Merry Christmas, damn Jeep

GymB

Picking it up slowly.
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Daughter was driving back to NC from Indiana, made it 40 miles before overheating. Towed her 2015 Jeep Patriot back and caught a flight. Argh.

The vehicle has had an intermittent overheating problem for a few months. She says that she stops driving, it’s happened 3 times. Dealer says no check engine light and no error codes. Dealer service clerk called today to say still no error codes and it isn’t overheating for them, but tech ran a pull down or draw down test and found 80% leak on cylinder 3. Wants to pull and mill or replace the head, change the timing belt while it’s apart. It has 70,000 miles.

She said the estimate is $2,400 but they won’t really know until it’s apart. I don’t trust them.

My ignorant opinion is that the head gasket problem is a result of the overheating, not the cause of it. What do you think? I’m thinking that I’ll have it towed to someone else, the dealer has had a couple shots at it and never gets it fixed. But, if they say the same should I replace the water pump and thermostat at the same time? What else might it be, and should I replace that too?

Any tests I should ask them to run?
 
Feel so sorry for your Daughter. It’s to be expected though, it’s a Jeep. Find a better mechanic that is not a dealer and is not out to replace every part just because they can’t figure out or take the time to figure out the real issue.
Last I would tell her to make better choices when buying vehicles.
 
A cylinder leaking exhaust gas into the coolant can build up pressure and prevent the thermostat from opening. This issue can be intermittent and won't throw any codes. There is a chemical check that a mechanic can do to find exhaust gasses in the radiator.

It certainly could be a head gasket leak, and $2400 sounds about right for the fix. When it happened to me, the cost to fix was mo re than the car was worth, so I dumped it.

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Cylinder leak will be either failed head gasket, worn valve seals, broken piston rings, or even a loose spark splug. If it is a direct injection engine, could also be fuel injector seal.

A good mechanic should be able diagnose pretty closely what the issue is. Worst case is a combination but unlikely.
 
The cylinders are not covered under warranty or has that already exceeded mileage? I had engine knock on a car with 1k miles left before Nissan would not longer be liable to cover, phew. Anyway, I would tell them that they are not getting the business, no matter what. The only thing at stake is their reputation and how motivated you are to influence local buyer decisions on purchasing a jeep.

a 2015 car should NOT be having such serious problems. Sorry to hear about your holiday troubles.
 
Found the extended warranty, it was up 5 months ago.

New mechanic did a chemical test of the coolant (found small amounts of exhaust) and a test of the oil (found excessive amounts of lead, copper, chromium, iron and some other stuff in addition to small amounts of coolant). He said that most likely we’d replace the top half of the engine and it’d turn into an oil burner. Also that these cars have lots of suspension problems between 60k and 100k. In short, it’ll never be reliable and I’m gonna get nickeled and dimed on it. Daughter loves it, but it’s gotta go.
 
I love the looks of the new Jeeps and would most certainly run out and buy one IF they were made by Honda or Toyota.
They are not so that’s a big NO from me.
 
Chrysler puts Jeep on a lot of crap to use that name to sell Crap. If it ain't a Wrangler of some iteration, it Ain't a Jeep.
I’m not so sure that the wrangler isn’t tainted too. Wife has one, we’ll see how it runs after 50,000 miles of grocery gettin’. She did get it stuck in the mud once last year, in our front yard, our very flat front yard.
 
its likely to be a money pit now... i have been vaccinated for the JEEP thing, hence I am Toyota guy...never had a toyota (of 4) give me less than 225k miles.
 
Chrysler puts Jeep on a lot of crap to use that name to sell Crap. If it ain't a Wrangler of some iteration, it Ain't a Jeep.

Sucks when companies acquire a brand and then tarnish it.

I can't help but think of Magnum Research taking over more IWI products. Jericho 941 'Baby Eagle', some pocket 380 (micro eagle) to play off the famed Desert Eagle branding. It just dilutes them all in the end. Short term sales maybe, but not a good long term survival strategy.
 
I’m not so sure that the wrangler isn’t tainted too. Wife has one, we’ll see how it runs after 50,000 miles of grocery gettin’. She did get it stuck in the mud once last year, in our front yard, our very flat front yard.

My 2015 wrangler is at 85k and going strong. I'm not only lazy as hell with cleaning it, but also a wildling from 'north of the wall' where it was exposed to ungodly amounts of salt. My undercarriage looks like a nuclear wasteland and had to change a bolt or two to stop some rattling--looks like a few more in my near future, but that's about it.
 
Just had a 2015 grand cherokee in the shop, 46,000 ish miles. Broken left motor mount, leaking steering rack and a blower motor that randomly stops working.
 
I work at a Chrysler/Dodge and Jeep dealership and I see so many of these exact problems along with transmission problems. I also see so many people continue to throw money at these vehicles and inwardly I just say " Folks,, just stop, because your going to be back here in 3 months with another expensive problem" ,but I cant.. But I have found that Jeep people are just crazy They LOVE their vehicles, never met a more passionate group of owners. I don't get it..
 
I work at a Chrysler/Dodge and Jeep dealership and I see so many of these exact problems along with transmission problems. I also see so many people continue to throw money at these vehicles and inwardly I just say " Folks,, just stop, because your going to be back here in 3 months with another expensive problem" ,but I cant.. But I have found that Jeep people are just crazy They LOVE their vehicles, never met a more passionate group of owners. I don't get it..
You have described my daughter perfectly, she’s super brand loyal. I think I’m gonna get her into a Honda.
 
You have described my daughter perfectly, she’s super brand loyal. I think I’m gonna get her into a Honda.
Yeah !! Good luck with that !!!!! Jeep people are NOT Honda people, they arnt Toyota,Ford or Chev either.. You put her into a Honda, shes gonna hate it.. Even when you explain that in a Honda, yota what ever you can actually leave town AND come back ? Falls on deaf ears....
My Granddaughter whom Ive raised since birth and has her learners permit say she wants a Jeep for her first car... I keep telling her NO,, I worked on cars for a living for 38 years. I hate working on cars, I sure as heck in my late age don't want to be saddled into working on an old Jeep product every weekend and dealing with the late night rescue during the week. This NOT going to happen..
 
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Just remember, after everything has broken on it, Jeep is a four letter word!
 
We have a 2010 Patriot.
The most deceptively roomy small SUV made.
My son is 6'5" and fits in the back seat behind my 5'10" wife. Same cannot be said of the Compass or Cherokee.

Replaced the control arms under warranty around 65k miles. One other warranty repair.
111k miles on it now.


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