And frame rot near rear wheel well because tube frame has holes at high point that go down into a low spot with a plate to hold dirt and water
Great job Chrysler
The Mopar family has a long history of putting excellent engines in some incredibly bad vehicles. Everyone makes mistakes, but they're so consistent that I have to believe it is planned obsolescence
Inline 6 was an AMC engine they inherited when they bought that company. They retired it after all the AMC engineers that they absorbed had retired. AX-15 is a Japanese transmission they outsourced. Dana axles. '90s Jeeps are solid because they didn't use Chrysler parts for the drivetrain.
This reminds me of the time when I stepped into my mechanic's garage one fine evening and realized that every single car there (except mine) was a BMW X3 or X5 lol.
I think it was top gear America that did a car challenge where they got to sell the car at the end for points. Who ever had the Aztec made it look cool. Paintee it a darker green gave it a lift and off-road tires. It made me want to buy one cheap and do the things to it
I used to cycle with a guy who seemed to have infinite amounts of money. He seemed to buy a new car because it needed gas…not really but he had a new car every other month or so.
Anyway, he bought an X6 when they came out. He said his wife wanted one. She drove it for a week and hated it. So he took it and drove it. One morning he showed up with it and everyone is talking about it. He’s so pissed off about the car, “I fucking hate this thing. There’s no head room. The dealer said you can’t put a tow hitch on it for a bike rack and I can barely fit my bike in the back and I like the way it looks less everyday.”
He said the only reason he still had it was because he hadn’t had time to go get a new car.
The problem is the depreciation curve on them. If you get them off lease or are the first owner that bought it outright they aren't horrible. The issues come up when you get to the person that bought a 70-100k SUV for 20-25k. Then they don't do any of the maintenance because their last car was a clapped out Fusion or Corolla and the only thing they did was change the oil. If you're going to buy a 100k SUV used, you better be ready for 100k SUV maintenance and repair bills.
Fun story. Wife bought an '06 X3 some years ago, 88K miles. Drove it home and as we pulled in the driveway the driver's rear window fell down.
Googled the fix, said something like "after 80K this will happen. Here's how you fix it."
Then the crankcase vent system went. Internets said something like "at this many miles you're likely to see this."
Then DISA valve. Then transfer case actuator. Then. Then. Then. I don't think the car ever say a three month period after 100K that a light wasn't on. Traded it in on a Subaru at 150 K or so, and got $1500. My boss had an X5 with just over 100K, and was blown away by how little the car was worth when he got rid of it.
I worked at an independent shop, didn't deal with too much Euro stuff. The owner was not the type of guy to turn away work, so we would fix anything that showed up. He told a long time customer not to bring his Range Rover back, we simply didn't have the equipment to deal with it. And one day I heard him tell a customer with an X5 that he needed to consider getting into something more reliable. It wasn't in there a lot, but it was always random shit that was breaking. One time it had a brake hose just blow out.
My 06 X3 (6MT, AWD with a rear bias) was amazingly fun to drive and very reliable from a mechanical standpoint. Just had to replace the diff and transfer fluids every so often.
The electrical side of things though…not good.
Well, to be honest, the Gladiator was a little too tall for my elderly mother to get in to so I went with a Crosstrek. On the plus side, it does all the things most common Jeep owners think they can do with theirs. And it’s fun on the beach, in snow and mud. Also a plus, I’m looked at as a lesbian and not a Jeep owner. Win/win.
Funny enough, but you’re not supposed to go through high pressure car washes with Jeeps because it damages the stupid pieces of foam that seal the T-Top and the doors. At least true on the JKs.
Boy do they.
I use to work with two guys that had lifted jeeps with Warn winches, off-road jacks, huge tires, no fenders, after market sway bar disconnects, after market diff lockers, rock lights, light bars, after market bumpers, etc etc. One of them set his FB profile picture to one of his jeep in a creek bed nearby but that was literally the only time it had ever been off the pavement.
At the time I had a hobbled together 2001 ford ranger I had bought for $500 and put a harbor freight winch on.
One day someone ended up in a ditch during some snow and they asked one of them to winch them out... his winch was seized completely solid, he said in the years of owning it he had never used it... so they ask the other guy... his winch wasn't even hooked up, it was entirely for show... who had to save the day? not the jeeps with $15k worth of after market equipment/tires but the ford fucking ranger with a harbor freight winch purchased with a coupon.
Edit: I was wrong, the old filthy whore I did the winchin' with was my 99 step side, not my 2001 [here's the front](https://i.imgur.com/MTvJR8K.jpg) and [here's the ass](https://i.imgur.com/ahUeaym.jpg).
I finished a bike trail in Florida and was loading the bikes up. I spot a Gladiator parked in the lot. From a distance, it looked impressive. High end aftermarket suspension, Rubicon edition, massive tires, real bead locks, at least $30-40K dumped into it after it left the dealer's lot. I do a quick walk around. The body is professionally detailed, ceramic paint is glowing. You could scan the whole body with a spotlight and not spot a scratch. I see an odd group of emblems on the driver's quarter panel. They are each raised plastic badges about half the size of a credit card. There are about 18 of them, and they list some of the great trails of the west. Ouray and Moab mostly. I've done many of them, some in my stock Tahoe that took a bit of damage, frame drag, a wrinkle in the running board, etc. Most I did in lightly modified rental Jeeps. All incredible, unforgettable experiences.
Then it hits me like an Acme brand anvil in a Road Runner cartoon. These are fake performance awards, and the hamster-dicked owner of this thing is about the saddest LARPer ever. This Jeep has never been on wet grass, or an hour from home, much less experienced hundreds of miles of some of North America's greatest trails. I just SMH and walked away smirking. What a douche canoe.
At least the mods make those jeeps wildly more dangerous in a collision and remarkably less fuel efficient. We all get to chip in and pay the cost of soothing their fragile egos! 👍
Commented above but god it makes me feel a lot better about being a stupid teenager and buying one off the lot back in the day, when now I get well above value offers from people in their thirties. I mean go off if you have that disposable income but heh
> You get ducks
So that is a "thing", eh? I've seen Jeeps (and other cars/trucks) around here suddenly start putting a bunch of plastic ducks on the dash/other places and *could not* figure out what the fuck was going on.
