So how are the JKs holding up?
- Thread starter Z O O R O P A
- Start date
Z O O R O P A
Explorer
Thank you gang for the feedback
Ome great and funny comments, looking at you ducnek
I've read a lot that the brakes don't last long and e clutch wears out fast
I love the idea of it but I just don't want to have another Land Rover experience. I'm on my own and my little girl will be with me so reliability is paramount. I live in the north east so most of the hard stuff is rough logging roads, mud, and icy slick snow roads. We have had 20+ inches snow this last week and now sub zero temps.
I have a steep hill to get to my house from the highway that gets super slick.
I also worry a bit about if the wires for the power accessories are exposed and the salt will easily corrode them making electrical issues like land rovers.
How much does the gobi rack bring down the mpg? I've read repeatedly it doesn't but I just don't seehowthat is possible
It would be nice to have a truck that's reliable, high enough off the ground to get through Vermont back roads and Boston downtown when I take my daughter there for events, and then maybe the summer of 2015 take her out west for 2 trips
Thank you all again!
Ome great and funny comments, looking at you ducnek
I've read a lot that the brakes don't last long and e clutch wears out fast
I love the idea of it but I just don't want to have another Land Rover experience. I'm on my own and my little girl will be with me so reliability is paramount. I live in the north east so most of the hard stuff is rough logging roads, mud, and icy slick snow roads. We have had 20+ inches snow this last week and now sub zero temps.
I have a steep hill to get to my house from the highway that gets super slick.
I also worry a bit about if the wires for the power accessories are exposed and the salt will easily corrode them making electrical issues like land rovers.
How much does the gobi rack bring down the mpg? I've read repeatedly it doesn't but I just don't seehowthat is possible
It would be nice to have a truck that's reliable, high enough off the ground to get through Vermont back roads and Boston downtown when I take my daughter there for events, and then maybe the summer of 2015 take her out west for 2 trips
Thank you all again!
haddix
Adventurer
I love the way wranglers look and I love the option of getting it stripped down with manual options. I have heard to many horror stories out of jeep though. Seeing a few people already mention oil consumption and needing to add oil every few thousand miles also scare me. They look awesome but ill stick with my Toyota's.
I've had my 2011 JKUR since new and besides burning some oil (consistently since new) and soft top leaks it's been trouble free mechanically. And that's with 3" lift and 35" tires the whole time.
My 2007 FJ Cruiser I also purchased new after 3 years had already gone through new engine block for oil leak, 2 clutch throw out bearings, drivers power door look, new drivers seat, 2 front axles, ad a new rear diff in the same usage.
So I put Jeep over Toyota for reliability in my experience
My 2007 FJ Cruiser I also purchased new after 3 years had already gone through new engine block for oil leak, 2 clutch throw out bearings, drivers power door look, new drivers seat, 2 front axles, ad a new rear diff in the same usage.
So I put Jeep over Toyota for reliability in my experience
bradfordrovers
Observer
I also have a long history with Land Rovers. I've had two Disco series 1, a Defender 90, a 97 RR, and a 2000 Disco 2. I switched to Jeeps about 4 years ago, and I haven't looked back. While Land Rovers have some "quirky" advantages from time to time, I have never once experienced the required level of intensive maintenance and repairs with my Jeeps, that I did with my Rovers. I never had the confidence with any of my Rovers, that if stuck in the middle of nowhere, I could depend on its reliability. I always felt like I had to stash away money and parts for pending repairs.
This brings me to my experience with the JK. I currently have a 2008 JKU. I bought it with 30K and have since just covered 105K. I drive it daily, long distance, and do quite a bit of technical off-roading. I am not a "rock crawler" and I built my Jeep to be a comprehensive expedition vehicle that I could depend on. At this point, its a complete AEV JK350 with a bunch of extras. I'm sure I have added at least 1000 to 1500 lbs. to my Jeep. I have done a water pump, and replaced a radiator at 100K, but other than that, I have had zero issues whatsoever. What I enjoy, and have come to learn about my Jeep experiences, is that I can depend on the mechanical reliability, and simplicity, and use money otherwise saved for repairs, on trips, goodies, etc. I should also qualify my mechanical experience. I'm a Gold Level Certified Land Rover Technician, as well as a Level 4 Jeep tech.
