What´s the problem with the Jeep

[bcrez]

I drove a 4dr JK wrangler and it broke constantly... I blew out the shocks carrying gear for 4 days in Utah backcountry, and the car was STUFFED. I got a Taco and no drama thus far. Last week I was cruising up a mining road looking for a campsite with my buddy following me in a Jeep Wrangler TJ and he blew out his header for no apparent reason. Besides fuel economy, besides space, besides payload, besides power, besides no diesel engine option, if the car wont run you are in trouble. That is the main reason why I wouldnt take a jeep overland.

 

[bcrez]

Any of the modern, fuel injected Jeeps are reliable from a drivetrain perspective.
2¢

Maybe a fluke, but I blew out 3 drivetrains in 6 months in my new Jeep JK. The dealer got so fed up with warrantying my jeep he took it back.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Heh Heh, I don't blame you--

I've had a lot of troubles with my "CARS", but

--------------------NOT MY JEEP----------------------------

:costumed-smiley-007:bike_rider: JIMBO

 

[bcrez]

:sombrero: Heh Heh, I don't blame you--

I've had a lot of troubles with my "CARS", but

--------------------NOT MY JEEP----------------------------

:costumed-smiley-007:bike_rider: JIMBO

With the amount of errant breakdowns and catastrophic failures you would think I was driving a car not a jeep through the desert. Worst part about it was I was with three Toyota's and all i kept hearing was, "Oh, the Heep broke again..." or "What do you expect out of a heep..." blah blah blah. But even i fell out of love with my wrangler when my roll cage started loosened up and I had to stop the caravan again to get out my Torx wrench set and start buckling down my cage on the second day of the drive. I really wish my experience had been better, but it is what it is.

 

[Tejasmtb]

I've had 5 jeeps and two toyota's. My first jeep was a 1998 TJ and other routine maintenance it never gave me any problems and that had the snot beat out of it. It sat on 38's and had been rolled twice when I got rid of it.

My second Jeep was a 2003 jeep rubicon, again, great wheeler! Only problem I had was a freeze plug leaking on me.

My third jeep was a 1993 Cherokee and it was a beater that I bought to build into a trailer queen, I lost steam with the project and it didn't give me any problems before it moved on to it's new owner. Shortly there after it threw a rod.

My fourth jeep was a 2007 rubicon unlimited and even though it was awesome, it went through two t-cases in 15k miles, neither of which the dealership would warranty. That coupled with the extremely anemic and disappointing motor were enough for me to get rid of it.

The newest jeep is the grand Cherokee and other than occasional fan issues it's been reliable, but it's too soon to tell.

My first Toyota was a 2001 Tacoma TRD, that was hands down the best vehicle I've ever owned. I would still have it if hadn't died such a tragic death in 2003.

My second Toyota was a 1981 truck, it was beat but turned over every time I needed it. I did have to replace the starter and oil pressure sending unit but that's not bad considering it was 30 years old.

I must agree that toyota's are definitely more reliable in the grand scheme of things, but they are more expensive to buy and upgrade and have much less in the way of aftermarket support and accessories.

For the most part my jeeps have been good to me and are fairly cheap to accessorize, but always have a nervous tick in the back of my mind on long road trips as I have been burned before.

I might go Toyota again after this current jeep, we will just have to see how things go.

 

[cavedave]

I wonder if it has to do with a term I'm familiar with - preventative maintenance: The practice of maintaining your equipment on a regular basis, in the hopes of preventing a problem in the field. Thank you Air Force.

I'm not picking on anybody here, regardless of what one prefers to drive, but maybe, just maybe, the root cause of the majority of problems found in the field is because of the lack of periodic and preventative maintenance performed on the equipment used.

I'm willing to bet a large portion of my credit card debt on a well cared for Jeep going as far as a well cared for Toyota.

Nonetheless, the above scenario also takes into account the maturity and skill of the driver. One could maintain a vehicle all day, but it will all hit the proverbial fan if one's care does not extend to the operation of the vehicle.

 

[Root Moose]

The other issue likely has to do with some form of QC at the factory. Jeep/Chrysler does not have a sterling reputation in this regard and as such "erratics" get through the process and cause problems.

Conversely, recalling a few million Toyotas and Lexus cars at a time is not uncommon either.

 

[jeepdreamer]

Argh...

Ok...read this through and it seems that most have missed the 4800lbs Gorilla thats missing from the dealerships!
Jeep has never done what all the other major manufacturers of sucsessful overlanding vehicles have done. The thing that many of of har growning tired of harping to Feep about. And the thing that has made it possible for many such a LR and Toyota to be found traversing the least hospitable palces on the Globe.
Diesel!
Somehow way back in history Us Americans turned to Gasoline over diesel to power out autos. Much of the rest of the globe has,does, and will operate mainly on the generally less expensive diesel over the more finiky, shorter life span, less effecient gas motors. Instead the Asian and Europeans focused on building better, reliable, simple, and effecient diesel motors. These were then exported any and everywhere someone needed a tuff 4x4 to work and play.
As such, over the years even the way out in nowhere places develloped a familurarity with the common vehicles imported.
Willys, and later Kaiser/Jeep/AMCChrysler/ whoever, concentraited on the home area instead. The fact that Jeeps with diesels have almost always been available in areas other than the US sort of makes this strange even before the "Green" bandwagon came along.
Yet hand in glove with the availability of a diesel was simple repairs and parts being available. When you live somewhere that has zero manufacturer support...who would invest in a vehicle they may never be able to repair? Esp when that vehicle helps earn your living as well as offers you transportation into the wilderness? Toyota parts were imported. LR sent crates of all kinds of stuff. Jeep? nah...sorry.
So that is my humble opinion of why Jeep, and now currently Feep, will never have a large hand in the world market. They missed their chance, failed to capitialize on an opertunity and now...they can't even keep themselves afloat in their own country.

