Nervous
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 463
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, ON
List of know problems:
1) trans over hears - have not had this issue
2) Seems both tops leak soft and hard top - neither of my tops leak - even taking the soft top through an occasional carwash
3) Under powered - superchips solved
4) Burns oil - mine doesn't
5) Will not warranty (for the most part) a modded Jeep even if the mods were done a the dealership - depends on your dealer
6) Your brake line might wear out because it is rubbing on something it shouldn't be - they've issued a recall for this... it happens. My lines are fine.
7) Oil light comes on too early - dependent on an algorithm based on frequency of cold starts, city vs. highway miles, and who knows what else. The warranty is based on set mile/km intervals, so reset the light yourself and get the changes done as often as you prefer.
1) trans over hears - have not had this issue
2) Seems both tops leak soft and hard top - neither of my tops leak - even taking the soft top through an occasional carwash
3) Under powered - superchips solved
4) Burns oil - mine doesn't
5) Will not warranty (for the most part) a modded Jeep even if the mods were done a the dealership - depends on your dealer
6) Your brake line might wear out because it is rubbing on something it shouldn't be - they've issued a recall for this... it happens. My lines are fine.
7) Oil light comes on too early - dependent on an algorithm based on frequency of cold starts, city vs. highway miles, and who knows what else. The warranty is based on set mile/km intervals, so reset the light yourself and get the changes done as often as you prefer.
JK Freak
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 701
Likes: 1
From: Apex, NC
Most have already stated how few, if any, problems they have had - so here is my 2 cents; and I have to laugh as I say this, I am having an intermittent problem with the doors not locking as I drive off (after re-setting them several times) and not 'ALL" unlocking when I stop and open the drivers door 
, whats funny about this is I did not want power locks when I purchased the JK it just happened to have them. 
Other than that minor glitch mine has been trouble free for 1 1/2 years now.
, whats funny about this is I did not want power locks when I purchased the JK it just happened to have them. Other than that minor glitch mine has been trouble free for 1 1/2 years now.
JK Freak
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
From: QC, CA
Just enjoy your JK, do proper maintenance and drive using your head, deal with problems when they arise. When you get tired of all the problems trade it in and continue with your life. Life is too short to worry about potential JK problems.
JK Freak
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 507
Likes: 2
From: Edinburg, Tx
Had mine 18 months and have put 29K miles on it with absolutely no issues. Sure the soft top is noisy, but who cares, I take is as my Jeep is whineing because it wants to be topless.
And a little water drips in under Hurricane wind/rain, it doesn't bother me, it dries out. I never really considered Jeeps waterproof, there more water resistence.
To me a Jeep isn't just a vehicle to get me from point A to point B. Its a lifestyle. I actually enjoy driving.
If I wanted comfort and fuel efficient I would have bought a ford Focus. But I wanted something more than a generic vehicle.
And a little water drips in under Hurricane wind/rain, it doesn't bother me, it dries out. I never really considered Jeeps waterproof, there more water resistence.
To me a Jeep isn't just a vehicle to get me from point A to point B. Its a lifestyle. I actually enjoy driving.
If I wanted comfort and fuel efficient I would have bought a ford Focus. But I wanted something more than a generic vehicle.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,457
Likes: 2
From: B.F.E, MI
From my perspective, I am actually amazed how tough the stock Wrangler drivetrain is, if you got one they put together right in the first place.
Mine is 3 years old, I have had the hemi in for 12k or so miles. I drive it fairly mello, but maybe once a week I cannot resist a 10-80 mph sprint and the thing has enough torque to put the right rear on the bump stop.
How am I going to justify the Atlas T-case and 60 rear if the damn stocker is so tough!
Freedom top does not leak....no fluid leaks, no electronic problems. Nothing but a couple early TSB's I had done at the dealer.
Still rides smooth at 70 mph and the only vibrations I get is if I get lazy on tire rotations. It does get wheeled when I can, although no rocks and an easy pedal, especially in 4-lo. Just keep me away from the sand......
I bet most people have few problems unless they beat the hell out of it or do not maintain it. I have many new parts in my future, but it will not be Chyrslers fault. They built me a good Jeep and I love the damn thing.
I just wish, for the future of the Wrangler, Chrysler would fix their quality control and for sure their warranty attitude so everyone had a good experience.
Mine is 3 years old, I have had the hemi in for 12k or so miles. I drive it fairly mello, but maybe once a week I cannot resist a 10-80 mph sprint and the thing has enough torque to put the right rear on the bump stop.
