Diesel owners; do you regret you engine choice?

[gmcul8r]

I will start by saying, if there was a manual available with the EcoDiesel, it would be in my driveway. Regardless of cost,,,, period.

I love diesels, and thought briefly about giving up my manual dreams just to get the oil burner. When I did a little research and saw who/where it was made, I was no longer interested.

Much tougher decision for those who go automatic.

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[Davekayc]

I love the sound of a diesel under the hood in these. Its very quiet , have to turn off the music and open the windows and drive beside a wall to hear it well. Sounds quite a bit like the minivan engine except for the faint distinct diesel rattle . Ahould get throatier sounding after its broke in. . . Its like having some sort of army issue machine with a stoutness and a bit of a grumble . Keep in mind these have almost same torque as the 5.7 hemi . Except at only around 1400 rpm. I have a powerstroke with 440 hp and 900t stock and i end up leaving it at home to scoot around for any excuse in the jtrd . My 2020 jtr gas was identical in every way except motor. I paid dearly to trade in after only one year but it was worth it.
i wish they kept the tank size instead of shorting it to fit a def tank. One day I can see hitting the delete def button and getting a bigger tank . Should be able to get 500mi range after that. Its the most efficient ,most capable ,most versatile ,and most fun vehicle you can possibly buy in 2021.

 

[Mac]

Right at 6,000 miles on mine. No issues with the diesel and runs perfect. Unfortunately, mine is being lemon lawed due to an unfixable and substantial water leak. Ordered another one just like it last week (diesel too). If the replacement Rubicon Ecodiesel engine is problem free like this one, I will keep past the warranty. I called around and found a good ecodiesel mechanic and he said as long as you do the maintenance by the book and use a good additive in the fuel, should be good to go.

LOL... They cannot fix a simple water leak, what do you think will happen when you have a problem with the motor that is extremely complex and those repairing it have limited training on? One of the biggest risks with any Jeep product is if you have a problem will they be able to fix it?

 

[Diesl Jp]

3k miles on my Overland diesel. Had issues with DEF (dealer replacing DEF pump tomorrow, actually), but nothing to get too worked up over. Have definitely heard horror stories on the DEF system, but a lot of those are seeming to boil down to a simple problem exacerbated by a terrible dealership experience in getting it fixed.
I haven't used it yet for some of the reasons I went diesel (towing, wheeling), and it's too early to see if some of the potential pitfalls of my fair-amount-of-city-driving turn in to longevity issues.
But having ALL THAT TORQUE immediately...
I test drove 3 gassers (Overland, Rubi, Mojave), loved them all. Then the salesman was like "this came in last night, just give 'er a see". And it right away just felt like the engine the truck was meant to have.
Currently, not even a slight regret.

...but I am coming up on the first oil change...

 

[Gohan2374]

I would like to know how many diesel owners are purchasing the extended/lifetime warranties though?!?!?

Jeep doesn't offer one max I found was 7 year 125k

 

[JeepGuy82]

LOL... They cannot fix a simple water leak, what do you think will happen when you have a problem with the motor that is extremely complex and those repairing it have limited training on? One of the biggest risks with any Jeep product is if you have a problem will they be able to fix it?

Well, they finally did get it fixed. But, it was past the lemon law timeframe and they offered to buy it back. I decided to go ahead and proceed with the concern should it ever leak again and I pass on the buyback, it would be on me.

Probably would have never been a buyback had I gone to the “second” dealership first as they were able to fix it within a couple of days after the parts arrived. But, after 6 months of nonstop issues with the leak, I felt like I had not choice but to follow through.

I constantly waver back and forth on the “risk” with the diesel. But, once you drive it there’s no going back to the gasser.

 

[K9Jeeper]

Not at all! Nothing to regret... It makes the vehicle for me. Just to compare. I had a 2020 Gladiator and ditched it in like 7 months.... I found out they had a fix for the 2021 steering feel, so I thought to myself, let me see for myself... Sure as hell, it is definitely light years ahead of my 2020. So I also wanted to change things up a bit and go both diesel and Rubicon this time. I’ve got a pretty good feeling I’ll be driving this one long enough to pass it onto my 5 year old in 11 years...

 

[Davekayc]

Weird . My 2020 felt great . Wonder what the issue was

 

[Onaebsr22]

Have 4000 miles on JT bought in October. Have had no issues and at this time can see no other vehicle in my future. Had a F150 for 19 years with 317000 miles. With proper service the JT diesel should last the rest of my life.

 

[Davekayc]

At least til end of warrantee anyways

 

[PackMule]

Full disclosure, I've previously owned the "True" minivan version JK (2008 3.8), which drove me to buying a pentastar JK the moment they came out in 2012. That was a night and day difference in vehicles. The pentastar JK was the most versatile vehicle I've ever owned... except couldn't tow past 3500lb, and I want to tow a camper trailer.

