Jeep Problems

There are many SUVs that would fit within your budget. I would suggest you try a Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Isuzu MU-X, Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Perhaps a little strangely, the only recall I could find for this model to do with the transmission was one alerting owners to the fact that the unconventional design of the shifter handle could trick them into leaving the vehicle unattended without first selecting Park. But it doesn’t surprise me that you’ve had this failure as this generation of Jeeps has been plagued by all sorts of quality and reliability problems and, therefore, recalls and technical service bulletins (like a recall but not a safety-related issue).

I would definitely be tapping Jeep on the shoulder as I don’t believe 85,000km is a reasonable expectation when it comes to the life expectancy of such a major component in a modern vehicle. However, your car is clearly out of warranty, so it could come down to a dog-fight between you and Jeep.

I’d like to think that Jeep might meet you half way with the cost of repairs given the youth and full service history of your car, but there are no hard and fast rules here. You could also consider talking to Consumer Affairs over this.

The other thing you can do is talk to a transmission specialist as opposed to a Jeep dealer. Chances are, the cost of a replacement or rebuilt transmission from a specialist might be a fair bit less than a dealership can offer. But I’d definitely talk to Jeep head office first.

Your towing needs will dictate a big car. Others you could consider are the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Isuzu MU-X, Holden Trailblazer, or Ford Everest.

We are not aware of any specific issues with the SRT’s big V8, but the Grand Cherokee doesn’t have a great reputation for reliability. It has been subject to a number of recalls for various problems, and we would urge you to have a Jeep dealer check any vehicle you might consider buying before you do so. Fuel consumption is also something to think about with the 6.4-litre V8, it uses fuel and usually more than most people anticipate when they buy one.

The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine fitted to the Jeep Wrangler (and some Cherokee models) in the earlier part of this century seems to be a decent proposition in terms of reliability and ability to go the distance. The engine is made in Italy by VM Motori, a diesel engine specialist that was owned by Jeep’s parent company, Fiat Chrysler (as it was then).

A large capacity four-cylinder engine, the basics seem well engineered and inherent problems are uncommon. As such, Jeep Wrangler 2.8 diesel problems are more likely to come from the engine’s ancillaries including the turbocharger unit, intercooler and some of the emissions-control equipment.

Turbochargers have a shelf life in pretty much any vehicle and, depending on how hard a life the vehicle has had, these can require replacement when the bearings begin to wear or the internal components become damaged by carbon deposits.

Intercoolers can fail over time, and the car’s emission controls, which see it consume a proportion of its own exhaust gases as well as its own crankcase fumes, can lead to black, sticky deposits in the intake system which can require manual cleaning.

The engine is also a common-rail design, so injector and fuel-pump life can be shorter than for older, conventional diesel-engine designs.

The key to any engine’s longevity, of course, is its service history. Even the best design will be a source of ongoing grief if a previous owner has not followed the correct servicing regime. A complete service history is an absolute must when buying any second-hand turbo-diesel.

Jeep is owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).

I wouldn’t be concerned about the cylinder configuration of a particular engine. What’s more important is how much power and torque that engine makes, and how towing-friendly that power delivery is. By which we mean how smooth and flexible is the delivery. What you don’t want is a peaky engine that needs to be revved before it delivers the good as that puts a strain on everything and make the vehicle tricky and unpleasant to drive.

The good news is that all the vehicles you’ve nominated have good, solid powerplants that are well suited to towing a caravan. Modern turbo-diesels – especially with an automatic transmission – are ideal for this task.

What you should go for, however, is the vehicle with the highest towing rating. In this case, that’s any of the Grand Cherokee, MU-X or older Discovery, all of which have variants that can handle a towed load of 3.5 tonnes. The Everest is almost as good with 3.1 tonne, but only almost. The problem is that the van you’ve nominated can easily weigh between 2.2 and 2.8 tonnes which, with a 3.1-tonne limit, leaves you very little headroom for water tanks and camping gear. You’d be amazed at how much a fully loaded caravan weighs, so don’t rely on the brochure, load the van and take it to a weighbridge to make sure the vehicle you have can legally tow it.

The best thing to do it to call the experts at Jeeepart Recyclers (03 5448 8444). They will be able to help you with a front tailshaft for your car.

Remember Jeep has gone through a huge change in ownership following Fiat’s buyout of the company from Daimler. There have certainly been quality issues since Fiat took over, but they don’t appear to be as frequent now as they were.