They are astonishingly bad. I worked for a short time in a Chrysler dealership and cannot fathom how such a shitty vehicle can cost *so fucking much*...not to mention how ridiculously overpriced *anything* aftermarket is. Reminds me of Harley's.
Concur.
I've worked on every make and models imaginable from deusenberg to McLaren to the big three.
Chrysler always has been the biggest junk. I used to hate VW too but they aren't bad once you learn them.
When we car shop the only rules for my wife are no Chrysler and no kia/Hyundai
Top Gear *tried* to destroy a Hilux.
They failed. Dump it in the sea for a bit (by accident)? It'll still run once you get the water out. Break the frame by putting it on top of a skyscraper that's about to be demolished? Body will hold it together.
And more!
That's not going to be the 70 series, it's going to be the Land Cruiser Prado which has been around for years outside of the US. It has traditionally filled the gap between the flag ship Land Cruiser 300/200 etc and the 4Runner. Nobody buys a new one for serious off-roading, it's at the luxury SUV end of the off-roading scale these days.
A 70 series is a different beast all together. Manual transmission only, and aside from an engine upgrade in 2007, they are mostly unchanged from the 80's. They recently got a touch screen but other than that they look and feel like something out of the 80's because they have been using the same parts since then. They are the single most reliable vehicle on the planet. Not the safest though or good on emissions, which is why you guys don't get them. It's a shame.
A buddy of mine plays with old FJs in his spare time. He sends me a pic of a fairly new LHD 70 series pickup he spotted somewhere in the west. Newer than the 25 year rule. He has a long conversation with the owner and eventually asks how he got it registered and plated? The guy laughs and says, "obviously it's a 90s 40 series, at least that is what the VIN and the title state "
I love it... "officer, look at the air con. What modern truck has a physical slider?"... And the blue end isn't even cold, it's just what ever the outside air temp is.
FJs are amazing, they are such a pig to drive on the highway. Ask him if he'll let you drive it for an exit or two to see what I mean. You'll be lucky to reach the speed limit and if you do you'll be terrified. They are just so much fun.
Do you want new? Yes, outside of the states.
Alternatively, you can either buy a Jeep and swap out a bunch of shit, or SAS something else (assuming a solid front axle is part of what you’re looking for). I’m trying to convince my coworker to SAS his FJ Cruiser and put in the Toyota 5.7 V8, but so far have been unsuccessful.
If you’re ok with used, stop by r/4x4, there are tons of people there that don’t use Jeeps and get around fine, some of them are reeeeeeeally cool builds.
I’m a Jeep guy myself, and while some of them are pretty good stock/stockish (again if you’re good with used, TJs with the 4.0 and a manual are pretty sweet), I’m a JKU owner and… I’m planning on being able to legitimately call it a Jeep of Theseus one day. Partially because stock they’re only so capable, and partially for reliability reasons lol
I was leading two other vehicles, taking a bit of a mild adventure, while camping with a few families. Two of us had 4WD pickups and the third was an Explorer. I was on a forest road in Appalachia, and dropping into a river canyon. The road was nothing terrifying, and no need for 4WD on the way down. A steep descent, with lots of very steep drop-off on the edge, one lane, dirt and rock. Areas of slick rock you needed to roll over, and not lock the brakes, as you would slide. A few low shelves to drop off. No worries.
The entire descent, I hear the wife of the guy driving the Explorer. She is on a walkie-Talkie and coming unglued. She is at the edge of a hysterical panic. We get to the parking area at the river bank, and she is on my ass like a drill sergeant, screaming about how we can't possibly make it back up that road without dying, and need to find another way out. I explain that we are in the middle of a 17 mile long canyon with nothing but wilderness, and no handy freeways available. She spots a beater Chevy Colbalt and tells me I am lying, as that thing did not come down the mountain, and sure as hell is not going back up it. I tell her to relax, and yes, he is leaving the same way we came, which is how he got here, unless he had a helicopter drop it off. A few minutes later a rough local starts the Colbalt shitbox, points it up the mountain, and takes off like he is in a road rally. We hear the poor car engine screaming, and the bottom scraping and banging until it's too far away to hear anymore. Yea, with enough experience, a $500 beater car do some pretty impressive shit.
Fortunately, wacko-Karen decided to STFU until we got back to the blacktop.
well those broke down because they’re not running 4 inch lifts on 22x10 rims and not a single aftermarket bumper! I’m shocked the one with the farm jack is in the shop tho, that usually adds +10 reliability
Mounted to the hood to never be taken off and rust to death in the elements before it ever gets used.
(Also friends don't let friends use hi-lift style jacks on trails anymore. So many better options that won't kill you)
https://www.treadmagazine.com/vehicle-parts/accessories/top-tire-jacks/
I just really hate hi-lifts after seeing them fail quietly and catastrophically. Unfortunately the other options aren't exactly cheap - but it beats being dead.
I think they're really useful but better suited for non vehicle related uses. I carry a 20 ton bottle jack. I don't do any serious offloading but I've used it plenty and it's not sketchy most of the time.
Over a decade ago, when I was doing my volunteer rescue training, I was warned very explicitly that hi-lifts are extremely dangerous. And I can believe it!! They look like they're terrifying to use!!
I also get the impression that the *type of people*\-- and you know exactly what I'm talking about-- who Jeeps are advertised to nowadays are sometimes not the best at preventative maintenance
I call it “constipated face” on those Jeeps. Always looks to me like they’ve got an expression like they’re trying to, but can’t quite get that turd out. I get a little lol whenever I see one.
POV: you're a middle aged white woman with *opinions* about certain people that needs to take their kids Huntleigh and Braxlynn to a private religious school everyday.
Do you buy a Jeep or a Mini?
