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Your thoughts of your new Jeep

  • Great vehicle, love it!.. Would definitely purchase again!

    Votes: 224 59.9%
  • Good car. I like it so far.

    Votes: 66 17.6%
  • It's nice. I've had some early issues, but I'm happy.

    Votes: 51 13.6%
  • Eh.. Maybe a lil' underwhelming. But it's growing on me.

    Votes: 3 0.8%
  • It's ok. But it ain't nothing to write home about.

    Votes: 3 0.8%
  • Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed. Doesn't really live up to the hype.

    Votes: 17 4.5%
  • Those bums at JNAP need to ALL be fired! THIS THING IS F'N JUNK!!!

    Votes: 10 2.7%

2014 GC OWNER'S Review

100K views 523 replies 135 participants last post by  ONU1974 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok ladies and gents, after hanging around here for almost a year, I figured its time to post a thread of my own.

*Please do not take the poll unless you're an owner/until you take delivery... Thank you.*

As one of the very hard working JNAP UAW workers many folks here find joy in consistently ragging on, I'm very interested in OWNER reviews of their new GC's. We work hard to build a quality product day after day, and although we're not perfect, I'm curious to know how much of that effort has been translated to you all in your purchase(s). There's a lot of negativity out there, and people seem to fish for anything to discredit us and the products we make, but instead of responding individually to the ignorance, I figure a simple review thread is the best way to settle the matter. If you, and I mean those who actually have bought the truck, feel like its a great vehicle and was well worth your money, I'd love to hear about it. And if you think this car is the biggest POS you've ever wasted money on, and will never buy another vehicle "Imported from Detroit" again, I wanna hear that too!

Basically I'm just looking for honest reviews from owners, so that those who may be RESPECTFULLY skeptical, can see for themselves whether or not we deserve their business, as well as how long we will hold the title for the most awarded SUV - EVER! :) Thx in advance guys and gals!
 
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#2 ·
I don't have a 2014, but I think you guys are doing great. My issues have been failures of small electrical components which don't have anything to do with how the Jeep is assembled.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I don't have a 2014, but I think you guys are doing great....
+1, I'm still a fanboi of the first gen 2011, early build, have had no issues despite riding her hard. Yea, I've upgraded a few things, but most think that's my problem.

I still stand behind my earlier reviews: http://www.jeepgarage.org/f73/short-term-review-2011-jgc-15668.html

Didn't vote in the '14 poll but wanted to give due props to JNAP. You guys restored what was my long-lost faith in 'Murican autos.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Well I'm looking for reviews of the entire car really. Not just the assembly side. There are a few engineers inside the plant. I could go upstairs and snatch somebody out of their chair for you if you want!??? :)
 
#362 ·
Are the UConnect and Instrument Cluster engineers in the building?
If so, got any nerf balls or better yet Clue Bats?

[Perhaps I'm harsh because I'm in the computer engineering business]

The Mechs and the body build on the new 2014 seem to all be in order, even with the missus inspecting it to levels where I felt sorry for the delivery techs.

But when you are driving down the street (to the dealer for a bogus MIL light, no less) and your analog speedo display loses all the numbers when you already have a MIL light you are pretty sure is bogus, you tend to start worrying about all those other doohickeys that affect braking, engine life, etc.

The Uconnect system seems almost ready for a Beta test, not production by any means unless Microsoft [update every month] engineers have been hired.

The body seams, fit of the panoramic sunroof, paint and trim quality are truly nice and it rides like a big sedan, yet can still crawl rocks, and the brown/frost interior is really nice.
 
#4 ·
I am going to say ahead of time that I will come back and edit this review in a few weeks because as of right now we have 140 miles on ours but this weekend and then next weekend we will see pretty much half the state of Michigan so we should have a few more miles on it.

I will start with the negatives.

