Are jeeps really that bad?

[2bad4u]

Hi All

I've been a Pajero owner for the last 10 years (and I will be keeping my 2012 NW) but I a seriously considering a V6 diesel Grand Cherokee Limited or Trailhawk as a second car. The only thing holding me back is Jeeps poor reputation?

So I would like to hear from actual owners what the real story is. I realise that every manufacturer has issues but it just seems to be Jeep has more than their fair share.

So what can I expect? Do Jeeps deserve their bad reputation? Are they really that bad?

Cheers
Warren

[Classic Boy]

Originally Posted by 2bad4u

Hi All


So what can I expect? Do Jeeps deserve their bad reputation? Are they really that bad?

You will find people even on this site that will agree with your question and many who will argue strongly they are not bad,
but in my personal opinion the real underlying problem is FCA regularly treats its customers like shite once they have their money.

They claim they are going to do better but talk is cheap and it will take time to see the 'runs on the board'.

[Tyvokka]

Yes they are BAD!

Jeeps are highly addictive and owners have been known to go to Jeepaholic rehab.

Just Empty Every Pocket including your children’s.

You will end up on the street.

Jeeps are BAD!

[MADbunyip]

Good idea to ask people who actually own Jeeps........ in the last 10 years of owning Jeeps, I have found the only bad rap is only from people that "know someone who knew someone who had 1 once ........
I can't remember speaking with another Jeep owner who have had issues with the actual vehicle.
I have not had anything to do with Jeep dealerships though......
I have had x2 TJ Wranglers, and an XJ Cherokee, currently own a CJ (garden orniment), and my KJ has been flogging Pajeros asses and driving circles around any Parado for the past 6 years...
Oh yeah my Ford Ranger also has NOT caught on fire yet (apparently they all do)

Cheers Toby

[Not for highway use]

Every car brand has it's haters. Ask a Ford owner what they think of Holdens and vice versa!. I have always had 4wds and currently have an old Landcruiser 80 series and a KJ CRD which I use for work (Powerline tree inspector).
I love it's capability (will go ANYWHERE) but sometimes it's the little annoying things that get under my skin. Tends to throw alot of codes but Google is your friend here.
Good luck,
Andrew

[lujabe]

My folks have owned two Jeeps over the years and I have one now - between all up about 18 years and 350,000km of combined Jeep ownership, with not a single breakdown between them.

Jeeps do tend to have more niggly issues than you might expect in a Japanese brand - but Jeeps also tend to be more complex and have more features - this is the trade off for getting something that in my view is probably one of the best “all rounders” out there in terms of balancing on and off road performance.

As others have mentioned - the problem is more FCA and the dealerships than the vehicles themselves. I’ve found a really frustrating lack of skill/knowledge and customer service from the service departments. They can turn a small issue into a big hassle because they lack the skills for fault diagnosis and just want to get you out of the workshop whether they’ve fixed the issue or not. I know the same can be said of many dealers, but I’ve had consistently worse experience with Jeep dealers than other brands.

All that said, I love the vehicle - but whether I’d recommend them depends on the person asking... if you like the vehicle enough to put up with the potential of a couple of issues and know enough about about cars to challenge the service department when you’re being spun bullshit, then sure.

[2bad4u]

Thanks for the replies.

I've had issues with my Pajero's over the years that resulted in arguments with the stealerships, but I would still recommend the vehicle in a heartbeat if anyone asked. There are some know issues amongst Pajero owners that have affected nearly every owner (DPF issues, can't open the back door with a trailer connected, certain electrical / mechanical issues, etc.) and so long as you are aware of them, new owners shouldn't have any problems. And that's the sort of information I'm looking for here.... known issues, little things that are a common frustration with all owners, things that affect almost every owner but is easily fixed, etc.

Apart from mechanical / electrical, other potential issues I see so far with the Jeep are a lack of aftermarket accessories (especially a bullbar that doesn't look like shite and works with the radar / parking sensors). Also dual battery setup looks to be a challenge.

The Jeep has a bad reputation, but there is a massive following within the caravanning community which makes me think that the bad reputation is as a result of a few well publicised problems, "Destroy My Jeep" and people being run over by their own car come to mind.