So here's what concerns me!

[Higher_Ground]

no electronics... need to get 30 miles... better throw a bicycle in the back :D

I know it's not something that you can use to fix your vehicle, but if you are worried about being stranded (or just being prudent some might say) carry one of those EPIRB devices. A few hundred dollars but could get you out of a jam if you are hurt and don't have cell coverage.

This might be overkill for a trail where other people would be along to help, but if you are out in the wilderness it's something to consider.

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[Shootist]

There is a myriad of things that can go wrong in any vehicle for a multitude of reasons. Old 60’s era non-computer vehicles could also leave you stranded. Sling an alternator belt and kill a battery is just as bad a failure as a $50 sensor going bad. This is really a risk management issue as opposed to a reliability one. New vehicles even with all the computer controlled items are far more reliable than older vehicles even with more items that could fail. So, if you do the math you may find that you are far more likely to wake up with a couple flat tires or a dead battery 30 miles out in BFE than to experience a mechanical or electrical failure. But again, if that concerns you bring a backup plan to cover the issue or a friend with another rig as has been mentioned.

Long story short, if you worry then plan to have a backup strategy. If you “like your odds” then just roll on and enjoy. Just know the risk/reward factor and be comfortable with it or lower the risk to the level where you feel comfortable with it. Get a ham radio or a sat phone if your the lone wolf type. There are many ways to overcome things that go wrong.

 

[cgflyer]

Pack accordingly for a few nights out......and just tell yourself on the long walk back to civilization that “it’s a Jeep thing”! Haha.....

This is funny, but I actually think it is good advice. I'm planning a 2 month long cross country utilizing the Trans American Trail for a vast majority of it and until just now, didn't plan to bring a backpack...but now I think I will definitely bring my hiking tent and sleep pad or my hammock and packable sleeping bag just in case I need to abandon the Jeep and hike out of anywhere.

 

[tanner20]

@ the OP....not bagging on you, but do you trust your cell phone to make calls? Concerns about the reliability of your technology can't be limited to your transportation. I would expect someone concerned by electronic failures and being 30 miles from another human to have an exit strategy. I mean, a tree blocking your only road out might create the same problem...

 

[Willys2Gladiator]

@ the OP....not bagging on you, but do you trust your cell phone to make calls? Concerns about the reliability of your technology can't be limited to your transportation. I would expect someone concerned by electronic failures and being 30 miles from another human to have an exit strategy. I mean, a tree blocking your only road out might create the same problem...

Agree to everything everyone mentioned.
Just was curious. I actually plan well but through out a cenerio just to start the topic.
So far I have no reason not to trust my Jeep but all the new electronics can get one thinking when you read/ hear of issues and glitches.

 

[Factoid]

Loosing sleep...just what the AI wants.

Gone are the days when we kept a matchbook in the glovebox to both spark doobies and set the points gap when the car died.

I miss those days.

 

[tanner20]

Agree to everything everyone mentioned.
Just was curious. I actually plan well but through out a cenerio just to start the topic.
So far I have no reason not to trust my Jeep but all the new electronics can get one thinking when you read/ hear of issues and glitches.

Totally understand man. Years back I had a 2002 F150 that died going 45mph, steep 6' ditches on both sides of a two way road. Steering locked up and everything...had to feather the parking brake pedal (not an easy task) to get it slowed down. Knew it was something electrical, so had it towed home, rather than the dealer to give it a crack myself. No codes thrown. I gave up after a couple of days and had it towed in. $500 later for a $20 relay (which probably cost $0.25 to make) and it was like nothing had happened.

Ever see that movie Maximum Overdrive? Still scares the crap outta me...

Have a good weekend!

 

[Klutch]

Old 60’s era non-computer vehicles could also leave you stranded.

This! I'm old enough remember when cars didn't have computers and it's not like they were bullet-proof:

- Mechanical fuel pumps failed suddenly and catastrophically. If you were in the middle of nowhere and your fuel pump went out, you weren't going anywhere until you got another fuel pump. (Replacing it typically involved only two bolts and two line connections, but you still need another one.)

- Carburetor needle and seat valves would suddenly start leaking and spew gasoline out the top. This was not only a Class Bravo fire hazard, it would typically keep the engine from running.

- My dad bought a 1975 Chevy pickup in 1980. Shortly after he bought it, a brake caliper seized and left him stranded. Then the rear differential locked up while he was on the highway. The diff was full of fluid. It was a manufacturing error. (He was lucky he wasn't killed in that incident.)

