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School a Toyota guy on reliability

uplandgunner

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The only real Toyota competitors to the JL are the Series 70 trucks and the Hilux, both are unavailable in the US due to emission controls and not meeting safety standards. Look both up and they are very stripped down and simplified vehicles regard electronics and controls. Both are very austere in any refinements and creature comforts. Not much to go wrong with the mechanicals and pretty easy to maintain and repair in a shade tree mechanic sort of way. Makes them very popular in 2nd and 3rd world counties.

We used a Series 70 crew cab in Namibia last year and while I found it very capable and reliable there was not much more to praise in it. All the outfitters use them but they still have problems.
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Southbayglad

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Depends on your expectations of reliability. Powertrain should be solid and wear and tear on seats, trim, and body panels should be good. Historically, FCA has had some complaints with tech and the Wrangler has some steering, suspension, wind noise, and leak issues that may follow the JT. I imagine the list of problems including recalls, issues, and whatever else on the forum will vastly exceed the Tacoma complaints (engine power band and gear hunting, differential leaks, and uncomfortable seating position).
Uncomfortable seating position? I would say any Toyota guys I talk to that is 100% their first complaint; seating and room. I’ve never really heard that from Jeep people.
 

lrtexasman

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Toyota reliablity, eh? Do we want to ignore the way the bodies would rust off the frames? And the V6 head gasket debacle? And the frames that folded like lawn chairs and prompted Toyota to buy back entire trucks? And the crank shaft failures on the Tundras? And the plastic cargo box cracks that we saw on Tacomas? And the way Toyota leads the world in vehicle recalls? I suppose we want to avoid all of that and just focus on overall day to day reliability.

Well, I gave Toyota a chance once and before I made it to 100k on my 4Runner the frame cross members were rusted like Swiss cheese and the exhaust manifolds needed to be replaced because they were cracked and leaking. And I wish I had a $5 bill for every time I towed my buddy's Tacoma home on a trailer for him....usually miles and miles from home while we were trying to camp and have a good time.
Please let us know how the Ram Diesel works out if you go that route. . If I went full size, I’d have gone with the straight 6 Duramax in the 1500 Silverado/Sierra, as I felt that is a more reliable and responsive engine. I test drove the Silverado and the Ram and found the Ram to have a better ride and more features at the mid trim level but the Silverado felt quicker and more solidly built (less tech) l. The silverados are actually running just a tad less than the Rams in my area. I am Watching reliability reports on both. Curious to see if the redesigned eco diesel has the same problems as the early version with emissions and blown engines. Really hoping the redesign fixed the issues, as I’d prefer a Gladiator diesel as my next vehicle. I am completely willing to live with small issues (all manufactures seem to be having problems in their redesigns). But I will pass in a second If a brand is having significant drivetrain problems.
https://www.allpar.com/forums/threads/ecodiesel-engine-failures-anecdotal-and-reviews.171433/
 

velogeek

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Uncomfortable seating position? I would say any Toyota guys I talk to that is 100% their first complaint; seating and room. I’ve never really heard that from Jeep people.
Room was never an issue (upper body wise I feel more cramped now) but I can say that the seating position and leg angle were massive reasons I'm no longer in my Tacoma. Easily my #1 complaint.
 

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lrtexasman

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Agree,
Room was never an issue (upper body wise I feel more cramped now) but I can say that the seating position and leg angle were massive reasons I'm no longer in my Tacoma. Easily my #1 complaint.
I agree, the power seat in the 2020 Tacoma does help with leg positioning now. However, IMO the Gladiator still has the edge to me comfort wise with longer thigh bolsters, extra padding, and 5” extra leg room for rear passengers. I do wish the floor well had more room. But nothing is perfect, lol.
 

