2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Love it!! - so far

Faults:

I bought this Jeep used, and have only had it for 1600 miles, so nothing has gone wrong yet.

One tire is worn a bit crooked, so I don't know yet if it needs an alignment or if the previous owner failed to rotate on schedule.

The front seats are initially comfortable, but lose support and feel a bit narrow on a longer trip.

General Comments:

Considering that Jeep claims 15 city and 19 hwy, I'm glad to see that my Jeep gets 21 mpg hwy.

The interior is rugged but hard plastic.

I love the versatility and rough-edged appeal of this Jeep.

I took it out and wheeled it for the first time about a week ago (the previous owner never wheeled it). WOW!! This thing can crawl up a cliff. I've never had anything like it before.

The sound system is excellent with Infinity speakers and the right balance on the sub. Sirius satellite is nice too.

There is a surprising amount of room under the seats -- important since Jeeps tend to be a bit shy of space.

The power is more than adequate on and off road. With 4.10s, though there is a definite drop off in power when around 70mph. Still enough, but just not as punchy as when running at lower speeds. The automatic shifts smoothly and promptly.

Mine is Rescue green, my favorite color in Jeeps along with the new orange and white. There really isn't a bad color, though.

Since I'm the only Rubi owner to post a review, and because I've only had it for 1600 miles, I'll try to keep posting so that you all can keep abreast of my experiences with it. Come rain or shine, it's the coolest stocker off the pavement! Jeep on.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th September, 2008

7th Oct 2008, 22:33

I took my Jeep to the black hills and did a little 4-wheeling. What a blast!! I was a little staid in my style, though, since I was wheeling by myself. The low gearing really pays off in the rocks. I can walk 3 times as fast as this thing crawls. Saves trouble when momentum isn't wanted or when you're picking your route carefully. I forded a few streams and climbed a couple of 45 degree slopes with not even a slip of a tire. I stayed in 4wd but didn't use my lockers or sway bar detachment (I should have--would have made things a bit smoother). A good trip.

One little problem cropped up which is apparently common on these JKs. There is a little clunk in the steering that is primarily noticed when off-roading or when the engine has been warm for a length of time. Turns out that it's a common but not dangerous issue with these Jeeps. According to guys on a Jeep forum I read, the problem is in the steering wheel half shaft. Trouble is the problem comes and goes and is thus difficult for techs to find. I took it to the Jeep dealer in Spearfish who was familiar with the problem but couldn't produce the clunking sound. Nice guys, though. They spent A half hour examining the suspension and steering and washed the Jeep for me and charged me a grand total of $0. Anyway if this problem gets more serious--enough for it to show up at a dealership, I'll post more about it.

Apart from that I'll just say... to you TJers, YJers, CJers, etc., I wave at any Jeeper. Please wave back.

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2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited from North America

Summary:

Disappointed

Faults:

My Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2007 (you know, the great looking, larger new 4-door version just unveiled in 2007) has a really disappointing flaw - it kicks up rocks from the road, which chip away the paint on the door hinges. I've previously owned another Wrangler and a CJ-7, neither of which had this problem.

I believe this is a design flaw, as most new cars that kick rocks come with little standard-equipment mud flaps or slightly extended fender flares.

As a first-year vehicle with different tires and flare design, maybe Chrysler didn't know that the new Jeeps would have this problem... yet, now they do, and now I have big-time damage to the paint on my new car. The paint is literally falling off, and the hinges are exposed to bare metal and rusting! My new car!

I did contact Chrysler and asked if they could make this right, but they (with attitude) told me they would not be assisting me. I don't think that paint should be falling off my new car after only a year. I've never heard of that happening to anyone else's new vehicle before, but I know it's now happening to other Jeep Wrangler Unlimited owners, who had the misfortune of purchasing stock vehicles without mudflaps or running boards. Jeep should not sell these rigs without mudguards as standard equipment.

Now I have a new car with open rust sores... what a waste. Makes me wonder what else will go wrong that Jeep will refuse to correct. Scary.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 10th April, 2008

13th Sep 2008, 18:10

I haven't seen any Unlimited Wranglers without running boards except for a Rubicon. I had thought they were standard (or at least extremely common) on the X model. Am I wrong?

28th Sep 2008, 09:09

I had the same problem with my Unlimited Rubicon because it doesn't come with running boards or mud-flaps. This is a particular problem with the Rubicon because the aggressive tires pick up some pretty big gravel. I figured running boards would be hard to take off for trail riding so I bought some flaps. It is a simple, easy, and obvious fix. It seems a little unfair to give a negative review to an entire vehicle because it didn't come with mud flaps. None of the cars or trucks I've purchased had them as standard equipment (they were a dealer add-on or something I added myself). It would seem like the first chip or two would have sent you to your nearest dealer to get flaps. Don't you share some responsibility for the delay?

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