Overview of the Jeep Wrangler
The Wrangler is related to the Willys-Overland General Purpose light reconnaissance vehicle that became an icon of World War 2 and gave birth to the Jeep brand.
Jeep's compact off-roader has become famous in its own right, with a design that has changed only subtly over the decades.
There are two-door and four-door versions (the latter badged Unlimited), while a Rubicon variant indicates the most hardcore version of this immensely capable off-road vehicle.
JEEP WRANGLER GENERATIONS (SINCE 2007)
2007-2012
2012-2018
RUNNING COSTS
Fuel Consumption (2012-2018)
3.6L V6: 11.2 to 11.9 litres per 100km
2.8L 4-cylinder turbo diesel: 8.8 litres per 100km
= Highly economical.
= Good economy.
= Average fuel use.
= Heavy consumption.
Servicing
Every 12,000km or 12 months (petrol) or every 24,000km or 12 months (diesel), whichever is sooner. Each service currently costs between about $395 and $1095. Jeep Wrangler parts and accessoriescan be found on Gumtree.
SIMILAR MODELS TO JEEP WRANGLER
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: JEEP WRANGLER (2007 to 2017)
Like its big brother, the Grand Cherokee, petrol V6 versions of the Wrangler could experience problems with the left-hand cylinder head. Symptoms included hard-starting, an erratic idle and a random misfire, and if a leak-down test by a mechanic shows wear to be present, the usual course of action is to replace the cylinder head. That won't be a cheap process out of warranty. Some Wranglers would simply not start, and the cause was often traced back to the control module which, if it did indeed turn out to be the cause, required replacement. The Wrangler has also been tarred by the same brush that has taken the gloss off other recent Jeep models in that it has been the subject of numerous recalls. At last count there were about 17 or so recalls current for this model Wrangler, including one that deals with the Takata airbag fiasco. A visit to a Jeep dealer to see whether these recalls have been attended to is the best bet.