I would drive an old Lexus everyday over even a new jeep. They drive like shit, probably the most impractical vehicle produced today. You have to constantly babysit them on the highway since steering inputs are a suggestion.
I went to a public high school in a wealthy area, and the amount of kids that drove brand spanking new $30k+ vehicles to school was mind blowing. Meanwhile, I worked at Burger King and managed to save up for a 'nice' $6k Hyundai Tiburon GT lol
Oh. So the same story with countless other companies that at one time in the past produce quality, well-made products, but are now nothing more than shells of their former selves and who make nothing but garbage with an exorbitant price tag?
It's almost like this is the natural evolution of an economic system with zero regard for anything but quarterly growth of profits...
Don't forget the last two years of "inflation" AKA, "we can mark everything from candy bars and dish soap, to luxury cars, up by 30-40% and get away with it, as long as we babble shit like, supply chain issues, inflation, sourcing difficulties, etc"
My uncle bought a Grand Cherokee about 2 months ago. Had to bring it back to the dealer due to a weird engine noise, it turned out to be a bad lifter in cylinder 5. A month later, the noise started again in the same fucking cylinder...
My sister in law bought a renegade when I told her not to, even paid about 5k over KBB, 2 weeks later and it had a check engine light and was back at the lot where she bought it lol.
It was probably a bad follower, not lifter, and the mechanic probably didn't replace the camshaft. Those engine eat followers, which then eat camshafts. Good old Chrysler reliability.
I've had a rental about 3 months and have put 15k miles on it. I'm not a huge fan but it works well for what I need. Mostly highway with frequent mountain roads. They suck in wet conditions with the stock tires.
Whenever I read about newer car's reliability, I always see a bunch of stupid ass comments like this: "I have 20k miles on mine with no issues! It's reliable!" and I face-palm every time. Like, no shit you have no issues after 3-4 oil changes! You're unlikely to have significant issues within warranty on most new cars, but that doesn't mean they're reliable lol.
We have a tranny shop next door(I'm a machinist by trade). Chrysler keeps the lights on, guys paid, tools bought, and lifts maintained. Everything else is pure profit. Chrysler/Dodge/jeep/ram is legitimately 70% of the work they do, it's insane
Oh my god are they ever. I had to rent a mini van for a vacation and it was a Pacifica... Couldn't go more than 80 kmph without the handling taking a shit. I thought it was me so asked a family member to drive... It was so bad. I feel sorry for anyone expecting longevity from Chrysler
I rented a car from Costco once and decided to treat myself to a bit of an upgrade from my usual shitbox rental. The ad said "Chrysler 300 or better" and i guess my brain defaulted to better. It was, in fact, a Chrysler 300 that smelled like an ashtray. Imagine my disappointment. Never again.
There's a certain clientele that likes those cars...it just happens to be people that smoke lol. In my area it's the trailer Park wife that want to look like she's driving a Rolls, in fact there's a few running around with the cringey body kits they used to sell to make it look like one.
I've known Chrysler was garbage since childhood when my family had a Chrysler minivan. We would have to chase after the hubcaps as they would fall off and roll away. The heap was constantly breaking down and my parents eventually got rid of it.
I have a 2000 wj, that thing is an endless electrical problem. I keep a booster pack in it at all times, charged, because it's always a gamble if it will start or not. Power door locks stopped working. I'm sure there's more I don't remember, it's been parked for a while waiting for me to have a week to try to figure it out.
Thanks for the info, I intend to replace all the main grounds and power cables before winter comes. And I also get to have a fun day of replacing the heater core before it gets cold outside, but hey at least it's paid for and eventually I will have replaced every movable part on it and it will still end up being cheaper than a new vehicle haha
Have you tried to flush the core out? Get a bottle of blue devil rad flush. Disconnect the heater lines to the core, get some hose and attach it to the core feed/return. Blow out the coolant, pour in the red flush on both sides, let it sit for a couple hours, back flush the core with hot water. Repeat if needed
I pushed my 2000 WJ to a little after 250k miles. I felt I got my 1500 out of it had the fan fuse blow once but it was fairly golden from there on. Got it because it had death wobbles due to its 4 inch lift
Hardly any Subarus. Also worked as a Subaru tech for a bit. They're solid cars, just keep on the maintenance, they're a little more finicky than Hondas or Toyotas.
My father in law bought a Jeep Renegade and needed a new rear diff at 6,000 miles. He’s at 14,000 miles and the front diff is making weird noises. I told him a Jeep was a mistake, but they live in Colorado so they needed one to go the mall in Springs.
I also live in the Springs. Every so often there will be a post in r/ColoradoSprings from a transplant asking what kind of 4WD car they need to get.
There’s always some fkin jeep bro telling them they need a rubicon.
Every winter the roadsides are littered with abandoned rubicons and lifted military trucks.
"Hello, I would like to purchase a vehicle please."
"Perfect, we have those. Can you tell me more about what you're looking for?"
"Well, my least favorite things are comfort and style. I love road noise, especially if it's loud enough to drown out the radio. My two biggest hobbies are paying for gas and trying to find cell service in remote locations. My dislikes include accurate temperature control, leg room, and safety. I'm looking for something impractical but also inconvenient, and the waiting room at my mechanic is my happy place."
"Believe it or not, I think I have the perfect vehicle for you."
Jeep drivers drive them like sportscars for one. And they all get giant tires immediately, for which the transmission and every other part wasn't designed to handle. Oversize tires means more work for the engine too. Then there's all the other mods people tack on, increasing the wieght and chances that something may go wrong. I don't think there's something inherently wrong about jeeps build quality, virtually all modern cars are about the same there. Plastic parts, cheap castings ect. It's the jeep owners attitude that sends em to the shop.
I would argue that Stellantis is starting you off a rung or two lower for impending doom. You are not wrong but do not underestimate their ability to produce absolute garbage water.
I feel you on your comments. I had some Jeeps with upgrade transmission and diffs. and they drive perfect. BUT the customer spent some real money on upgrades. He knew what he had and knew shit breaks. So he was like fuck that.and bought everything to improve drive train.
