sure that there are some issues with the newer ones, just as there are with all different vehicles, GC’s included. I find it funny how most people have never owned one, but can comment because a “friend” had one, or go by what they have read on the internet. People being worried about them being made in Korea. Geez, Hankook tyres are also made in Korea. Had them on my GQ Patrol. While the Hankook Dynapro was far from the best tyre I’ve ever had, they were ok for the price. If I followed everyone’s advice then I would be afraid to buy anything. This is why I have joined this forum, so that I can go by advice from people that actually own these vehicles. If I went by what I read on the internet, then all of the fearmongering about Jeeps being no good would probably drive me away. We have had the Captiva for 5 years without an issue, only paying for servicing. If I purchase a GC and have the same happiness with ownership then I will be very happy. I am sure that this will be the case, as I have so far had positive feedback about GC’s.

i've owned a craptiva, i call it a craptiva because it's a gutless pos diesel with a bland interior and not due to it's reliability. It's a nothing car .

Everyone is free to have their own opinion. I find the performance to be more than adequate, and the interior to be a reasonable place to sit in. We have an LX, so there are quite a few nice luxuries included. Unfortunately we have now veered away from the subject topic, so please let’s now go back to what this topic was initially started for. Thank you.

The WK2 GC is a premium car even in base model form, it is light years ahead of earlier GC incarnations. The 2011-2013 you're interested in has a lot of Mercedes DNA in it, including interior design and build quality. Engineering wise it's a pretty complex and sophisticated beast. It won't cost as much to service as the equivalent Merc but maybe a bit dearer than more 'average' SUV servicing (timsarg's estimates are a fair guide). As I suggested earlier though, find a local Jeep specialist to look after it for you, dealers will bankrupt you in no time flat.

As others have suggested, the GC's reliability directly corresponds to the quality of maintenance you put into it - skimp on that at your peril, but get it right and you won't look back. Same goes for any car. Above all, look at the value. As a second-hand buy you're getting a LOT of car for little money. A 2WD 3.6 petrol will be a lot cheaper than a 4WD 3.0 diesel (totally different beasts) but all are amazing value used. Just source the best example you can with a verifiable service history.

A fantastic response. Thanks for your input. It is very good advice. It is still about 6 months before I can get a GC (waiting for my current lease car to finish), but it’s advice from people like yourself that helps a great deal.

I am looking at a 2012 Overland 3.0DT. I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, to get a good look at the air suspension, what would the process be with the buttons in the cabin? ie what do I set the 4wd system to, do I press the "up" button, etc. I just don't know the normal operation of this system.

Secondly, assuming it's had all the recall work done, anything else I should be looking at?

I am not trying to bag these things but they have a reputation for unreliability. I tend to think this probably relates to recall issues (I think I'd be pretty annoyed if I kept having to take my brand new Jeep back to the dealer for recall work) but just wanted opinions. I am happy given the price point of these things to have to do some rewiring or other improvements. On the other hand I am not keen to be stranded with a drivetrain issue that is not capable of roadside repair.

You might be even more annoyed if you had to spend thousands on injectors,HP pump ,etc in near new Toyota Landcruiser and Prado,Hilux s. Google problems with these vehicles you may be surprised.There are faults with all makes of vehicles.I own a 2010 WH diesel and a 2012 CC Overland diesel (Merc autobox) and both are great vehicles. WH caused a headache with N23 recall.Google how the suspension works.Plenty of parts available in US for airbag suspension.Make sure all services have been done to schedule.Remember A/T fluid should have been changed at no more than 40000ks if vehicle been towing van.

Yep, I am with you and that is why I am looking at this make and model. I have never owned a car that didn't need a bit of rectification of design flaws.

On paper the WK2 is just sensational value as a used purchase, provided you get a good one. I am pretty close to pulling the trigger.

I have a 2014, but the air suspension should be the same. Start the car, have all doors closed, press the up button next to the terrain selector dial. Once should go up to OR1 level, press a second time to go to OR2 level.

When its at the selected height the yellow light stops flashing

Thanks... tell me, how do you find the 8-speed transmission? Some people seem to dislike the shifter.

As you say, there are problems with all makes of vehicles. My wife’s car is a Captiva, and as you may have read from some of the negative responses I’ve received on this, they don’t have the best reputation. Yes they are known to have issues, but what brand is problem free? We have not had one single issue with this car. Best car we’ve ever had (I’m waiting for the sniggers on this comment). With some research on google there are also some horror stories about GC’s. But as we know, because of this forum, that’s not the case. Check the history with service and recalls on whatever particular vehicle you’re looking at, and if it’s from a dealer, see what warranty it has. Good luck when you make you’re purchase AnthropoidApe. I’m looking forward to see how things go.

nothing wrong with the shifter in the 14 era models, unless you're an incompetent american who can't distinguish between p and d .

if a company has a tonne of recalls then isn't that better than not having recalls . The way i see it is FCA are ahead of the ball by issuing a recall notice for a certain issue unlike companies like toyota who refuse to admit their unbreakable hilux's have dpf issues etc

It's strange how negative folklore seems to attach itself to particular brands, mostly perpetrated by those who have no direct experience with the brands they bag. Among them are some one-eyed Toyota owners who try to justify the horrendous prices they paid for their cars which in reality are no better. The same 'baggers' also get stuck into Land Rovers, but I'm happy to tell anyone that Jeep and LR are the best cars I've owned in the last 15 years. In that time the only rubbish I've owned was a Territory (we don't mention the 'T' word any more - a piece of crap that cost me plenty to keep upright and moving).

