Hey guys, I am new to this forum and wanted to get some honest feedback regarding reliability. It is pretty easy to get scared reading all the posts with various problems until I remind myself that we (you guys/gals and me) are a small percentage of owners. I am military stationed at the US Embassy in Spain and can get a 2008 with opt1 & moonroof for about 40K even. The problem is warranty. I will only recieve 75% reimbursement (which means I have to pay first) from Jeep for any warranty issues. There is an SRT dealer here in madrid, but they mainly service the Viper, Ram and Charger. Would you guys still pull the trigger if you had only partial warranty?

Thanks
:)

Yes... This vehicle like others has its +/-'s, but the +'s far outweigh the -'s. The one thing I'd like to note is the 6/7" of ground clearance, watch out for curb/curbstops.

What determines what car is subject to the 75% reimbursement rule vs what gets fully covered?

It probably wouldn't stop me, assuming that I was comfortable taking on the additional financial liability.

Alex

I would not buy any new car that didn't come with 100% bumper to bumper for at least 3 years/36K miles. Your risk is no greater with the Jeep SRT8 than any other car in my opinion.

NOOOOO!!

I have a Silver 2006 w/4800 miles that was purchased May 1st, 2006. So far I have been to the shop 6+ times with a long list of issues. Some examples replaced/repaired under warranty; dealership scrapped front rim (replaced), CD player died (Nav unit), rear park assist system, loose front grill, loose cowl panel, sunroof rattle, door rattle, rear glass strut issues, 1/2 shift issue (flashed), HVAC system issue (flashed), bad tire pressure monitoring system, power up/down on drivers window died, excessive brake noise, and a few other issues.

I am new to the Jeep brand and so far it seems that they are junk. The interior is cheap and the hard plastic will not wear well if used on a daily basis. Also be aware the brake rotors can't be turned, you have to purchase new ones. Limited tire choices. Your engine oil choices are limited. Requires a SRT certified mech. to work on the vehicle. The SRT8 will be expensive to maintain--be prepared.

It is fast as heck and handles nicely, but I am questioning the reliability. I would recommend that you stay away from Jeep unless you either have a back-up vehicle or a full warranty. 25% of the cost with the problems on mine (so far) would run you well past $1,000 out of pocket--not accounting for the up-front costs. There are a lot of other brands with higher reliability ratings and greater access to servicing dealers.

mine had one issue with the shifter assembly but other than that has performed entirely problem free for 12,000 miles now

Requires a SRT certified mech. to work on the vehicle.
Not true for the majority of repairs...


The SRT8 will be expensive to maintain--be prepared.
No different than any other similar type vehicle. Ever priced service/maintenance/parts costs of some of the "reliable" import brands? Ever tried to work on one of those brands yourself? At least the Jeep is a lot easier to work on than many other vehicles.


..There are a lot of other brands with higher reliability ratings...
That doesn't really mean a lot and is NO guarantee that you are going to get avehicle w/o issues. Go to ANY vehicle brand message board, from those rated at the top of reliability lists to those rated at the bottom and you will find endless posts from people with all types of issues.

My neighbor bought a Lexus IS-250 around the same type I bought my Jeep. He has been to the dealer many more times than my own two "minor issue" visits. Problems with rattles, lots of problems with the navigation system.

MOTV8D, sorry that you have had so much trouble with your SRT, that has not been the norm for most owners. While inconvenient, most of the issues you have had are easily solvable - compare that to some of the "unsolveable issues" that many of the so-called "reliable" brands have had.

Brakes have not been a major issue for the Jeep SRT8, and the rotors can be turned.

Limited tire choices? Give it a chance, the Jeep SRT has only been out for a year, more and more choices are becoming available. I have had no issues or problems with the stock tires, I think they are a great choice.

Limited engine oil choices? No big deal, most owners have not had trouble finding Mobile 1 0w-40. The Jeep is a performance vehicle, what you you expect, WalMart generic 30W oil or something?

ResumeSpeed,

I need to ask you a favor. Can you contact Lithia Dealership group based out of Oregon and advise them that;

A: SRT rotors can be turned. Their SRT trained mech. advised me of this two days ago.

B: That an SRT mech is not required for working on the SRT8. I was forced to wait for a service appointment in excess of 3 weeks, based on their belief that this is a Jeep policy.

I not sure if you noticed my signature, I have a '68 Chevelle and a '02 Lightning. I am use to dealing with the cost of performance. The funny part is I buy my 0/40 from WalMart up here and pay $5.29 per quart. The dealership wants twice that + per quart. Ford required that a mech. have SVT certification to work on SVT vehicles, so it seemed reasonable that SRT had the same policy.