The minute I could order a diesel JT I pulled the trigger. Only significant performance mod thus far is 35" tires.

9k miles, extreme long trips (Montana to AZ and back), this is the best match of engine to vehicle I've owned. Done some lite wheeling, this thing is amazing... just point and shoot at 1400rpm it goes over any obstacle.

Don't have my new trailer yet, so have to still check that box, but the Gladiator did tow my JK 34mi round trip to the shop when broken down wheeling, and got 17mpg while doing it. (completely flat road, 45-50mph)

I average around 24mpg mixed driving. Wife got 28 on one 1000mi leg of our trip. All that with 35's.

Only two gripes on this vehicle:
1) front springs are woefully weak for the weight. Will need to add a lift once a diesel specific one is available (note: heard the Mopar diesel specific is too soft as well for what I'm doing)
2) payload takes a hit because of the extra weight. 960lb on my JTRD. This is my rate-limiting factor on what I can do with this vehicle. If someone is really into Overlanding, they might want to look at a Sport S rather than a Rubicon. I went Rubicon for lockers, sway bar disconnect, and skids, all of which I've already used, so no regrets, just have to really scrutinize what mods I do that add weight (Yes to adding cap now, not yet for winch bumper until nice aluminum ones are available)

I have read all the pessimists on the blogs:

- No, I don't expect to reap my engine investment on mpgs... as once you add DEF and additive costs, you aren't saving much there.
- Yes I did get an 8yr 100,000k warrantee because of comments on DEF system... and I usually am not a new vehicle warrantee guy.
- Yes I will enjoy towing a 4500lb travel trailer up 7000' mountains better than any other engine in a jeep qualified to tow that much.
- And... Yes I will equally enjoy wheeling it once I get where I'm going, better than I could in a full sized truck.

Looking forward to seeing if it dethrones my JK as most versatile vehicle ever!

 

[Oil Burner]

Jeep doesn't offer one max I found was 7 year 125k

My dealer gave me one of those free lifetime power train warranties. It covers all the oiled parts, turbo, trans, and axles. The language seemed legit and both the insurance company and dealer have been in business 30+ years. Check in with me in 20 years to see if I was duped, LOL. Definitely a plus in my book to take the risk.... and the purchase offer wasn’t bad, either.... not great, but not bad, nonetheless.

 

[wvuviv30]

With diesel more expensive at the pump, plus the initial $4000 more upfront. The fuel economy is a wash at best.

...and if you were planning on getting the 6-speed, it's $6,000 more with the added cost of the automatic transmission.

Kevin

That 6k will get you a magnuson blower and raptor killing bragging rights

I was looking at the Sport S trims and to get near the same towing capacity, the price difference is only $2955.
Sport S Diesel with Trailer Tow is $44,945
Sport S with Max Tow is $41,990.

The basic Sport S (manual/auto) can only trailer tow up to 4000/4500 lbs and comes with an Open rear Diff. Adding the Diesel brings you up to a 6500lbs trailer and Trac-Lok rear. Yes the Max Tow can tow more at 7650 and the package comes with the Trac-Lok rear.

Both the Diesel and MaxTow will be able to handle the trailer that I'll be towing (5x8 or 6x12 enclosed trailer) a couple times a month.

 

[wvuviv30]

Some of you are worried about keeping the EcoDiesel outside of its warranty. Keep in mind that replacement engines appear to be fairly cheap. I can get a brand new engine with new CP4 pump, new injectors, and new turbo for $7,495 with a warranty (3 year/100,000 mile) for my 2015! The new 3rd gen engines aren't available yet, but I bet they won't be much higher. The 2nd gen engine was $6,950 before the pandemic, so I'm not sure if the price will drop back down or not. The last I checked, the price included free shipping and no core exchange!

I'm not worried about the engine, its more the emissions control systems.

 

[biodiesel]

I'm not worried about the engine, its more the emissions control systems.

I'm at 93,000 miles on my 2015 EcoDiesel. So far, the only thing that I've had to replace (emissions related) was a clogged DEF injector and EGR cooler. The EGR cooler was replaced under a recall and the DEF injector was replaced under warranty. I now run the Platinum DEF which is designed to minimize deposits.

So far, the emissions systems on the EcoDiesel appear to be pretty durable. As long as you run a good quality oil (low ash) and fuel additives, your emissions system should last a very long time.

Any future repairs is still cheaper than buying a new vehicle and/or making payments. Back in May of 2020, I started saving $250 per month to put towards future repairs. I already have $3,000 saved up, that's nearly 1/2 the price of a new engine!

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