Best of luck on your decision.
This brings me to my experience with the JK. I currently have a 2008 JKU. I bought it with 30K and have since just covered 105K. I drive it daily, long distance, and do quite a bit of technical off-roading. I am not a "rock crawler" and I built my Jeep to be a comprehensive expedition vehicle that I could depend on. At this point, its a complete AEV JK350 with a bunch of extras. I'm sure I have added at least 1000 to 1500 lbs. to my Jeep. I have done a water pump, and replaced a radiator at 100K, but other than that, I have had zero issues whatsoever. What I enjoy, and have come to learn about my Jeep experiences, is that I can depend on the mechanical reliability, and simplicity, and use money otherwise saved for repairs, on trips, goodies, etc. I should also qualify my mechanical experience. I'm a Gold Level Certified Land Rover Technician, as well as a Level 4 Jeep tech.
Best of luck on your decision.
I live in Ontario Canada. 2009 JK Sahara Unlimited. They salt the hell out of everything here. My black jeep is currently white from road salt. I get Undercoating on my Jeep. 101000km I average a very consistent 11.5L/100km so that's 20.5mpg my commute is mostly highway. I use it off-road for hunting but let's call that light off-roading on dirt Forest track no rock crawling. No rust issues on factory parts that is out of the norm for Ontario winter driven cars.
The only problem I've had are brakes. But I don't think brakes after 80000 km is too bad. (My Hondas get 130000ish but that's apples and oranges)
Also my transfer case shifter cable (linkage) went. It's a crappy plastic connector on each end. Stuck me in 4hi for a bit until I could get parts. There is an aftermarket cable for $200 I would recommend if you do a lot of shifting in and out of 4wd. This seems to be a semi common problem for JK's.
No other problems, no electrical glitches not a hiccup out of place. I had one seal failure on the roof but it was due to user error/dirt I didn't notice putting it back on.
I bought it because I was tired of getting stuck in Canadian winters. My wife is so happy with its performance in winter conditions she wants a second one for her despite the gas cost.
My only reservation for you is child seats. We had a bit of difficulty fitting my buddies kid in his seat with the front seats fully back. We are big dudes and his kid is big for his age also. Had to pull pass seat up a couple of notches. So try your car seat and kid in one before you buy. Not a deal breaker but something to consider with a young one. It will fit but it's no minivan.
Plus Add the Jeep factor. I will never be without a Jeep again and I rely on it to get me and my family to get to work every day. I'm in law enforcement so I can't call and say I won't be making it to work because of deep snow.
I do use Bridgestone DMV? Winter tires.
With your inclination to expo vehicles I would recommend it for your application.
Regards
The only problem I've had are brakes. But I don't think brakes after 80000 km is too bad. (My Hondas get 130000ish but that's apples and oranges)
Also my transfer case shifter cable (linkage) went. It's a crappy plastic connector on each end. Stuck me in 4hi for a bit until I could get parts. There is an aftermarket cable for $200 I would recommend if you do a lot of shifting in and out of 4wd. This seems to be a semi common problem for JK's.
No other problems, no electrical glitches not a hiccup out of place. I had one seal failure on the roof but it was due to user error/dirt I didn't notice putting it back on.
I bought it because I was tired of getting stuck in Canadian winters. My wife is so happy with its performance in winter conditions she wants a second one for her despite the gas cost.
My only reservation for you is child seats. We had a bit of difficulty fitting my buddies kid in his seat with the front seats fully back. We are big dudes and his kid is big for his age also. Had to pull pass seat up a couple of notches. So try your car seat and kid in one before you buy. Not a deal breaker but something to consider with a young one. It will fit but it's no minivan.
Plus Add the Jeep factor. I will never be without a Jeep again and I rely on it to get me and my family to get to work every day. I'm in law enforcement so I can't call and say I won't be making it to work because of deep snow.
I do use Bridgestone DMV? Winter tires.