I must have gotten one of the Monday or Friday trucks. I have talked to a number of people and I keep hearing about major issues they have had with their Jeeps. To be fair, one problem we have in Anchorage, AK is that we have 1 Jeep dealer. That could be the issue :confused: . I am hoping this is just a shake-down period and things get better over time.

I hope everyone else has better luck, but I would not (at this time) recommend a Jeep to anyone. Just my take.

A: SRT rotors can be turned. Their SRT trained mech. advised me of this two days ago.
Lots of LX SRT8 owners have had rotors turned (once), before they were replaced by slotted rotors. Don't know why the Jeep rotors would be any different. Being that you are still under warranty, why is having them replaced vs turned a concern?


B: That an SRT mech is not required for working on the SRT8. I was forced to wait for a service appointment in excess of 3 weeks, based on their belief that this is a Jeep policy.
What were you told the reason for waiting so long was?, to have to send a specialist in, or the tech was at the dealership "in training" for certification, certainly not because the one and only "SRT tech" was to busy?

The Jeep SRT8 shares many features, options and functions of the standard Grand Cherokee. Every one of the problems that you listed were such that any certified "WK" mechanic could perform the warranty work.

Do you have any Dodge dealers in town?

Thanks for your replies guys, they mean a lot. I have had 4 BMW's and can fully appreciate that all vehicles have quality troubles. My 2002 M3 was in the stealership 8 times in 2 years. My 2005 330i ZHP has been in 7 times in 2 years (most problems were BS, but 2-3 days without your car sucks). BMW's have a lot of problems and are the biggest money pits under the sun when they are out of warranty.
This is what I have further found out. There are 2 qualified SRT mechanics in Spain and they are both here in Madrid. Any and all replacement parts would either come from the UK or the SRT plant here in Europe. I have a DMX customer service manager checking into the fact that DMX gives full warranty to military members (I am a Navy Chief) who buy through Diplomatic Auto sales in Europe.
The vehicle (SRT) I order will be a '08 so I hope that many of the initial teething problems will have been completely remedied.
Keep that advice coming guys and gals.

I'm as finicky as hell and we've had no reliability issues with the Jeep. I have a 300C and there are a lot of similarities in the issues they have. As such, I was up to speed on what would possibly come up.

The SRT8 doesn't require a SRT tech that I know of, my dealer has never mentioned this(my dealer isn't perfect). The noisy brakes/scoring rotors may be addressed in a TSB in the future if we're lucky, the LX's got a TSB for thiers. These vehicles are not perfect, but none probably are. IMO.

I can only speak from my experiences, bu I have had mine since April of 06, and have not had a single issue with it. It's been in 4 times for oil changes, and that's it.

I have had mine since Jan 06'. First one in Ohio, and I have not had one single problem. I took it in for the Tranny TSB, and that's it. I have had many Mopars over the years, and they all have had minimal maintenance issues. Bottom line is that if you take care of your car like your supposed to, there shouldn't be any problems. I have had many different makes and models like most of the guys on this forum, and I'd have to say by far my Jeep SRT8 is the most pleasing vehicle I've had. Thumbs Up Here! :D

Anyone think there's a direct correlation between SOME of the common issues that crop up with the SRT-8s, especially with respect to the members of this forum, and specific driving styles? :o

It appears to me like a lot of you guys have the means to mod these beasts whenever possible, and with that in mind, like to "test out" the mods so to speak. I have only noticed a few people (ge2 seems to stand out) that appear to actively baby their truck.

I understand that these vehicles were designed to be run hard, but I often wonder how much of that stress translates into premature wear and tear.

For me, long gone are the days where I'll be testing the lateral G limits of my car, brake standing, donut blowing and generally beating the sh*t out of it. These days I'm good for the occasional WOT while rolling on the highway, and that's pretty much it.

The consensus appears to be that if you're coming down from a BMW/Benz or some other luxury vehicle, you stand a decent chance of being disappointed with the quality of the plastics, bumpy ride, etc...

I personally would be transitioning from a bunch of stripped out semi-muscle cars to a "new" Jeep Liberty (replete with cheap gray plastic...never bothered me), and hopefully next up is the GC SRT-8.

