thinking about buying a JK - think again

[jeepdate]

there's a lot of misconceptions as to firstly, why i bought it, and secondly the apparently "not as capable" IFS 4wd's

I bought it to take it wheeling, nothing else. I compared the JK against many other 4wd’s and it took the place of my original preference of the similar year model Pajero SWB, I am a long time member of the Subaru & recreational 4wd club which has predominantly more vehicles, from a range of manufacturers represented in the club, including Jeep’s. I don't expect it to handle like a daily driver, and with that mindset I don't push it hard on the black stuff- i have my other car, a 1994 turbo clubsprint for my boy racer fix. I am lucky i didn't get a chance to sell it, coz i've had to continue driving it while the Jeep is constantly being repaired.

That said my 16 year old 340,000 kms capri, yes its still a capri in spite of all the great things tickford did to it, has had less problems in the 6 years that i've owned it, and the 10 years prior with the 1st owner, than the JK has had in the first 4 months and 11000kms!!

funnily enough, the JK still leaks water through the hardtop, just as the capri is infamous for leaking soft tops - i wonder if in years to come the JK will take that crown

i would much prefer an IFS lifted over a live axle anyday, think about it - live axle technology has been superseded - it's cheap and easy to manufacture which is most likely the main reason its still seen in the Jeep. Any live axle 4x4 only has as much clearance as a Honda CRV when you look at the fact that our diffs are so close to the ground.

But you nailed it with the comment that the Jeep is the best off-road in that price range - exactly why i bought it, but the JK has also since proven, you get what you pay for in terms of quality

yes its the best off-road, yes it's alot of fun - but mine has also spent nearly half of its time off-the-road, not off-road where it should be

once i finish compiling the list of issues i've experienced, i will be sure to share them. And yes, I am across all of them and have been putting pressure on the servicing dealer and Chrylser for that matter, I’ve tried all the correct avenues to no avail.

If anything my JK will be a great buy, because the months of hard-work, stress & time pressures of seeing all the repairs come to fruition is already done – I’m just not prepared to keep investing so much of my time, as there is no end in site

[Yom]

A tip: Do not include any issues you have had from aftermarket components or installations. They are NOT chrysler's problem.

[TOYROX]

So come on Jeepdate. What is wrong with it apart from the top leaks a bit of water?

[hunty]

Hi Guyz
I read with dissapointment and sadness as the Jeep JK gets bagged here. I do however sympathise with anyone who has had the kind of frustrating warranty experience (no matter what brand of car manufacturer) as you have had!

I drive the wheels of my 07 JK - its my daily drive and my weekend fun mobile!!! - LoL I regularly do stockton beach and the wattagans mainly b,c,d grade trax - the only warranty item I have had replaced in 65,000kms is the front steering damper - I have spoken to my dealer about the water leak from the soft top and they will happily replace / repair on my next visit.

I regularly go wheelin with big jacked up cruisers and Patrols many have winches, crawler gears & front and back diff locks which I don't - My JK consistently out performs them on all various terrain - in fact it has been responsible for 1 nissan and 1 toymota drivers changing to Jeep.!

I write this article to encourage you to at least experience the off road capability of the JK b4 you chuck it in.

1 last tale - LoL I went out last weekend with a new Hilux with IFE and I was amazed how little it took to get it stuck on its belly - admittedly it was stock height and stock treads - but heres the thing - you cant raise them up easily and if you do you put extreme strain on the front drive components - i have a friend with a isuzu / Jackeroo (IFE) crawler gears 35's
and he destroys $900 front cv's regularly - twice last year. and my JK with 33's just eats it up.

in conclusion - if you want a mall crawler then go with IFE (independent Front end i.e shorty little diff with stubby little axles) but if you want to discover this great land - Australia and join a real 4x4 club then you need a Jeep -
cheers Hunty

[BNEJK]

Originally Posted by jeepdate

- live axle technology has been superseded - it's cheap and easy to manufacture which is most likely the main reason its still seen in the Jeep. Any live axle 4x4 only has as much clearance as a Honda CRV when you look at the fact that our diffs are so close to the ground.