With your inclination to expo vehicles I would recommend it for your application.
Regards
Yuccahead
Adventurer
I have had my 2013 JKU Rubicon for about 14 months (and love it).
However, I had my water pump replaced by the dealer after a few months -- they were actually very good about it. Then I went on a trip with FrenchieXJ and others a few months after that and heard about his troubles (Frenchie knows Jeeps). I worried that I would face a lifetime of issues but so far, nothing else has popped up. I have 35s on my Jeep with a 3.5" lift and get around 15 MPG as a daily driver. I have had it off road quite a bit and never had any issues. I have heard that the engines in the 2012s had a head issue and Jeep switched head designs late in the 2012 model year.
David
However, I had my water pump replaced by the dealer after a few months -- they were actually very good about it. Then I went on a trip with FrenchieXJ and others a few months after that and heard about his troubles (Frenchie knows Jeeps). I worried that I would face a lifetime of issues but so far, nothing else has popped up. I have 35s on my Jeep with a 3.5" lift and get around 15 MPG as a daily driver. I have had it off road quite a bit and never had any issues. I have heard that the engines in the 2012s had a head issue and Jeep switched head designs late in the 2012 model year.
David
HOOLIGAN
The 4x4 Podcast
Z O O R O P A
Explorer
Thank you all for your feedback
Well I found out my local dealer is garbage and most likely going out of biz. However there are other options within 30-40 minutes
Just thinking out loud here -
I do have concerns about side impact crashes given I'm a father, thats relative to some extent
Do I think it's worth, idk. I mean you can get comparable vehicles for 1/3 the price but I guess that's about personal taste and how you want to spend your money. As much as I hate LR now you can get a 2004 disco one owner for cheap but there is a reason why isn't there. Maybe they are different animals. If I lived out west there would be no question this is the car to have.
It's certainly an emotional and fun purchase since there are better cheaper more practical options out there for daily vehicles and living in the North East means I don't have a giant playground or parks etc to go play in like you guys do - in fact most camping here is done via hiking or thick wooded mud tracks that just beat the piss out of your paint and undercarriage. although the local roads here have giant frost heaves, wash board, and deep ruts to pretty much make a local store trip interesting
And most emotional romances I've had with cars and women haven't turned out as expected hah
That being said, I still love the idea of it. I'm going to ask a local dealer to see if I can drive one for a day or two before dropping that kind $$ I'd like to see what it's like to drive in the rain, on the highway, getting my daughter in and out etc.
I do worry about quality since there are mixed reviews but that's the case with nearly every vehicle make I suppose
I love the idea of having a manual and a truck again, a convertible which I've never had, a 4x4 again, a car I don't have to worry about getting dinged, etc.
I don't think we will see a diesel prior to 2017+
I do love the idea and looks I just hope it's what it is cracked up to be. 35$kish is a fair amount of coin but maybe I'm cheap as I think cars are pretty overpriced and terrible "investments" but that's not what this is about right
I just want it to have high reliability
Well I found out my local dealer is garbage and most likely going out of biz. However there are other options within 30-40 minutes
Just thinking out loud here -
I do have concerns about side impact crashes given I'm a father, thats relative to some extent
Do I think it's worth, idk. I mean you can get comparable vehicles for 1/3 the price but I guess that's about personal taste and how you want to spend your money. As much as I hate LR now you can get a 2004 disco one owner for cheap but there is a reason why isn't there. Maybe they are different animals. If I lived out west there would be no question this is the car to have.
It's certainly an emotional and fun purchase since there are better cheaper more practical options out there for daily vehicles and living in the North East means I don't have a giant playground or parks etc to go play in like you guys do - in fact most camping here is done via hiking or thick wooded mud tracks that just beat the piss out of your paint and undercarriage. although the local roads here have giant frost heaves, wash board, and deep ruts to pretty much make a local store trip interesting
And most emotional romances I've had with cars and women haven't turned out as expected hah
That being said, I still love the idea of it. I'm going to ask a local dealer to see if I can drive one for a day or two before dropping that kind $$ I'd like to see what it's like to drive in the rain, on the highway, getting my daughter in and out etc.
