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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  Loaded Jeep loaded with tons of problems - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By J_nh2008 - May 13 - 9:40 am

  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! Chrysler should be ASHAMED to sell this car. I have a beautiful red limited with over 5k miles on it. Since I have owned it for the past 4 months it has been back to the dealer 14 times for water leaking inside, periodically not starting, my gig, awful, itÂ’s been replaced 10 times (no lie) and it still doesnt work. It freezes all the time and the nav gets confused and freezes, god forbid you actually need it., ESP and BAS light on all the time, brakes squeaking. Just unbelievable. ItÂ’s dressed up nice but it is a nightmare underneath. Stay far away no matter how good of a deal they give you. I guess you really do get what you pay for. Currently filing lemon law claim.

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  Hunk of junk - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By TravF - May 10 - 7:46 am

  I bought this Jeep with high hopes. Boy that got shattered. This thing has had more problems than I can count. First its not the dealerships mechanics fault but DC. They should give all repair facilities the equipment they need to fix them. Jeep has been in dealership more times than I ever could imagine. Took 11 months to fix the no start problem. Discovered it to be bad fuel injector. Had many parts replaced as a guess as to what was wrong. Terrible vehicle. I average 19 MPG. When first bought got upper 20S and 30+ on highway. After fixed now its 19!

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  Never a Jeep again - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By xrt - May 10 - 2:00 am

  It is my first time( and for sure my last) to buy a Chrysler product. I bought the car in june, 2001 new. I had lots of problems with it: serpentine belt was replaced,tenssioner was replaced,steering column was replaced, brakes roaters were replaced two times, bad paint spot on the door, molding around the wind sheeld needed to be re-glued, the oil pupm was replaced, a valve in the transmission body was replaced, side mirros were replaced. The most annoying thing is these issues were never resolved by the first or the second or even the third visit. It is a nightmare dealing with the dealership I deeply regret my experinece. BUYERS BE AWARE

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  This is our 4th Jeep Cherokee - No More! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dhasden - April 22 - 10:46 am

  Purchased 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2WD new with 22 miles on it. We are repeat buyers but this car is pitiful. Has 16,000 miles on it and repairs so far are drivers seat broken twice, rear window wiper motor replaced, transmission is now being replaced and still waiting 3 weeks for the parts. We were told poor engineering design put a/c drain hose into the transmission fluid! Knew something was wrong from beginning as it never shifted right at low speeds. Very unhappy with this product and will not purchase another Jeep even after owning four and do not recommend it.

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  Would drive it off a cliff - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By SAJ - April 19 - 12:23 pm

  I bought what I thought was going to be a good looking reliable vehicle. I had a Chevy Caprice for over 13 years and was looking to find something I would love as much. I looks HOT! But looks are deceiving. It is 03 and still looks brand new even without a good car wash. BUT... The piece of junk has spent more time in the shop than any vehicle in earth history except maybe another Jeep Grand Cherokee. Seat Heater, Brake rotors, 5 complete sets of brakes and rotors. Shimmies really bad after about 6 months of new brakes. The heater sensor something , air conditioning lvr things, cruise control, battery goes dead, electrical shorts but nobody can tell me why. Would not sell to my worst enemy.

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  Jeep Engine - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By JT - March 30 - 2:39 pm

  I have a new 2016 Jeep Cherokee Latitude with 1200 miles on it. I noticed a noise coming from my engine at a traffic light and I thought it was the car behind me but when I turned the radio down I discovered it was coming from my new Jeep. When you turn the radio down you can here a ticking sound which sounds like a helicopter propeller. Very Annoying for a Brand new Vehicle. I went to the dealership and let the service manager drive it with me and he heard the same noise. Then he asked the mechanic to go with me and he heard the same noise. I had taken it back to the dealership to have them diagnose and they said that it was a Purge Solenoid Valve and they replaced it. But when they called me to pick it up they said that it was still making the noise and probably will stay that way until Jeep comes out with a replacement part or a recall. Really!!! You pay $30,000 for a new Jeep and you get this kind of noise. I have owned a lot of other Vehicles over the years and the Engines have always been quiet with the radio turned down and you did not even know they were running. The Engineers at Jeep need to take a look at this because it is unacceptable in my book and not up to standards. Unless someone likes listening to this noise I guess you will be ok with it. But when you test drive I would listen for this noise before you buy. The Dealer started more of the Jeeps on the lot and they all made this noise and he told me this is the way Jeep has made them. I did call the Jeep Service Center and all they could tell me is that they would make documentation of it. We all know where that is going! Maybe the CEO of Jeep should get in the car with me for a test drive and listen to the noise and see if he likes listening to it. You think they would have discovered this before they came off of the assembly line. Not so Sincerely! Concerned Customer

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  Shame on Chrysler - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By upset owner - March 22 - 2:40 am

  ent $40,000 on this Jeep and after 2 years the problems started: 1. Headlights burned out with in the 1st year (not covered due to mileage) 2. Power Windows switch replaced twice in fists two years (covered by warranty) 3. Lights on heater control burned out in 2 years (not covered due to mileage) $250 to fix 4. Parking Asst. quit working after 3 years (not covered due to mileage) $500 to fix. 5. Knob on GPS quit working and can no longer use the GPS (not covered due to mileage) $1000 to replace. I talked to Chrysler about these problems and they basically told me too bad so sad. I asked them about the GPS and they told me to go buy a portable one.

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  Maybe I got a bad one? - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By JTC - March 17 - 10:00 am

  I think I may have just got a bad one. The under side is all rusty looking, Brakes moan when backing up, been in the shop 4 times and had a transmission part replaced. Still does not always shift and downshift right. Too much road noise. Missing a lig nut. Make sure you get a good one.

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  2007 Jeep Liberty - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By J Reed - March 9 - 10:00 am

  I bought my liberty used with 36,000 miles on it last January. It now has 46,000. All my Windows have broken, when the back left door window broke it fell down inside my door & shattered ( this happened going down the road in the winter ) I have all of my Windows ratchet strapped up with the door panels off because its the only way to keep them from breaking because every time they are replaced. They break again. I though I would love this SUV but it has been a nightmare, I would not recommend a Jeep to anyone. Its a p. O. S. To put it nicely :) I will never buy or own another Jeep once Im able to trade this one in.

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  I Wouldnt Purchase Another Jeep - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Niles - March 1 - 3:06 pm

  The reliability of recent models are poor. I have owned my 2007 Jeep Commander for 9 years. It has been in and out of the shop for repairs, not to mention multiple recalls that when repaired, something else goes out in the Jeep. Tire pressure light continues to stay lit even when air pressure is normal. Roof leaking, A/C needs recharged yearly, Starter, Alternator, Fuel Pump, 2-batteries, Electrical Components and Crank Shaft Module. Currently in the shop after breaking down on vacation and being towed 200 miles. I have complained to the local Jeep Service Department of an issue with hesitation in RPM function and hard automatic shifting. They havent been able to diagnose and correct the problem after 3 years.