I'm hoping for a truck that RUNS reliably first - all the other stuff that I've never had before (Back-up camera (!!!), tiptronic shifter on an automatic, Nav, remote start, run-flat tires, memory settings, heated seats, the list goes on....) falls pretty firmly into the "gravy" category (with the exception of run-flats since there's no spare). If that stuff glitches, my thought is that I can more than likely make time to have the dealership make it right.

All that said, if money were no object, and I bought this truck as a toy and it didn't do every little thing I expected, maybe I'd be a little more inclined to be vocal with my displeasure.

Just my $.02 , anyone care to add?

Anyone think there's a direct correlation between SOME of the common issues that crop up with the SRT-8s, especially with respect to the members of this forum, and specific driving styles?

It appears to me like a lot of you guys have the means to mod these beasts whenever possible, and with that in mind, like to "test out" the mods so to speak. I have only noticed a few people (ge2 seems to stand out) that appear to actively baby their truck.

I agree, I have always taken car of my vehicles. Not to say I don't occasionally get on it from a stop or passing on the highway, I do have fun with them. But, I don't floor it constantly or drive it like I'm in a race. I've had a couple of Corvette's, we have a BMW and they have been wonderful trouble free cars. My previous vehicle was a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 HEMI, and on those message boards there were tons of people complaining about problems that I never had in 30,000 miles. So I do think that SOME of it is from how you drive,or take care of them.

We do have 2 Dodge dealers in town, the problem is one claims that they don't have a Jeep SRT mech. to work on the vehicle and the other dealership is also Lithia.

I am concerned about the brakes becuase they already squeal like a stuck pig. I plan on only doing light mods (ie CAI & exhaust). I already have two 11 seconds vehicles. The Jeep is just my winter rig. I don't want to upgrade pads and rotors so the thing is quiet. I won't do anything that Jeep can claim voids any warranty in anyway. I am using only Mopar branded go-fast items on my rig based on the dealership stating that; any Mopar parts installed can't void any portion of my 7 yr warranty.

I can only speak from my experiences, bu I have had mine since April of 06, and have not had a single issue with it. It's been in 4 times for oil changes, and that's it.

Knock on wood....

I've been thinking about getting an SRT 8 but knowing the Jeep brand to have so many mechanical issues I'm skeptical about longevity of owning a supposedly great vehicle. Hopefully SRT has provided the hardware to cope up with all the power the SRT8 provides.

I think I'll wait another year before I decide to buy one.

I've been thinking about getting an SRT 8 but knowing the Jeep brand to have so many mechanical issues I'm skeptical about longevity of owning a supposedly great vehicle. Hopefully SRT has provided the hardware to cope up with all the power the SRT8 provides.

I think I'll wait another year before I decide to buy one.


Here's a few reads.

http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070508/FREE/70507009

http://www.cherokeesrt8.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3323

I've been thinking about getting an SRT 8 but knowing the Jeep brand to have so many mechanical issues I'm skeptical about longevity of owning a supposedly great vehicle. Hopefully SRT has provided the hardware to cope up with all the power the SRT8 provides.

I think I'll wait another year before I decide to buy one.
The Jeep SRT8 has had very few mechanical issues. Reliability has been well above average to excellent. When you think of how hard these vehicles are driven, both on-road and on the track, and how few problems have developed as a result, it's amazing. No blown stock engines, no major tranny issues, no axle issues, the drivetrain has been rock solid.

SRT engineering did an amazing job on this vehicle, of making sure it would handle the stress from repeated WOT runs and hard driving all day long. Most all repair related issues with this vehicle have been easily solved with an easy and painless visit to the dealer. Sure there are a few exceptions, but nothing different really than any other vehicle out there.

The bottom line is that the pleasure of driving and owning this vehicle far outweighs a few inconveniences here and there. It was designed for performance, and performance it delivers, in remarkable fashion. There is no other vehicle like it.

I have had my truck to the dealer two times for the same problem. The rear was noisey they tried to fix it but the housing was bad now this time I got a complete rear and it's great.
I love to see problems with foreign cars the American people are bamboozled in thinking the Jap/German cars don't have problems.
I have always owned FORDS with great success this is my first Jeep/Chrysler product.
BUYING AMERICAN HELPS YOUR COUNTRY OUT.
good luck

I love to see problems with foreign cars the American people are bamboozled in thinking the Jap/German cars don't have problems.

BUYING AMERICAN HELPS YOUR COUNTRY OUT.

Amen brother... :)

chrisguapo69, you own a Dodge, the Jeep is also a Chrysler product w/no major dif in quality.

