Overview & Reviews

If you're thinking about purchasing a vehicle rugged enough to finesse rocky trails, chances are, one make comes to mind: Jeep. This specialty automotive manufacturer has a long history of producing trucks and SUVs capable of off-highway adventures — so much so that the term jeep is used by many to refer to all SUVs, whether the vehicle in question is a true Jeep or not.

Jeep took root in WWII as the name of the now-iconic four-wheel-drive military vehicle produced by Willys-Overland and Ford for the U.S. Army. The name's origin is somewhat of a mystery; popular belief is that it morphed from "GP," or "general purpose," though others have suggested that it was a nickname derived from a character featured in the Popeye comic strip of the time.

The mid-1940s saw the introduction of the first civilian Jeep, the CJ-2A. It offered many features not available on military versions, such as a tailgate, an external fuel cap and a side-mounted spare tire, and was targeted mainly toward farmers and construction workers.

Civilian Jeeps caught on with the public, and by the 1950s, new models such as the CJ-3B and the CJ-5 had been introduced. The CJ-5 had the longest production run of any Jeep vehicle, continuing for 30 years after its introduction in the early '50s. The company changed owners during this decade as Willys-Overland was sold to Kaiser in 1953.

Jeep broke new ground in the 1960s with the debut of its Wagoneer. Geared toward active families, this early SUV was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission. A new "Dauntless" V6 became available as an option on the CJ-5 and CJ-6 in 1965. This was the first time that a Jeep CJ could be equipped with a V6. Packing 155 horses, the engine's horsepower almost doubled that offered by the standard four-cylinder.

By the 1970s, Jeep had changed ownership yet again, with the purchase of Kaiser-Jeep by American Motors Corporation. New models like the CJ-7 and the Scrambler were rolled out. Additionally, the company unveiled some new technology with the introduction of the world's first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system. Dubbed Quadra-Trac, it was available in the CJ-7 as well as in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons. During this decade, Jeep's fortunes soared as four-wheel-drive vehicles became increasingly popular with large sections of American buyers.

The 1980s saw the introduction of the Cherokee and Wrangler. The Cherokee was one of the first of the new breed of SUVs — high-riding midsize wagons that skyrocketed in popularity as the decade progressed. The Wrangler replaced the CJ series in 1987 and offered the raw functionality of the CJ along with more comfort features. That year also saw the purchase of American Motors by Chrysler, with the Jeep brand becoming part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division. One of Jeep's most popular models, the Grand Cherokee, debuted for 1993. This handsome, midsize SUV offered considerably more comfort and luxury than the smaller Cherokee while still providing stout off-road capability.

Jeep fell under the umbrella of DaimlerChrysler after Chrysler and Daimler-Benz merged in 1998. This partnership resulted in a few new models, such as the Liberty and Compass, though none were able to attain great sales success. In 2007, Daimler sold the Chrysler Group to a private equity firm. It is now under control of Fiat.

More recently, the company has added a couple of enticing models to its lineup (including a four-door version of the Wrangler and the pavement-scorching Grand Cherokee SRT8) and made substantial performance and quality improvements under the hoods and within the cabins. As such, we expect Jeep will not only maintain a loyal group of customers but will also bring new fans into the fold.

User Reviews:

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  Worst car ever! - 2017 Jeep Compass
  By James Lee - July 6 - 5:12 am

  Got the car(2017) as a rental(20 days). I just cant believe I am driving a new 2017 car. I understand that it is the basic model, but come on, it is 2017, at least you should offer a usb. Cons: 1. the acceleration really sucks, I dont feel safe driving this car. 2. Abnormal noise from the front window whenever the speed is over 50.. 3. Noise from the break from time to time. 3. the oil tank is tiny, paired with a really bad MPG, had to visit the gas station often. 4. bad visibility

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  Biggest Mistake Ive Ever Made - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Bumblebee - June 11 - 2:00 am

  This had to be my worst car buying experience ever! Bought brand new and had nothing but trouble from the day I drove it off the lot. In and out of the shop. And dont believe their warranty lies either... read the fine print! The hood was not aligned correctly to begin with. After a couple thousand miles the brakes needed replacing and had to be replaced every 2 to 3 thousand miles. Transmission was a mess too. Resale value was the worst ever. Finally dumped this piece of junk. Dont ever buy a jeep... youll REGRET IT!!!!!

