Does Model Year Matter? Any to avoid yet?

[Mad Mac]

Are you talking specifically about the TPMS sensors when you say the ECM cannot be reprogrammed, or the GPEC2 vs GPEC5 swap?

I may have misspoken about the ECM but all I know is
the sensors in the wheels changed in June of 2021
and the Gladiator cannot be reprogrammed
for the new TPMS sensors.

The only reason I know this is because I swapped wheels
on my January 2021 build with the owner of a 2023.
The tire man had a programming tool but could not reprogram them.
He was kind enough to remove all the wheels,
move all the TPMS sensors in the wheels
and remount all our wheels for free.
He somehow felt responsible that he should have known
about the VIN split.

That is the kind of service you can get
in a small town in East Texas.
But he might have been influenced
by the cases of beer I gave his hardworking crew
at Denson Tire Center in Palestine, Texas.

Here is a thread about the June 21 vin split
and my experience swapping wheels and sensors.
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...n-the-tpms-sensor-changed.71915/#post-1174553

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[sharpsicle]

+1 tazer, but what is this super secret button code?

 

[OHJeeper]

I may have misspoken about the ECM but all I know is
the sensors in the wheels changed in June of 2021
and the Gladiator cannot be reprogrammed
for the new TPMS sensors.

Your're 100% right - they can't be reprogrammed because it essentially would require swapping in a new BCM and WM also.

I just wasn't sure when you said "ECM cannot be reprogrammed" if you were talking specifically about the TPMS issue, or the move to the new ECM (GPEC5) which is giving tuners a lot of headache on the 2022's and later.

All good, thanks for clarifying

 

[OHJeeper]

+1 tazer, but what is this super secret button code?

On the Rubicon:

1) shift to 4H
2) press the off-road+
3) Press and hold ESC button for 5-10 seconds until the dash says it's disabled
4) Press the red button to lock the rear diff

 

[Slipshodman]

But I will say I have bigger concerns about finding a quality technician at a local Jeep dealer to fix my JTR without screwing it up even more than I do have concerns about the factory messing things up.

Dam, ain't that the truth

Agree with others, second hand is always second hand, so there is a risk of how it has been treated no matter what vehicle you are looking at jeep or other
I have a 2021 (O/S Spec), from memory I think April of the production line, and only minor issues that could happen to anything, My daughter has a 22 JLU which has also had some niggly stuff but nothing drastic, it's the dealers that have been the bigger hassle

For me the day I test drove it I bought it, didn't even shop around (although there wasn't many around over here back then and she was the first I had seen in person in Hydro) , I knew there was no turning back lol

End of the day it comes down to risk v's reward and what your $ range is at at the time
Good luck whatever choice you make

 

[Dave-in-RI]

They had a brand new 2023 sport on the lot for $38k, wouldn't be hard to talk them down to 35 or less I'd imagine. It would be hard for me to pay within $10k of the cost of new fire a similarly equipped vehicle with any miles on it personally.

I’m with you there. Guess I’ll look harder— these 30-35 ones also had 30-35k miles on em. But I’m in New England and jeeps are pricier.

 

[Redleg37]

You need to add "select" before "start" if you have someone in the passenger seat.

 

[chorky]

ers, second hand is always second hand, so there is a risk of how it has been treated no matter what vehicle you are looking at jeep or other
I have a 2021 (O/S Spec), from memory I think April of the production line, and only minor issues that could happen to anything, My daughter has a 22 JLU which has also had some niggly stuff but nothing drastic, it's the dealers that have been the bigger hassle

For me the day I test drove it I bought it, didn't even shop around (although there wasn't many around over here back then and she was the first I had seen in person in Hydro) , I knew there was no turning back lol

End of the day it comes down to risk v's reward and what your $ range is at at the time
Good luck whatever cho

Yeah that is the single largest consideration I think. Every vehicle has problems, and every vehicle can be fixed - if tech's know what they're doing.... Many do, and many don't. This was the single biggest concern I had when finally deciding to sell my OBS 7.3 and move into the JT. The 7.3 was getting old enough where various components, like a vacuum sensor, could no longer be found outside a wrecking yard. And good technicians near me that knew how to work on them are hard to come by, and very expensive. But, new vehicles are so complex these days a person, in my opinion, would be taking huge risk by not ensuring it has a warranty. Can you imagine the repair cost on a plastic oil fill box if not covered under warranty?

