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High mileage JKU... worth the risk?

70K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  digitalbill 
#1 ·
Hello all!

I'm hoping to join the Wrangler family soon. I'm currently weighing my options between a 17 JKU from the factory and loan payments for years, or a high mileage 12+ JKU out of pocket. With my current financial situation, I'm leaning towards the latter option.

After weeks of looking, I've stumbled upon this guy:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/683661733/overview/?aff=tyeminvu&cmp=usedinv


It's got most of the things I'd want in a new JKU... 6 speed, hard top, side airbags, connectivity group. From the pictures, it looks nice... clean, no visible dents/scratches/tears, no modifications, dirt-free engine bay. It's also only an hour away, so I could get over to check it out without too much hassle. And the price tag, which I assume I could get below 19k out the door, is very appealing, compared to 33.8k for the factory 2017 I optioned out. Problem is, of course, almost 134k miles on the odometer, and an expired warranty.

So, am I crazy to consider this option? If not:

1. What serious issues should I look out for most? I'll have an independent Jeep dealer perform a pre-purchase inspection. What should I point out specifically that I'd like investigated?

2. What less serious but still potentially costly maintenance may be needed in the short and long term?

3. I've never owned a 4WD vehicle before. How can I ensure the system is functioning correctly? I would like this vehicle to perform well in mild off-road conditions, with the option to pursue heavy modification for moderate to severe off-roading in the future.

4. Are there any warranty options I could buy? I see Mopar only offers extended warranties on used vehicles with less than 125k miles.

5. Anything else I should consider before taking the time to visit the dealer, go for a test drive, order a history report, and have an inspection done?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
I bought a 2009 JKU Rubicon used with 120K miles on it. In my case, it was a one owner vehicle with all service records. It had a 2" lift and 33's on stock rims. 6 speed and no other mods. It had been well cared for. The tires were about shot, but I'm planning on modding it anyway, so no big deal.

So far, I have had no problems. My experience having had other jeeps is that they are pretty well built. If I were you, I would look at the CarFax on it and try to get the service history.

I would check for signs of flood damage (there have been a lot of floods in the US this year). You can fix a lot of problems with the money you will be saving.
 
#3 ·
I have 102k on my 2011 and no major issues. Had cracked exhaust manifold replaced at about 90k and front drive shaft shortly after for a bad boot slinging grease. Both under warranty. Other then that it runs great and I expect to get a lot more out of it. Of course mine is a 3.8 not a 3.6 engine too. Just do your best to look it over and maybe have a mechanic give it a once over if you decide to go that route. Good luck! Let us know what you end up with!



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#13 ·
I have 102k on my 2011 and no major issues. Had cracked exhaust manifold replaced at about 90k and front drive shaft shortly after for a bad boot slinging grease. Both under warranty. Other then that it runs great and I expect to get a lot more out of it. Of course mine is a 3.8 not a 3.6 engine too. Just do your best to look it over and maybe have a mechanic give it a once over if you decide to go that route. Good luck! Let us know what you end up with!
Beauty!

Out of curiosity, do you know or can you estimate how much the manifold and drive shaft replacement would have cost out of pocket? Are we talking a couple hundred bucks, a k or so, or a multi-thousand dollar repair?

Also, I thought the JKU warranty was 5yr/60k miles. How'd you get warranty repair on those issues at 90k? Extended warranty purchase?
 
#4 ·
I think a valid question would be how many miles are you planning on putting on it a year? Are you planning to keep this for several years or trade in again in a few? To sway you towards the new option, jeeps hold value very well, even if you have your payments out 5 years, if you put 15,000 miles on a year, a jeep with 75k will be worth your investment, not to mention $0 in maintenance costs.
 
#9 ·
I typically drive between 10-15k miles per year.

If I go the used route, I'd most likely trade in a few years down the road. If I go new, I'd keep it for the long haul.

I guess it really is a money game at this point. Do you think I could realistically get $15k+ out of the used JKU if I sell privately in a two years, assuming it gets up to 160k miles, but is well maintained? Or $25k+ out of the new JKU in 5+ years?

And, I guess the point of this thread, what kind of maintenance costs might I be looking at for the used option? Perhaps my decision will come down to what maintenance costs I could expect vs. cost of loan payments.
 
#7 ·
^This.

I have a 2009 with over 120K miles on it and it still runs great. The only thing needing replacement was plugs and wires at 110K miles.

However, 2012 was the 1st year they came out with the new 3.6L engine (previously 3.8L). I would avoid purchasing any 2012 and look for something older or newer to avoid the potential head replacement issue. I'm sure there are many 2012's which didn't have the problem, but not worth taking the risk, especially if you're going into it with financial concerns in my opinion.
 
#11 ·
My new build option would be 3.73 and LSD. But $19k vs $34k is a big difference, so I'd obviously have to make sacrifices. Once I hit the lottery (or get out of poor graduate student mode), I'll pop for every option imaginable, but in the meantime, this wouldn't be a terrible alternative... would it?
 
#16 ·
I bought an '07 in 2014 with about 65,000 miles and didn't think twice. For the right price, I would buy a Jeep with well over 100,000 miles without hesitation.

I think they're asking too much for the Jeep you posted, but if they would knock a little more off the price, I'd think about it.
 
#24 ·
Holding out for a similar mileage jeep from a private party with full service records will not cost you more than buying that jeep.
Try posting a "wanted" ad on the jeep forums and see what comes up.
You could also get a really nice (.with lower miles) TJ for the same money or less to get your jeep feet wet.
The TJ will be leveled out on the depreciation curve, and if you buy right you'll not lose much money if you decided to sell in a few years (as you mentioned)
 
#26 ·
We had (3) 2012's and traded them all in for newer ones. You are looking at 68K miles before warranty runs out so could go either way. Good news is that most buyers are not aware of the head defect and dealer salesmen don't care. Your resale value is sky high and you can trade in against a 2017 for a little investment and start the new bumper to bumper warranty period over again. That would be my advice.
 
#27 ·
Personally, I think that is a bit high for a sport. If it was a Sahara, I might think differently.
Also, Carfax shows it being offered for sale in 2011 so, it was an early 2012 build. I know that, besides the head gasket issue, there were also problems with sand casting in the heater core and I am not seeing a replacement on that.
Personally, I would pass on this one.
 
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