jlmorris3827

Make sure you bring your own ODB II reader and check the codes and diag status. Pending codes may not show up on the CEL and also you need to make sure all the diagnostics are "completed" state as people can unplug the battery to temporarily hide them. I have a 08 JK that runs totally great but I've never seen a vehicle throw more weird codes than this thing.

magnum003

How many miles are too many on the 3.6L? I'm looking in to a 2016 JKUR Hard Rock with 77K miles on it. An extended warranty is adding 10% to the total vehicle cost, so that's a non-starter. I assume if I don't hear the "ticking" I don't have the bearing issue. Assume cracks in the oil filter housing will present as oil leaking around the engine. If the thing has gone 77k miles with no major issues, can I assume it's good for another 25k? I don't plan to use this as my daily driver, but also don't want to be forking over thousands on powertrain issues down the road. Are there any big maintenance expenses I should expect around 100k (timing belt, water pump, etc)? These things are so dang expensive

resharp001

The 3.6L uses a timing chain, so that is one relief. I've owned a '13 since new and have just shy of 100k miles. It's been a good vehicle for me. Radiator issues are just a common thing on the JKs and a standard fix when leaks start. Besides the oil cooler being a nagging source of oil leaks, I can't think of many major issues that should scare you away from a '16 with 77k miles. These things are pretty easy to work on if you do your own labor.

Niteshooter

I have a 2011 JK Sahara and 2013 JKU Sahara, as mentioned the 11 has the updated interior but the older 3.8L motor.

I think if you don’t plan a lift or bigger tires the 3.8 is just adequate for highway use with stock gearing. But with a lift and 35” tires my JK doesn’t have enough power to pull 6th gear on the highway unless it’s flat. The 3.6 in the JKU has no problem pulling 6th except on long uphill stretches but overall I would try for the 3.6 if I did a lot of highway driving granted I only have stock wheels but only 33’s on it which have a less aggressive tread pattern.

One thing to be aware of with the 3.6, on 12 and some 13’s there were problems with the passenger side heads, however FCA has an extended warranty which is 10 years or 150,000 miles. The other potential issue is the oil filter housing, mine just leaked and was replaced. Bit time consuming to replace but certainly not the end of the world. But if you are looking under the Jeep and you see oil on top of the transmission it could be coming from there as opposed to a rear main seal.

Both of my JK’s were purchased with just over 200,000 kilometers. I did the clutch and rear main seals on both motors shortly after purchase, I had budgeted doing this when I bought both and their selling prices were low enough to take this work into account. On my JK we also noticed a bad shock and bad spring and here is a potential downside of Jeep ownership. The cascade effect of modifications... I got a great deal on the Mopar factory 2” lift kit so went with that. But once installed my stock wheels and 33” tires didn’t look right with the lift. As a result I also wound up buying a set of better wheels and BFG 35” KO2’s. This created a new problem, it showed up as a worn original steering stabilizer, everything was fine stock but the tread pattern of the new tires really showed how beat the stabilizer was.

Also as mentioned take a good look under the Jeep, up here we get salt and brine solution on our roads and it causes a fair bit of rust underneath.

As far as the 3.8 is concerned, aside from the noticeable lack of power on the highway vs the 3.6 it may also be a bit less trouble prone. Maybe..

As for the inline 6, great motor, I have the much lower HP carbureted version in my CJ7 but the newest V6 has more power. The last Wranglers to have the 4.0 were TJ’s which up here are really hard to find in good shape due to rust especially on the fenders, floor pans and body tubs. But I‘ve always wanted a TJ even went as far as picking up the factory GPS radio for one. No not the my GIG, Chrysler had two GPS radios that work with 2003 to 2006 TJ’s one with a real display and the other that only show coordinates. I actually have both as the other came out of a Caravan I scrapped.

Niteshooter

As Rob says you have the 4.10 gears because of the Rubicon package.

What is interesting is in my 2007 brochure it shows 4.10 gears included with the trailer tow group or 4 speed automatic transmission on the JK/JKU X, Sport, and Sahara as an option or part of a package.

Niteshooter

Kind of depends on what work may have been done to the Jeep. 100,000 miles these days isn’t nearly the deal breaker it was in the 60’s and 70’s. Rust is always my biggest concern when looking at used cars, also doesn’t help to be up here in Canada where they put a lot of salt and brine on the roads.

For example at that mileage the previous owner may have wound spending $$$ on a slew of repairs and they may have finally thrown in the towel, sounds bad eh. Maybe not though if the motor is good. At that mileage you might have new pads and rotors, new tires as well. On a manual tranny a new clutch could be a bonus or if original might be something that may need replacement. Btw if you are in that far do the rear main as well.

I would change all fluids since they may not have been done. Diffs, tranny and motor oil, are things I did immediately changing to synthetic.

As for an extended warranty, I would read the fine print as typically there are clauses that give the dealer ways out of honouring it. Also if you have to make a claim on the warranty can work only be done at the selling dealer? If so I might google around to see if that dealers service department is any good. But personally I think extended warranties are just added profit for the dealer, only one that was really worth it was the lifetime warranty that Jeep offered a while back.

Niteshooter

One other thing to look out for, when you get in and hear clicking sounds coming from under the dash that is a problem with the gears on the motors that open and shut parts of the heating/air conditioning system. I replaced two of the three, The one on the drivers side of the tunnel is a pain to get at, the one on the passenger side is not as bad but of course that one is ok. The one under the glove box I just disconnected as I have to drop a lot of parts to get to it.

Even if you don’t hear clicking make sure you have heat and A/C as there are flaps that direct heat. On my JKU I have weak heat on the drivers side even after replacing a bad motor.

karls10jk

A little note on this- I've got a friend who purchased a Mopar certified pre-owned warranty (7yr, 100k mi) and it's been great. It's covered front and rear axle seals without a single question.

Niteshooter

Good point, I was thinking of small dealers selling warranties such as Lubrico not factory backed.