Tanto

Hi everyone. I am looking very seriously at getting a Jeep Wrangler JKU. I have checked out about 10 jeeps over the last month and I'm narrowing down what I want/need from them. I have also done a ton of research and know that the 2012 is to be avoided as it was the first version of the 3.6 Pentastar in the Wrangler.

I was watching a youtube video, a few days ago, that said the 3.6 pentastar changed from 2014-2015, so to avoid 2012-2014. Is that the case? Should I only be looking at 2015 or newer basically? I think they actually said some versions in 2014 are okay, if that's the case, how could I find out which version of the 3.6 the jeeps I'm looking at have? I have searched the webs and I can't find anything to support the claim that anything other than the 2012 is to be avoided. It seems pretty much it was one bad year/run of the engine and everything after that is fine.

I got burned on my last vehicle purchase, so I'm really trying to make sure I don't buy something that is going to cost me a few extra thousand the same year. I drove a beautiful 2014 Sahara that had the tan leather interior (more should option that) but it had a very clear and loud tick. So, skip that one.

Also, I have found a pretty good deal on a 2010 with the 3.8 and a manual transmission. I thought it drove great and didn't seem grossly underpowered. The brakes seemed a little suspect though. It's 13 years old now, but pretty great with no rust at all which is nice. Thoughts on if that should be avoided? Thanks for all of the help.

My best friend had a Wrangler when we were in high school many decades ago, but I never considered it due to the cost and 2-doors. Now with the JKU, I may finally get my 4-door convertible!!

Thanks!

bmonty72

Only my opinion here...but I have a 2015 JKU Rubicon....140K miles and getting a new engine due to blown head gasket. Jeep was not driven "hard". When searching for a replacement engine I was told Jasper's has a backorder on the 3.6 pentastar. To me that seems to indicate that the issues with the earlier engines is not yet resolved. I love my jeep and was really torn between the rebuilt 3.6 and the HEMI swap...but in the long run I could not justify the additional expense...

Mr.T

I would definitely consider the 2010 with the 3.8L, especially if it has low miles and is rust free. I love mine, even with over 200K miles we're towing a camper and going off-road.

Brakes are an easy fix, often they are just not bled properly. Recommend getting a bluetooth scanner (OBD Link MX+) and the Jscan app ASAP. I'd never buy any car without a full scan including a check that all the emission monitors are satisfied -- The latter makes sure someone didn't just reset the CEL (Check Engine Light) before the test drive. If it has trouble codes, that info can also be a bargaining tool.

Tanto

Really sorry to hear that. So, your guess is that 2013-2018+, it doesn't matter as the problem probably still exists even in the later models? I hate to hear things like this. Jeeps are so unique and lack any real competitor in the category. I will definitely keep that in mind. Most of the 2014's I'm looking at are anywhere from 89k to 140k. I'm trying to avoid versions that look like they were crawling over mountains or have been pimped out to the n'th degree.

Tanto

Thanks Mr. T.
The one I'm looking at is from Colorado, only has 113k miles, manual, soft top, but at least power windows.

The driver window isn't working. I'm suspecting that is probably because of something in the wiring harness and not the switch since it's only the driver window. Any thoughts from anyone on this? I had a similar problem with my F150 Rear driver door window. I took the door apart and put in a new harness. I figure a Wrangler should be even easier to swap.

I'm amazed there's no rust with it being a 2010, and from Colorado, but he said that's why he gets them from there. My truck is a 2010, so I hoped to move up a little, but if it's a good deal, who cares. I did hear they can have issues with leaking in heavy rains. Also, I'll have to eventually source a hard top for our occasionally bad winters in Missouri. I have a program controller for my truck, but I bet it won't work on the Jeep. I'll try to see if I can get one ordered. Have any of you used Carly or are most of the phone based versions basically junk?

BTW, I really appreciate the help/advice you all have given so quickly.

Tanto

Oh, also, I am curious what type of camper and how heavy you are pulling. We have a Trailmanor 2720 that has a dry weight of around 2900lbs. But probably going to get rid of it anyway, but it would be nice to be able to consider it.

Mr.T

It's a Scamp, weighs a bit less than 2K. Jscan and an OBD MX+ are phone based -- Best you can get until the price gets north of $500. It will scan every electronic module, not just the generic SAE stuff. Plus it has a lot of tests and programming features.