If there is one thing this forum has taught us is that Chrysler's quality control is horrid.

The Jeep name which has been associated with rugged, tough, and can be sent through hell and back, is just not true for this vehicle anymore.

Jeep will never be what it was until Chysler gives a fuck about the quality of the parts they put into the vehicle.

And I'm one of the forum members fully against the "It's a jeep thing" cop out for all the things that go wrong due to poor craftsmanship.

But also for the thread starter there is a good chance the previous owner raped your jeep before trading it in.

 

I wonder who says that? Sometimes that may be correct--it is a Jeep and it's not made like a Honda. But, that doesn't mean that unusual sounds should not be investigated. It just means that some sounds may be the nature of the beast. To tell you the truth, I've been around this forum a long time, and I've never read where anyone wrote a blanket excuse for Jeeps to make any manner of noise (as your post seems to imply).

As for your own problems: There were 36K miles of unknown use put on your Jeep before you owned it. The problems you're having may be the direct result of hard use--we have no way of knowing (at least you didn't tell us you bought it from a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays).

Extended warranties: Hey, it's your money. But, don't kid yourself. You bought a maintenance contract, not a warranty. IOW: You agreed with someone on a fixed price and he'll repair pretty much anything that goes wrong with your vehicle. If that works for you, great! Most folks find that it's a losing proposition (otherwise, those selling them would stop selling them--think about it).

 

Oh i have no doubt the P/O was hard on it. Im more pissed at the dealer that took my 1 ton dually on trade and never checked this jeep out before it hit the lot.

And my warranty is working out great. In one visit they are doing more $$$ worth of work then what i paid for the "contract". So from here on out, Im a winner.

 

Totally happy for you that your extended warranty is basically paying for itself. Seems to me that getting an extended warranty on a used vehicle is a smart idea (especially since Jeeps probably get abused a lot more than the average vehicle). With that said, I also think that the number of issues found on your Jeep was pretty crazy and not really the norm. As you said, obviously the dealership that sold you this Jeep didn't look too closely at the condition of it before selling.

For a lot of us, we still have squeaks and clunks etc etc even AFTER getting the vehicle serviced (with no major or obvious issues found). Lets face it, it's pretty common for a Jeep to make some noises goin down the road. Couple that with some "newer" Jeep owners that expect Lexus-like fit, finish, and refinement and the complaint posts start flying. This is where the more traditional Jeep "lifers" start getting annoyed, and the "itsajeepthing, get over it" comments start.

Somewhere in the middle is the truth of it all.

As I said, I'm very happy for you that all these things are being fixed on your Jeep, I'm sure she will drive like new after the work is done. BUT, and this is a big BUT, if you think a trip to the mechanic is going to rectify every pop squeak and clunk that you hear from your Jeep, you're going to be disappointed eventually.

THAT my friend, is the "lesson" in all of this.

 

If you had a mod friendly dealer/service manager you trusted, I could see an extended warranty on a used Jeep. That would be a sweet deal, as long as the mod friendly management at the dealership remains in place.

I would not do it unless I had such an arrangement before hand. From what I read on here and other forums, many dealers will attempt to avoid warranty work on the most expensive repairs, drivetrain, with any lift and larger tire combo. I suspect, depending on the lift and how the Jeep was wheeled, they are not always wrong in denying coverage. Right or wrong, they may try to wear you out to make you go away.

As for "its a Jeep and noisy, get over it". I have some squeeks from the interior plastic after 3 years, and need to retape the door strikers and check bolts under the plastic, etc. I know what the squeeks and rattles are and listen for different ones that may be trouble (drivetrain/suspension). Not all squeeks and rattles are created equal. I do not worry about some minor ones, the wind and exhaust noise usually drown them out anyway.

I do not know about you guys, but every time I fill up (which I do fairly often) I do a 360 inspection on my knees peering under the Jeep, looking for leaks, bent or broken stuff, grease slinging driveshaft boots, missing u-joint clips, etc. You folks on this forum have taught me what to look for, and I thank you

I would not slam the OP, the same shoe does not fit all when it comes to extended warranties, or worrying about a noisy Jeep. Depends on the dealer relationship and your comfort level with what the noise is.

 

I also do a complete underside inspection every other week. I agree that there is no excuse for poor workmanship on the part of Chrystler.

As for buying new, unless you have money to throw away, buying new is a financial nightmare. I bought my 2008 JK used with 18k miles. For 18k miles, most of the deprectiation was absorbed by the original owner. By buying used, I was able to pay it off in 8 months (lived like a broke man) but now I have mod money coming out my ears.

Even if you DO have money to blow, why buy a $30k new Jeep, when you could pick up a used Jeep for $18k-$20k and then drop in a Hemi and get a new Engine (tranny too?) and spend maybe a few thousand more then if you bought a new Jeep, but you have a MUCH better vehicle and still have 0 miles on the engine and only a bit of wear on the suspenstion, which I imagine you will replace/mod anyway.

IMHO, used vehicles make much more sense unless you REALLY want new year features.

 

I have to chime in on the new vs used thing, I looked to buy used as suggested , but in my ares used jeeps are selling for about one thousand to fifteen hundred less than new , with a trade in , the savings on taxes paid the difference for me and I got to choose color etc........it was a no brainer

 

yah I wanted a used jeep but they were all 2-3k less than new so as stated, no brainer by new with 3yr warranty and then you will know the complete history(no hidden floods)

Oh yah, there is a big difference between little noises/leaks comming from a soft top compared to clunking from below.

 

I think they are a good idea. On my 2000 mustang gt which was before my TJ I got it and my intake cracked(plastic intakes which was common). I got a rental, fixed and also payed for pulling my motor and put on my long tube headers and some cams.

If I would have bought a used JK I would have got it. currently I put on 2k a year for work and maybe 3-4k for personal driving. Before my factory 3/36 runs out I will probably purchase something unless I decide to do something drastic like long arm or hemi which I probably will not.

As long as you have a good mechanic or service department they are a good thing to have.

 

If you plan to do a major build up get one from the salvage yard (light accident) and rebuild according to your need since everything is upgradeable on a JK maybe not the frame but anyway you get the picture.

I was not planning on doing anything drastic no engine / TC or trany swap therefore buying new was the way to go but did not play the extended warranty lottery.