My personal experience. Jeep reliability? I've owned two and wrenched on more.
93 GC. to be fair, I bought this with over 200k on it and sold around 250,000. It was, for what it was, solid. they weren't known for reliable A/C so I didn't repair this one either. A/W A4 trans was solid and super reliable as long as you didn't overheat it AW4 trans was rare in this vehicle. I6 engine was easily worked on and quite durable. It was a mountain goat even with mild A/T tires. not a great HWY cruiser. didn't complain about towing within reason. Mine was so old I can't really fault the failures I had with it, power window mechanicals, alternator, water pump, as at 200k that car owed me nothing. Even so, it was hard to live with the amount of upkeep it needed by then. It was by far the most enjoyable vehicle I owned. There's something about that one which spoke to me. The first gen also saw the beginning of daimler's universal transmission architecture... 41TE, 42RFE, 44RE, 46RE, 42LE... all using common inside parts built for front drive, rear drive, and front drive front facing layouts. There were some serious teething pains in the early years with that. The 41TE used in neons and minivans never really did become totally ironed out, but the RWD and front drive front facing designs I think did.
The generation after that was plagued with creature comfort issues. most notably HVAC. Some level of transmission issues too if I recall. However, it may have been a sweet spot for the GC lineup in terms of reliability.
08 GC. multiple failed power window switch gear. Maligned blend door problem from day 1. Stalling/idling problem which resulted in engine lurching the car forward as it would stumble and re-catch (so during that tight manuever in the garage or in traffic the engine would stumble and lurch forward, no good). But not if the A/C was on. fuel rail test port leaked fuel into the engine bay without warning. valve tap started at 36,000 on full synthetic oil diet, and started showing rod knock at higher temps if towing light. never threw a code so repairs were just part swapping. I sold it and now see on the boards where it's a common problem but not a common fix. known for misaligned rear axle tubes from the manufacturer. Body flex was so bad the doors creaked against the body if you were so bold as to set one wheel atop a curb. One day I entered a setting change on the EVIC and it promptly shut off and the dash went nuts. I can't make this stuff up. Oddly enough, however, it was super comfortable, had a great stereo, and handled /excellent/. The MB-sourced Nag1 transmission was a dream. It was in my opinion one of the best 5spd ATs produced. The 3.7 was a good design, but I think only so-so manufactured, and mine was probably not a good one. That vehicle was a mixed bag.
We looked at a newer chero for my son. Of the little 'utes, it had the best interior, ride quality, and handling dynamics of the ones we looked at. compared with rav4, escape, compass, and someting else I can't remember. But the 9 speed with the four banger did things that were entirely unacceptable if it were another brand. A honda shifting like that? people would condemn it. Couldn't make up its mind, and when it did it might (or might not) into the next gear with enough force to make me wonder about engine mounts. My son and I really wanted this car to work out. We went to the jeep forums and.... no. It was not uncommon to see, "two transmission replacements under warranty, and now it's doing it again. must sell before the warranty runs out."
So for Jeep, I can't sum them up as a brand. I think it's better to sum them by division. I suspect the wrangler is still internally designed and managed by the same team that had it 10 years ago, and it's consistent. Look at how they dress cables and set the engine bay? Well-dressed. Clean. Easy to get in there, maintian, and get the mud out. Electronics are well-protected. The wrangler gets a lot of well-designed love, and they don't cost-cut the details in that vehicle. I noticed similar with RAM trucks 10 years ago, don't know about now. I hate to say it, but everything else FWD is a neon. And that's not bad, but it is not the same. I have no experience with the RWD sedan family.
-m
