A winter Florida home? My wife would be in her glory, soon we hope.Sitting in the garage since March in your winter Florida home doesn't count
I joke I joke.
Why all the Dislike for Chysler/Dodge/Jeep auto's
- Thread starter gmh101358
- Start date
So far, so good. We bought it for my son with just over 100k. It has probably 130k on it now and runs like new. I put new plugs in it and installed a new water pump and replaced the coolant with the proper Zerex G-05. I also had the power steering system flushed and refilled. We also have been running Mobil 1 EP 5w30 high mileage to clean it up inside, and Fram Ultra filters. From all I've gathered, the valve seats become a problem if the engine gets overheated. So we maintain it with that in mind. I've seen some approaching 300k when very well maintained. Every time I drive it I wish my 2008 Jeep JK had that engine. It would have been amazing in that application. It really scoots that old Grand Cherokee around with authority!
In Tahoe, it’s not unusual to see a Range Rover or a new Tacoma in a ditch after the snow.
I'm just grateful to own a range of vehicles that are bound to offend someone... 
People vote with their money. Here is the data. Go ahead and add Ram, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge.
That’s great to hear. We acquired ours around 120k and has a little over 150k now. Lots of nickel and diming but I think it’s in a good spot now. If your windows or locks ever start messing up check out the wires in the doors. They get brittle and crack and is super common. I had an issue and ended up fixing wires in all four doors!
edit to add: ours has been ROUGH on brakes. Multiple calipers replaced. Three sets of pads and rotors on the front etc. in 30k… and my wife drives defensively. I partly blame living in the rust belt. Fortunately I can do most of that work myself.
Right. With Dodge and Jeep you get much less than you paid for. Both overpriced and low quality, there’s a winning combination.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Interesting take. When was the last time you owned an SRT product? I've owned four, last two were custom ordered, both with extended leather.
I recently test drove both the Mercedes GLE, in AMG53 and non-AMG trim, an AMG GLC63, as well as various trims of the BMW X5. The reviews are on this board. The GLE has a nicer cockpit, as it has just been refreshed, but materials, on the non-AMG, are below the Jeep. The Laguna Jeep seats are higher quality than the AMG53 seats, and on-par with the AMG63 seats, a vehicle with a significantly higher cost of entry.
The X5 has standard leather (unlike the GLE) but you have to get the luxury package, which bumps the sticker price up considerably, to get the same quality of materials and the extended leather.
To get the same performance level as the Jeep from the X5, you have to opt for the M50i, which gives the same 0-60 of 4.3 seconds. The X5 comes with the same ZF 8spd transmission as Jeep is using. The Mercedes 9spd feels less refined and Mercedes doesn't offer an M50i competitor, you have to go up to the AMG63 trim in the GLE to get inside that performance envelope, at which point you are well past the cost of entry into the 707HP Trackhawk category and the BMW competitor is the X5M. This bumps sticker up by $50,000 over the options we are discussing.
However, I'm quite interested to hear, in detail, your experience, since your statement boldly contradicts mine.
Well I will join the chorus of satisfied Dodge/Ram owners. My first was 1994 Ram 2500 V10. Other than a problem with the clear coat it was a good truck. It towed my 25 ft. Hydrasport like a dream. My next was a 2005 Magnum RT (5.7 Hemi). Loved that car. Its only problems were a rear hatch latch and a suspension bushing replaced under warranty. I traded it with over 100,000 hard miles on a 2012 Challenger SRT 392 stick shift. Other than a Takata air bag recall that car saw nothing except regular maintenance. Other than my wife's Acura it is the most reliable car I've ever owned.
My two cents worth.
My two cents worth.
Heck, my Jeep I was paid out 2x what I bought it for after daily driving it for 5yrs+. The only thing I did to it was polish it, replace some front suspension parts with stock stuff, and few minor things cosmetically (about $1500 CDN over the 5yrs+), and new tires 3 days before it was written off... It definitely held it's value plus a bit
Hi.
Just my experience of a Jeep.
I have had it for 6 years now. I am almost OCD with regard to servicing. The only time the Jeep has let me down, turned out to be a loose wire on the starter motor
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As for equipment. Compared to euro cars the Jeep is great. All the extras you want fitted as standard.
As for reliability. Look at its peers. Audi Q7, BMW X5, Range Rover. None of them noted as examples of reliability.
I love my Jeep.
To edit. I did have a front ABS sensor fail. Forgot about that. Tore it out ramming through a snow bank.
Just my experience of a Jeep.
I have had it for 6 years now. I am almost OCD with regard to servicing. The only time the Jeep has let me down, turned out to be a loose wire on the starter motor
.
As for equipment. Compared to euro cars the Jeep is great. All the extras you want fitted as standard.
As for reliability. Look at its peers. Audi Q7, BMW X5, Range Rover. None of them noted as examples of reliability.
I love my Jeep.
To edit. I did have a front ABS sensor fail. Forgot about that. Tore it out ramming through a snow bank.
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To follow up on my previous posts, I should mention that my family has has several Mopar vehicles that have been absolutely unstoppable. The first was a 1993 Plymouth Voyager with the 3.0 Mitsu motor and the 3-speed auto. That van was absolutely rock solid. The only issues it had was a cracked distributor cap which allowed moisture in causing a stalling condition, and a catastrophic failure of the trans at ~165k miles. Not friction related, if I remember correctly one of the planetary drums exploded without warning. We sold that van to a family friend who swapped in a 5-speed manual out of a V6 Sundance and drove the snot out of it.