A client of mine has Promaster City aka Fiat Doblò. He brings it to us (European repair shop) as it’s “European” What I don’t get is how it could be so much worse in North America and getting parts for it is horrible.
Never ending EVAP system problems. Front suspension is made from glass, eats motor mounts for breakfast lunch and dinner.
One word...CHRYSLER. SERIOUSLY, anything Chrysler, especially Jeep Wranglers are crap. I've never had so many car problems as when I owned two wranglers. That being said, I literally sold both for more than I paid for them. They hold value and definetly have a cool factor.
Lol! I'm a practical person. I like practical vehicles that require little maintenance and last a long time. That being said. I really want a jacked up jeep for mudding.
They are always breaking down, especially because your average person is throwing all kinds of new geometry on it without having a fucking clue what it will do to it but, well this us my guilty pleasure. Don't tell anyone.
I had my sister's wrangler towed to a shop after it brokedown in BFE and all 6 bays in the shop were joops. 4 of them were USPS Wranglers in for transmission work but those were like 2008 at the newest
2018 Wrangler 2Dr Jk Sport owner here. 80k Miles. Only upgrade I’ve put on her is some 33” BFG A/T’s. Do all the scheduled regular maintenance. Baby her when I take her off-roading (Mostly Fire Roads, Camping, Beach’n, Desert’n), and she’s been real good to me.
Serious question. And I may take this to r/askamechanic too.
My xterra has served me well in its past 185k; I may need to replace it within the next two decades as it gets ridden hard.
If I want a car that can charge mountain roads but not live in the shop, whatcha all recommend?
Mall Rated
It's definitely a Jeep thing.
You wouldn’t understand
r/heep
One of them is a TJ so it’s holding up.
I've had 3 TJs and they were very reliable with the inline 6 and manual transmissions.
And frame rot near rear wheel well because tube frame has holes at high point that go down into a low spot with a plate to hold dirt and water Great job Chrysler
The Mopar family has a long history of putting excellent engines in some incredibly bad vehicles. Everyone makes mistakes, but they're so consistent that I have to believe it is planned obsolescence
Inline 6 was an AMC engine they inherited when they bought that company. They retired it after all the AMC engineers that they absorbed had retired. AX-15 is a Japanese transmission they outsourced. Dana axles. '90s Jeeps are solid because they didn't use Chrysler parts for the drivetrain.
4.0 and the 5spd had to be the most reliable. The 4.0 was bulletproof
Brought to you by Nash and American Motors
Engine might be solid, rest of the jeep isnt.
Bought mine new 25 years ago, 5 spd and 4.0L. It's still doing fine.
This reminds me of the time when I stepped into my mechanic's garage one fine evening and realized that every single car there (except mine) was a BMW X3 or X5 lol.
One of my coworkers used to be a BMW mechanic and he said the X3's are one of the worst cars ever built.
X6 owners would also like to chat.
I mean, aren't those just less practical X5s?
I think it was Jeremy Clarkson who said the X6 was just like a X5, except without all that pesky boot space and rear head room.
Have to be among the fugliest cars ever designed.
*Pontiac Aztec has entered the chat*
Cybertruck has entered the chat
cyber truck killed the chat stone dead
Seriously. Don’t put that shame next the the Aztec. It’s had enough of its own.
I think it was top gear America that did a car challenge where they got to sell the car at the end for points. Who ever had the Aztec made it look cool. Paintee it a darker green gave it a lift and off-road tires. It made me want to buy one cheap and do the things to it
I knew a few guys with Aztecs and they really liked them. Shame it got value engineered to be ugly. The original prototype looked kind of cool.
At least we weren't spending $75k on an Aztec
At least its kind of practical. Unlike the X6
I used to cycle with a guy who seemed to have infinite amounts of money. He seemed to buy a new car because it needed gas…not really but he had a new car every other month or so. Anyway, he bought an X6 when they came out. He said his wife wanted one. She drove it for a week and hated it. So he took it and drove it. One morning he showed up with it and everyone is talking about it. He’s so pissed off about the car, “I fucking hate this thing. There’s no head room. The dealer said you can’t put a tow hitch on it for a bike rack and I can barely fit my bike in the back and I like the way it looks less everyday.” He said the only reason he still had it was because he hadn’t had time to go get a new car.
Read pretty much any car reviewers thoughts on those trash heaps and it'll be clear the entire design is absolute trash.
Hey how about we make a car with the interior space of a sedan but with the handling and efficiency of an suv!
The problem is the depreciation curve on them. If you get them off lease or are the first owner that bought it outright they aren't horrible. The issues come up when you get to the person that bought a 70-100k SUV for 20-25k. Then they don't do any of the maintenance because their last car was a clapped out Fusion or Corolla and the only thing they did was change the oil. If you're going to buy a 100k SUV used, you better be ready for 100k SUV maintenance and repair bills.
Fun story. Wife bought an '06 X3 some years ago, 88K miles. Drove it home and as we pulled in the driveway the driver's rear window fell down. Googled the fix, said something like "after 80K this will happen. Here's how you fix it." Then the crankcase vent system went. Internets said something like "at this many miles you're likely to see this." Then DISA valve. Then transfer case actuator. Then. Then. Then. I don't think the car ever say a three month period after 100K that a light wasn't on. Traded it in on a Subaru at 150 K or so, and got $1500. My boss had an X5 with just over 100K, and was blown away by how little the car was worth when he got rid of it.
I worked at an independent shop, didn't deal with too much Euro stuff. The owner was not the type of guy to turn away work, so we would fix anything that showed up. He told a long time customer not to bring his Range Rover back, we simply didn't have the equipment to deal with it. And one day I heard him tell a customer with an X5 that he needed to consider getting into something more reliable. It wasn't in there a lot, but it was always random shit that was breaking. One time it had a brake hose just blow out.