How am I going to justify the Atlas T-case and 60 rear if the damn stocker is so tough!
Freedom top does not leak....no fluid leaks, no electronic problems. Nothing but a couple early TSB's I had done at the dealer.
Still rides smooth at 70 mph and the only vibrations I get is if I get lazy on tire rotations. It does get wheeled when I can, although no rocks and an easy pedal, especially in 4-lo. Just keep me away from the sand......
I bet most people have few problems unless they beat the hell out of it or do not maintain it. I have many new parts in my future, but it will not be Chyrslers fault. They built me a good Jeep and I love the damn thing.
I just wish, for the future of the Wrangler, Chrysler would fix their quality control and for sure their warranty attitude so everyone had a good experience.
JK Freak
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 701
Likes: 1
From: Apex, NC
Had mine 18 months and have put 29K miles on it with absolutely no issues. Sure the soft top is noisy, but who cares, I take is as my Jeep is whineing because it wants to be topless.
And a little water drips in under Hurricane wind/rain, it doesn't bother me, it dries out. I never really considered Jeeps waterproof, there more water resistence.
To me a Jeep isn't just a vehicle to get me from point A to point B. Its a lifestyle. I actually enjoy driving.
If I wanted comfort and fuel efficient I would have bought a ford Focus. But I wanted something more than a generic vehicle.
And a little water drips in under Hurricane wind/rain, it doesn't bother me, it dries out. I never really considered Jeeps waterproof, there more water resistence.
To me a Jeep isn't just a vehicle to get me from point A to point B. Its a lifestyle. I actually enjoy driving.
If I wanted comfort and fuel efficient I would have bought a ford Focus. But I wanted something more than a generic vehicle.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: Warrenton, VA
You have too much time on your hands to worry
I don't have any of those issues. Don't forget, most people who write in to blogs have a problem they want to vent about (sometimes have unrealistic expectations as well). The 90+% who have absolutely no problems don't write to say that.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 1
From: Sydney, Australia
Yeah, I got paranoid reading of peoples problems here when I first got the JK & joined this forum. Then I took the advice of a post on a similar thread to this that said something like "Jeeps aren't the only new vehicles to suffer problems and recalls; go online & look at forums for other manufacturers & you'll see that JK Wranglers aren't that bad at all"
So I did exactly that and boy, was I surprised. Even vehicles from the "super-reliable" manufacturers such as Toyota have a huge assortment of problems, let alone the prestige Europeans (BMW, Mercedes, etc) who's quality seems to be worse nowadays judging by the forums than those disposable Chinese tin cans that pass as passenger vehicles.
What reassures me about my Wrangler is that most of the problems that appear here regularly in larger numbers are what I'd call annoying but not catastophic (Ie; leaking hardtop/softop, rattles & clunks, leaking seals, etc) and are relatively easy to rectify. Yes, occasionally someone posts a more serious problem (spun bearing, imploding transmission) but again it's a numbers game. If new threads appeared every couple of day with titles such as "my Dana 44 grenaded itself on the interstate at 70MPH today; it's my third one now thats gone this way in 4 months" or "I was rock crawling last week and my chassis broke in half; the doctors took 2 hours to remove the front driveshaft from my ass & six hours to wipe the smile off my face" then I'd really start to worry!
So I did exactly that and boy, was I surprised. Even vehicles from the "super-reliable" manufacturers such as Toyota have a huge assortment of problems, let alone the prestige Europeans (BMW, Mercedes, etc) who's quality seems to be worse nowadays judging by the forums than those disposable Chinese tin cans that pass as passenger vehicles.
What reassures me about my Wrangler is that most of the problems that appear here regularly in larger numbers are what I'd call annoying but not catastophic (Ie; leaking hardtop/softop, rattles & clunks, leaking seals, etc) and are relatively easy to rectify. Yes, occasionally someone posts a more serious problem (spun bearing, imploding transmission) but again it's a numbers game. If new threads appeared every couple of day with titles such as "my Dana 44 grenaded itself on the interstate at 70MPH today; it's my third one now thats gone this way in 4 months" or "I was rock crawling last week and my chassis broke in half; the doctors took 2 hours to remove the front driveshaft from my ass & six hours to wipe the smile off my face" then I'd really start to worry!
Last edited by JKlad; Jul 13, 2010 at 05:50 PM.