As for recalls guys, regard them as a positive thing. One thing FCA does do well is issue proactive recalls, for virtually anything. Put that up against many other brands which are reluctant to issue recalls and just wait for you to break down. Even better if you buy second hand (a really good one) that's had the recalls attended to. You can plug in the VIN on the FCA website which will immediately tell you if the car you're looking at has any recalls not completed. Incidentally, the GC doesn't have airbags made by Takata, so no issues there.

Yep, most of the folklore is BS founded on ignorance.

Great, enjoy your search, there's plenty out there so you're bound to find a ripper.

I like the shifter, from Park to Drive is a flick back and off you go. But it can take a bit of time to get use to changing into R, especially if you are trying to do a quick 3 point turn. It's easy to miss it and get N or P.

exactly , my only issue is sometimes when i rest my hand on the shifter and hit a bump or something offroad and it goes into n but really i have had no issues in being able to tell wether i am in p or d .

being able to just knock it back to go into sport etc is fine. i like the shape of the shifter as well

I quite like it now, but it certainly took some getting used to.....especially wanting to quickly from D to R.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the guidance.

The 8-speed auto gives better range and fuel economy, maybe about 10% I think. The 8-speed models are also a bit newer so they have a bigger touch screen and different cruise control (???) (I am only looking at diesel overlands, or maybe a summit at the right price).

On the other hand they are a good $10k more expensive. Would you spring the extra for a MY2013-4 vs a 2012 model, assuming similar kms travelled?

Is an 8sp box worth $10k more than a 5sp? Opinions are bound to be biased according to personal experience. I'm happy to speak in favour of my 5sp, but my car is very well sorted overall. Would I swap it just to get a later used one with 8sp? Nope, not for $10k. It's fair enough that others will point out the attributes of the 8sp, and if you become focused on 8sp then that's what you will end up with. It's a personal choice and your money, but if you are genuinely open minded, then my view is go for the best car with the best provenance overall, regardless of gearbox being the ultimate decider.

Fuel economy: I'm getting 9.8L/100km AV. That's a pretty even balance of urban & country, plus towing 2.5t a few times per year. Stock set up, no performance mods (I do have a catch can). As for range, I get around 950km, a non-issue for me.

Okay, so still looking around... Have I correctly understood that only some model years have the rear glass that can open separately from the rear door? Is it only 2013? It seems likr a desirable feature to me since I will sometimes have a bike rack blocking the rear door.

That is correct 2013 was the last year of manufacture with the flip glass window.

Thanks Trailhawk. Does this mean there was an overlap period when they had the 8-speed transmission plus the flip glass, or did everything change at once? Do you know?

The flip glass was in from 2011-2013. I think it changed with MY14 models on. I find it useful with the bike rack on, pity they deleted it later.

MY14 hello 8 speed transmission, bye bye flip back glass.

Critical progress was made today; my wife test drove a 2013 Overland and rated it as comfortable.

Considering the price difference I am probably looking at a 2012 with lowish kms rather than something newer. What are the big service kms to look for? Eg is there a big service at aay 100,000km that would make 102,000kms potentially better than 98,000kms?

Assume you're talking diesel?? If so, 100k km service is a biggie, virtually everything except change of coolant. Need to check service history to be sure it was done properly if over 100k. If the book is dealer stamped it should be OK, or even by an accredited Jeep specialist, but if stamped by anyone else I'd want to see the supporting paperwork. Also check when the diffs and transfer case fluids were changed (every 40k km) especially if it's been towing. Coolant change 120k km. Also worth fitting a catch can (oil separator for crank case breather) if not already done on the diesel.

What’s a rough price for the 100k service? Coolant change at 120k is pretty good. Normally do my own (they’re not Jeeps) about every 2 years (around 30k).

Kicking around $1k, give or take. I use an independent Jeep guy who charges a lower labour rate, dealers of course sting like hornets. When you get to coolant, note you can't use the 'regular' stuff in a GC, you must use the Mopar formula, usually only available through dealers and Jeep specialists. The handbook will give you the specs etc. for whichever model you end up buying. Most makes have their quirky points, Jeeps are no exception, 'special' coolant is one of 'em!