I do worry about quality since there are mixed reviews but that's the case with nearly every vehicle make I suppose
I love the idea of having a manual and a truck again, a convertible which I've never had, a 4x4 again, a car I don't have to worry about getting dinged, etc.
I don't think we will see a diesel prior to 2017+
I do love the idea and looks I just hope it's what it is cracked up to be. 35$kish is a fair amount of coin but maybe I'm cheap as I think cars are pretty overpriced and terrible "investments" but that's not what this is about right
I just want it to have high reliability
greater mn
New member
Purchased a 2013 JKUR last spring... Had some issues with the one I purchased off the lot. But the dealer replaced with a newly built one. I've since modifed (2.5inch lift, 35's, RR, speed bumps, bumpers, winch, lights, etc.) and put 15K on it with auto tranny. Was out in the field quite a bit last summer and fall. Would (and will) purchase another Jeep in the future.
I think it's like you've said in your previous posts... each vehicle manufacture is going to have a few lemons make it through the manufacture process. The real thing I think a person should shop for is a dealership you can trust and will support you if or when things go wrong with your vehicle. It also pays to find a dealership that is mod "friendly" if you plan on lifting/modifying your rig.
I think it's like you've said in your previous posts... each vehicle manufacture is going to have a few lemons make it through the manufacture process. The real thing I think a person should shop for is a dealership you can trust and will support you if or when things go wrong with your vehicle. It also pays to find a dealership that is mod "friendly" if you plan on lifting/modifying your rig.
You have to know which years and certain parts to avoid. Jeep makes a great product, but they definitely had their bad years during Daimler ownership and transitioning out of that era to now. The JK is the best Jeep yet, but there are a few years with quirks, I will list them below:
--Early JKs had major issues with oil consumption due to rings and connecting rods being installed wrong, 2007 and 2008 models were worst affected, with some early 09s being hit as well, all these engines have since been replaced or died by now, and all 3.8s use a little oil due to the PCV setup, but this normal usage is nothing alarming.
--2007-2011 JKs have one MAJOR flaw and that is the oil cooling on the 42RLE automatics! READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF NOTHING ELSE!!!! The factory oil cooler for this 4spd unit is NOT adequate for offroad driving and has been the cause of many documented cases of fires. What ends up happening is the 42RLE transmission will overheat easily, particularly when driving in sand, and once it hits a critical temp, the oil will literally boil up and out of the dipstick and spill onto the hot exhaust manifold and start a fire. What needs to be done to fix this is to install an aftermarket external oil cooler and flush the transmission fluid with fresh oil. Every time it overheats the oil loses its ability to cool down the transmission and function properly, and increases the risk of overheating and thus increases the fire risk, and its very easy to overheat the 42RLE as it is, much less with compromised oil. This issue is even more prevelant because of the fuel mileage friendly gear ratios used in the Sports.
When Jeep introduced the new 3.6L engine and new W5A580 5spd auto in 2012, they also included a large external oil cooler for the W5A580 transmission, so this problem is fixed on 2012+ automatics, and the manuals never had this issue, and since they don't use ATF (the manuals), never were in danger of this problem.
--If running tires 35" or larger, take particular care of the front axle housing, it tends to bend at the knuckles if the tires take a big hit, and there have been some cases of the front axle tube breaking in half on the passenger side in between the upper and lower control arm mounts. This is fixed by getting axle tube reinforcement plates you can weld on by numerous aftermarket outlets. Some Jeeps have suffered broken Ujoints from losing their bearing caps; For some reason the JK shafts don't like their C-clips. Jeeps driven properly don't usually suffer this issue, but take a big enough hit on the front end with 35s and up, and you might find yourself with one of these issues.
--All JKs suffer from a very weak transfer case shifter linkage design. The linkage itself holds up fine, but the plastic bushings which also double as retainer snaps on both ends of the linkage will break and fall out regularly. There are many ways to fix this as well as aftermarket linkage kits available (advanced adapters has a kit, but pricey $$$). I fixed mine using a cut down plastic OEM bushing (getting rid of the end that 'snaps' on the bushing so it only has one function now instead of 2) and following that on with a washer and cotter pin, hasn't slipped off since and cost $0.15.