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  Towed more than its driven - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Hiedi Poulson - June 5 - 7:24 pm

  Bought brand new with 5 miles on it. Left my family stranded 7 times, the first 2 times were at 260 and 550 miles due to a fuel leak. Then the cruise control started taking off and accelerating on its own. And the electrical issues are off the charts! The jeeps entire electrical system shuts off while driving,starts back up and the radio chants a ham radio signal, over and over again. No matter what you do, turn it off, open the doors, it wont stop. The jeeps radio turns on in the middle of the night, completely draining the battery. Even the tow truck cant charge it, the doors will not unlock, tires locked abs has to be dragged onto the wrecker, forcefully! This electrical problem has been going on well over a year! The radio has been replaced twice for freeing up and refusing to answer calls, screen freezes ect. The brakes now squee and the front end clunks off and on. Headlights dim randomly and has a terrible vibration while in drive. I have a lawyer, its that bad. Everyone Ive met with a Patriot has endless problems! Never, ever again!

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  The worst Jeep I have ever owned - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Flyfish from MA - June 5 - 10:00 am

  The worst Jeep I have ever owned, I went through 2 transmissions both of them siezed on me with only having 1600 miles on the car. And remember this is a 2003. Not very reliable is it? I didnt think so.

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  Auto transmission problems - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By RUSTY - May 23 - 6:20 pm

  In November 2006 I purchased a used Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD. It only had 10,000 miles on it. I immediately began having problems with the automatic transmission with the following problems: (1) Needed a transmission control module; (2) clogged transmission filter; (3) leaking O rings and finally had to have the transmission replaced at 18,000 miles. The car left us stranded twice on the highway. The second time I thought the car would catch on fire. I will never purchase a Chrysler product again. I dont care what their warranty period is. This is the poorest quality on construction I have ever seen in an automobile.

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  Total Garbage - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By Jeremy - May 4 - 10:05 pm

  I have had the vehicle 3 months and 3,300 miles. It has been in the shop 6 times for electrical system issues. The dash lights going on and off, the radio going on and off, the climate control vents not working and now the power windows not going up and down. This vehicle cost a lot of money and has been nothing but garbage. I see others have had similar issues online and in these review columns. Stay away from this vehicle. When reporting this under the lemon law they have said these issues were considered minor and not effecting the total vehicle operations and safety.

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  HORRIBLE - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By magichat101 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I HATE THIS CAR!!! I AM SELLING IT AND GETTING A PRIUS! I ALMOST GOT KILLED IN THIS CAR SEVERAL TIMES! I WOULD NOT RECOMEND IT! IT ALWAYS SKIDS! ALMOST FLIPPED OVER ON ME SEVERAL TIMES! I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE THIS CAR! I JUST FEEL REALLY UNSAFE IN IT!! IT IS VERY UNSTABLE!

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  Cheap Jeep! Beware of Money Pit. - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By newellio - April 23 - 8:51 am

  Purchased vehicle with only 13,000 miles. Within first year needed new brakes, then when around 57,000 miles the rattling and clunking noises began. We discovered both tie rods and ball joints were bad. Estimated repairs were over $1000. Then a ringing noise in the transmission began to get louder. So we decided to trade in. Dealers were not willing to give us a decent trade because the CVT transmission was starting to go bad. Apparently this is a major issue in the Jeeps especially when it reaches around 60,000 miles. Jeep is not willing to warranty this issue. Our mechanic said newer jeeps are the most serviced vehicle he works on and encouraged us to trade it!

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  Junk the Jeep - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By junkthejeep - April 18 - 10:00 am

  This Jeep has been nothing but a pain. It has left my wife stranded more than once and has been a mechanics dream due to the money I have shelled out. Ill never buy a Jeep or Chrysler product again.

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  Stay Away - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Turbo K - March 23 - 4:10 am

  I purchased a used 2005 Grand Cherokee with the HEMI and it is the biggest joke on the road, if it ever gets on the road. It is a disgrace to the HEMI and Mopar brand. I test drove it, and all was great. I bought it, brought it home (20 miles from the dealer), and it promptly died. It took 3 days to get the idiotic thing started again. Every time you put the key in and try to start it, the language of the display keeps changing. First, it was English. After that, it went to Spanish, German, and what I think was Portuguese. It hasnt gotten back to English, yet. I set all the setting like the seat position and pedal distance for me, but it keeps flipping back to factory settings. When trying to get back to the dealership, it sputtered the whole way, and had a horrible rattling ion the back end somewhere. I would never buy another used one, and it has pretty much soured me to the whole Jeep brand, unless we talk old school 2-door Cherokees and any of the CJs. This thing is proof that Jeep should have never strayed from its roots. Its like when VW started making water-cooled cars, which are just as worthless.