Deleted member 28696

The Gladiator Rubicon interests me since I'm a wildlife photographer and I like the open concept, I wouldn't have to leave my vehicle to get a shot of birds in flight or in the trees.Some of the places I go require you to stay in your vehicle for safety reasons since they have wild Bison. I think the reliability of Chrysler products are questionable in general. I had a Sebring that I purchased from a dealer used & within a couple of months I was going down the road to get onto the highway but instead at a stop light the whole body came down on the tire. The lower control arm failled which caused the body to come down on the tire, it also released the drive shaft and came out on the road along with all of the fluids. This was apparently a known problem that Chrysler knew about and was previously under recall, since the last owner replaced the part and the replaced part failed Chrysler would not fix the issue, If I actually got on the highway the outcome could have been much worse. I had an $7,800.00 paperweight. Not only did I have to purchase a new vehicle I had to write my existing loan into the new car purchase. Since Chrysler would not stand behind their recall repair which had a catastrophic failure, I would think twice about purchasing any Chrysler, Jeep product, that's why I'm here, not to bash the product but to see if it's improved since the open concept and look of the Gladiator is kind of neat, but I don't want to get burned again. I searched online and the Gladiator rates lower than average for expected reliability by J.D. Power at 2.5 out of 5.
 

sad85XD

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I searched online and the Gladiator rates lower than average for expected reliability by J.D. Power at 2.5 out of 5.
Idk where you are getting you info but the JD power website show the gladiator unrated. Also JD power is a bought award. Its the Oscars of the Car world.
 

Deleted member 28696

Idk where you are getting you info but the JD power website show the gladiator unrated. Also JD power is a bought award. Its the Oscars of the Car world.
If you search on Google and put in Jeep Gladiator Reliability the first thing that comes up is this

Gladiator Reliability

The 2020 Gladiator earns a below-average predicted reliability rating of 2.5 out of five from J.D. Power.Oct 29, 2019

2020 Jeep Gladiator: Is it a Good Car? | U.S. News & World ...
cars.usnews.com › cars-trucks › jeep › gladiator

Jeep Gladiator School a Toyota guy on reliability {filename}
 

sad85XD

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If you search on Google and put in Jeep Gladiator Reliability the first thing that comes up is this

Gladiator Reliability

The 2020 Gladiator earns a below-average predicted reliability rating of 2.5 out of five from J.D. Power.Oct 29, 2019

2020 Jeep Gladiator: Is it a Good Car? | U.S. News & World ...
cars.usnews.com › cars-trucks › jeep › gladiator

Jeep Gladiator School a Toyota guy on reliability {filename}
"The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is unranked in Compact Pickup Trucks due to missing safety data. Currently, the Jeep Gladiator's overall score is not available, though its Critics' Rating, Performance score, and Interior score are based on our evaluation of 12 pieces of research and data."

Thats the score from that website not of JD power. Not that either of those are a credible source.

How about Car and driver giving it a 5/5
https://www.caranddriver.com/jeep/gladiator
 

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velogeek

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If you search on Google and put in Jeep Gladiator Reliability the first thing that comes up is this

Gladiator Reliability

The 2020 Gladiator earns a below-average predicted reliability rating of 2.5 out of five from J.D. Power.Oct 29, 2019

2020 Jeep Gladiator: Is it a Good Car? | U.S. News & World ...
cars.usnews.com › cars-trucks › jeep › gladiator

Jeep Gladiator School a Toyota guy on reliability {filename}
You have to realize that it's projected reliability based on the JL (as they are probably 60% or so shared parts) and Jeep as a brand. The mechanical will be quite sound on these now that the transmission is a ZF unit and the axles are so much beefier across the board but the electrical will be an issue as is expected with FCA.

Vehicles break down and you have to be ready for that either by knowing how to do the work or having an oh-shit button that lets you get help. Where the Gladiator might leave you stranded because of a sensor failure, a Tacoma or Colorado might leave you stranded because you had to push harder and snapped a CV axle. There is sacrifice in all of them and for some of us, the capability Jeep will have over the others is paramount. If you want more reliability with capability second, get a 4Runner or restore an old 80 series Land Cruiser if you want both.

But they are right... JD Power is bought an paid for by the industry. Just look how many times Ford and GM have won over the past decade or two. US News is maybe a rung better on the ladder as an authority of anything.
 

Deleted member 28696

I did go and test drive a Gladiator Overland & I really liked the ride & it was a fun vehicle to drive, the model I drove was around the $50K mark on special. The Rubicon was too expensive and I think the Overland was nicely equipped. They have a pull strap to adjust the seat back, all manual controls, This is so that you can hose the vehicle out or go into streams etc. The vanity mirror was a joke, extremely small. limited glove box storage, Outside of that I really enjoyed the vehicle more than I thought I would, It's the only truck that I know of that's can be converted to open air which is what is attractive. The other thing I look at is that it competes with the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, etc. I can purchase a top of the line Canyon Denali for much less around 43K and get cooled and heated seats, heated stearing wheel, lane departure, Bose Audio, cameras, electric controlled seats, & all of the bells and whistles, while the Gladiator while very nicely appointed lacked some of those features usually found in it's price range. It's a bit difficult to get in and out of if you have elderly relatives like I do they may not be able to ride in the vehicle. I still like the vehicle & it's definitely an option, it's the price that's hard to justify. I did purchase the GMC 2020 Canyon Denali.

