Reliability? Concerns..

[AdrianVall]

Hey guys,

So I have a very good deal worked up to trade in my 21' Mojave for a 21' JTRD. I've always loved the idea of the diesel platform and the insane torque/fun factor offered.

However, I'm very hesitant to pull the trigger. I keep reading tons and tons of issues with this eco Diesel engine. This would be my daily driver, as my current JT Mojave is. What are everyones thoughts? Do I need not be concerned? I know the warranty is 5 year/100k, which is reassuring, but I don't want to go through the hassle if this thing isn't proven reliable.

Thanks!

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[UTRZRDOG]

10K trouble free miles with no overheating problems. If you plan on trying to go petal to the metal pulling a trailer all of the time then you may have an issue but if you drive it like you want to keep it for a while you can’t go wrong. I know some are saying that a gasser can out pull it but I will put it up against a gasser any day and to top it off the better fuel mileage is a plus as well. I owned two power stokes and swore I would never buy another diesel again after buying two Tundras, but I can tell you I am sure glad that I gave the diesel another chance. I love it and would not hesitate getting another one.

 

[Mac]

I wouldn’t risk it, I would also check the 5year 100k mile warranty for specifically what is covered, I thought I had read some of the expensive emissions and fuel system are not included in that.

 

[maligator]

If you want it for the fun/torque and don't think it's a superduty then you should be fine. I just wasted a lot of my life making this decision. Here is the TLDR on what the forums and internet will tell you.

• People will tell you about all of the emissions issues and problems that came as a result of the fix for Gen1 and Gen2 Ecodiesels. So far I have not hear any/much of this regarding to the current Gen3
• Fuel Injector pump and subsequent fuel system failure. This is a risk in most non-commercial diesel trucks as far as I understand the Ram, Duramax, Powerstroke all use some form of the CP4 Bosch injector and are subject to the same risk. This is different than big rigs because it's cooled by the diesel vs oil and in some conditions the interruption of flow or air in the fuel can cause the injector pump to overheat and explode.Here are some ways you can decrease the chance you deal with this:
  • Get good diesel from a gas station that has a lot of diesel traffic (no old diesel sitting in tanks)
  • If you live in cold/winter conditions make sure you are using the proper diesel/additives relevant to your environment
  • Make sure you are getting your Fuel filter changed exactly when you are supposed to, don't push it like an oil change 1000 miles late etc.
  • If you are really scared and products start being developed for extra fuel/air sepration you could keep an eye out to see if Gen3 gets any solutions. Not sure if this only exists for old Ecodiesels because the pandemic makes development hard or there are less problems/concern example for 2018 Ecodiesel https://fassride.com/shop/product-tag/ecodiesel/
  • The person that mantioned that they don't cover the emissions/fuel system is partially correct. It's more like jeep wont cover a failure here if you put shitty diesel in the truck and they will test it to make sure
• Towing/overheating
  • I have looked through these threads on overheating. I have had a diesel mechanic of 20+ years that is a friend look through these and he said that there is a lot of misinformation/people that don't know what they are talking about or over-paranoid. I'm sure people have experienced this but it's most likely if you are going to be max towing, high elevation, in very hot environments or some combination of the three. I think it's mostly that the truck gets de-rated until it cools off rather than actual damage. Make sure if it heats up to let it cool off by idling truck in park while reving it to a higher rpm than idle, downshifting if on highway, and turning off AC like it says to in the owners manual lol.
    • This is even a problem in many gasser half tons like the F150 ecoboost, Silverado v8, and so on. It may be for different reasons but many trucks are combining their engine/transmission cooling solutions into one and despite this mostly being an issue of airflow for the Gladiator rather than combining, it seems like the same conditions are nerfing many of the trucks in the harshest conditions.

