1998 Jeep Wrangler Sport review from North America
"Whose worse, Chrysler for building it or me for buying it? I cannot beleive the poor quality!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
O.K., where do I start?
Let's see, the radiator failed and had to be replaced the first year we had the vehicle.
The headlights only worked occaisionally.
The dash lights and gages failed.
The center pieces in the wheels rattle.
The taillights and turn signals just stopped functioning.
I'm sure the radio had problems.
I hear clicking in the front and the front end feels loose.
The rear shocks blew out (this vehicle has never been off-road and my wife drove it 10 highway miles back and forth to work).
The drivers seat is cracked.
The zippers in the top don't work correctly so it is nearly impossible to close the windows correctly.
The vehicle leaks every time it rains.
The brakes wore out prematurely.
The stereo sounds terrible, even with the sound bar.
The ac is making noise.
The fender flares have faded to a light grayish color that looks horrible.
I have to wave at every other low brow who bought one of these lemons.
You can't fit anything in it.
It sucks the gas.
The plugs foul easily.
The engine is un-refined.
The price is way too high for the poor quality.
No locking differential. Unbelievable!
General comments?
Very competent off road. Tackles all terrain with gusto and can ascend or descend incredibly steep inclines. Oh, wait, that's my 4Runner.
This vehicle is a joke. I would like to join a class action suit against Chrysler for every advertisement they have showing this vehicle as a durable off-road machine. Jeeps are "part-time" four wheel drive vehicles only and they don't have a locking differential. I would put my 4Runner up against my Jeep any day. Even if the Jeep did outperform my 4Runner, it would just be a matter of time before the Jeep breaks down. The only thing the Jeep is good at is squirming its little body between boulders. Even then, if the top's down the Vultures will poop on your head as they circle this vehcile waiting for it to die.
The short wheel base makes is easy for my mechanic to guide it onto his rack.
The unreliability is a big joke. Everyone who has one of these things got ripped off. You would think Chrysler would try to make it a high quality, affordable car due to the fact that mostly younger people buy them. I won't buy another Daimler Chrysler product unless they start outsourcing design and production to Honda or Toyota. What an absolute piece of garbage they are selling. Who needs all these problems? At least when you drive with the top down you can grab parts as they fly off.
Chrysler Exec; "What do we do with all of these left over Dodge Ramcharger parts?"
Chrysler Lackey; "Why, let's use them to fleece young college grads. They're all stupid. They don't know lo-tech!"
Chrysler Exec; "Why, you're a genius. We'll double, no, TRIPLE our money on these things. Heh Heh Heh."
Chrysler Lacky; "Do you think we should use the Cordoba wiring harnesses?"
Chrysler Exec; "I would prefer to save those for the next generation TJ. Don't want to give them too much too soon. Dig out the old Dodge Aspen wiring harnesses. We should have a bunch of those left."
Chrysler Lacky; "We used those on the 98 TJ's, sir."
Chrysler Exec.; "Alright, Cordoba harnesses it is!"
Recommended reviews
| A must own, perfect all-around vehicle |
| All-around capable performer |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 1 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 49000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 13th August, 2003 |