Out West

Hello, newbie looking at getting a JK so I signed up here.

Still considering a new one, but there are a lot of used ones around. This is not my first 4x4, but it would be my first Jeep.

Anyway, just looked at a 2007 Rubicon with 70K miles on it at a used car lot. Carfax check was clean. Visually solid - few dings in the bumpers but clean, no body damage. Engine ran fine, no scrapes on the underside, doubt it ever left pavement much. Aside from tires being bald there wasn't anything that needed obvious repairs...but it's a used car lot. If I go back for a more serious look, what should I look for or know?

Thanks for sharing your experience and insight, definitely getting a JK, just which one is up in the air.

Cheers
John

Yamaha90

check the paint on the hinges, A-pillar (windshield frame) and also check the underside for either of the differential's seeping, and check the engine/transmission and transfer case to see if anything is leaking. You might also want to check if the electronic sway bar disco is working if it was never used. Other than that i can't think of much else to check

Good luck on your search. We'll save some kool-ade for you

The Jeep thing doesn't itch that bad.

Alaska-HWY JK

Make sure if it's an 07 and not a Rubicon that it has a Dana 44 in the rear and not a Dana 35. Unless you plan on regearing try to avoid the 3:21 gears, they suck with larger tires. Other wise the colors have changed and the price has gone up and thats about it.

Christine

I was lucky enough to have a friend, who owns 4 Jeeps, to come with me to check them out. He looked at things I never would have thought of like the back tailgate where the soft top hits the door. The first one I looked at was damaged in that area because he said some people don't know how to properly close it. Apparently they did something with the soft top and kept closing the tailgate. Still not sure what they did but it bent the metal flap on the Jeep and damaged the paint. We took a really good luck at the undercarriage. You do have the right to take it to a mechanic of your choice to check it out. They usually charge $25 +/- and if you're spending $$$$, it's worth it.

I ended up getting an 07 Sahara with 9000 miles on it. Just gotta keep looking because they're out there.

Any Clime

You need to make sure the top doesn't leak, hard or soft. A second look, we were hoping to buy it that time, revealed that the hard top leaked and held water. :(

I actually bought one that whistled, but never took ownership of it. For a week they tried to figure out what was whistling at the windshield (and this was a new one). not a "this is a fabric top whistle" this was like tear your ear off whistle.

Drive with feeling on the vibrations. Pay attention for the "death wobble" or any wobbling you will feel on the steering wheel. Gentle tugs left and right to see responsivness.

We looked new and old, all over, also for my first jeep, but had other 4wds. The biggest reason we bought new.... We got that lifetime bumper to bumper warranty! and it was very worth it on our 09 sahara, jeep green. wheeled it that weekend and had it repaired for free , URE! Bazinga.

JayhawkJeep

Crawl underneath it and get a good look. Check the skid plate to see how it looks. If it is beat the hell the rest of the Jeep probably has been beat to hell.