Faults:

Driver door power assembly has shorted twice.

Dome and courtesy lights turn on and won't go off.

Brake lights keep going out -- bulbs are fine!

General Comments:

This is my 5th Jeep and am a loyal customer since my first CJ-7 in high school, but am having serious doubts whether I'll buy another Jeep given not just the widespread "defects", but the lack of support from the manufacturer. Not the same Jeep company I fell in love with.

Faults:

First example of inferior quality were the front brakes. At just under 20,000 miles the rotors were warped beyond repair and the brake pads were worn out. Complete brake R&R about $650.00. As a side note my Taurus was replaced at 135,000 miles and had a brake pads installed at 90,000, and still had good brakes at time of sale. The front brakes on the Jeep are aftermarket and are still in good condition.

At 78,000 I noticed excessive coolant loss. It turned out to be the freeze plugs rusting out. Shop replaced with aftermarket plugs for about $350.00, but slight leakage began to occur within 1,000 miles, then at about 3,000 miles after the forward plug blew out suddenly, all coolant was lost and engine was shut down immediately. New dealer plugs installed by same shop seem to be holding... for now.

Current problem however is the front differential. It started making a buzzing noise at 60,000 miles that seemed to gradually grow in volume over time and miles. It was sort of a growl that increased with speed and diminished while slowing down. The front pinion bearing was replaced at about 80,000 miles. The race and bearings exhibited significant pitting. Well, here I am at 92,000 miles and the same noise is back. Haven't been to the shop yet but will soon.

This rig has had an assortment of weird problems too. For example, drivers side mirror delaminated and had to be replaced $500.00.

General Comments:

Seats etc are comfy enough, but the leg room is inadequate fore and aft.

Faults:

Absolutely nothing. I had a whining power steering pump that worked properly, but the sound was really annoying.

General Comments:

This vehicle has more traction than most people need.

The fuel economy is a little lower than I like, but I have a very powerful engine.

The seats are like lazy boys!

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Wow! This is the most comfortable car I've driven.

The leather, heated seats are wonderful on cold winter days.

Steering wheel controls for cruise control and audio are extremely convenient.

The 4WD feature gets me through snow and mud that have bogged down other 4WD vehicles. I've helped a couple of guys get their rigs out of deep snow that was NO problem for my Jeep.

Gas mileage is reasonable: 22mpg while cruising at 80mph.

The only negative is that it tends to over-steer a bit.

Faults:

The rotors warped within the first six monthes.

General Comments:

The first impression is that this is a good looking vehicle. After owning it you realize the paint job is very cheap. Bird droppings and other debris need to be cleaned immediately or a permanent blemish will be left that cannot be removed. (I have the pretty blue one.)

The interior is also cheesy. No ashtray, no lock on the glove box. No key entry on the exterior of the front passenger door. Equipment that was metal on my previous 1998 Jeep is now plastic on the 2004 model.

This vehicle was purchased with a tow package. Towing a 19' boat through Illinois is no problem. Terrain is very flat. This vehicle failed to tow my boat through the hills of Branson MO. There was a time that I was completely stuck on a hill because the vehicle simply would not pull it.

I also own a 1992 Laredo with a 6 cylinder. It out performs the 2004.

From Day one the rotors have been a problem. Chrysler will not assume any responsibility for this flaw. Get use to swapping them out every year. I have now owned 1988, 1990, 1992, 1998 and a 2004 Jeeps. The first four were outstanding tow vehicles. The 2004 has been reliable, but performs poorly for the type trailering I do.