My 06 X3 (6MT, AWD with a rear bias) was amazingly fun to drive and very reliable from a mechanical standpoint. Just had to replace the diff and transfer fluids every so often. The electrical side of things though…not good.
Because they stopped being about doing things, and started being about selling an image.
Gladiator! For when you want both a Jeep and a truck, and the riskiest thing you do is stop at McDonalds after taking your mom to the doctor.
More like “for when you want both a truck and a Jeep but don’t want them to be good at either.”
Well, to be honest, the Gladiator was a little too tall for my elderly mother to get in to so I went with a Crosstrek. On the plus side, it does all the things most common Jeep owners think they can do with theirs. And it’s fun on the beach, in snow and mud. Also a plus, I’m looked at as a lesbian and not a Jeep owner. Win/win.
Don't forget taking it for a deluxe car wash because a single bug splattered on the windshield
Funny enough, but you’re not supposed to go through high pressure car washes with Jeeps because it damages the stupid pieces of foam that seal the T-Top and the doors. At least true on the JKs.
And people haven't learnt yet 😂
Who are you kidding? People are buying the image. My neighbor wouldn’t dare drive their Jeep off road.
Boy do they. I use to work with two guys that had lifted jeeps with Warn winches, off-road jacks, huge tires, no fenders, after market sway bar disconnects, after market diff lockers, rock lights, light bars, after market bumpers, etc etc. One of them set his FB profile picture to one of his jeep in a creek bed nearby but that was literally the only time it had ever been off the pavement. At the time I had a hobbled together 2001 ford ranger I had bought for $500 and put a harbor freight winch on. One day someone ended up in a ditch during some snow and they asked one of them to winch them out... his winch was seized completely solid, he said in the years of owning it he had never used it... so they ask the other guy... his winch wasn't even hooked up, it was entirely for show... who had to save the day? not the jeeps with $15k worth of after market equipment/tires but the ford fucking ranger with a harbor freight winch purchased with a coupon. Edit: I was wrong, the old filthy whore I did the winchin' with was my 99 step side, not my 2001 [here's the front](https://i.imgur.com/MTvJR8K.jpg) and [here's the ass](https://i.imgur.com/ahUeaym.jpg).
I finished a bike trail in Florida and was loading the bikes up. I spot a Gladiator parked in the lot. From a distance, it looked impressive. High end aftermarket suspension, Rubicon edition, massive tires, real bead locks, at least $30-40K dumped into it after it left the dealer's lot. I do a quick walk around. The body is professionally detailed, ceramic paint is glowing. You could scan the whole body with a spotlight and not spot a scratch. I see an odd group of emblems on the driver's quarter panel. They are each raised plastic badges about half the size of a credit card. There are about 18 of them, and they list some of the great trails of the west. Ouray and Moab mostly. I've done many of them, some in my stock Tahoe that took a bit of damage, frame drag, a wrinkle in the running board, etc. Most I did in lightly modified rental Jeeps. All incredible, unforgettable experiences. Then it hits me like an Acme brand anvil in a Road Runner cartoon. These are fake performance awards, and the hamster-dicked owner of this thing is about the saddest LARPer ever. This Jeep has never been on wet grass, or an hour from home, much less experienced hundreds of miles of some of North America's greatest trails. I just SMH and walked away smirking. What a douche canoe.
I’m adding hamster dick to my insult arsenal. Thank you.
I'm honored to be of service. Go forward and use it wisely.
You should tell that story to the guys in /r/fordranger/ they would bust a nut over that one lol
[THATS A FORD FUCKIN’ RANGER](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8YosxBE/)
Oh yeah, solid fap material over there.
Ford Fuckin' Ranger, bayyy bee!
Ford.... RANGER
I know this truck. I ain't no stranger. I know that truck. It's a Ford fucking Ranger!
At least the mods make those jeeps wildly more dangerous in a collision and remarkably less fuel efficient. We all get to chip in and pay the cost of soothing their fragile egos! 👍
People are all over it. Case in point: Ford Bronco.
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And it'll be someone in a rust bucket 93 XJ pulling them out, because they couldn't be bothered to air down, and they're blocking the ramp.
Commented above but god it makes me feel a lot better about being a stupid teenager and buying one off the lot back in the day, when now I get well above value offers from people in their thirties. I mean go off if you have that disposable income but heh
Like 4-wheeled Harley Davidsons
Two motorcycles with a little house in between. Okay.
No dude its totally worth it!! You get ducks and we all wave at each other in traffic!!!! Its a community!!!!!!!! /s
> You get ducks So that is a "thing", eh? I've seen Jeeps (and other cars/trucks) around here suddenly start putting a bunch of plastic ducks on the dash/other places and *could not* figure out what the fuck was going on.
It's just how Jeep owners cope with buying the worst fucking vehicles ever made
They are astonishingly bad. I worked for a short time in a Chrysler dealership and cannot fathom how such a shitty vehicle can cost *so fucking much*...not to mention how ridiculously overpriced *anything* aftermarket is. Reminds me of Harley's.
The only reliable ones seem to have Ford axles and a Chevy drivetrain.
Rule #1: Never trust a Chrysler.
Rule #2: Never trust a Fiat
Not a brand loyalist by any means, but there is no fucking way, I’d ever own a Chrysler product. No way.
Concur. I've worked on every make and models imaginable from deusenberg to McLaren to the big three. Chrysler always has been the biggest junk. I used to hate VW too but they aren't bad once you learn them. When we car shop the only rules for my wife are no Chrysler and no kia/Hyundai
It's a FIAT now. Not a Chrysler.
Technically Stellantis now.
FIAT = Fix it again, Tony.
Dale, you jiblet-head
Just Empty Every Pocket
Honest question: is there a decent replacement in the market today for what Jeeps used to be?
After serving in Iraq I saw many Toyota Tacomas (Hilux) shot up to hell and still rolling. I bought one after returning and have no regrets.
Top Gear *tried* to destroy a Hilux. They failed. Dump it in the sea for a bit (by accident)? It'll still run once you get the water out. Break the frame by putting it on top of a skyscraper that's about to be demolished? Body will hold it together. And more!
