Ben Franklin once wrote that the only two guarantees in life are death and taxes. Well, we would like to add a third guarantee to that list: there will be Jeeps on the road with water leak issues. Since 2008, we have been flooded with calls from Jeep owners like Janae with leaking windows, sunroofs, soft top convertibles, hard top convertibles, dome lights, doors, and door handles. We’ve seen leaking Jeep Wranglers, leaking Jeep Patriots, leaking Jeep Grand Cherokees, and leaking Jeep Commanders. We’ve seen more than one leaking Jeep Liberty and a leaking Jeep Compass or two as well. We’ve helped hundreds of Jeep owners with water damage to upholstery and electrical shorts from water leaks. Many of these cases have been wrapped up quickly and many of our clients have been awarded new vehicles or complete buybacks. Nobody wants pools of water on the floor of their Jeep Commander or water damage to the seats of their Jeep Wrangler. But the Jeep leak problems have also led to a particularly troubling mold problem – it makes the vehicle unhealthy to drive and it brings about a terrible odor.
Here are some problems our commenters have reported: Do not wait until the seventh repair to seek legal help. Most states require three or four visits to a repair shop before the vehicle owner can take legal action. Another tip: do not wait until your car’s warranty has expired to address the problem or you may be left out to dry without any legal leverage: If you are dealing with mold or any other problems related to a water leak in your vehicle, make a service appointment with your dealership immediately. If you have an odor problem, try to locate where it is originating from – this will allow the dealer to help you more quickly. Make sure the shop gives you a repair invoice for each trip you make regarding your Jeep leak. Keep them somewhere handy – you’ll need them if you have to open up a legal claim. If the first repair doesn’t solve the problem and your Jeep leak returns, take your vehicle back to an authorized Jeep dealership – it doesn’t have to be the dealer you bought it from.
If continuous repairs do nothing to stop the leaks from happening and you repeatedly have to bring your vehicle back to the shop while it’s under warranty, you can take legal recourse under State Lemon Laws and Federal Warranty Laws and assert your rights. If you are dealing with Jeep water leaks, fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form. We will review your situation and determine if/how we can help. You can also call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652).Long-term solution for a leaking soft-top Jeep Wrangler? December 26, 2015 Subscribe Rainy Pacific Northwest winter woes! I got my 2006 2-door Jeep Wrangler 4 x 4 soft-top convertible last year from a used-car place...it was completely water-tight & cozy all winter, then a dream with top down in the summer sunshine. This year, different story. All the taking the top off/on means some seams have frayed, and the bits that tuck in don't fit as well into their little grooves, and there are physical gaps where water is coming in.
What's worse is the huge puddle that gathers on the fabric roof when it rains. The water sinks through, beads up all along the inside ceiling (not just weak zones...the whole thing) and then *rains down* on hapless passengers within.Please login using one of the following services: Modern automobiles are supposed to be the best representation of what we can achieve and have learned over the 100-plus years of wheels on the road. While 100,000 miles used to be the break-over point for where people would grow weary of their vehicle, these days it’s not uncommon to see rigs still running the roadways with well over 250k on the clock. So, why is it that we keep hearing tales about 3.8L engine troubles on JK’s with less than 100,000 miles? When the 3.8L V-6 was announced that it was being picked as the new power source for the Jeep Wrangler in 2007, few were singing its praise. The previous-generation Wrangler’s 4.0L inline-six engine wasn’t perfect but had many things going for it (most notably was its longevity).
Conversely, there wasn’t anything for the 3.8L to hang its hat on. The 202 hp and 237 lb-ft of torque figures were more than the outgoing Wrangler, but it made these figures much higher in the rpm range. The result was a weak low-end power feel (something that was always a strong suit of the 4.0L). The fact that the 3.8L was sourced from the Chrysler pool of mini-van engines only added to the ridicule. Now that the 3.8L JK has been out for some time, we are starting to see many nearing the 200,000-mile range. With years past, we are also noticing that the 3.8L has gained a reputation for not going the distance. By far the biggest complaint we are aware of is excessive oil consumption. Here at Jp, we’ve had two ’07 JKs with 3.8L engines die with just over 100,000 miles on the odometer. Both were consuming oil rapidly (in the end it was two-quarts to every 100 miles!) Sure, we might be harder than the average wheeler on our Jeeps, but a quick interweb search will reveal that we are not the only ones with 3.8L troubles.
The 3.8L engine isn’t all doom and gloom. In fact, for every person we’ve encountered with an oil-burning or chattering 3.8L, we encounter at least two with no issues. We’re no rocket doctors, but it’s pretty clear that the 3.8L won’t be taking the reliability title from the cherished 4.0L anytime soon. To get a better breakdown of what goes wrong with the 3.8L, we’ve put together a list of common trouble spots. Some spots are easy fixes, while others may have you looking for a new powerplant. Before you go off the deep end with your 3.8L, our list is definitely worth a look.Buying a used vehicle is an art form of its own. To get a good deal, you first have to know how to spot one. This means being able to overlook the tire shine and focus on the nuts and bolts that keep the rig together. We understand that not everyone is a Jeep savant, but that doesn’t mean you should get hosed when purchasing a used 4x4. We’ve bought a lot (and we mean a lot) of used Jeeps over the years.
Sometimes, we get a great deal just by knowing more than the buyer, but we have also gotten our share of bamboozling as well. One of the most popular and sought-after used Jeeps is the ’97-’06 Jeep Wrangler TJ. This generation Wrangler marked not only the return to the round headlight but a technological leap with a multilink coil-sprung suspension. The 4.0L inline-six engine has a reputation for being reliable but leaky.Since Wranglers are oddly similar to motorcycles (you never get your money back out of them), you can stand to get a good deal on a modified TJ. In fact, often times modified ones tend to offer a better value than the ones that are mostly stock. While asking prices for the TJ can vary from dirt cheap to “you got to be kidding me!”, the more you know about what you are looking at, the better deal you can get. The list we’ve put together here is meant to be in addition to all of the normal used vehicle checks. You know, things like checking the fluids to see/smell if they are in good shape, driving the vehicle, inspecting the paint, and so on.