Comparing the clearance of a live axle to that of independent suspension is like comparing apple to orange. the clearance on an independent suspension quickly eaten away when you brake, carrying load, or one of the wheel hit a bump, while live axle can maintain their clearance. not to mention the poor articulation on independent suspension vehicles.

[MightyMouse]

I'm staying away from the "lemon" issue with this vehicle - i don't know enough about the issues so won't judge.

However......... i'd disagree re the live axle vs IFS discussion. Yes live axles have been around for years ( well so has independent actually... ) but this has nothing to do with their suitability for off road operation.

IMO they offer significant advantages over independent systems in off road situations in terms of layout, articulation and strength. On the other hand Independent systems win on handling / ride.

Each vehicle is a compromize, and its designers accept that if they head down a particular design path then there will be positives and negatives involved. I own a Jeep because the live axles etc etc are what i want because of their off road charactersitics and accept that this comes at the price of poorer on road characteristics.

The fact that some people like the off road image but don't want to go off road means that they expect a road car dressed up as an off roader. There's certinly a large number of vehicles that fit this category of off roaders with minimal capability - its not surprising at all that their Jeeps aren't what they dreamed of. Perhpas Jeep could do it better but they have chosen to head down the more offroad path whereas others have gone the other direction.

I'm not excusing quality / support issues, as customers we have the right to expect a quality product - professionally supported, BUT if people shoose a vehicle for the wrong reasons then "disapointment" is bound to follow.

And i've got serious IFS and Live axled 4WD's...... after a lot of work the IFS is capable BUT its never going to be in the same league as the live axled Jeep.

Perhpas I've been lucky - but my JK has been no worse on the road than I expected and better off road, which is why i bouht it in the first place.

[jeepdate]

again, assumptions that i purchased the JK to drive around town

Here's the list of isues off the top of my head to date, there is more but I will have to scour through the many, many emails.

Granted there is a mix of selling dealer, servicing dealer & manufacturer concerns but as i mentioned before, there's no excuses for the number of issues i have faced, and am still facing - upon purchasing a new vehicle i wouldn't expect to see the dealer until its due for a service, and no sooner. I was back at the service dept from the 2nd day I've owned it

again the point of sharing this information with the Jeep community is not to bag the JK, it's only to let others know what experiences i have had, in the hope that I can save at least one person the same amount of pain

• Rear windscreen washer leaking - replaced
• New Rear windscreen washer tube not holding in place, not useable – unresolved
• Rear windscreen seal completely detached from frame – replaced
• Rust already developed on both rear corners of chassis and LHS door hinges – unresolved
• Excess sealant on windscreen header seal, and all over hardtop – 3 attempts, unresolved
• Height adjustment lever on drivers side seat failed – 1 attempt ordered wrong part, unresolved
• Developed fuel leak, leaking diesel all around fuel pump splashed throughout underside of vehicle – 1 attempt, unresolved
• Rubber cap on hardtop clamp missing – replaced
• Engine warning lamp remains lit: multiple occasions, no explanation given but reset – resolved
• ESP & BAS warning lamps remain on multiple occasions, related to diff failures & reset - resolved
• Death wobbles, blown steering damper –replaced
• Steering knock – unresolved
• JKS swaybar link/pin snapped off from DW – unresolved
• Hard top water leaks – 2 attempts, unresolved
• Wind noise in cabin – parts ordered, unresolved
• Slow fill issue – resolved
• Rear brake tube clearance recall & other outstanding recalls not performed before delivery as requested – resolved by servicing dealer
• Tow bar tongue missing from vehicle – ordered & resolved
• Rear pinion bearing failure x 2 – replaced
• Crownwheel damage – replaced, will soon find out if its worn again
• Rear diff heating up abnormally, insufficient oil flow – new diff housing ordered, currently unresolved
• Vehicle never serviced, not serviced before delivery- resolved by servicing dealer
• Vehicle not detailed before delivery – currently unresolved, being done now
• Never offered replacement Jeep, when forced I was provided with an AU falcon as a once off - ongoing
• HOT AUTO!! Floor surrounding is extremely hot to the touch, I cannot rest my shoe on any bare metal part when off-road or on sand - unresolved


…To be continued