This is in reply, so I'll paste the original. For some reason google
is failing to allow replys to some messages...

>From: DesertEagle (kbender@netspaceonline.com)
>Subject: Problems

>Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.jeep+******
>Date: 1997/12/18

>When my Jeep finally arrives it will be my first. So my observation
may be
>based incorrectly, but the more I read this newsgroup the more I
wonder if
>the Jeep is a well built product.
>I've owned too may other used vehicles and haven't noticed quite as
many
>problem combined as I continue to read here.
>Is the Jeep well built or are these problems, i.e. leaking, noises,
ticking,
>etc. just the related problems of buying new versus used and the
original
>owner fixing it prior to my purchase.
>Allow me to state that this will also be my 1st NEW vehicle and I am
leery
>to find out I may have bought a fixer-upper.
>Any reassurances will be appreciated.
>DesertEagle

I have a 2004 TJ SE I bought in October 2003.

It has just over 13000 miles on it. I service my cars myself, and I
have done all the oil changes and inspections and maintenance in the
schedule. I have had zero problems. Everything on the car works, it
is substancial, it is well engineered.

The car I had immediately before this was a Subaru Forester. I bought
that new as well. In the middle of buying it I checked the Subaru
newsgroups and suddenly found I had purchased a car that had several
continuing problems: piston slap that developed on some but not all of
the damn boxer engines, rear wheel bearing failures and an infamous
clutch shudder that seems to have been from a material engineering
shortfall. I held my breath and bought it anyway... My car did not
develop the piston slap and I didn't keep it long enough to find out
if the wheel bearings still went out regularly, but I got the clutch
shudder at 8000 miles. Overall I would say that that car was cheaply
built, engineered insubstancially and I would never buy another.
Consumer Reports rated it one of the best ever and I found it a
substandard POS. I HATE bad engineering.

Before I bought the Jeep I checked the newsgroups for continuing and
persistent problems in TJs. There are a few (the manifold cracking on
some I6's from a few years ago, and Chrysler screwed up the disk
brakes for a couple of years), but none are serious and the I6 is just
about bulletproof. With good maintenance (synthetic oil!) and some
care, you can very likely get 300,000 miles or more out of the engine.
People with Subarus were bragging about 140,000 KM! Jeeps are assumed
to run damn near forever, and they pretty much do.

Jeeps have quirks - non-Jeep people are sure they ride like dump
trucks - but I don't think there is any other vehicle as much fun to
drive and own period. I had a Cherokee before this TJ about seven
years ago and I always regreted not keeping it.

--dsm