At the end of the day, midsize trucks and small diesels are subject to the EPA rules. This has made them more complex and added points of failure. If they were all likely to explode, I don't know why Jeep and ram would continue the hassle of offering and dealing with them. It sounds like you are like me. I want to experience a diesel before it's not an option at all. I don't expect it to last half a million miles or pull more than it's towing capacity. If you are mindful of your fuel and maintenance it's the one thing you can do to reduce the chance of catastrophic failure. I don't know that this is any different than in any other car (maybe slightly more/maybe the same).

You will see the people that Have had the worst issues in the forums, and people that perceive certain behaviors/capabilities to be a problem when it dosen't match their expectations, but the problem is with the expectations rather than the truck.

I am not a diesel expert or mechanic, but I did go through at least the issues that I listed above for hours, bothering the shit out of my friend who is with questions, forcing him to look through the threads and any other data I could find.

Also, after all the research, I ended up leasing the truck and so that minimizes my risk to a degree maybe you want more assurance than that lol. There are definatly more people that have thosands of miles on their jtrd with no issues than have had fuel systems explode or are limping across the country with de-rated overheating JTRD's

Hopefully this helps. With my luck my diesel will explode tommorow now that I said all of these things lol

 

[Barbarian]

That was a very thoughtful post from male gator. I agree with almost everything except I do expect my eco-diesel to last 500,000 miles. I’m a professional mechanic by trade and I’ve owned three power strokes two Cummins and one 2015 ram eco-diesel. I’ve had my gladiator diesel for eight months now and just coming up on 14,000 miles and it’s been absolutely trouble free. Over the last month I’ve been towing race car trailers up and down the Cahone pass and back-and-forth to auto club Speedway in the California heat with no issues. I’ve had none of the derating issues or any problems whatsoever with these trailers that vary between five and 7500 pounds. I love having a work truck that I can also wheel with and cross country with. The torque and fuel economy make it all worth it. Hope this helps.By the way I’m an absolute fanatic about maintenance, just did my third oil change at 13,500 miles.

 

[CerOf]

I had one small issue. Otherwise, I love it.
I wouldn’t trade fir the gasser; even if you gave me an extra $10k

 

[4MOTION]

Hey guys,

So I have a very good deal worked up to trade in my 21' Mojave for a 21' JTRD. I've always loved the idea of the diesel platform and the insane torque/fun factor offered.

However, I'm very hesitant to pull the trigger. I keep reading tons and tons of issues with this eco Diesel engine. This would be my daily driver, as my current JT Mojave is. What are everyones thoughts? Do I need not be concerned? I know the warranty is 5 year/100k, which is reassuring, but I don't want to go through the hassle if this thing isn't proven reliable.

Thanks!

So far, 3800 Non problem, Blissful miles. And I too drive my truck daily 80 mile round trip.
Which I believe is key to any diesel.

Just...
Proof drive it, and run a few tanks of fuel through the engine.
Let it break in well, try to let everything seat properly.

When I see posts like these, I often wonder why a Buyer would let other peoples problems dictate their purchase.
"By All Means" Due diligence is always important. But it's not like the powerplant comes with no form of warranty. At the end of the day, If you want a diesel, buy it. If it gives you grief, let the dealer Fix it.
If it becomes a Real Problem child, Then take it to the next level. One step at a time.

 

[FloridaJT6MT]

What do you want? Buy that.

 

[foo.c]

Hey guys,

So I have a very good deal worked up to trade in my 21' Mojave for a 21' JTRD. I've always loved the idea of the diesel platform and the insane torque/fun factor offered.

However, I'm very hesitant to pull the trigger. I keep reading tons and tons of issues with this eco Diesel engine. This would be my daily driver, as my current JT Mojave is. What are everyones thoughts? Do I need not be concerned? I know the warranty is 5 year/100k, which is reassuring, but I don't want to go through the hassle if this thing isn't proven reliable.

Thanks!

I don't get it. You have a Mojave, how is the diesel more fun than high speed offroading?

 

[2TH MVR]

Typical of the internet. Mostly complaints from people who are having issues. This is common nature. I am not discounting some of these complaints because they are real. But a certain percentage of vehicles will be unlucky and have issues. That is reality. Visit any car/truck forum site. Mechanical objects are not unfallible. But the vast majority do not have issues. You can mostly avoid these issues with proper maintenance and not using your vehicle to do things that maybe it wasn't intended to do.

