Hi All, I am new to the forum. I am considering purchasing a 2016/17 Grand Cherokee with the diesel option. I joined the forum to ask some more detailed questions but after scanning the posts I see lots of discussions of members having ongoing issues. Possibly this is just a result of forums being a place to discuss problems, or maybe these engines in this vehicle haven't been reliable. I thought the base engine was a Fiat commercial diesel but I might be wrong about that. Is it possible to get some general feedback about the reliability of the JRC with the diesel engine? Thanks in advance, Ed
Yes and No. No car or brand is without issue and no engine as well. The issue with the diesel is the emissions and when Jeep did not get it properly developed. Thus earlier WK2 ecodiesels had issues with the SCR (urea catalyst) and some dealers we dumbfoudned and FCA slow to respond which created unnecessary problems for early owners. However, after some time and fighting FCA has done a better job identifying the problem and addressing it and buying out some owners who met lemon law requirements (similar to the pentastar problems years ago). Some had other issues but they were not widespread to the general line.
My personal '14 ecodiesel wk2 is I had the SCR problem earlier this year but took it to an experienced dealer (who did several) and it only took 1 day for them to fix it. I've not had other engine issue outside of recalls and problems associated with the platform. My lease ends on it early next year and I'm going to get another - starting to look into builds. I really love mine as it gives me great power and torque when I need it and mpg that hybrid suvs are jealous of (low 30's highway and 25-28 mpg combined real world - not EPA). In addition I tow an enclosed trailer about 10-12x a year with some 800 mile trips and I get 17-20 mpg towing. That matches what some who have Hemis get normally.
I agree with Jaje. The earlier models were prone to some issues, again primarily with the emissions systems. Uneducated/inexperienced dealers, along with fairly lousy technical support from FCA, resulted in lots of the EcoDiesels having many issues and visits to the dealers. Absolutely most, if not all, of those issues have been worked out, with recalls, etc. Nothing is perfect yet, but there are TONS of forum members with high mileage and zero issues.
Your results may vary, but you need to really consider your driving style when evaluating whether to get an EcoDiesel. If you are mostly city driving (stop-n-go) with only a little bit of highway/towing then this *may* not be a solid choice for you. Of course there are exceptions to every rule.
If you drive lots of highway and/or haul/tow regularly then this vehicle is in my experienced opinion, the absolute best Mid-size SUV you can get. I almost ended up wth the RAM EcoDiesel pickup, but a last minute change of mind put me in the JGC and I could not be happier. The MPG's are real...I regularly get 30+ on the highway. In exchange, the maintenance costs are a bit higher, but if you are a DIY guy then you'll save tons over the life of the vehicle.
I think you'll find that most EcoDiesel owners are very happy. yeah, some had bad experiences, but that can be expected, and yeah those folks are the ones you usually see in these forums...understandably so.
Oh, and the engine is sourced from VM Motori, an Italian diesel engine manufacturer. This particular engine has been in use in Europe for a while.
I'm very happy with my 2014+ Summit, wouldn't have any other SUV given today's market. I've towed cross continent twice, which is why I bought the diesel. At home I do a pretty even mix of driving on highway and urban roads. Love the truck! Had the SCR replaced when the error showed. Took a couple of hours tagged to an oil service. No sweat. No issues anywhere else. I'd buy another tomorrow, but I'll keep this one a really long time!
74567 miles on my 2014. The engine and the vehicle have thus far been extremely reliable, and unlike a lot of the 2014s, mine has had zero issues - save for a just recently developed hard/harsh downshift from 8th to 7th.
The diesel JGC is an excellent rig. 2014 was the first year in the USA for the diesel (CRD) and there were some problems there. I experienced some, as in my signature, but many many 2014 CRD owners are trouble-free. It is the nature of forums to bring out the complaints, this place gives people an audience for complaints but also resources to resolve those problems. A great majority of 2014 JGC CRD owners are trouble free and are out there enjoying their rigs without stopping to post here about how happy they are.
Build quality got better in 2015 and 2016 as Jeep worked out the bugs.
The JGC CRD is an excellent rig! My wife and I, we love ours.
Thanks for all of you taking the time to respond to my reliability question. My optimistic expectations have been confirmed (or maybe I am just biased):
1) There was some early life growing pains with the emissions design and the dealer service capability. These have been mostly resolved.
2)In addition, the emissions design and other details have been improved over time and the later (2016/17) should be pretty solid.
3) The forum gets posts from the more vocal owners and those with problems post more than those just enjoying the ride!
I live in California and our states over reach on environmental issues, global warming, etc. has made it difficult for any manufacturer to design and maintain the emissions parts of the these gas or diesel engines. I apologize to the rest of the nation for California's flawed leadership in these areas.
I have some other questions that I will pursue in new threads, thks again, Ed
My Dec 2013 build is an early 24 and with the exception of the CAT replacement which was done in one day no issues other than taking it in for updates. 45K miles and I occasionally tow an open trailer getting 19-20 mpg. Typical mpg real world mixed 30% city/70% hiway is 29-30.
I keep vehicles a long time meaning 10-12 years. This is the best vehicle I have owned outside of a BMW M3 which was totally trouble free for 12 years.
I owned a Super Duty before this for
9 years and sold it at
189K miles also trouble free diesel.
Fuel economy if you keep it a long time, torque, towing and also handling (this thing with air suspension is excellent) are strong points. I have driven the Ram 1500 a few times and it handles like my Super Duty did which is to say very truck like. The Jeep is excellent on trips, long range, quiet, great fuel econ. The only other vehicle I own that is just as impressive is the Subaru Outback 17. If you are uncomfortable with the size of the JGC check it out. Same fuel mileage, same room inside, even quieter than the Jeep but towing is just
2700 pounds...
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