 

[Black Dog]

:sombrero: Heh Heh, I don't blame you--

I've had a lot of troubles with my "CARS", but

--------------------NOT MY JEEP----------------------------

:costumed-smiley-007:bike_rider: JIMBO

Same here, the only times I've ever had problems with either of my jeeps was always my own fault (like driving into a creek). I've had other cars that were just money pits, it was cheaper to just stay home. But my jeeps I've driving more miles than anything else.

 

[Antichrist]

The fact that Jeeps with diesels have almost always been available in areas other than the US sort of makes this strange even before the "Green" bandwagon came along.

That's the same for Land Rover. You haven't been able to buy a diesel Land Rover from a US showroom since the 60's.

I know of one person, many years ago, who actually got a diesel CJ from a US dealer. He'd bought one with options such that it was a special order, and when it showed up Jeep had crossed their wires and shipped one with a diesel that was actually meant for export. Oddly enough, the guy said "no problem".

 

[cocco78]

Its all about appearance... Drive what you like, who cares what other people think. I've owned a few Toyota's and I thought they were pretty nice but really nothing special, I would own one again if the opportunity presented itself. They all had problems tho, currently the wife drives a Rav4 that is having its share of problems. I've owned GM's, Fords, Dodges, and Jeeps and they all had problems. The amount of problems I've had with GM vehicles far surpasses the others tho, i'll never own another GM.

I have always had Jeeps tho, currently a 98 Wrangler thats built and beat. The one thing that separates it from the rest is that it doesn't have all the electronics and power accessories that constantly go out. No power windows or locks to constantly replace, no A/C, no cruise, no nothing. I seriously doubt I'd ever buy a new JK tho, to much of a car for my taste, Jeeps need inline 6 motors...

 

[Black Dog]

Whats the general process for a person in the US to buy a new or used vehicle from another country? I know it would be a logistics nightmare and would be incredibly expensive, but it has to be possible. I know that domestically you can buy used jeeps with the steering wheel on the right side as opposed to the left and they are intended for rural postal carriers, and it seems to me that a right hand drive jeep meant for mail men isn't any different than a right hand drive jeep meant to be sold in England.

One of the postal carriers here dives a right hand drive four door JK even.

 

[cavedave]

It cost me $1800 to ship my vehicle from Germany to East Coast USA. I think the shipment cost is the least one has to worry about if they want a foreign vehicle. Lucky for me, my jeep originated from USA. I just registered it and drove away, but a foreign vehicle has much more to do... I didn't really answer your question, but I know that cost is not as big an issue as registration, DOT standards compliance, and international trade agreements.

 

[Rocket Ship]

Ok...read this through and it seems that most have missed the 4800lbs Gorilla thats missing from the dealerships!
Jeep has never done what all the other major manufacturers of sucsessful overlanding vehicles have done. The thing that many of of har growning tired of harping to Feep about. And the thing that has made it possible for many such a LR and Toyota to be found traversing the least hospitable palces on the Globe.
Diesel!

There are no diesel LR or Toyota available in the US. There are diesel Jeeps available in Europe. So I really don't understand the point of this rant?

 

[jeepdreamer]

The "point"...

You obviously didn't read the entire posting. My point is that In the US diesels have never been supported other than OTR truckers/locomotives. We have such a large expanse of area within all our borders it is a let down that the more efficent diesel is so unloved here. And for those of us that appreciate it and Jeeps, it is a little extra insult to see them built here and shipped over to Europe and we can't get one here.?. And since Jeep failed to capitalize on the post WWII world market you had companies just like LR and Yota step in and do it. That is the reason we associate expo vehicles with the LR or FJ 40/45/etc... Because they had a presence i the exotic places like Afrika or the Saraha or the Congo...Jeep, for the most part sat on its laurels and settled for the home land support. And that worked ok until the gas crisises...and once Toyota learned how to import them to the US cheaply Jeep has been back peddling ever since.
In case your wondering I am a Jeep guy. I own 4 at present and love them for the different applications each does best. But between them all I would be hard pressed to find one that could compete outside the US as an expo vehicle. So the "rant"...as you call it is more a cry of frustration. Jeep has the potential to create an outstanding Expo vehicle now! And if they worked a little harder they may even be competetive in the world market again. Is it likely? No. So us folks loyal to the name are forced to take up where they left off and make our own. It sure would be nice if Jeep or Feeo or whoever would listen to those that use the things instead of those that are riding to work on their segue and counting the beans!

There are no diesel LR or Toyota available in the US. There are diesel Jeeps available in Europe. So I really don't understand the point of this rant?