2018 Jeep Wrangler

[itaos]

I have always wanted a Jeep but have been deterred by the reported consistent subpar reliability. Looking over the message board for the new Wranglers I saw reports/pics of rust and shoddy welding.

Do FCA vehicles deserve their bad rep?

 

[Yuriman]

They really do. Chrysler was a mess across the board even before Fiat acquired them, and Fiat aren't exactly known for their reliability either.

EDIT: I've seen tons of threads on this forum alone of people who've bought FCA vehicles due to attractive interiors, powerful engines, or emotional appeal to the brand, and sworn them off after a few months of frequent dealer visits on brand new vehicles. Maybe that's acceptable for some, but when I can buy a Honda or Toyota and drive it for two decades with only oil changes, I find it a tough sell.

 

[WiseUp216]

I've been driving Jeeps for a long time and haven't had any problems. 2001 XJ Cherokee (102k miles), 2007 JKU Wrangler (105k miles), and my current 2016 JK Wrangler Rubicon (4,900 miles). They have a huge following for a reason.

I would only shy away from the 2007-2011 Wranglers due to the underpowered 3.8 motor. I don't know of any chronic issues with the 3.6 Pentastar that has been in use since 2012. It is pretty much universally praised on Jeep forums.

 

[Crono]

I would probably wait for the 2019 or 2020 model year, given it's a redesign. I've considered getting a Wrangler, but more tempting now with slight updates/upgrades in various areas. Not in the market right now, though, so I can wait 2 years to see how reliability pans out.

My current car is an FCA vehicle (ish, it's a Fiat 124 Spider) and no problems (knock on wood) so far. Then again, a lot of it is Mazda and was assembled by Mazda.

 

[Kaido]

Do FCA vehicles deserve their bad rep?

Yes. But.

Yes - FCA has quality-control issues. It can be hit or miss. I've had massive problems with my Renegade, but I have several friends with Renegades who have experienced zero issues. FCA has had a lot of issues with the 8 & 9-speed transmissions. A lot of them have electrical & computer problems. Their overall culture of quality control is pretty bad. So, it's a dice roll. You'll probably be okay, but you may end up like me and be visiting the dealership on a monthly basis, taking FCA to court, etc. to get it dealt with.

But - Jeep people (well, "real" Jeeps, like Wranglers) are like Corvette owners...Corvettes are low to the ground, they scrap on inclines, they're a pain to go over potholes & speedbumps in, but they love their cars & are willing to put up with the annoyances. Every single person I know who owns a 'real' Jeep has problems with them (typically electrical), but they love their Jeep, so they just deal with it. I like my Renegade a lot, but I hate the glitches & I personally don't care for the 9-speed transmission (shift issues).

So, it depends. If you get one, it will most likely be a pretty good car. And they hold their resale value pretty dang well! But it might be an awful demon that haunts you on a daily basis until you can afford to get rid of it

 

[WiseUp216]

In my opinion, it is less about the OEM as a whole and more about which plant assembled the vehicle and major components. Every manufacturer has assembly plants with varying degrees of quality. I love my Jeep Wrangler (Toledo) but there are definitely FCA vehicles that I wouldn't touch if you gave it to me for free.

Yes, the OEM corporate headquarters drive a lot of the practices but a successful quality implementation is ultimately up to the people putting their hands on the cars. The supply chain is so huge, with the same Tier 1s and 2s servicing multiple OEMs, that is hard for me to write a whole brand off as bad.

FWIW, I've been involved in ~15 automotive quality management system audits over the last 5 years (TS 16949, and now IATF 16949).

Kaido makes a good point about Jeep/Corvette people overlooking things that would drive other people crazy. I can't argue with that but I can say that I've not had any issues with my 3 Jeeps.

 

[Beer4Me]

Yes. But.

Yes - FCA has quality-control issues. It can be hit or miss. I've had massive problems with my Renegade, but I have several friends with Renegades who have experienced zero issues. FCA has had a lot of issues with the 8 & 9-speed transmissions. A lot of them have electrical & computer problems. Their overall culture of quality control is pretty bad. So, it's a dice roll. You'll probably be okay, but you may end up like me and be visiting the dealership on a monthly basis, taking FCA to court, etc. to get it dealt with.

But - Jeep people (well, "real" Jeeps, like Wranglers) are like Corvette owners...Corvettes are low to the ground, they scrap on inclines, they're a pain to go over potholes & speedbumps in, but they love their cars & are willing to put up with the annoyances. Every single person I know who owns a 'real' Jeep has problems with them (typically electrical), but they love their Jeep, so they just deal with it. I like my Renegade a lot, but I hate the glitches & I personally don't care for the 9-speed transmission (shift issues).

So, it depends. If you get one, it will most likely be a pretty good car. And they hold their resale value pretty dang well! But it might be an awful demon that haunts you on a daily basis until you can afford to get rid of it

Wranglers are outliers in terms of holding their resale value, and it's due largely in part of their cult-like following. Any other FCA product, even Grand Cherokees, do NOT hold their value at all. It's largely due to the massive incentives that FCA offers on their products.

I also believe that their products, like most domestic vehicles, are intentionally overpriced. Ford is a great example of this. Who pays $70k for a F-150 Platinum 4x4? Why?

 

[itaos]

I am banking on that resale value should it not work out. There is a local dealer that will go 5%+ off invoice which should help. I am leaning toward rolling the dice but I despise spending time at the service dept.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Was reading Car & Driver - their 2017 Chrysler Pacifica "long term test" car had paint bubbling on the hood within 12 months. Only one more data point, but not a good looking one.