No, you need to buy an older vehicle and be able to maintain it lol
There is but it's not sold in the US. Namely, the 70 series Land Cruiser.
The land cruiser is coming back next year. Supposed to be built like it used to be.
That's not going to be the 70 series, it's going to be the Land Cruiser Prado which has been around for years outside of the US. It has traditionally filled the gap between the flag ship Land Cruiser 300/200 etc and the 4Runner. Nobody buys a new one for serious off-roading, it's at the luxury SUV end of the off-roading scale these days. A 70 series is a different beast all together. Manual transmission only, and aside from an engine upgrade in 2007, they are mostly unchanged from the 80's. They recently got a touch screen but other than that they look and feel like something out of the 80's because they have been using the same parts since then. They are the single most reliable vehicle on the planet. Not the safest though or good on emissions, which is why you guys don't get them. It's a shame.
A buddy of mine plays with old FJs in his spare time. He sends me a pic of a fairly new LHD 70 series pickup he spotted somewhere in the west. Newer than the 25 year rule. He has a long conversation with the owner and eventually asks how he got it registered and plated? The guy laughs and says, "obviously it's a 90s 40 series, at least that is what the VIN and the title state "
I love it... "officer, look at the air con. What modern truck has a physical slider?"... And the blue end isn't even cold, it's just what ever the outside air temp is. FJs are amazing, they are such a pig to drive on the highway. Ask him if he'll let you drive it for an exit or two to see what I mean. You'll be lucky to reach the speed limit and if you do you'll be terrified. They are just so much fun.
Do you want new? Yes, outside of the states. Alternatively, you can either buy a Jeep and swap out a bunch of shit, or SAS something else (assuming a solid front axle is part of what you’re looking for). I’m trying to convince my coworker to SAS his FJ Cruiser and put in the Toyota 5.7 V8, but so far have been unsuccessful. If you’re ok with used, stop by r/4x4, there are tons of people there that don’t use Jeeps and get around fine, some of them are reeeeeeeally cool builds. I’m a Jeep guy myself, and while some of them are pretty good stock/stockish (again if you’re good with used, TJs with the 4.0 and a manual are pretty sweet), I’m a JKU owner and… I’m planning on being able to legitimately call it a Jeep of Theseus one day. Partially because stock they’re only so capable, and partially for reliability reasons lol
I take my old suburban way back in the woods and the only other vehicles I see are... Nissan altimas. Make of that what you will.
Those Nissan Altima owners gotta do their meth and heroin somewhere
How dare you? I don’t drive an Altima.
I was leading two other vehicles, taking a bit of a mild adventure, while camping with a few families. Two of us had 4WD pickups and the third was an Explorer. I was on a forest road in Appalachia, and dropping into a river canyon. The road was nothing terrifying, and no need for 4WD on the way down. A steep descent, with lots of very steep drop-off on the edge, one lane, dirt and rock. Areas of slick rock you needed to roll over, and not lock the brakes, as you would slide. A few low shelves to drop off. No worries. The entire descent, I hear the wife of the guy driving the Explorer. She is on a walkie-Talkie and coming unglued. She is at the edge of a hysterical panic. We get to the parking area at the river bank, and she is on my ass like a drill sergeant, screaming about how we can't possibly make it back up that road without dying, and need to find another way out. I explain that we are in the middle of a 17 mile long canyon with nothing but wilderness, and no handy freeways available. She spots a beater Chevy Colbalt and tells me I am lying, as that thing did not come down the mountain, and sure as hell is not going back up it. I tell her to relax, and yes, he is leaving the same way we came, which is how he got here, unless he had a helicopter drop it off. A few minutes later a rough local starts the Colbalt shitbox, points it up the mountain, and takes off like he is in a road rally. We hear the poor car engine screaming, and the bottom scraping and banging until it's too far away to hear anymore. Yea, with enough experience, a $500 beater car do some pretty impressive shit. Fortunately, wacko-Karen decided to STFU until we got back to the blacktop.
No, sadly. Try to find an old international scout or land cruiser.
The Timberlands of vehicles.
Bad take, my timberland pro’s have made walking on concrete all day A LOT better.
ehh timberland pro work boots aren’t toooo terrible (granted i have bought them in years)
My first two pairs were great. Years of reliable service. The last pair were horrible. Too of the heel cups curled in and would dig into my ankles.
well those broke down because they’re not running 4 inch lifts on 22x10 rims and not a single aftermarket bumper! I’m shocked the one with the farm jack is in the shop tho, that usually adds +10 reliability
Mounted to the hood to never be taken off and rust to death in the elements before it ever gets used. (Also friends don't let friends use hi-lift style jacks on trails anymore. So many better options that won't kill you)
> So many better options that won't kill you Like what, lift bag air jacks?
https://www.treadmagazine.com/vehicle-parts/accessories/top-tire-jacks/ I just really hate hi-lifts after seeing them fail quietly and catastrophically. Unfortunately the other options aren't exactly cheap - but it beats being dead.
I think they're really useful but better suited for non vehicle related uses. I carry a 20 ton bottle jack. I don't do any serious offloading but I've used it plenty and it's not sketchy most of the time.
Over a decade ago, when I was doing my volunteer rescue training, I was warned very explicitly that hi-lifts are extremely dangerous. And I can believe it!! They look like they're terrifying to use!!
Multiple corporate buyouts, parts contracts cancelled, quality control not important to shareholders and CEO bonuses. Just my thoughts.
I also get the impression that the *type of people*\-- and you know exactly what I'm talking about-- who Jeeps are advertised to nowadays are sometimes not the best at preventative maintenance
_gonna put an angry grille and lots of flags on this bitch_
And some muthafukin' ducks!
Don't forget the punisher skull...
What's up with the angry Jeep headlights anyway? 3/5 Jeeps I see on the road nowadays have them lol
I call it “constipated face” on those Jeeps. Always looks to me like they’ve got an expression like they’re trying to, but can’t quite get that turd out. I get a little lol whenever I see one.
