Being an aircraft mechanic will "mold" you, that's for sure!

And...
We share the same view on the "experience" of ownership.
For some reason, I have always been attracted to vehicles you live with, not just own and drive.

 

09 4dr have had it 1 year and 1 month have driven 74,xxx miles no problems, not one. Had soft top never leaked traded it for a hard top and it also has never leaked, i have a motorcycle (zx12) that dose 180 mph if i wanna go fast.

 

I have an 09 Rubi and yes my soft top may leak sometimes but other than that I've had no problems. Mileage sucks but I knew that goin in. Good Luck!

 

its a forum... you are going to see the opposite ends of the spectrum... those that wheel the heck out of their jeeps and break stuff due to wheeling and thats it... those are the guys who will never complain about a rattle, squeak, drop of water on the dash or a scratch on a door panel....

then you are going to have those that thought the JK looked cool.. bought it and assumes it will be a cadillac escalade or hummer for half the price... those are the ones that will complain about every scratch, squeak, rattle, or drop of water on the dash....

as for overheating trannies and just giving you a light... didnt they just give you a light for the oil pressure too?? and there is a gauge for the engine... if you run anything hard enough its gonna GET HOT!.. you couldnt run your jk at 90 MPH up a hill in 110 degree heat foot to the floor the whole time and not expect the engine to get hot... it would!.. any vehicle would under stress conditions...

if you use the vehicle out of normal daily-driver routines then you have to build it up to handle what you are using it for...

the trouble with wheeling and warranties is the fine line.. ok you slip on a rock and brake an axle... was that axle truly defective from the manufacturer? or did you just break it?

there are lots of people who put big ass tires on and then dont regear... so they are constantly Lugging the engine (which presses the oil out of the journals).. then they cry to chrysler when they spun a bearing? ok was the engine defective... sure couldve been... or did the driver lug it to its death? he / she could have....

the reality is its not just chrysler... GM doesnt warranty camaros where people have reprogrammed the computers, put headers on, etc... same thing.. sure those care are built to be fast muscle cars.. and people run em at the track.. thats hard on them... if you run it at the track and break it bone stock... you might get it warrantied...

does the JK have more issues than the TJ? probably.. lerts see thanks t oour govt it has to meet a whole new set of standards.. that means lots more electronics and systems it needs...

oh and still maintain CAFE standards...

and no one would buy JK if it cost $50k to have all the upgrades on it to make it seriously tankish from the factory...

so really if you are skiddish about why you bought it?? then sell it and go buy a TJ...

personally I had one JK that was problem after problem.. could hardly go a week without being in the shop...

i got it replaced with an 09 and it has been flawless....

oh the 08 that was a lemon was built on the last day of production before christmas break in 2007 (08 model)...

and the 09 was built the FIRST day back in jan 2009 after the extended shutdown in which they got bailout....


-Christopher

 

Just remember that the internet tends to give you a skewed view of things since you see a lot of worse case scenarios and not much on happy reports.

I've had mine since January of 2007. About 62000 miles. Regular maintenance done, switched to synthetic once my free oil changes at the dealer ran out at 40k. Diff fluid has been changed 2x, about to do number 3 this weekend. I'm one off there, but no issues. I haven't changed the trans fluid yet, but likely will within a few weeks (6 speed) and it's looked fine and the level has stayed good so far.

I've got a soft top, and the only leak I've had was when a seal got pinched one time when I put it back up. Fixed it by moving the seam back into place. I've just got to be careful and check it when I put the top up.

At my 45k diff change, there was a small leak starting coming from the cover. I pulled it, put on a new seal, and have been good to go since then. Tube of RTV was about $5.

I've changed each rear brake light once, no big deal. Just seem to burn out quicker than other vehicles I've had. I think total cost there is $6

I had to change the thermostat 3 weeks ago. Engine was sucking coolant down and the warning light came on. When I pulled it from the housing, the metal had snapped. It's been fine since then. I think it cost $9 for the unit and $12 for the coolant.

Aside from that I've had no issues. I've spent about $30 in repair costs over 3.5 years. My stock tires just got replaced by duratracs after surviving an excellent 60k. I still haven't had to do brakes, but I expect to soon. Been squeaking the last two mornings.

 

I am glad to hear more positive things about the Jeep.
Now that I see a few more without any issues

 

So ok, I can't resist telling you why I'm nervous about my JK also.

1. When the top is down the sun gets in my eyes (when I'm headed into the sun, when I'm headed away from the sun it's ok, go figure!
2. Every few hundred miles I have to stop and put gas in it
3. When I go over a bump, the front of my jeep goes up and down

Or maybe I'm nervous cause they stopped my meds??

 

x2! (maybe its that Kansas air!)

 

wranglers are a hobby, whether youre out wheelin or just driving it 20 miles down the highway to work each day.

coming from bikes I am well aware of the mod game. I spent more money than I want to remember on my R6, and then I started to spend the same amount on my R1, before I finally sold them for my over-sized 4wheeler known as my JK.

I am also concerned about the problems, but not enough to cry about it. Man up and take pride in your machine.

 

Got my Rubi last year used, it has run great. Had the whistling header, got it replaced under warranty. Did 5 trails with it last year;

Williams pass (5/6)
Handcock Pass (4/5)
Halfmoon creek (4)
Mosquito pass (2/3)
Tin cup (2/3)

(see traildamage.com for trail details)

Not bad for being new to JK and being stock. So, if you want to get nervous (thrill), get it doing trails with that JK of yours.