That van was replaced by a '97 T&C, loaded. The biggest failure it had was the starter dying at the post office. Other than that, all it ever needed was the cooling fan module (which all Mopar's of that generation suffered from). Never an issue with the 41TE, nor any other aspect of the vehicle.
Personally, I've had few Mopar's. They were just never on my radar. I did have the pleasure of owning a 1st gen LHS, which was a heck of a ride. The 3.5 is bullet proof, and the fit and finish were top notch. I truly enjoyed that vehicle.
My two latest examples are both WJ Grand Cherokees. The first being a 2002 4.0 SelecTrac that had north of 260k miles with nary an issue, other than the classic piston slap when cold. It didn't even burn oil. Was it perfect? Not by a long shot. But it was a very very solid truck. My current WJ, a '00 Limited with the 4.7 and 236k is actually even better. Literally everything works, from the heated seats to the AC to the (admittedly trouble prone) automatic climate control. It also uses almost no oil, shifts crisp and firm, and has nary a squeak or rattle over rough pavement. The NV247 transfer case works flawlessly, as do both Vari-Loc axles. The Infinity stereo sounds better than many modern "branded" stereos, even with 20 year old stock speakers. There isn't even wear on the leather, save for the steering wheel which is to be expected. All it's needed to date was a P/S hose, front brakes, and a rear wiper arm.
That van was replaced by a '97 T&C, loaded. The biggest failure it had was the starter dying at the post office. Other than that, all it ever needed was the cooling fan module (which all Mopar's of that generation suffered from). Never an issue with the 41TE, nor any other aspect of the vehicle.
Personally, I've had few Mopar's. They were just never on my radar. I did have the pleasure of owning a 1st gen LHS, which was a heck of a ride. The 3.5 is bullet proof, and the fit and finish were top notch. I truly enjoyed that vehicle.
My two latest examples are both WJ Grand Cherokees. The first being a 2002 4.0 SelecTrac that had north of 260k miles with nary an issue, other than the classic piston slap when cold. It didn't even burn oil. Was it perfect? Not by a long shot. But it was a very very solid truck. My current WJ, a '00 Limited with the 4.7 and 236k is actually even better. Literally everything works, from the heated seats to the AC to the (admittedly trouble prone) automatic climate control. It also uses almost no oil, shifts crisp and firm, and has nary a squeak or rattle over rough pavement. The NV247 transfer case works flawlessly, as do both Vari-Loc axles. The Infinity stereo sounds better than many modern "branded" stereos, even with 20 year old stock speakers. There isn't even wear on the leather, save for the steering wheel which is to be expected. All it's needed to date was a P/S hose, front brakes, and a rear wiper arm.
Maybe it's just me, but I think it's working its way out from decades old racism - maybe not racism, but racial divides - 60's, 70's or so.
Been my local experience.
That said, I've become Mopar by default.
1st gen Durango grabbed me, and a Challenger - both bought strictly as long term vehicles, not trades, did not consider resale $.
Been my local experience.
That said, I've become Mopar by default.
1st gen Durango grabbed me, and a Challenger - both bought strictly as long term vehicles, not trades, did not consider resale $.
I see a lot of older Durangos (Dakota version) with hundreds of thousands of miles on them. The owners with whom I've spoken love them. I still see many of them around, too, but they usually are showing some rust by now.
manicrodder
$50 site donor 2022
My daughter had a 2000 Durango with the 5.2/318 I believe and loved it. I drove a 5.9 around 2003ish and it was a screamer. I liked that era. The design resembled a 60's Dodge D100 IMO.
If that gen Dakota/Durango had been built anywhere near as stout at a WJ, XJ, Explorer, or any number of mid-size SUV's available at the time it would have done much better. Unfortunately, the reliability of the powertrain was clouded by the incredibly poor build quality of the vehicle surrounding it.
Leaving build quality aside, just look at the interior. Here's a post-update 2001 Durango interior vs. a WJ interior which debuted 2 years earlier:
Sure, they're both reasonably luxurious. But when you really look, you wonder if the Jeep guys might have been working for an entirely different company not just a different division. The door panel design, the center stack, the console. The cruise controls (and the entire steering wheel). The wood trim that's tastefully applied instead of looking thrown on as an after thought.
Combine that with a front suspension that was woefully under-engineered for the size and weight of the vehicle (ball joint recall, anyone) it's no surprise they've long faded out of existence. I rarely see early Durango's in the wild anymore, vs. how many WJ's I spot. Sure, the Grand Cherokee out sold the Durango at an almost 2:1 ratio back then, but it wasn't exactly a poor selling model.
I always liked the look of the 1st gen Durango, though. Up the build quality, stuff a WJ interior in it, and build up the suspension with HD parts and you have a very cool looking SUV for it's time.
manicrodder
$50 site donor 2022
Tons of early Durango's in UT.
There was nothing wrong with those first gen Durangos, they were tough vehicles. Remember the price point was a lot lower than a Grand Cherokee, which was always the premium product in the Chrysler lineup from the time it was launched.
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OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Still is, even if both are SRT trim. Jeep gets more "niceties". They aren't super obvious, but they are there. Like totally leather covered door panels for example, which the Durango, ordered the same way, won't have.
Durango SRT door:
Grand Cherokee SRT door:
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AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
I love those first generation Durango I think they look the best. And they were pretty powerful too the V8 ones. I know I’ve done a lot of water pumps on them but that is too be expected with age. I’d definitely own one of those. My neighbor before he passed away had one and loved it. Unfortunately his son got a hold of it and blew the engine up by dogging it and sent it to the junkyard. And I think shorting it on oil too. Only wanted to buy 5 quarts and I believe those held at least 6 if not 7.