It took 70 days to get here... (Not relavent but I wanted to get that in there one last time.)
It showed up with scratches on the front and rear bumpers, no slush mats, and has a rattle coming from the instrument panel. (The scratches could have came from the dealer prep for all I know.)
To me the tires are a little deceptive, they state on/off road but to me that means an all terrain tire, not a Goodyear Fortera or a Michelin latitude. I know there reasoning is the fact that only a small percentage of these vehicles will go off road and they help with fuel mileage, but at least give us a option to get something different...
The lack of physical switches for things like the heated seats, steering wheel, and the mode selection for the HVAC is a little disappointing on the 5" radio because I have to look away from the road for about 5 seconds to change where the air is blowing at me, on the 8.4 you at least have a little more real estate to look at to hit the buttons. Also to tie into that, the auto on feature of the system for turning on the heated seats, steering wheel, and the heat itself would be fine if you had it just operate on remove start, if I get in the vehicle myself and start it, I can take 5 seconds and do it myself, I don't want to have to shut that stuff off when I start it if I don't want it on.
The only other problem I have had is the cd player (besides where they put it...) We have had a cd in it for a few days now, if you are going down the road and press media, then select source, the only one available is blue tooth, it doesn't let you select cd, you have to open the console, eject the cd, and reinsert it, minor annoyance, but it is one nonetheless.

Those are our negatives, now here are the positives...

Without a doubt the quietest vehicle we have ever driven, it makes the new f-150 and journey we drove sound like tin cans, and doesn't even remotely compare to my fusion.
For a v6 it has plenty of power thanks to the gearing they put in it with the 8 speed.
The 8 speed transmission is super smooth, I have yet to experience any of the jerking others have described on deceleration.
The instrument panel is second to none, the only thing I wish it did was display the actual coolant temp, because it only gets to a little over 1/4 of the way up which to me seems low but no code for low coolant temp makes me think it is normal.
Ride quality is amazing considering you are driving an suv, just like the quietness there isn't anything I have driven that can compare, we only have a Laredo though to tell you our price range.
Fuel economy seems to be pretty good, since we got it we are averaging 17.8 and that includes all of the idling it did at the dealer and a few remote starts.
I know I am forgetting stuff but off the top of my head that's what I am coming up with, but I feel it is an amazing vehicle and if they just keep improving nothing will ever catch them.
 
#57 ·
As apparently I went brain dead and cannot locate the edit tool I will just do it this way.

More negatives:
Tailgate isn't aligned properly, Yesterday the radio decided it was going to cycle through all of the inputs all on its own , and it is still doing it. The fact the dealer tells me that all 2014's have a buzzing coming from the dash.
Finally the fact the V6 really seems to struggle on the expressway, on small hills with the cruise set at 70mph it can't even hold 8th gear, and it is about a 10mph swing by the time it kicks down to 7th at 65 mph and then goes into 8th and stops accelerating at 75mph.
I'm also hoping the mileage comes up, about 360 highway miles this weekend averaged 20 mpg, at 620 miles total so hopefully that improves.
 
#6 · (Edited)
After all the discussion before ordering and while waiting for delivery, there were no real surprises. I have it on good authority that my Jeep left JNAP in good shape, but did arrive with some paint damage ... not defect.

With just over 1000 miles, the only glitch is with the navigation volume.

The things I thought I wouldn't like, I still don't like.
The things I thought I would like, I still like.

One thing that is disappointing is that the car came without a front plate bracket. Although Delaware is a one plate state for DMV, the beach access permit is a front plate. Every other car I ever bought came with a front bracket. The dealer ordered one for me, but they are on backorder. They must have thousands of them somewhere, but I can't get one???

Overall, no regrets about the purchase. :thumbsup:


For the engineers;

Off road package should include off road tires. Not something the manufacturer says are designed for the highway and Jeep calls on/off road.

The shifter is annoying, Either make it feel and work like a conventional shifter, or think retro Chrysler and bring back push buttons.

A utility vehicle should have a flipper glass. A wanna be doesn't need one.

Real buttons that you can feel, for things like heated seats, are safer to use than having to look for them on the touch screen.

Performance at very low speed in eco mode is not good. Either allow the customer to choose the default, or have it kick in from 3rd gear up.
 
#7 ·
Great vehicle, love it! I've only had 2 issues, one the shifter top being broken which the dealer discovered and promised to fix and the nav shutting off and restarting in the middle of driving. I never expect a mass produced vehicle to be perfect and buying the first batch of models for this refresh, I expected to be the test subject, so I'm not that upset with the very few issues I've had so far and I'm actually surprised I haven't had as many issues as some others have had. Honestly, every time I drive this thing, it puts a big smile on my face and I find reasons to take the longer routes or go out the way to do simple errands.
 