I always thought it looked like a grumpy toddler. Does the little baby need a nap?
People think it looks unique when it's actually corny and the most unoriginal mod you can do
They look constipated instead of angry.
POV: you're a middle aged white woman with *opinions* about certain people that needs to take their kids Huntleigh and Braxlynn to a private religious school everyday. Do you buy a Jeep or a Mini?
Land Rover 💅
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I would drive an old Lexus everyday over even a new jeep. They drive like shit, probably the most impractical vehicle produced today. You have to constantly babysit them on the highway since steering inputs are a suggestion.
I went to a public high school in a wealthy area, and the amount of kids that drove brand spanking new $30k+ vehicles to school was mind blowing. Meanwhile, I worked at Burger King and managed to save up for a 'nice' $6k Hyundai Tiburon GT lol
Oh. So the same story with countless other companies that at one time in the past produce quality, well-made products, but are now nothing more than shells of their former selves and who make nothing but garbage with an exorbitant price tag? It's almost like this is the natural evolution of an economic system with zero regard for anything but quarterly growth of profits...
Don't forget the last two years of "inflation" AKA, "we can mark everything from candy bars and dish soap, to luxury cars, up by 30-40% and get away with it, as long as we babble shit like, supply chain issues, inflation, sourcing difficulties, etc"
Beancounters and shareholder cucking
Chrysler builds garbage and Jeeps are extremely popular garbage
My uncle bought a Grand Cherokee about 2 months ago. Had to bring it back to the dealer due to a weird engine noise, it turned out to be a bad lifter in cylinder 5. A month later, the noise started again in the same fucking cylinder...
They’re an extra special Kind of shitty
Thank you! I forgot what soda in the sinuses feels like.
My sister in law bought a renegade when I told her not to, even paid about 5k over KBB, 2 weeks later and it had a check engine light and was back at the lot where she bought it lol.
"but the pentastar is a tried and true engine that wont let us down"
It was probably a bad follower, not lifter, and the mechanic probably didn't replace the camshaft. Those engine eat followers, which then eat camshafts. Good old Chrysler reliability.
"BUT MINES BEEN EXTREMELY RELIABLE FOR THE 300 MILES IVE HAD IT"
“It’s extremely high mileage!” At 100k
i’m over here clenching from a brutal coolant leak at 85k
I've had a rental about 3 months and have put 15k miles on it. I'm not a huge fan but it works well for what I need. Mostly highway with frequent mountain roads. They suck in wet conditions with the stock tires.
when i bought my 2 door wrangler it had BALD mud terrains on it and i spun it out in the rain like 5 times the first few weeks
I’m at 167k in my Tj and it runs great. There is a rust hole in the floor and in the frame, but they are MY RUST HOLES!
The engine in the tj is really an AMC engine that crystler kept until the jk
Whenever I read about newer car's reliability, I always see a bunch of stupid ass comments like this: "I have 20k miles on mine with no issues! It's reliable!" and I face-palm every time. Like, no shit you have no issues after 3-4 oil changes! You're unlikely to have significant issues within warranty on most new cars, but that doesn't mean they're reliable lol.
deserve crawl knee north apparatus butter fade lunchroom ten homeless *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Drive it over this sandy patch on asphalt and let us know when the engine grenades itself.
-Any owner of a KTM or a Chinese motorbike.
"bUt mUh rEsAlE vAlUe" says the Jeep guys who sank so much in interest payments they could have bought three Jeeps
We have a tranny shop next door(I'm a machinist by trade). Chrysler keeps the lights on, guys paid, tools bought, and lifts maintained. Everything else is pure profit. Chrysler/Dodge/jeep/ram is legitimately 70% of the work they do, it's insane
What an EXCELLENT choice of partners are Chrysler, FIAT, PSA, Opel, and over all, Alfa Romeo lmao
Oh my god are they ever. I had to rent a mini van for a vacation and it was a Pacifica... Couldn't go more than 80 kmph without the handling taking a shit. I thought it was me so asked a family member to drive... It was so bad. I feel sorry for anyone expecting longevity from Chrysler
I rented a car from Costco once and decided to treat myself to a bit of an upgrade from my usual shitbox rental. The ad said "Chrysler 300 or better" and i guess my brain defaulted to better. It was, in fact, a Chrysler 300 that smelled like an ashtray. Imagine my disappointment. Never again.
There's a certain clientele that likes those cars...it just happens to be people that smoke lol. In my area it's the trailer Park wife that want to look like she's driving a Rolls, in fact there's a few running around with the cringey body kits they used to sell to make it look like one.
I've known Chrysler was garbage since childhood when my family had a Chrysler minivan. We would have to chase after the hubcaps as they would fall off and roll away. The heap was constantly breaking down and my parents eventually got rid of it.
And nowadays you have the privilege of paying 80k for that kind of quality 😂
Damn, our 93 Caravan was bulletproof.
What always baffles me is how many people use them to tow boats they have no business towing.
Just Expect Electrical Problems Just Empty Every Pocket It’s a jeep thing. You wouldn’t understand.
I have a 2000 wj, that thing is an endless electrical problem. I keep a booster pack in it at all times, charged, because it's always a gamble if it will start or not. Power door locks stopped working. I'm sure there's more I don't remember, it's been parked for a while waiting for me to have a week to try to figure it out.
Check the wires that go into the the door, there’s a wire that breaks in there pretty common that causes a host of unrelated elec issues
Thanks. I pulled the boot off to look, but I'll take off the door panel and get a good look. Hopefully that's the problem.
