Canadian 2013 JK Oddities/Needs and Fishiness
 

I just traded in my Mustang on a used 2013 JK Sport. Very clean little Jeep.

When I was negotiating to purchase the JK, I found nothing extraordinary about it, other than the fact it was a plain-jane unit -- with crank windows, steel wheels with the only options I could find being the hardtop and side step bars.

Today, when I picket the car up, I was shown the CarFax. I found out it was originally sold in Saskatchewan,Canada. And it had odd equipment.

Upon closer examination, the car appeared to have never had factory air conditioning. It's been decades since I've seen a car that never had A/C and I never even noticed that when I was shopping. And...Under the hood, I found what appeared to be a plug for an engine heater. It looked factory. A Canadian-market only option? It was advertised as being a one-owner car. Now I'm wondering if Car Fax is correct.

On the Car Fax, it appears to have been Sold and titled in Canada originally. But at some point this summer, it was titled in Arkansas before being sent to auction and purchased by the dealer I bought it from. Now...Something smells a little fishy.

I know that titling vehicles in Arkansas is one way unscrupulous dealers and individuals "wash" the title of a car that has been totalled or that has a salvage title. Did I just get hosed out of $24k? Don't get me wrong...the car runs and drives very well and appears to be a pretty clean unit...But it's odd options and title history have me a bit concerned.

Your thoughts?

Up here we had a very basic Sport called the Sport B. Came with 16" steel wheels and 225 tires. No A/C, crank windows and soft top. The cord is for an engine block heater, we get cold winters on the prairies so that is normal.

Look at the frame if you see odd welds it could be a chop shop special. But might not, could be someone who moved back to the states from Canada, if the body and frame are rust free then it should be ok. Although 24K US sounds really high for a base JK IMHO though Jeep prices have gone nuts this summer.

Hell $24K for that???? That is $32k CDN. My son purchased a 2016 JKUR 1 owner, looked like a motorhome tow behind, 30,000kms for $34K CDN from a chrysler dealer a year ago. That's regular price up here. But unless you want a stripped out one then you got what you are looking for and that's good as there is less to screw up. If the title legacy turns out to be suspicious then, in Canada, it falls back on the dealer who sold it to you. Might be the same for US purchases hopefully. You cannot get around the salvage title skip here and dealers won't touch a salvage like mine is as it hit a deer but still got written off with a new hood, inner fender, grille and rad.

You got hosed. I paid $24 for mine brand new in 2010 and my girlfriend bought a 2016 with a few options (nothing power) for $23k in 2017 with 10k miles on it. Both of us have AC, crank windows, no power options. I had steel wheels, hers had the aluminum with the nicer radio.

Your engine block heater was an option, not unusual for Canada. AC is also technically an option, though most of us think it's standard. The only other thing that would let you know where you fall on the range is if you've got 3.21 gears or 3.73's. I'd be super frustrated with 3.21's, but the 3.73's were technically an upgraded option. That's just a new price for a used vehicle is all.

You can stop right there. No A/C? Yes, it was a poor purchase regardless of price. There will never be demand for that vehicle. I recall one kid trying to install a/c in a JK that didn't have a/c, and it was a real shit show of a situation. I don't think that person ever worked it out, though may be wrong.

I've been helping my buddy look for a JK under $20k. Seems like a 2dr '13 JK sport is going for $16k-19k around me, typically with ~120k miles, most of those with electric packages and ac.

Come up to Canada with a fistful of cash. You get way more Jeep up here for the same money. For $19KUS you are in the range of a 2015-16 2dr Ruby. Sales are slow here. I just tested a JT Gladiator 2020 Ruby loaded with just about everything for $61700CDN = $46,322US today. Link is for a beautiful 2015 Ruby with 40k miles. I would offer $25k CDN which is $18,700US. And it looks like the only wheeling it has done is on the pavement with car tires. These are the ones to buy.

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/jeep/wra...&urm=8&sprx=-1

Hope you guys didn't scare the poor guy away....

He has/had a 2014 based on his message history.

But yes $24,000 USD is really high and yup you can get quite a bit of Jeep up here for that money. Although I think you have better deals in Alberta right now as prices and stock here in Ontario have shrunk. I bought a 2013 JKU Sahara for $13k CAN just as the Covid lockdown hit. I suspect the dealer took it as a trade and was going to send it to auction but the full lockdown hit and they were stuck with it. I put a deposit down on it but had to wait 2 weeks before I could even take it for a test drive as the dealer was not allowed to open.