#9 ·
I've had mine since Feb. 27, little over 2K miles on it now. I had to take it into the dealer yesterday for a phone error on the RA4 - the phone module quit working. They were able to get it working again, but also had to replace some kind of hub under the console, we're waiting for it to arrive so the signal strength will show correctly on screen. The RA4 screen also completely froze yesterday, only came back up after I shut the car off for a couple minutes to get it to reboot.

In terms of build quality, I'm more or less happy. I had issues with my '12 GC and the headliner not fitting correctly. The '14 has a smaller, but similar issue with the headliner not quite fitting over the drivers side, it's not as tight up against the ceiling/windshield as the passenger. I'll have the dealer do something about it when I take it in for it's first service since they'll probably need to keep it. I'll also have them deal with a rattle somewhere in the sunroof area, I think it's just a wire tapping. The trim on the drivers side rear door is loose, the top clip didn't expand all the way. I'll deal with it eventually, it's not going anywhere anyway.

All in all, I'm happy. Far nicer than my '12, the 8 speed is wonderful paired to the V6. I knew going in that I'd probably be a guinea pig with the '14. Like others, I wish the off road package actually came with off road tires instead of the Latitudes, but eh, at least now I have a choice in what tire I get.
 
#12 ·
I'm still loving my new Jeep. We have had it for a month, but only have ~1300 miles. Transmission is still smooth except for decelerating in sports mode (I assume b/c it stays at higher RPM) and I only use ECO mode when I'm on the highway already going 60-70MPH.
Haven't had any of the paint issues or anything else mentioned in the other threads except for the radio seizing up/slow. This has happened twice and the first time, I was trying to talk to someone else in the car, so I went to mute the radio and abracadabra the radio worked again. Second time, tried a few other buttons, but as soon as I hit the mute button, radio worked again. Has anyone else noticed or tried this?
 
#13 · (Edited)
So far the worst new feature I have found on the 2014 is the cap less fuel filler. It's a pain in the ass.

Also, the heated seats don't get hot enough. I told my wife that someone on here was complaining that they got to hot. Clearly he has never sat in a GM heated seat. The ones in my suburban will run you out of the car. On the Jeep I can barely even tell that they are even working.
 
#15 ·
I test drove one and would have bought, but the rattling/buzzing metal vibration noise in the driver door made me decide to hold off. I noticed it between 35-40 mph consistently. Sales guy did too. Itls like there is some kind of resonance that causes something to vibrate.

Take a look at this thread. Seems like a lot of Overland people are seeing the issue. So far no response from Chrysler.

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f107/2014-overland-buzzer-sound-while-driving-56385.html
 
#18 ·
I don't own a 14 but noticed his as well when driving a loaded limited last week. I continue to like my '11 and have no reason to go with a 14 especially after the buzzing experience. Hopefully It's an easy fix.
 
#20 ·
Hopefully I will be able to weigh-in on this thread in a couple weeks. Until then, thanks everybody for the reviews and feedback... it makes the waiting a little easier knowing I'm waiting for something awesome. :D
 
#21 ·
I have got about 1300 miles on my overland.

The bad....major rattle in steering column that my dealer fixed. I have to restart the auto climate control every time I start the vehicle. It forgets some of the settings. My dealer said Chrysler is aware of the problem, but no fix so far. Annoying. The shifter sucks. Plain and simple. I also rest my knee against it when the cruise is on which is bothersome. Last thing is the Eco button. You should be able to set it if you want it to come on or not.


The good...very, very quiet. Love the interior. Handles great. Comfortable. Looks great.

Overall I really like it, but does have a couple of quirks.
 
#25 ·
So here is my response with hopes that Jeep corrects many of the QA/QC issues prior to others receiving their new auto's. I dumped a escalade and purchased the Summit after test driving the Mercedes ML/GL, BMW X5, Lexus and Landrover Sport. I decided to go with the Summit due to the many options I didn't get with the above and the huge price difference. I didn't need the 7 seats as most of my kids have grown up but did want the feel of a sports car and the love of a SUV. The Summit was my choice over all the rest. My build date was mid-March and needless to say from the time I drove off the lot the problems started to surface. I always expect a minor glitch here and there but this was just poor QC for most of my problems. It started with Uconnect - The system doesn't retain its settings, frozed up and was a PITA to register and get working. Rear Taillight seal was defective and full of water (dealer replaced), Rear drivers fender flare was not installed properly and was bulging out. Dealer had to order a new one and install. In the front fender Wheelwells - I was missing plastic rivets and some rivets were popped out (Dealer installed missing rivets). The rear tailgate had an alignment issue to the right and had to be sent to a body shop for realignment. The outside glass seal in the rear passenger window was poorly installed thus cracking (dealer ordered a new one). The carpet in the front is not installed properly where the door edge molding is. I also find the paint to be soft as it scratches and chips very easy.

