[Gdane]

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum but I have been scrolling through it for about a week. Just put a deposit on a 2020 Trailhawk with the 3.2 and towing package. I got rid of my last car (2019 VW GTI) because of questionable reliability and I just wanted reassurance that the TH will be reliable. I’ve looked at Consumer reports, JD Power, Car Complaints, and repairpal but there is some skewing in everything. I’ve seen mixed reviews on here about people’s reliability at both ends of the spectrum.

 

[sanghill]

Welcome to the forum.
Better take a sedative before you read the posts on this forum.
The good news is we have plenty of useful information on this forum so your ownership experience will be more pleasant.
If you are doing a factory order see if you can get rock rails. Mopar doesn't sell them anymore. Or buy aftermarket.
Make sure you have a really good Jeep dealer in your area. You will need them to get software updates. Hopefully they have factory trained mechanics that know what they are doing.
This is one of several delivery check lists: Checklist for Taking Delivery!
Now that you have a Jeep you can go to Jeep shows, pending the pandemic.
Is your new Jeep going to be new or used? I thought they were selling 2021s this week.
If used be sure to get a CarFax report from your Jeep dealer, should be free.

 

[Gdane]

Welcome to the forum.
Better take a sedative before you read the posts on this forum.
The good news is we have plenty of useful information on this forum so your ownership experience will be more pleasant.
If you are doing a factory order see if you can get rock rails. Mopar doesn't sell them anymore. Or buy aftermarket.
Make sure you have a really good Jeep dealer in your area. You will need them to get software updates. Hopefully they have factory trained mechanics that know what they are doing.
This is one of several delivery check lists: Checklist for Taking Delivery!
Now that you have a Jeep you can go to Jeep shows, pending the pandemic.
Is your new Jeep going to be new or used? I thought they were selling 2021s this week.
If used be sure to get a CarFax report from your Jeep dealer, should be free.

It is a new 2020 that I assume was left over from last year, so thankfully there’s no need to worry about Carfax. The dealer already optioned the mopar rock rails onto it as well. Is the extended warranty a worthwhile purchase for the later models if not just for peace of mind?

 

[Flybynightcru]

Is the extended warranty a worthwhile purchase for the later models if not just for peace of mind?

Yes!!! It's a great idea for any manufacturers vehicles nowadays...😎

 

[sanghill]

Thanks for the reply.
I am not qualified to give an opinion on extended warranties. There are lots of discussions on this forum. Try "Search Community" above.
Flybynightcru has spoken, he knows his stuff.
Create an account on jeep.com Get the VIN for your new Jeep and check for recalls. Make sure they are all complete before you take delivery.
Take as long a test drive of the vehicle as you can before you take delivery, make sure it works to your liking.
I have two concerns about vehicles sitting on the lot for a year.
The battery doesn't get charged frequently and it will fail sooner than later.
It will be covered under Warranty but personally I don't like surprises.
Buy a X2Power AGM battery at Batteries Plus Bulbs and have the Jeep dealer install it.
Cherokees, especially with ESS are brutal on batteries.
Second: The brake rotors rust unevenly from lack of frequent driving and will exhibit pulsating brake pedal applications.
The only proper solution is to replace the brake pads and rotors, especially the front ones.

 

[AtlCade69]

Extended warranties are questionable, you need to determine. If you only keep a vehicle for a few years, they are pretty much cash down the drain, if you keep vehicles for a long time, or put on very high mileage per year, then they can be worth it. Definitely go for a factory extended warranty (FCA/Stellantis in this case), any other is just a hassle waiting to happen.

 

[Gdane]

I appreciate the replies. I am planning on getting the FCA warranty, not anything 3rd party. And assuming that everything is relatively reliable, I am hoping to keep the TH for as long as I can

 

[Flybynightcru]

Extended warranties are questionable, you need to determine. If you only keep a vehicle for a few years, they are pretty much cash down the drain, if you keep vehicles for a long time, or put on very high mileage per year, then they can be worth it. Definitely go for a factory extended warranty (FCA/Stellantis in this case), any other is just a hassle waiting to happen.

Yes, exactly!!! If they plan on keeping it past the standard warranty, then yes, it isn't a terrible idea to get the extended. I got lucky, and got Lifetime Maxcare (no longer available) thrown in my deal, and also a lifetime powertrain warranty that my dealer offers free on all of their vehicles they sell...😎

 

[Gdane]

I was disappointed to see that Jeep stopped offering the lifetime warranty but hopefully 7 years of max are should be enough for me

 

[praq1966]

Yes, exactly!!! If they plan on keeping it past the standard warranty, then yes, it isn't a terrible idea to get the extended. I got lucky, and got Lifetime Maxcare (no longer available) thrown in my deal, and also a lifetime powertrain warranty that my dealer offers free on all of their vehicles they sell...😎

Congrats and welcome! For what it’s worth, I got a LIFETIME warranty for what I considered uber cheap…lifetime bumper to bumper warranty. Will I need it? Who knows. There are requirements you have to keep in mind otherwise you can void the warranty, so that’s an issue to keep in mind. 😎

 

[JeffD]

Extended warranties I like to compare to Casino's in Vegas. The odds are stacked against the player in favor of the house. As long as the player accepts that and understands that the odds are they will lose (not recoup premiums) then they can focus on the "entertainment value" (peace of mind). Statistically very reputable financial analysis shows that the majority of folks will lose money on a warranty (which makes since as insurance companies are in the business to MAKE money, not give it away), but that is only financial analysis which ignores the "peace of mind" factor. As long as people understand that, then place your bets and don't be concerned about whether you win (did you, as your car broke) or lose (your car is totally reliable).

 

[Lindy]

I got rid of my last car (2019 VW GTI) because of questionable reliability and I just wanted reassurance that the TH will be reliable. I’ve looked at Consumer reports, JD Power, Car Complaints, and repairpal but there is some skewing in everything. I’ve seen mixed reviews on here about people’s reliability at both ends of the spectrum.

Better take a sedative before you read the posts on this forum.

That made me laugh out loud. But the OP could go to just about any car forum and experience the same there or worse. In fact, if you read enough on any car forum you will be convinced that every car out there is a POS. Or at the least will come away with conflicting information.

For example, over at the Infiniti G37 forum there is one 'high mileage' thread with page after page of happy owners with 100-200 thousand miles on their cars. But there is also another thread you can read which would convince you that G37s are the one of the most unreliable vehicles out there. Then there is the 'common issues' thread where the regular posters will state with certainty the issues every G37 owner will have, and some are supposed to happen after only 30-40 thousand miles. Meanwhile....knock on wood....the 11 year old G37x Coupe I own with 130,000 miles on it has never experienced ANY of the problems listed.

I can't explain the 'why' behind those inconsistencies, but they seem to exist with every vehicle. Unhappy owners are always more likely to join a forum and post about issues they have and meanwhile many content owners will never show up to state the other side of their vehicle ownership experience.

So unfortunately none of us here can reassure the OP that his or her new TH will be reliable. It may be....or it may not be. There will always be mixed reviews and a person can only do their research and take them all into consideration before buying the vehicle they are interested in.