I too agnonized about the purchase of this vehicle for a week between the down payment and delivery, (I told the salesman I would pick it up in a week because I said I was too busy, that was not actually the case I just wanted a week to think about it).

I spent the next week on all the boards (here, srtoc, the lx boards, charger, 330c even JU WK forums) and decided these vehicles were no better or worse than anything else DCX produces.

Then I had a decision to make between a 300C, WK Overland, the SRT and a GT500 Mustang (wife wanted). I didn't fit the GTMustang, as even years ago she wanted a Viper and I couldn't get into that either.

Well even to the last hour before scheduled delivery at my dealer, I was 30 miles away looking at a 07 WK Overland 4X4at another dealer.........

Needeless to say, she had brought up a viable question thats still good today and that was what vehicle would maintain it's resale value longer?

No question the GT and Jeep GCSRT8 would, so here I am a member of forum that for the first time in my life doesn't even think about driving their Jeeps in the mud or even looking to get vertical, throw rocks, dirt or mud.
And some Luddites even take the Jeeps badges off, heresy!!!!!

BUT I love it!!!
The forum and the vehicle. This is the first time in 30 years I like driving on the road again. The power, speed and ease of driving.

Now for the comical side,

Watch some of the members of this forum spend cash faster for modifications for a tenth of a second faster on the strip than a drunken sailer on shore leave. It's great!!

Now for the down side,
You will be sleepless at night thinking of new mods,
No real engine tuning for the vehicle, no spare tire, expensive and hard to find tires, your always at the Jeep Parts department spending money on new modifications like a drunken sailer on shore leave, your business suffers, your hands are always wrinkled from washing the damn thing, you hate bugs and rainy days, you find out the brakes lock up, the whole thing is run my wire, you invite your favorite mechanic over every Saturday nite for supper, you bring the Service Manager a bottle of expensive wine every time you visit. You end up walking a mile at Walmart because you don't want anybody parking next to you, you spend extra hours on the internet looking for mods and not porn, your wife can't drink her water while your driving, your neck hurts,you wonder why everyone isn't driving 100 MPH in the left lane, the Nav becomes distracting while driving, so many choices of music. You become a expert on wax, you hate bird droppings, the list goes on and on.........

If you can put up with all this, buy one. If you can't, search for a good used Yugo.


Jeff

I've spoken to a lot of people with both 2006's and 2007's, and I believe that the 2006's have a better build quality. I just hear more about how the 2007's have leak issues, squeaks, and the brake noise issue.

There has been two production shutdowns during the 2007 model year production run. I believe it takes a bit for production to be back up to par when production resumes. It does not make the 2007 vehicles bad, but I think it makes the 2006 vehicles better.

We're due for an oil change. I am going to do it myself since we have no other issues to address. It's been a long time since that has taken place for us.

There can be a bad apple in every bunch. It's probably going to be hard to say whether the '06's are truly better than the '07's unless you have some serious, long-term, large sample data gathering.
S.

Amen brother... :)

chrisguapo69, you own a Dodge, the Jeep is also a Chrysler product w/no major dif in quality.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of! :eek:

That's exactly what I'm afraid of! :eek:
Go buy a Kia then.

There can be a bad apple in every bunch. It's probably going to be hard to say whether the '06's are truly better than the '07's unless you have some serious, long-term, large sample data gathering.
S.
My data gathering is seat of the pants, watching these posts very carefully every day. Respectfully, If you do the research, I believe you will agree.

On the whole, the WK's, especially the SRT8's, are proving to be very tough. Autoweek is having very good success with their long term test vehicle.

Go buy a Kia then.

LOL! I am not implying that the SRT8 is poorly engineered. It's the Jeep brand in general. I want to see how the SRT enhanced Grand Cherokee holds up after at least 30k miles of hard driving. I'm sure people don't buy an SRT8 to cruise around in.

If I'm gonna pay $45K, I would love to know it's general reliability. Cheap plastic interiors and occasional electrical problems I can deal with. Constant drivetrain or mechanical issues is another thing. So I'll wait it out at least another year to get consumer feedback.

Kia isn't a bad idea since it's satisfactorily engineered and priced right. But I don't care for a 4 banging donkey cart. I already have a daily driving POS 2000 Honda CRV to do the groceries for me. Suprisingly, the Honda never gave me any problems as compared to all the cars I've owned and it already has 120k miles!

My Durango has had the most problems of all with only 70K miles. All the upgrades I've done on her is a result of constant griping. Now she's as solid as a rock.

20k miles the first year here. No real issues. Brake noise but that is fixed now.