If I wanted to tow .... I would have bought a full size 1 ton.
If I was concerned with a wobbly steering feel .... I would have bought a sportscar instead with tight rack and pinion steering.
If I was concerned with mileage .... I would have bought a prius or electric car.

Personally .... I was only interested in the Gladiator BECAUSE of the diesel option.
Now. I knew this was a new 3rd gen diesel motor .... so I also purchased an extended warranty for piece of mind.

 

[iadslgladiator]

I've had both gas and diesel gladiators. This is strictly my experience. The diesel is tons of fun if you do nothing more than "normal driving". Unfortunately it does not appear they built it to be worked hard (and I do not feel I worked mine hard at all). The temperature issues, the def usage (while towing), check engine light on and off all the time for various things. Just got to be too much. Additionally, though some on here claim the 5/100k warranty covers the fuel and emissions systems I've been told with no hesitation by 3 dealers that's not the case. I have no doubt many have and will continue to have wonderful experiences with their diesels, but after 20k miles of the issues above I just lost confidence and was able to sell it back to a dealer as they are paying stupid prices for anything they can get their hands on. I honestly don't miss it as much as I thought I would. Since getting rid of the jtrd I've taken 3 trips in my gasser in 100+ degree Temps and never one time worried if I was going to "hurt it". Peace of mind goes a long way......imho!

 

[iadslgladiator]

Typical of the internet. Mostly complaints from people who are having issues. This is common nature. I am not discounting some of these complaints because they are real. But a certain percentage of vehicles will be unlucky and have issues. That is reality. Visit any car/truck forum site. Mechanical objects are not unfallible. But the vast majority do not have issues. You can mostly avoid these issues with proper maintenance and not using your vehicle to do things that maybe it wasn't intended to do.

If I wanted to tow .... I would have bought a full size 1 ton.
If I was concerned with a wobbly steering feel .... I would have bought a sportscar instead with tight rack and pinion steering.
If I was concerned with mileage .... I would have bought a prius or electric car.

Personally .... I was only interested in the Gladiator BECAUSE of the diesel option.
Now. I knew this was a new 3rd gen diesel motor .... so I also purchased an extended warranty for piece of mind.

Who would complain if they're not having issues?

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

Hey guys,

So I have a very good deal worked up to trade in my 21' Mojave for a 21' JTRD. I've always loved the idea of the diesel platform and the insane torque/fun factor offered.

However, I'm very hesitant to pull the trigger. I keep reading tons and tons of issues with this eco Diesel engine. This would be my daily driver, as my current JT Mojave is. What are everyones thoughts? Do I need not be concerned? I know the warranty is 5 year/100k, which is reassuring, but I don't want to go through the hassle if this thing isn't proven reliable.

Thanks!

Ive been thinking of doing the same thing! :O
People say oil changes are more expensive, fuel and DEF fluids but so is re-gearing. My mojave is awesome and I love it but the mpg i expected a bit better (especially how easy I drive). Any tires bigger than stock and im going to be in the 12mpg range. The thought of almost doubling my mpg and torque, seems like a no brainer to me.
(I dont really tow anything but a very small offroad trailer.)

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I don't get it. You have a Mojave, how is the diesel more fun than high speed offroading?

id bet because their desert to street driving ratio is 95% street.

 

[John in the Woods]

Just adding a vote for the JTRD. I'm just past 15K, and have not had an issue. Great power and quick from a roll (not quick off the line). Crawls up and over anything on the trail. I haven't hauled a trailer yet, but I regularly load the bed to capacity with gravel, stone or construction debris, and I've never had an issue. It drives like there's noting back there.

The Mojave is amazing. No knocks on that. And I'm not doubting there are folks who've had some absolutely legit issues with their diesels. But if this is something you want, I'd say dive in. It's a hell of a powertrain.

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