Good deal on a used JK?

[Petro]

Hey guys,

I've been looking at getting a JK. Found a guy selling a 2007 Rubicon. He's had it 17 months but only has 10,000 kms on it. I can get it for $27k which is about $8k (25%) less than a comparably equipped brand new one. What do you think?

[SeaRubi]

2-dr? 4-dr? what market (location) are you in? mods?

[Petro]

Sorry, 4dr unlimited. Automatic, power group, dual top, deep tint, 6-disc CD, 7 speakers and sub, A/C. Bascially every option except for MYGIG and the smoker's package. Located in Canada.

[jsmoriss]

Hey guys,

I've been looking at getting a JK. Found a guy selling a 2007 Rubicon. He's had it 17 months but only has 10,000 kms on it. I can get it for $27k which is about $8k (25%) less than a comparably equipped brand new one. What do you think?

Odd that he's selling it so quickly. In Canada we don't have a lemon law, so we can't force the retailer to take back the truck if there's a recurring problem they can't fix. The JK had it's share of issues, so you may want to be careful. On the other hand, if you're planning on replacing half the OEM parts, then this might be a good way to go. :-)

js.

[Petro]

Going to run the VIN at the dealership, that should tell me if it's been in for alot of work or not. Says he's selling it because he's moving and needs lower car payments to offset that bigger mortgage. He did say the hard top had the leak issue but got the dealership to spring for him to take it to a third party seam specialist who redid all the seams and it's been bonedry since.

[Petro]

Well, you hit the nail right square on the head JS. Ran the VIN and the Jeep has been in the shop 8 times in the last year. Not only the stuff JK's are known for (leaky roof, axle coverings, etc) but also stuff I hadn't heard them having problems with before like stalling, A/C leaking and needed to be recharged, and others. Guess I'll just have to wait another couple months for the '09's.

[Uticon]

I had a couple of issues with my 07' JK.
It was in the dealer for the warantee issues but been great since.
I havent had any issues with my top leaking, A/C or stalling.

I have a feeling that you will be seeing alot of low milage JKs for sale out there just because they were so hot when they came out and people will relize its too much Jeep for them either mechanically or financially.

[LUISJG]

im one of the lucky ones,,,close to 14 k miles ,cero ,cero problems

[RedDog]

Well, you hit the nail right square on the head JS. Ran the VIN and the Jeep has been in the shop 8 times in the last year. Not only the stuff JK's are known for (leaky roof, axle coverings, etc) but also stuff I hadn't heard them having problems with before like stalling, A/C leaking and needed to be recharged, and others. Guess I'll just have to wait another couple months for the '09's.

My dual top '05 TJ with 21,000 km has never been in the shop aside from scheduled maintenance. Not a single warranty claim of any kind to date. Absolutely trouble free and similar ones can be picked up for half the money you're talking if you can live without four doors.

[jsmoriss]

Well, you hit the nail right square on the head JS. Ran the VIN and the Jeep has been in the shop 8 times in the last year. Not only the stuff JK's are known for (leaky roof, axle coverings, etc) but also stuff I hadn't heard them having problems with before like stalling, A/C leaking and needed to be recharged, and others. Guess I'll just have to wait another couple months for the '09's.

It all depends how many mods you want to do. Some of the issues I know of...

- Leaking: No biggy. I use some baby-wipes on the seals. The trick is to keep the seals clean.

- Stalling: This is a nasty one. There's a TSB to fix this I think. I've only had this happen once, at a stop sign (knock on wood). It's happened on the highway to plenty of people.

- Squealing clutch: 1 day in the garage, covered by TSB. A pain to diagnose and get fixed. Luckily I don't have this issue.

- C-clips on front u-joints: Gotta tack weld the tops, or change your front axles to support full circle clips. I have some new axles in my dining room, just waiting for some 4.56 gears to come out...

- Inner C is weak: Gotta weld some gussets. Will be doing that Friday.

- Boots on CV joints: The rubber can split if you flex a lot off road, or you hit them on something. CV joints suck, so an axle upgrade is a good thing. I have some Tom Woods axles going on this Friday.

And maybe the worst of all...

- The Autos can catch fire: It seems to be related to a trans breather running close to the exhaust. I don't think anyone knows for sure yet, but quite a few Autos have caught fire now...

project-jk.com has a good section on TSBs...

js.