Faults:

When I first saw the Wrangler at the dealer, the first thing I asked "Was there a fire? Was the interior changed?". It was the first time I'd seen the Apex addition. I didn't care much for the hood "Apex" stickers on the hood, but what really through me off was the light tan leather seats clashing with the gray and black everything else. Those seats and the awesome sound system is what makes up the Apex package, otherwise just an X model.

After a test drive I knew it was coming home with me. I purchased the Jeep in Prescott, AZ in 2008 with 42000 miles on it. As a Field Service Technician, I doubled that in just over a year. I change the oil regularly, and have gone through a battery and a set of tires, and bought a new top, but that is all. With no lift it will handle 31 inch tires and it goes where I point it. Slips into four wheel hi or low with no grinding. It came with the Dana 35 in the back, so I won't be adding much of a lift if I decide to install one.

The only problems I've had are as follows:

The check engine light will come on for no reason then disappear after a few starts. Sometimes the air will stop blowing out of the vents for a few minutes, but I understand this is a common problem. The lever for the wipers is heavy enough that when I drive some bumpy terrain, it will move and the wipers will start. Center console lid latch is broken and difficult to open.

General Comments:

I love the stereo, but it's time to upgrade to something that will play MP3 format. I might even replace the weak speakers up inside the dash. It came with the overhead sound bar and a sub woofer in the center console. I may just upgrade the speakers all around, come to think of it. It would have been nice if it had come with grab handles for the passenger and back seaters.

This style of Wrangler is the last of the 4.0's. I had a 1992 Cherokee that had been totaled in a accident, and this is the replacement.

Faults:

I bought the Jeep Wrangler Sahara new in Mexico and have used it for general transport daily and for sporadic off-track field work in very difficult terrain, for nearly 6 years now. For the first 5 years I had no problems with the vehicle except for routine replacement of worn parts.

Last year the second gear began to snag and the vehicle became undrivable. The agency changed the clutch and the relevant part of the gear box. 3 months later the same fault appeared, this time with an indication of a fault on the dash board. The problem was not solved until someone suggested a sensor that was causing excessive acceleration during the gear change. They changed the sensor and had to change the clutch and relevant part of the gear box again, and also this time the "crucetas" (in Spanish, I don't know the equivalent in English)

Now, 6 months later, the same fault is there again, there is no indication on the dash board, the second gear started grinding really badly and I returned it to the agency immediately to prevent further damage.

I am really disappointed, this was an investment for life and I depend on the vehicle for my work (I am a biologist). Until last year I was really happy with the vehicle.

General Comments:

I loved it until the second gear started to fail. It coped with very difficult conditions, mud, rocks, steep inclines and driving rain, everything, very well. Its small size permitted me to force my way through very narrow and disused trails and is also an advantage for city parking.