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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  Jeep Grand Cherekee 4WD V8 Limited - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By td - December 31 - 10:00 am

  The jeep is a mixed bag. First hand it is great for towing and offroading. It also looks the best in my opinion of every other mid size suv out there. However the jeep has some very noticeable quirks. Ive had to replace the brakes repeatedly because of poor engineering allowing the brake routers to get heat cracked. It has also suffered from a lot of other issues as well, and always needs some type of maintenance.

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  All the problems you will encounter - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bondsman66 - December 30 - 7:04 pm

  Jeeps are Jeeps, they are temperamental, but if you correct the known problems in advance, they will be a faithful friend for life. (see suggested Improvements) Too bad Chrysler, didnt recall the know problems.

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  Victim of R1234vf Freon - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Drew Jerina - December 28 - 3:13 pm

  Unknown to me is the fact they changed to the new freon in the AC system. In Texas you have to have a strong AC. Instead of the coldest output air being 36-39 degrees, the best you get by factory definition is 44 degrees. I have a white exterior, tan interior, no sun roof. If it was all black with moon roof and five passengers, it would be unbearable at 100 degrees. There is no way a consumer knows unless you take along a thermometer when test driving. No cars reviews are ever given for climate controls. I just received a recall notice that due to a potential mfg defect, this model may be subject to an engine fire.

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  2003 Jeep Laredo is a Danger on the road - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Valerie - December 23 - 10:43 am

  My Jeep is now in the shop for the 6th time in 5 weeks, for the same problem-it keeps shutting off; at lights, stop signs, on the road, in the parking lot. Lose power steering and brakes. Only has not quite 58,000 miles on it over 6 years and 3 months. I will NEVER buy another Chrysler car again.

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  POS Car - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JVaughn - December 20 - 2:00 am

  I already own a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee and should have known better - I bought a 2002 and wished I could relive the day. This car has had 3 recalls, we cannot get the air conditioning to work (it will not cool) though the manufacturer says it is ok. The transmission locked up and had to be replaced (less than 6 months old), and now the replacement is slipping. Please spend your money elsewhere - this one has been a disaster.

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  dont buy it !! - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By robert mcneil - December 14 - 5:33 pm

  jeep sells a ton of these cars and doesnt care that the transmission etc all die young...mine died at 59000...my honda has 270000 and is all original

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  One problem after another... - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By firstandlastjeep - December 8 - 10:00 am

  The 1st wk, with 132 miles on our new Jeep, a large rattling noise turned out to be a "part that was put in backwards." At 2000 miles, the Jeep broke down with symptoms of a failed transmission. The dealer, Buerge Jeep West LA refused me a rental car until I forced the issue and got a tiny, uncomfortable compact car. Never any apologies. When I picked up the car 3 days later, I waited 45 mins for my car 100 feet away. The leather seat and floor had black marks which werent there before. When I mentioned this to the driver, he said "talk to the mgr." Buerge Jeep in West L.A. has horrible cust. svc! Never will we buy/recommend any Jeep product.

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  TIPM recalled part - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ADRIANA PAEZ - December 6 - 6:23 pm

  Purchases a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee after looking at SUV ratings which rate it as one of the best SUVs to buy. Less than a year into it my car wont start. It idles but it will not start. I was told it is a fuel pump problem which is housed in the TIPM part. I have taken the car back 4 times with the same issue. The TIPM part has been replaced twice. This is not what you expect from a new car. I am a woman who is afraid of the reliability of my brand new car. It appears I am not the only one with this issue. I wish I would have known before. I had always purchased Acuras before with no problems. I regret this buy. I will be reaching out to Chrysler and apply the lemon law. Wish me luck.

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  Good little SUV until it hit 100,000 miles - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By Aaron Kelts - December 2 - 7:58 pm

  We bought this car brand new and have meticulously maintained it. We have been happy with it for many years and is a comfortable daily driver. We have had problems with the transmission overheating throughout the years. It seems that the filter and fluid needs changed every year instead of the dealer recommended 60-80k miles. It gets better fuel economy around town than the highway as at high speeds the little 4 cylinder works pretty hard to keep it moving at over 70 mph. Recently though, we had the check engine light come on (even though the car still runs and drives fine?) and I replaced what should have been the faulty part and the old code cleared but a new code came up. We took it to a shop who again replaced the part and they could not get the new code to clear for them either. They diagnosed it as a fault in the computer and recommended a new one. I installed a new computer and the code will still not clear. We are dreading taking it to the dealership as the local Jeep dealer is a con artist and it may cost a quarter of what we could sell the car for to get it fixed. Depending on what the dealer quotes us for repairs we may be looking for a new vehicle instead, but it wont be a Jeep SUV that is for sure.

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  Cant wait to get rid of it...... - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By iamjimmya - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Ive now owned it for a year and half, and in that time I will have had to had done all the things that you read on this site: had the differential seals done twice because they kept leaking, brakes, fuel line seals(to fix pressure in the fuel line), and the bearings replaced on the back end. Bought it because I loved how it looked, how it drove, (and I still do) but should have paid the extra and bought a Toyota.....