2002 Jeep Wrangler Sport review from North America

The transmission does not shift smoothly. The gears stick between 4th and 5th. I brought it to the dealer three times and they finally rebuilt the transmission. Now the transmission has a whine/howl in 1st-3rd and 5th gears and vibrates at 2000 RPM with neutral load on it while driving.

The front windshield hinges are rusting. The rear windshield hinges are loosing their powder coat. The rear bumper is starting to scale rust.

The HVAC controls stopped working at speed 2. Slow changeover from floor to console settings. Sometimes takes a minute.

Sway bar links in front are clicking when I drive over a pothole.

Tilt steering column has loosened up so when I drive over a pothole and it rattles the tilt lever drops and the steering wheel moves. The steering wheel also moves from side to side about a quarter of an inch.

I used to own a 1998 Jeep Wrangler Sport and I traded it in for a new 2002. I should have kept it. It had 100,000 miles on it and the only thing wrong with it was a leaky radiator. I had replaced the sway bars links and had to replace the exhaust header at 80,000 miles. These two problems were very common to this model of JEEP. I am a diehard fan of JEEP, but am very worried where the line is going. I agree with the general party line that Chrysler in ruining the line and they do not seem to be concerned about it. When I went to the dealer (repeatedly for over 30 service days) they argued with me about repairs because they said Chrysler limited what they could do. Also Chrysler has repeatedly questioned my problems with my vehicle and refused to fix other problems. The only word of advice I can give is find a great dealer and get everything they promise in writing. If they won't give it in writing walk out.