- One morning my mom went to start her 1976 LTD station wagon and the battery exploded. It literally exploded as in "KA-BOOM!". Luckily, that car was 4-wheeled tank. I think the front end would have blown out on most other cars.

- Tires were not nearly as reliable as they are now. It wasn't uncommon to experience a random blowout on the road for no reason. In fact, that 1976 LTD wagon had five brand new Firestones when my dad bought it and, over the next few years, all five of those tires experienced a blow out. I was in the car during one of those blow outs.

Enjoy the relatively, trouble-free reliability of modern vehicles.

 

[5JeepsAz]

Most jeep people are prepared and able to respond in crisis so that's a non-issue. OP was simply stating the obvious. Tech has myriad limitations. Some of us wish we had a low tech option on a badass jeep truck.

Want to celebrate a supersonic toothbrush? Ok fine, just don't tell me I need one or should want one.

I bet I get an ad for supersonic toothbrushes now. And I bet millennials won't offer a tech free jeep truck. So much for ranting against AI. 

 

[P.Lo]

The way I see it, you really ONLY need to worry about 2 items that could strand you in the middle of nowhere..........
1) Out of air in the spare tire
2) Out of gas
Everything else ......... is, what it is.

 

[PDiddy]

First thing I would do when you get your gladiator is rip all the electronics out. That way you don’t have to worry about it.

All jokes aside, I have a Garmin InReach. I keep it in my gladiator and I take it when I go mountain biking. It allows me to send messages via text with satellite service. If you get stranded you can always contact someone. I have used it once, when I was mountain biking. I expected to have cell service where I needed to be picked up at but didn’t. I was able to text my ride and send them a location. It worked great.

no matter what, you can’t control everything. So you better be able to get a hold of someone.

 

[GoVR46]

First thing I would do when you get your gladiator is rip all the electronics out. That way you don’t have to worry about it.

All jokes aside, I have a Garmin InReach. I keep it in my gladiator and I take it when I go mountain biking. It allows me to send messages via text with satellite service. If you get stranded you can always contact someone. I have used it once, when I was mountain biking. I expected to have cell service where I needed to be picked up at but didn’t. I was able to text my ride and send them a location. It worked great.

no matter what, you can’t control everything. So you better be able to get a hold of someone.

I also carry a Garmin Inreach, 66i for off the grid communication.

 

[TYJ]

Start at 2:10

I have almost 20k miles on my Gladiator with very few issues.

Now grab a glass of OJ (vitamin C).

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’m glad I don’t loose sleep over crap I can’t control. EVERY vehicle built today is an electronic nightmare ........period....every one of them.....and EVERYONE of them will eventually leave you stranded...EVERY ONE of them!

Well, I'd say "may". So far not a single vehicle has EVER left us stranded - only my 1995 F250 did that, and it was due to a popped brake line! It popped in my driveway, thank goodness! It dumped the rear system of the master all over the ground. But that was BRAKEs, not electronics and could happen with any vehicle.

We've never been stranded. Only inconvenienced.
But your point - yes, they are all this way and some MORE than these! Go buy a bloody Mercedes if you think these have electronics! 10 years ago even mid-level Mercedes has many more complex systems than these Jeeps do. IMO, Jeep is catching up.

DaleG I hope you have a long healthy life as you are heading in the right direction with your very first sentence! Kudos. Wish I was like that.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Loosing sleep is just an expression.
But really. What are the failure items that one should be concerned with?
What has anyone personally experience that we could learn from.
If there's a sensor in every fluid I would think we might want to consider carting some especially if you don't regularly inspect them as I do.
Just hear about a lot of new rigs not working due to a simple item like fluid level or proper hand shake of sensors.

Love my Jeep. Hope it's just as reliable as all my others.

Jeep has never let us down - not so far anyway.
My only JEep failure, I forgot about until now, was a dealership service department issue - they tightened the shxx out of the belt and ripped out the water pump bearing while I was heading home. I was able to limp home - driving until my gauge hit 220, then stop and let it sit, then drive a couple more miles, then stop and so on. They replaced the water pump, radiator, hoses, antifreeze, belt and more - their goof. Not an electronics issue. So I can still say no jeep through any fault of its own left me worried.
We've owned a lot of 'em over the years.

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