--2012 JKs suffered an issue with their cylinder heads involving bad valve guides I believe it was, which was recalled and dealt with, but if you ever hear of this issue, that's what it was regarding.
--2007-2011 JKs had a particularly vulnerable air intake which sucks in water very easily if you drive at any kind of speed through water. Take extra care, in water crossings, not to splash too much into the engine bay, as the hood practically channels water to the air intake. A snorkel obviously remedies this issue. 2012 and up JKs have a redesigned air intake which introduced a splash guard over the opening to redirect water away from the intake.
--2007-2011 JKs have completely unprotected Evaporation canisters underneath that can be torn off by a well placed rock, while not a too common occurance, skid plates for this are cheap enough and it avoids a headache on a longer trip. 2012+ JKs have a factory skid plate for this now.
--2007-2009 JKs seemed to have suffered a high number of quality issues regarding their manual transmissions, mostly relating to popping out of gear and clutch problems. There was a TSB issued for incorrectly manufactured synchro rings on some NSG370 units causing the largest issue and some simply had stiff shifter boots that pushed the stick back. The clutch problems primarily surrounded the throw out bearings, which tend to be noisy. Mine is on my 2011, but it still works fine at nearly 50k miles, some had noise so bad on their earlier JKs, it sounded like imminent failure. The rate of TOB issues has gone down drastically the last several years.
--2007-2009 JKs had a small batch of bad TIPM modules that would go bad causing the "posessed JK" issues where the body related functions would go haywire, including random horn honks, lights flashing and wipers going randomly and all at once if the module completely died, looking like herbie crapped himself.
--ALL JKs, suffer from loose door latches. After some mileage, you'll begin to notice the doors rattle on the latches. Easily fixed by wrapping electrical tape around the latches on all doors (including tailgate) where the latch grabs and you'll have quiet doors hence forth.
--ALL JKs, have crappy a dome light that rattles easily with bass even on the base stereo headunit. I found taking out the dome light and running electrical tape around the soundbar housing where it sits fixed the rattling
-- ALL JKs have THE WRONG SIZED BOLTS used in the suspension components! Can you believe that? Primarily the trac bar and control arms have smaller sized bolts than the actual holes allow for, which was a huge source of the death wobble issues JKs faced. Jeep's answer was to recall all JKs and double the torque on the bolts instead of simply replacing them. Not only that, but the bolts are FULLY THREADED and not shouldered, so WHEN they do come loose, they wallow out the holes making even the right sized bolts useless to fixing the death wobble. Its advised to simply replace all the bolts with the right sized ones ASAP to prevent any damage to the mounts and you can keep that evil death wobble monster at bay. Kits are available or you can source the right sizes yourself from a local hardware store (use grade 8 ONLY! and American made steel!)
--2007-2008 JKs had issue with spitting fuel back out of the filler due to ethanol in the fuel damaging some of the valve components in the tank, this became a TSB and Jeep did replace some tanks with an updated unit that fixed this issue, but since it was not a recall, not ALL 07-08 JKs have had this fix; if yours does this, this is why.
-- ALL JKS -The wiper motors are a bit exposed to the elements in the cowl panel, and some have succumbed to corrosion already, while its not an immediate problem, I imagine most JKs will start suffering wiper motor failures around the 10 year mark as rain water constantly drips on it, unless Jeep has since redesigned it, but this I am unsure of.
-- ALL JKs -The electric motors for the radiator fans are NOT weather sealed! If you do a lot of water and mud, they will fail. Its best to replace it with a fan designed with a sealed motor.
-- ALL JKs - The tierod ends and balljoints are made a lot more cheaply than they used to be. People who run 35"+ tires or offroad hard, have experienced some TRE and balljoint failures. There are PLENTY of aftermarket solutions for this, so its a recommended mod if you plan to take your JK out into the Sahara or equally remote terrain.
-- ALL JKs - it seems to be entirely random which units suffer this issue, but some will have problems with their tops (hard and soft) leaking water when it rains. Mine leaks off and on depending on how I put my top back on last I had it down/off.
