looking at buying a 2013 rubi with 30k miles on it... was wondering if theres any major flaws with the '13 models

Check out the coolant overflow tank for any sludge. Their were issues with OAT and HOAT mixing as well as sand in block casting. Also check that heater blows hot. Lastly make sure build date was after 7/26/12 so you don't have the defective AA heads.

 

I purchased a 2013 New. From what I have read on this Forum, it is one of the best years, with the least issues.
Mine has been trouble free other than a oil pressure switch, which is common to all year 3.6 engines.

As already mentioned in Post # 2. Remove your overflow coolant bottle and flush it out with water. remove the hose from the bottle to the radiator and also flush it out. Replace the radiator cap with a new Mopar cap. Make sure that the radiator is full of coolant before installing the cap. Re-install your hose and overflow bottle and re-fill with coolant to about 1/2 way between the empty and full mark.

As for the Coolant, HOAT and OAT are not compatible. Your 2013 should only use OAT Antifreeze. Purchase this from you Jeep Dealer. Look in your owners manual, which should confirm that OAT be used.

There were a few early 2013 (built prior to the first of 2013) that were built with Hoat. If you are not sure which to use, then have your local Dealer check it for you. The two antifreeze's are not compatible!

If you purchase any wrangler 2012 through current, I would recommend the same flushing of the overflow bottle..FYI

 

should the MOPAR OAT Antifreeze be purple or orange In Color?

 

nothing so far.......knock on wood

 

I have not had a single issue with my 2013 that wasnt caused by me.

The motor is strong and reliable, the auto trans is a tank, everything else is pretty much the same throughout the years.

 

Nothing major:

Rear brake pads will need to be replaced at 40k
Front brake pads will last twice that.

Oil bypass valve issue - plastic plunger breaks and you need to have a new one on hand. Search "oil bypass"

Likely need to flush your heater core.

I've had a water pump that chirps, and I'll be replacing it soon. Intermittent....

Leaking hard top... Pretty common.

Great vehicle - 2013 freedom edition

Zac

 

I have a 2013 as well - 10th Anniversary Rubicon. At 25,000 miles I've had zero repairs, just normal service items. I'm going to follow the advice above in terms of preventative maintenance, but I personally have had no issues at all. Best of luck in making a decision.

 

Bought mine new in 2013 and have had no major problems. The dealer replaced the Freedom Top seals just before warranty was up. They advised to not remove the tops when hot, i.e. after sitting in the sun. The seals stick to the panels causing the seal to deteriorate. I will be flushing the coolant after reading so many issues. Although I don't think anything is currently wrong. Just good preventative maintenance

 

<70,000 miles on my 13. Water pump and a clutch plate. Best vehicle I have ever owned! 30,000 miles on it!? I say go for it!! Lot of factory warranty left no?


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Also bought mine new and not has 59k on it. have had zero real issues. Just replaced the plastic thermostat housing. Other than that......the passenger seat has become unstitched. And I think there was a recall for the mirror motors...??? Something about the wiring catching on fire. It has had a lot of mods and zero issues. Very Strong.

2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport "S"
Automatic

 

JKUR, so far OK if you ignore the weirdness of heated seats/windows requiring a reset of the ignition key once in a while. There was a recall on the heated mirrors. Got a drivers side leak just once in a biblical storm at 10,000 ft.
Replaced the rear differential cover due to some rather large boulders, replaced with a TF and will replace the front this spring w/PS. Enjoy the vehicle a lot.

 

I bought my 2013 with 24K on the clock, no major issues, very happy with my Rubicon. Not a major issue, but some (me included) have had problems with faulty tail gate hinges, which first show up as a broken door stop rod. The hinges were redesigned in mid 2013, check this thread for details.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/my-tailgate-stopper-broke-195265-6.html#post11422617

 

I've replaced 2 water pumps in 55k miles. The first one in the first week new off the lot and the second back in early December last year.

Other than that nothing epidemic that I know of. If it's a manual transmission just know it's sloppy, noisy and with the laggy gas pedal response it takes some getting used to.

 

The 13s also had a recall for the tranny coolant lines rubbing on each other. Not a biggie dealer will do it because it's a recall.

 

My 13 has been pretty reliable so far, only thing I've had fixed had been passenger front and rear driver axel seals, bougth mine used with 30k, and I have 89k miles and counting, knocking on wood.

 

Bought my 13 2door Rubi about a year ago and now has ~38,000 miles on it. Got it stock and now it is lifted with 35s. Hit the beach weekly and do some decent wheeling monthly. Runs great on & off road.
:iamhappy:

 

Bought mine in October 2016 with 70000 miles and i have had to replace the.

1. Thermostat and housing "causing codes"
2. Randomly shuts off driving down the highway. " Still not fixed"
3. Transmission jerks in first at 1500 rpm and again in second at 18 MPH " Dealer replaced TCU did not fix, Conductor plate in transmission replaced and 13 pin connector still not fixed.
4. left rear axle seal dripping. "replaced seal"

 

My left axle seal is leaking also... was that fixed under the 100,000 powertrain warranty?


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I didnt even take it to dealer and just replaced it myself. cost about $50 for seal and bearings from local parts store. Only issue is it requires the bearing to be cut off and the new one to be pressed back on, so unless you have the Hydraulic press will have to take to a shop that can press the bearing on.

 

Hi, wondering what “sand in the block casting “ is referring to. Thanks!

 

I have a very basic 2013 Sport, wind up windows and manual locks. I have AC. It has ca 130,000 miles with very few minor issues. I have replaced the thermostat after a "stuck open" code, at the same time I replaced the temp sensor, however that was unnecessary. I have replaced the EVAP pump following the famous gas cap code, most likely replacing the o ring would have solved the issue. The standard radio failed, and it is a real POS, replaced that with a kit from Crutchfield. That's all, other than maintenance items, brakes, oil, filters etc. I would hook up a code reader to the OBD and check for anything there and also shine a strong light around the oil filter area and look for oil puddling in the valley indicating a cracked filter/oil cooler housing.

 

Purple! no ands ifs or buts. Now I know some forum members will fudge around, but I will tell you my 2013 JKR has and always will have purple mopar antifreeze!

 

Mopar OAT is purple, Mopar HOAT is orange. Other manufacturers do their colors differently. Once it's in the system, it can be hard to determine the color. Best to take a sample out and look at it in a clear container to determine actual color.

 

2013 was the year when they mixed OAT and HOAT at the factory . Mine was orange/ purple and had to flush entire system and refill.

 

I doubt it was the "factory" that mixed oat [purple] and hoat [orange]. I had some work done at a local Jeep dealership and the mechanic mistakenly refilled my system with hoat [orange] antifreeze. This was verified by the mopar antifreeze part number on the service ticket. To verify which mopar antifreeze your 2013 takes use your vin number!

 

I bought my 2013 brand new and never visited the dealership for service. OAT and HOAT was mixed from the factory!

 

The "dealership" where you bought your Jeep might have "serviced" your Jeep prior to your pickup! The service tec might have put a "little" hoat in your overflow bottle. If you had driven your Jeep for any length of time with a larger mixture of hoat and oat, the result would have been a catastrophic sludge like goop in your Jeep!
I have seen the result of mixing incompatible antifreezes in Jeeps and the result is not pretty.