Haven't said all this, I am still happy with my decision, If I had known this refresh would have caused so many issues I would have waited until mid-summer to purchase and let Jeep work out the issues. I am hoping this is it and that my postings and issues I have brought to both my dealer and Jeep Corp will let others enjoy there new Jeep with only routine maintenance trips to the dealer.
 
#28 ·
So how fast does JNAP "react" to the various '14 issues mentioned on this thread and the many others on this forum ? Are changes & adjustments made on the assembly line daily / weekly, or do they continue to make them the same way figuring the dealers can make the repairs ?

Would be curious to see what changes have already been made since the original models rolled out ?
 
#29 ·
Good question!

Changes are made constantly throughout the life of the models, even on things you guys DON'T notice. Whether its an assembly process, or a software/hardware change, etc. The things that tech's screw up, are obviously made known to them, and sometimes a job gets changed because there's too much on one person to do. That's rare, because they usually add stuff and try to eliminate more jobs, but it does happen. In other instances, like with the liftgates, there's no person to blame for an incorrect fit. The liftgates are installed by non-union robots that apparently aren't sufficient either. The liftgate isn't removed like the doors are, when the car proceeds through the plant.

But to be honest with you, there aren't many people here who monitor this site. That's why it's important for issues to be reported the old fashioned way, and don't take it for granted that others have already put it out there. The more the better. I don't make excuses for any of my screw ups at work, or in life, so I sure ain't gonna do it for a "brother or sister." But what I will say is that quality is far greater than it used to be, and there IS a constant push for more attention to detail. Unfortunately there's still a lot of room for improvement, but make no mistake, quality is a priority around here.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Dev
Fantastic there is actually someone from the factory on this site. Do get the engineers to look at what we are saying as our case managers are not getting back to us, the dealerships are leaving us hanging and I really think this is a great Jeep but the 2014 are having electronic and Uconnect issues. When you guys built the 2011's there were no issues, it almost seems like this one was rushed?
here are my issues
800 miles on the new 14 Overland and have called Uconnect and Jeep about the following issues.
Rear tailgate does not sound warning when open and in drive
Uconnect froze when Ipod and SD card was plugged in at same time
Any file on SD card not recognised freezes the system does not skip over
Mapping is slow and cannot recognise voice commands for streets very well.
Mapping takes time to recover from a stop to get gas and go back to plotting your trip'
Screen start up does not allow you to turn heated wheel off or seat even though there is an icon
Heater controls take time to respond to a change in temp request.
Back button does not work on screen
Heat controls for steering wheel and seats is in a bad location they should have put switches in like the 2011
Wiper response to rain and snow is delayed when first coming on
When air suspension is raising car sometimes it shows a light raising but its not.
In eco mode the car is sluggish and gears seem to not shift correctly.
Air bags "raising" light stays on even when its done raising.
Starter makes a clank sound when starting engine once and awhile

I know that when jeep was in trouble and the 2011 came out you guys worked feverishly to bring a great product to the customer, I really feel that the 2014 was rushed to get out and uconnect is riddled with so many problems I am not going to go into it.
I also agree with everyone that has written about the buttons. While the screen is nice, buttons are better for seats and steering wheel as you have to take your eyes off the road, the screen is good to look at but not when something like seats and steering need to be toggled on and off often. I also notice a delay in setting a temperature to the inside. if I am at 72 degrees it takes 5 minutes for it to respond to a change to 66 degrees.
Don't get me wrong you guys are doing a great job, just tell the upper crust they need to respond faster to customer issues.
I also very much miss the glass opening up in the back. Most people do.
thanks
 
#34 · (Edited)
@emsrescue, and all you guys, thanks for the detailed reviews, and please, keep em coming. I'm 100% sure the engineers are aware of the software glitches, and UConnect troubles. Trust me, THEY KNOW!