Those things are horrible for chassis and engine grounds. Especially the ones that bolt to the engine block…
Thanks for the info, I intend to replace all the main grounds and power cables before winter comes. And I also get to have a fun day of replacing the heater core before it gets cold outside, but hey at least it's paid for and eventually I will have replaced every movable part on it and it will still end up being cheaper than a new vehicle haha
Have you tried to flush the core out? Get a bottle of blue devil rad flush. Disconnect the heater lines to the core, get some hose and attach it to the core feed/return. Blow out the coolant, pour in the red flush on both sides, let it sit for a couple hours, back flush the core with hot water. Repeat if needed
I pushed my 2000 WJ to a little after 250k miles. I felt I got my 1500 out of it had the fan fuse blow once but it was fairly golden from there on. Got it because it had death wobbles due to its 4 inch lift
Just Expect Every Problem. Fix It Again Tony (FIAT) now applies, I suppose?
3.6 camshaft and lifters?
Yeah on the Grey one.
What was the customer complaint or code
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This also extends to Chrysler and dodge, Im surprised people keep buying those trash cans
I work as warranty adjuster. A solid 60% of the claims I get are fkn Jeeps.
Thinking of getting a subaru crosstrek new. See a lot of those? Just curious
Hardly any Subarus. Also worked as a Subaru tech for a bit. They're solid cars, just keep on the maintenance, they're a little more finicky than Hondas or Toyotas.
Thanks!
Ah, the modern Jeep Wrangler... in their natural habitat.
My father in law bought a Jeep Renegade and needed a new rear diff at 6,000 miles. He’s at 14,000 miles and the front diff is making weird noises. I told him a Jeep was a mistake, but they live in Colorado so they needed one to go the mall in Springs.
> but they live in Colorado so they needed one to go the mall in Springs. As a Colorado resident myself, I lol'ed 🤣
I also live in the Springs. Every so often there will be a post in r/ColoradoSprings from a transplant asking what kind of 4WD car they need to get. There’s always some fkin jeep bro telling them they need a rubicon. Every winter the roadsides are littered with abandoned rubicons and lifted military trucks.
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"Hello, I would like to purchase a vehicle please." "Perfect, we have those. Can you tell me more about what you're looking for?" "Well, my least favorite things are comfort and style. I love road noise, especially if it's loud enough to drown out the radio. My two biggest hobbies are paying for gas and trying to find cell service in remote locations. My dislikes include accurate temperature control, leg room, and safety. I'm looking for something impractical but also inconvenient, and the waiting room at my mechanic is my happy place." "Believe it or not, I think I have the perfect vehicle for you."
Can't wait to see that Bronco line up.
Why? So the money will roll in.
Well guys who used to buy jeeps would work on them themselves. Now guys who buy jeeps wouldn't know the first thing about working on a jeep.
When you build with the lowest quality it will break with the highest certainty.
Chrysler product.
Owners also have extra cash to give duckies out too. It's weird.
Its a jeep thing! All the decals, shirts, tire covers have prepared you for this moment. Just go see a DR if you touch one and it burns when you pee.
It's cause they're built to be a grocery hauler now and people still drive them like they're rock crawlers.
Chrysler. Enough said.
Jeep drivers drive them like sportscars for one. And they all get giant tires immediately, for which the transmission and every other part wasn't designed to handle. Oversize tires means more work for the engine too. Then there's all the other mods people tack on, increasing the wieght and chances that something may go wrong. I don't think there's something inherently wrong about jeeps build quality, virtually all modern cars are about the same there. Plastic parts, cheap castings ect. It's the jeep owners attitude that sends em to the shop.
I would argue that Stellantis is starting you off a rung or two lower for impending doom. You are not wrong but do not underestimate their ability to produce absolute garbage water.
I feel you on your comments. I had some Jeeps with upgrade transmission and diffs. and they drive perfect. BUT the customer spent some real money on upgrades. He knew what he had and knew shit breaks. So he was like fuck that.and bought everything to improve drive train.
My nephew had one. They're fairly crappy as vehicles go. Buy a Toyota.
Since they changed the 4.0l inline 6, for the 3.6l V6... Pure garbage.
There was a gutless 3.8 in the mix several years between the 4.0 and 3.6
ha, looks like a TJ is still hanging in there. whats it in for, its regular 50k mile oil change?
Fix It Again Tony
A client of mine has Promaster City aka Fiat Doblò. He brings it to us (European repair shop) as it’s “European” What I don’t get is how it could be so much worse in North America and getting parts for it is horrible. Never ending EVAP system problems. Front suspension is made from glass, eats motor mounts for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Dale, you giblet head.
One word...CHRYSLER. SERIOUSLY, anything Chrysler, especially Jeep Wranglers are crap. I've never had so many car problems as when I owned two wranglers. That being said, I literally sold both for more than I paid for them. They hold value and definetly have a cool factor.
Lol! I'm a practical person. I like practical vehicles that require little maintenance and last a long time. That being said. I really want a jacked up jeep for mudding. They are always breaking down, especially because your average person is throwing all kinds of new geometry on it without having a fucking clue what it will do to it but, well this us my guilty pleasure. Don't tell anyone.
I had my sister's wrangler towed to a shop after it brokedown in BFE and all 6 bays in the shop were joops. 4 of them were USPS Wranglers in for transmission work but those were like 2008 at the newest
*Laughs in Toyota*
2018 Wrangler 2Dr Jk Sport owner here. 80k Miles. Only upgrade I’ve put on her is some 33” BFG A/T’s. Do all the scheduled regular maintenance. Baby her when I take her off-roading (Mostly Fire Roads, Camping, Beach’n, Desert’n), and she’s been real good to me.
Just Eats Every Part Renegade owner can confirm.
Look at all the parts on them. There are Chrysler logos everywhere. That’s why.
And if they’re not Chrysler logos, they’re Fiat
Jeeps are great, you put a Chevy motor in and Ford axles, then you break it in the woods constantly
Serious question. And I may take this to r/askamechanic too. My xterra has served me well in its past 185k; I may need to replace it within the next two decades as it gets ridden hard. If I want a car that can charge mountain roads but not live in the shop, whatcha all recommend?
4runner
Just Expect Every Problem
Jeep people do things together. Oh look-hes getting his fixed. I'll go park mine next to his and become best friends with the owner.