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Jeep Wrangler
23393 messages, Last post on Feb 12, 2013 at 3:29 PM
You are in the Jeep Wrangler Forum.What is this discussion about? Jeep Wrangler, SUV
#10870 of 23393 From the NHTSA site by bcmalibu99ls
Nov 12, 2003 (11:37 pm)
(but do be glad that while there are 29 complaints against 2003 Wranglers, there are 102 complaints against 2003 4Runners)Make: JEEP
Model: WRANGLER
Year: 2003
Complaint Number: 10041471
Summary:
ACCORDING TO INTERNAL SALES BROCHURES AND ADVERTISEMENTS THE 2003 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MOST CAPABLE OFF ROAD JEEP EVER. MY JEEP HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS, WHICH CONSISTS OF 2 BROKEN AXLES, FAULTY BRAKES, FAULTY PARKING BRAKE, FAULTY U-JOINT CLIPS, FAULTY WHEEL BEARING. AFTER PAYING THE DEALER TO REPLACE PARTS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THEN REALIZING THAT THEY FAILED TO REPLACE ANOTHER FAILED PART, CALLED TO ASK ABOUT A WORKAROUND UNTIL THE NEEDED PART CAME IN. THE ADVICE GIVEN WAS TO REMOVE THE BROKEN AXLE SHAFT AND DRIVE WITHOUT IT. THIS CAUSED BRAKE AND WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE DEALER TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR COST TOOK SOME TIME TO GET RESOLVED. FINALLY, THEY FIXED THE PROBLEMS AND VOIDED THE MANUFACTURE'S WARRANTY. REASON FOR VOIDING THE WARRANTY WAS MISUSE/ABUSE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN USED OFF-ROAD AND HAD MUD ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT MARKET A VEHICLE AS OFF-ROAD AND THEN VOID THE WARRANTY IF IT IS USED IN THIS MANNER. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER SUBMERGED, OR IN MUD/WATER DEEPER THEN THE HEIGHT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT BUMPER. FURTHERMORE, JEEP CLAIMS I AM A MEMBER OF A 4WD CLUB THAT I HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH AND CLAIMS A WITNESS SAW THE VEHICLE UNDER WATER. BOTH NOT TRUE. ASKING FOR HELP FROM THE DOT TO MAKE JEEP STAND BY IT'S WARRANTY, OR HAVE THEM NOT MARKET THE VEHICLE AS OFF-ROAD SINCE IF USING IT OFF ROAD VOIDS THE WARRANTY THEN THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISING. *LA
#10871 of 23393 tops/DaceMiller by leafchild
Nov 12, 2003 (11:51 pm)
I'm not an anybody around here, but just my $0.02 regarding tops.I had the dual top option on my Sahara, and I just sold my hard top on e-bay last week, after it occupied my spare bedroom for the past 6 months. (I don't have a garage to store it.)
I love having the top down as long as it is not raining, but I do live in southern California. With the soft top, I can put the top up in minutes. I don't know what I'd do if I got caught in the rain away from home 'topless' with the hard top only. But if you live in a snowy climate, I think you would probably want a hard top, be it dual or alone.
BTW, it cost me $1675 for the dual top option, sold the hard top for $1100. Probably not too bad of a price to pay to find out which option is good for me.
FWIW
#10872 of 23393 Can't you buy a hard top by bcmalibu99ls
Nov 13, 2003 (2:22 am)
after buying your Jeep?#10873 of 23393 Hard top AFTER Jeep purchase by tsjay
Nov 13, 2003 (4:35 am)
Factory quality hard tops are MUCH more expensive, if you don't get them as part of the dual top option to begin with.If you think you are going to want a hard top, then get the hard top only option or the dual top option. This way you will be set up for rear window defroster and rear window washer/wiper.
I assume that for that $1675, Yoko, you got the dark tinted windows and the defroster and rear wiper/washer, right? All of that would cost well over $2000 after purchase of the Jeep.
If you don't get the hard top from the factory to begin with, but you later decide that you want one, then the way to get one would be to buy one used from someone who wants to sell theirs, like Yoko did. You might then have to have some wiring and "plumbing" installed for the defroster and the wiper/washer, though.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, YOKO??? We missed ya! Glad to finally hear from you again.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
#10874 of 23393 bc by tsjay
Nov 13, 2003 (4:44 am)
If the guy who posted that complaint was being honest, then it's a shame that he got a bad Jeep. I guarantee you that for ANY type of vehicle ever made, it wouldn't take too long to find a horror story from some owner.I have known enough Jeepers, and have spent enough time on various message boards to feel confident in saying that the reliability of Wranglers is GOOD. There are lemons in any make of vehicle, though, and the guy whose message you posted must have gotten one.
I would not be afraid for anyone to compare the percentage of negative posts in this message board concerning the Wranglers to the percentage of the same for any other message board.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
#10875 of 23393 "Lemon" Jeep by jacknimble
Nov 13, 2003 (6:40 am)
I would not be surprised if there were more to this story than what is represented in the complaint. Having said that, he does have a point about a vehicle being marketed as an off-road vehicle, and then actually using it offroad voids the warranty. I've wondered the same thing myself. I suspect that the clause is an escape for the manufacturer in case of EXTREME off-road usage, which would be near impossible to engineer for bulletproof-ness, especially in a vehicle that must be road worthy, comfortable, etc as well.#10876 of 23393 more on the lemon... by drosketer
Nov 13, 2003 (8:08 am)
Not to mention that aside from making a bulletproof off-roader, there is even more to be said about the driver... No matter the vehicle, the driver can do something less than brilliant to damage their rig. Curious as to how they broke the axles... spinning tires hitting dry pavement perhaps? As with most things, there are two sides of the story and truth is likely lost in the middle. I agree with Tom in that there are horror stories for pretty well any vehicle out there if you look hard enough, and that a lemon can happen (unfortunately) to anyone.Andrew
#10877 of 23393 bcmalibu99ls by mac24
Nov 13, 2003 (8:09 am)
Tom said "I would not be afraid for anyone to compare the percentage of negative posts in this message board concerning the Wranglers to the percentage of the same for any other message board."...............................and I say, if you look back to see those negative posts you'll find a large proportion of them are from you, bcmalibu99ls............ and none of them are from your personal experience.
You once posted that you like to make negative comments because you can't afford a Rubicon and it made you feel better about not having one. I'm guessing that you've still got some saving to do!
Jeeps are not perfect and they have problems just like any other make. However, these problems can be exacerbated by a poor dealer. As important as getting a good price when you buy your Jeep, is to get a dealer with good customer service practices. Usually, the smaller dealers (who will often have an affiliation with a local Jeep off road club), will have a vested interest in keeping their customers happy.
#10878 of 23393 some people could tear up an anvil by tsjay
Nov 13, 2003 (8:19 am)
Good points have been made about how ANY vehicle can be destroyed by abuse. I don't care how strong and axle might be, spinning the tires at redline RPM and then catching traction will explode any of them.Anything can be broken, no matter how strongly it's made! I believe even battle tanks have their limits, right?
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
#10879 of 23393 Wranglers and WRXs by mtngal
Nov 13, 2003 (1:51 pm)
ponm - I can see a correlation between Wranglers and WRXs. I have a Wrangler and have been thinking of replacing the Taco with a WRX. Both are FUN vehicles, a label that will never be put on a Tacoma! Do you still have your WRX?Yoko - sounds like you did quite well resolving the top issue. I hope you don't live around the area that got all that hail and flooding last night!
I still would rather have a Wrangler than a Toyota...
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