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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  Could Have Been a Good Vehicle - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Bud Trevor - August 15 - 6:46 am

  I own the Renegade model with the six speed manual transmission. I purchased this model to tow behind my motorhome. At 35,000 miles I started having problems with the ABS, ESP and related display light. I would be driving down the freeway and these lights would display and force the brake system to respond as if I were on a slippery road condition. I was not in that situation. I live in Arizona where most days are dry and hot. Naturally I took in to the dealership where it was purchased and explained what had happened. The first occurrence was in 2007. Its now 2009. During these two years the dealership has made fourteen attempts to correct this problem. The lights still come on.

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  Does not age gracefully... - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By burauhaus - August 14 - 3:45 am

  We bought this car used 07/2013, less than 85,000 mi, no warrantee offered. Within 2 months, we had to replace the trans control modulator; less than 30 days later, alternator was replaced also. None of this was covered by the dealership as we were told this was "normal wear and tear". Before the holidays our Jeep was backed into, resulting in some body damage & a thumping sound in the LF wheel (impact) area. Service says we now need to replace the RF wheel bearing AND the transmission, citing normal wear & tear, not from incident. Looking into lemon law for our state... this is RIDICULOUS! Would not buy this car again.

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  05 Jeep Lib Sport 2WD - Too many problems - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By hate - August 11 - 7:57 am

  I purchased my 05 Jeep Liberty Sport new and for the first 2 years it ran great. After that, its been all down hill. Since, Ive spent $1,300 for a new A/C compressor, $300 for new brakes that still squeal, $2,800 for a rebuilt transmission, the CD player wont eject my CD and havent gotten that fixed, a fuse that keeps blowing out my brake lights, a passenger side automatic window that cost $400 to fix, and now I have the rear latch that wont open that I need opened to get to the brake lights that have, once again, blown out. Im told this will cost $500 to repair. I am FED UP with my 05 Jeep Liberty!!!!

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  Jeep - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By planekeeper1 - August 11 - 6:43 am

  I bought the 99 model after testing it Carmax. So far we have had 2 power window motors replaced, the water pump, the door lock system failed, 2 speakers and the brakes twice. I cant keep front brakes on this thing. The good news is that we bought the extended warranty ( the mechanics have no clue what they are doing by the way). On the bright side, it is good for long trips and has enough room for my family of 4 and all our stuff. The four wheel drive works well also. As soon as we can afford it, I am trading it for a Ford F150 pickup.

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  Many Problems - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By MLVteach123 - August 9 - 10:20 am

  I am a five time Jeep owner. I test drove the new Grand Cherokee and fell in love with how it handles. After owning the car for one month, I began to have problems. The interior vinyl on the doors rips when bumped and I dont have kids! The car had four rust spots on the interior door frames. This problem had to be addressed twice. The exterior rubber molding was loose. The keys were not programmed correctly to my car which enabled the anti theft deterrent system. The car would stall over and over. My Laredo has been back to the dealer several times and has been kept up to two weeks for repairs. I suggest waiting to buy this new model until all the problems are corrected.

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  Stalling and turning off on its own - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Glennbob - July 30 - 7:10 pm

  I have 4 times in the past 5 months that the engine will and electrical will turn off without warning. Coming to a stop light, turning left on a roundabout, taking an exit on the right, making a right hand turn and the last one which scared me to the point of needing to sell it if Chrysler doesnt do something about this. I was making a left hand turn off a two lane hwy slowing down from 55 as I slowed down to make the turn across traffic with a car coming at 55 the car died. No power steering, brakes nothing, just as if you turned the car off. I was able to coast across the left hand lane but knew the driver has to slow down for me which I was happy to have happened as I couldnt do anything to get out of the cars way.

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  Headache! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By april - July 30 - 12:50 pm

  This Jeep has been a headache since I got it. My Jeep Patriot came to me from the factory with a faulty crank and sensor, so, every morning I get to hold my breath as I listen to the thing crank for 10-15 seconds before finally turning over. I think to myself, is this the day it is not going to start, every morning! It will be going to see a certified Chrysler dealer for the third time to fix this issue! wish me luck! On top of that, there is something wrong with the gas gauge and i ran out of gas on the highway because I got about 5 miles after the fuel light went on. One headache after the next with this Jeep Patriot and I had such high hopes. buyers beware!

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  A big dissappointment - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By aj1972 - July 13 - 2:15 am

  Stay away from this vehicle, I am having nothing but mechanical issues with this. With in a month a component in the radio went out (which controls a lot of features in the vehicle) and it had to be replaced. After two months the instrument panel went out as well as the gauges quit working, now they are ordering me a new dash panel. I have had this car close to two months and have nothing but problems. Please research this vehicle, as well as other vehicles, before buying the cherokee. I have noticed in the jeep forums that the same issues are occurring with other people. I wish I had never traded my other vehicle.

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  Wow is this thing bad in the snow - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By jetchef - July 5 - 11:03 am

  Wow this thing is terrible in the snow. It feels like the back end is going to slide out at any time even when going straight. The steering and road feel inspire no confidence. The factory tires are awful, I feel bad for Jeep that it has come to this, you have to wonder what the future of the brand is. This truly is a bad SUV. There are so many better trucks out there. If you buy one immediately get new tires, the stock Goodyears are dangerous. By the way ever time the rear end slid out no traction control engaged, ever.

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  5 repairs in 30k miles - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Zoobrew - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Beautiful exterior. Great off-road performance, but the love affair ends there. Stiff bumpy uncomfortable ride. Needed to replace entire braking system at 15,000 miles and Im no speeder. 4 major electrical problems in the first 30,000 miles. Will never buy another Jeep. They look great but cost of ownership and inconvenience are awful!!!