But your last comment hits it on the head. Risk vs reward - and everyone will be different in that regard. I placed my bet that the risk of needing quality certified technicians was worth the potential reward of a nice new vehicle. So far, my risk aspect has been annoying - but not so drastically I am tossing the JT out the window. We'll see after another couple years if this assessment sticks though. If things continue downhill, well, it's much easier to fix up my TJ than it is the JT - and cheaper too although significantly less comfortable. In the end, if people can't fix things reasonably well at an acceptable price, then all the niceties in the world dont matter. Kinda like what is happening to new construction homes lately. Major water leaks, massive electrical violations, terrible plumbing - at a median price of almost 1M in my area - well in town anyway. Flat out insane. And to make it worse, contractors simply wont come out to where I live. Period. Reasoning is 'I have enough high paying jobs close by'. I get it....but that attitude wont win them any work from me when work gets slow thats for sure. I found the only electrician within 200 miles that would help with a new main panel. And he ended up flaking out after steeling about 5K of a deposit.

The super secret cheat code is what the software update enabled. Previously there was no way to do it at all.

Please explain - I definitely want 4H locker abilities.Hey

 

[OHJeeper]

Please explain - I definitely want 4H locker abilities.Hey

See post #34

 

[Fundamental Jeepster]

2020 gladiator owner with 40k+ miles including plenty of off road and very difficult trails. Zero problems so far. Was one of my favorite all time purchases.

I feel with any used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection is a must.

No problems with my 2020.

 

[ecidiego]

On the Rubicon:

1) shift to 4H
2) press the off-road+
3) Press and hold ESC button for 5-10 seconds until the dash says it's disabled
4) Press the red button to lock the rear diff

Mojave is identical. It doesn't just 'let you do it' in 4H.

 

[Jeeper44mag]

No problems with my 2020.

Ditto. ~31,500 miles now. Running great so far!

Luis

 

[Uparms]

I could have kept my 70K miles 2020 JT Sport Max Tow. 1 gas emiss valve under warranty, Steering gear under warranty, then at 68K miles 2 identical christmas tree warning light/ messages explosions across the dash. 7-10 days apart. 2 days in dealer then 10 days in dealer and he is yelling for more hours to resolve issue. JeepCares helped me get coverage on and expired warranty. Issue solved, never came back, could have kept that JT for 150K miles.

Then I started thinking about big trips and the discounts started to fly. 16% off factory ordered Sport Max Tow, 42K with S package and premium soft top.

If you have to save cash or find a realy good deal, that is the only way I would do a 2020. Mine was a 2019 August purchase, so a real early JT.

With all the deals out there new and used, I would avoid the "First Year Model" 2020. Consumers Reports ( if you buy into their system) also has it listed in Red for Electrical problems,

Good Luck, have fun, be safe!

 

[Bjeepz]

I’m with you there. Guess I’ll look harder— these 30-35 ones also had 30-35k miles on em. But I’m in New England and jeeps are pricier.

I almost always travel to purchase new vehicles. Saving thousands and getting a sweet road trip in just makes sense to me. On my Mojave I saved about 10k not buying with the local idiots due to a 6k higher trade value 300 miles away and a dealer that was motivated to make sales. It wasn't even a truck on the lot, they ordered to my spec!

 

[Delhux]

Based on my own informal summary of the posts on this site, it seems the Gladiator model years to avoid are 2020 and up.

The ‘62 through ‘71 model years are exceptionally reliable, based solely on the absence of technical complaints across the forum.

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