2003 Jeep Wrangler RUBICON from North America - Comments

The left front axle seal has gone bad TWICE! I believe there may be a defect. The last time, they also replaced the seal in the "pumpkin". Perhaps, they went in to explore what may have caused the problem. It seems to happen every 9k miles or so, so, I'll be keeping an eye out for it, as the warranty is coming close to ending.

Also, it needed a new radio/CD player because of an ejection problem with the CD player.

I noticed a power steering line leak recently and will have to have that serviced. This was noticed at about 20k miles.

The original tires are getting pretty low, at 24k miles. They aren't cheap so I'm trying to push them a little further.

Last, the exterior finish is pretty low quality. Its red paint, especially. It quickly got sun spots after purchase and seems to be too thin. It scratches easily. I've been addressing scrathes with touch-up paint to avoid rust, which will happen soon enough. The undercarriage has already started rusting a bit. None on the floor plan, but some other hardware under there including the exhaust. I know its non-stainless and will rust, but seems to be going faster than normal.

The exterior bumper ends made of plastic are fading, very common.

Nothing else is quite like a Jeep. There are thousands of them on the road, but somehow I still feel like I am driving something unique and special.

Aside from the poor gas mileage, its pretty practical for my needs. Its four wheel drive, relatively reliable, sporty, and a convertible.

I really like the solid feel, not rattles. I am a stickler for solid rides. The ride is stiff, but I don't mind. I'm used to driving sports cars so its not all that different. It even handles corners fine, considering its high center of gravity.

A word of caution; it is a little squirrely in the rain when the 4-wheel drive isn't engaged. I don't' know if its the M/T tires which are suited for mud, but they definitely slide around in the rain.

I thought I'd want a hardtop and almost passed on buying my Jeep because they didn't have one available. But, after almost 3 years with the softop, I'm happy with it. Its fine in all weather conditions and you always have the option of taking the top down. It takes some time to do that and since I don't garage it, I normally leave it up.

The stereo is great, with the subwoofer and soundbar speakers.

Only, the passenger side seat slides forward to let in back-seat occupants. This makes things a little more awkward when trying to get 2 people back there. It also means I have to open the passenger side to put bigger things in the back seat.

I took it off road a couple of times and LOVED it! It does things I never knew a truck could do. It got a few scratches from tree limbs from doing that, but I guess that's the price you pay and is perhaps a badge of honor to wear. Many Rubicons and other Jeep Wrangler models never hit the dirt and so its like mine has old war wounds or something. It fits the character.

Off-road a couple of times in 3 years, 24,000 miles? What a waste. And it's a Rubicon! A Honda or Toyota would get better mileage.

I used to have a Jeep. It was a lot of fun, and I took it off road at least once a week, until housing developments took up all the land. Then I had to drive further and further away. When it came time to sell the BMW or the Jeep for a down payment on a house, the Jeep was sold. For driving to work and on long trips, the Jeep didn't make sense anymore. I was able to manage in the snow with the BMW, but I had to buy a snow shovel to get out of the driveway.

(I made the original comment). Yes, it is a shame, only serious off-road driving a few times in 3 years. But, I have the same problem you had, no place to go. Everything is private property. It literally took me 3 years to find a good place, which was also private. I went there until the police started shutting people down. It was a lot of fun. But, now I need to find another place.

I have 2 Porsches for high speed and long distance... and better gas mileage.

OK, Now, the rear axle seal went bad at 26k miles. I noticed thick grease all over the inner part of the rear wheel one day recently. The dealer said both sides were bad and replaced under warranty. I'm starting to think there is a problem with the seals in these Dana Axles they use in the Rubicon.

I'm going to look to see if axles are covered in the Power train warranty because my new car warranty is about to clock out and I don't want to foot the bills for new axle seals every 10k miles. Has anyone else had this problem?