Update: The Gladiator continued to pull on my heart strings. My GMC Canon also had a weird transmission delay when you first started out it would have a hesitation by design I didn't like. It also had chrome on the outside of the side mirrors which was messing up my photos. I was continuing to miss birds in flight on the wildlife drive. With the Jeep it has the freedom removable tops. I finally decided to Trade in my GMC Canyon and purchase a 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. It has less features that I won't miss. The overland model was nice but wasn't the same tough look as the Rubicon, bigger tires, features, skid plates as along with the ability to customize it. You don't see many Overland models being customized on youtube, it's usually the sport model or the Rubicon. I'm really liking the vehicle so far, it's fun to drive. We will see over time how it holds up and how reliable it is. I got the v6 gas model & not the Ecodiesel because I was hearing mixed reviews and various maintenance issues with the Diesel model & it's more expensive as well.
 
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aj8544

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I've given up on trusting the various ratings- J.D Power etc... like others have said they are bought awards and not a true reflection of real reliability. I have owned 3 Ram trucks, a Charger, a Durango, and now a JL and a JTR. In addition I've also had a few Toyota and Chevy cars, and also currently have an F150. Overall I've had the best luck with the FCA (or Chrysler) products over the other brands. The last Toyota (a 2008 corolla) was an absolute nightmare, my wife ended up trading it in 2 years due to reliability and safety concerns, not to mention it was the single most uncomfortable vehicle ever. My chevy cars and trucks always needed front end work once they hit somewhere around 50k miles, usually ball joints and wheel bearings. My current 2018 F150 is the worst vehicle I've ever owned, everything from 4x4 issues, electronics problems, and now serious engine issues- all in less than 40k miles. My wife's JL has over 40k miles in 1 and 1/2 years without a single issue. With the other FCA vehicles listed- not a singe major problem- tires, brakes (usually just cleaning) and oil changes. All were ran to 100-120k miles before trading. Ill also add that on the truck side of things the newest consumer reports ratings put Ram above Ford and Chevy.

No brand will be perfect 100% of the time, and the JT hasn't been around long enough for anyone to really know long term reliability. I will say that the build quality of my JTR is the best of any vehicle I've ever owned- quite frankly makes my Ford seem like a mass produced plastic mess.
 

redpoint512

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I'm a Toyota nut, specifically Land Cruisers, but I have a Tacoma also. This new JT is in many ways checking a lot of the boxes that a 70 series Land Cruiser checks, and also a lot of the boxes that we dream of the Tacoma checking, but the Tacoma is steadily devolving into a more and more car-like luxury truck with some nagging reliability problems. But reliability has always been T's strong suit - amazing reliability.

So if I bought one of these Jeep critters, what can I expect, reliability-wise? I think the Pentastar is a pretty tried and true engine - what kind of longevity are we looking at? What about the manual transmission? If the Wrangler format (and this is basically that format) has a reliability problem, what is it?

Thanks a lot.
I was a long time Toyota guy..I had 2 FJ40, 2 older Landcruisers and an FJ Cruiser. My JT is my 2nd Jeep, first being a heavily modified JL My JL had some issues with the entertainment system but went 120k trouble free other than that before I traded it. My Toyota's other than the newer FJ Cruiser were rust buckets and I did have the dreaded seal issue on a Land Cruiser that required a new Chevy Big Block. The only things I miss about my Toyota';s were all relative to the FJC...I miss the fact that Toyota designed its frame to accept rails so you could get an adapter for your high lift and jack off the rock rail to avoid being balls deep in mud. I miss the 3 wind shield wipers which you have to experience in heavy snow to appreciate. Other than that I love my Jeeps. Oh and a note from my FJC days, if you have a round rock rail and want to keep from splitting your shin get big ass Mtn Bike tires, split them and zip tie them to the rail...learned that on the FJ forum years ago but really my jeeps have been as reliable as the Toyota's so far.
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