Other then that, JKs are solid lol. Granted, do realize this list is a collected knowledge base of recorded issues, but no JK has suffered ALL of them, and most are isolated to earlier years of the JK when Chrysler was owned by Daimler and going through bankruptcy. Despite what most want to believe, Fiat's ownership and constant willingness to give Chrysler all the cash it needs to make better products now-a-days has lead to an increase in quality control with all their products and the JK. Major issues have disappeared and some smaller still remain, but you can thank Daimler for that.
I have a 2011 6spd sport 2dr with almost 50k miles that I love dearly and have had no issues at all, I'm running a 2" lift and 33" KM2 MTs and have been all across the US (moab 4 times) with no failures of any sort. So yes, I do trust my Jeep and see no reason to drop that trust any time soon.
--Early JKs had major issues with oil consumption due to rings and connecting rods being installed wrong, 2007 and 2008 models were worst affected, with some early 09s being hit as well, all these engines have since been replaced or died by now, and all 3.8s use a little oil due to the PCV setup, but this normal usage is nothing alarming.
--2007-2011 JKs have one MAJOR flaw and that is the oil cooling on the 42RLE automatics! READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF NOTHING ELSE!!!! The factory oil cooler for this 4spd unit is NOT adequate for offroad driving and has been the cause of many documented cases of fires. What ends up happening is the 42RLE transmission will overheat easily, particularly when driving in sand, and once it hits a critical temp, the oil will literally boil up and out of the dipstick and spill onto the hot exhaust manifold and start a fire. What needs to be done to fix this is to install an aftermarket external oil cooler and flush the transmission fluid with fresh oil. Every time it overheats the oil loses its ability to cool down the transmission and function properly, and increases the risk of overheating and thus increases the fire risk, and its very easy to overheat the 42RLE as it is, much less with compromised oil. This issue is even more prevelant because of the fuel mileage friendly gear ratios used in the Sports.
When Jeep introduced the new 3.6L engine and new W5A580 5spd auto in 2012, they also included a large external oil cooler for the W5A580 transmission, so this problem is fixed on 2012+ automatics, and the manuals never had this issue, and since they don't use ATF (the manuals), never were in danger of this problem.
--If running tires 35" or larger, take particular care of the front axle housing, it tends to bend at the knuckles if the tires take a big hit, and there have been some cases of the front axle tube breaking in half on the passenger side in between the upper and lower control arm mounts. This is fixed by getting axle tube reinforcement plates you can weld on by numerous aftermarket outlets. Some Jeeps have suffered broken Ujoints from losing their bearing caps; For some reason the JK shafts don't like their C-clips. Jeeps driven properly don't usually suffer this issue, but take a big enough hit on the front end with 35s and up, and you might find yourself with one of these issues.
--All JKs suffer from a very weak transfer case shifter linkage design. The linkage itself holds up fine, but the plastic bushings which also double as retainer snaps on both ends of the linkage will break and fall out regularly. There are many ways to fix this as well as aftermarket linkage kits available (advanced adapters has a kit, but pricey $$$). I fixed mine using a cut down plastic OEM bushing (getting rid of the end that 'snaps' on the bushing so it only has one function now instead of 2) and following that on with a washer and cotter pin, hasn't slipped off since and cost $0.15.
--2012 JKs suffered an issue with their cylinder heads involving bad valve guides I believe it was, which was recalled and dealt with, but if you ever hear of this issue, that's what it was regarding.
--2007-2011 JKs had a particularly vulnerable air intake which sucks in water very easily if you drive at any kind of speed through water. Take extra care, in water crossings, not to splash too much into the engine bay, as the hood practically channels water to the air intake. A snorkel obviously remedies this issue. 2012 and up JKs have a redesigned air intake which introduced a splash guard over the opening to redirect water away from the intake.
--2007-2011 JKs have completely unprotected Evaporation canisters underneath that can be torn off by a well placed rock, while not a too common occurance, skid plates for this are cheap enough and it avoids a headache on a longer trip. 2012+ JKs have a factory skid plate for this now.