But it's unfortunate and unacceptable if case managers aren't responding to issues. Unfortunately that's a HQ thing. But hopefully at least one of them, or even an engineer or two, stumbles across this thread and some of the other complaint threads, and works to address these things for you guys.

I wouldn't exactly say this was rushed, or let me rephrase that, I wouldn't say the issues you guys are having are in direct correlation with the quick launch, because all the technology is currently used in other Chrysler vehicles, and the GC is one of the last to get it. But I do think the updates in that software aren't as great as they may have thought.

And I agree, it'd be great if they re-redesigned the center stack to incorporate more redundancy with actual buttons, but I honestly doubt that'll happen in this cycle.
 
#35 ·
@emsrescue, and all you guys, thanks for the detailed reviews, and please, keep em coming. I'm 100% sure the engineers are aware of the software glitches, and UConnect troubles. Trust me, THEY KNOW!
So than if I can quote myself (see below) does that mean than the current JGC's coming off the line this week still have the software glitches and UConnect troubles even though the engineers are aware of them ?

So how fast does JNAP "react" to the various '14 issues mentioned on this thread and the many others on this forum ? Are changes & adjustments made on the assembly line daily / weekly, or do they continue to make them the same way figuring the dealers can make the repairs ?

Would be curious to see what changes have already been made since the original models rolled out ?
 
#39 ·
I've had my Limited for about two months and have about 1600 on the clock. It replaced a 2012 Mercedes GLK. Took a road trip recently from Atlanta to Louisville Ky driving mostly back roads. The WK2 is one of the most comfortable most solid SUVs I have ever driven.
Uconnect is a little slow and can be easily confessed. Navi is not as good in my opinion as my 2008 GC. Fit and finish is superb! Paint quality included. Not sure I like the bronze tone on the black dash/interior but it's growing on me.Engineers could and should have come up with a better location for the CD player. Radio has froze once but after restart cleared up. Great Vehicle and would defiantly buy another one!
Great Job Detroit!
i
 
#41 ·
I have just over 1000 miles on my Overland. Overall build quality is supreme, great vehicle all around. I of course have the three main gripes (which I knew of when ordering): street tires with the ORAII package, no flipper glass, and CD player eating up room in the center console (although I hadn't realized I'd also loose the upper tray too). Only issues I have had have been software related. SD card sometimes is not recognized on start-up and I have to eject and re-insert. I also don't like the position of the shift lever as my knee hits it when I have cruise on and take my foot off the accelerator.

Best vehicle I have ever driven, and I have driven many in all price ranges. Quiet, handles well, comfortable. Way happy with the performance of the Hemi and the 8 speed tranny. Was also happy I averaged 21 mpg on a road trip. Still have snow up here and the 4 wheel drive is outstanding, even with the standard highway tires.

Thank you Chevyboy for following up and asking about the product, and for producing such a good one to start with.
 
#44 · (Edited)
From order date to picking it up took 24 days to receive my Limited - can't complain about that! It now has over 1,700 miles on it; my RA4 froze and sputtered once - the day I took delivery of it. From the next time I started the car until present it's been working fine; no complaints about it. I too had the screwed-up weather seal on the right rear door; I just took a plastic trim tool and carefully folded it over and tucked it in. Don't even notice it now and probably won't have the dealer replace it, as I imagine they'll screw it or something else up worse during the "fix". Have noticed no paint flaws or defects in mine, but I've only washed it once and haven't clayed it yet - that's when I'll find any paint defects if there are any. I do have a little scratch on one of the buttons on the steering wheel - but again, and for the same reason, probably won't have dealer replace it. I like the shifter just fine - once you get used to it and realize it doesn't have the travel of every other shifter you've ever used and small movements are all that's necessary it's all good. I can't stand the ECO button, though - it shouldn't even be on any GC with the V8, and as others have said you should be able to default it OFF instead of ON. I've gotten into the habit of punching it off every time I start the engine; can't stand driving in ECO mode! Quiet and comfortable ride; love the adjustable lumber support; heated seats and wheel; and the TFT 7" screen has got to be the best out there! For the money I feel the GC will stand above any vehicle from any manufacturer out there.
 
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