--2007-2009 JKs seemed to have suffered a high number of quality issues regarding their manual transmissions, mostly relating to popping out of gear and clutch problems. There was a TSB issued for incorrectly manufactured synchro rings on some NSG370 units causing the largest issue and some simply had stiff shifter boots that pushed the stick back. The clutch problems primarily surrounded the throw out bearings, which tend to be noisy. Mine is on my 2011, but it still works fine at nearly 50k miles, some had noise so bad on their earlier JKs, it sounded like imminent failure. The rate of TOB issues has gone down drastically the last several years.
--2007-2009 JKs had a small batch of bad TIPM modules that would go bad causing the "posessed JK" issues where the body related functions would go haywire, including random horn honks, lights flashing and wipers going randomly and all at once if the module completely died, looking like herbie crapped himself.
--ALL JKs, suffer from loose door latches. After some mileage, you'll begin to notice the doors rattle on the latches. Easily fixed by wrapping electrical tape around the latches on all doors (including tailgate) where the latch grabs and you'll have quiet doors hence forth.
--ALL JKs, have crappy a dome light that rattles easily with bass even on the base stereo headunit. I found taking out the dome light and running electrical tape around the soundbar housing where it sits fixed the rattling
-- ALL JKs have THE WRONG SIZED BOLTS used in the suspension components! Can you believe that? Primarily the trac bar and control arms have smaller sized bolts than the actual holes allow for, which was a huge source of the death wobble issues JKs faced. Jeep's answer was to recall all JKs and double the torque on the bolts instead of simply replacing them. Not only that, but the bolts are FULLY THREADED and not shouldered, so WHEN they do come loose, they wallow out the holes making even the right sized bolts useless to fixing the death wobble. Its advised to simply replace all the bolts with the right sized ones ASAP to prevent any damage to the mounts and you can keep that evil death wobble monster at bay. Kits are available or you can source the right sizes yourself from a local hardware store (use grade 8 ONLY! and American made steel!)
--2007-2008 JKs had issue with spitting fuel back out of the filler due to ethanol in the fuel damaging some of the valve components in the tank, this became a TSB and Jeep did replace some tanks with an updated unit that fixed this issue, but since it was not a recall, not ALL 07-08 JKs have had this fix; if yours does this, this is why.
-- ALL JKS -The wiper motors are a bit exposed to the elements in the cowl panel, and some have succumbed to corrosion already, while its not an immediate problem, I imagine most JKs will start suffering wiper motor failures around the 10 year mark as rain water constantly drips on it, unless Jeep has since redesigned it, but this I am unsure of.
-- ALL JKs -The electric motors for the radiator fans are NOT weather sealed! If you do a lot of water and mud, they will fail. Its best to replace it with a fan designed with a sealed motor.
-- ALL JKs - The tierod ends and balljoints are made a lot more cheaply than they used to be. People who run 35"+ tires or offroad hard, have experienced some TRE and balljoint failures. There are PLENTY of aftermarket solutions for this, so its a recommended mod if you plan to take your JK out into the Sahara or equally remote terrain.
-- ALL JKs - it seems to be entirely random which units suffer this issue, but some will have problems with their tops (hard and soft) leaking water when it rains. Mine leaks off and on depending on how I put my top back on last I had it down/off.
Other then that, JKs are solid lol. Granted, do realize this list is a collected knowledge base of recorded issues, but no JK has suffered ALL of them, and most are isolated to earlier years of the JK when Chrysler was owned by Daimler and going through bankruptcy. Despite what most want to believe, Fiat's ownership and constant willingness to give Chrysler all the cash it needs to make better products now-a-days has lead to an increase in quality control with all their products and the JK. Major issues have disappeared and some smaller still remain, but you can thank Daimler for that.
I have a 2011 6spd sport 2dr with almost 50k miles that I love dearly and have had no issues at all, I'm running a 2" lift and 33" KM2 MTs and have been all across the US (moab 4 times) with no failures of any sort. So yes, I do trust my Jeep and see no reason to drop that trust any time soon.
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