Used Vehicle Woes

[WellPreserved]

I bought a 2019 Jeep Wrangler last October from our local dealership (we only have one) and purchased the dealer warranty for $3000. I love the Jeep but have had some electrical issues with it and of course, the issues resolve themselves by the time I get it to the service department. Friday, electrical went "haywire" and car wouldn't start in the grocery store parking lot after I loaded it with a ton of groceries!

Paid for a tow and waited until this morning for service to take a look at it. Their call was that it needed a new battery ($580 and of course not covered by my warranty). Okay. Car ready for me to pick up this afternoon and my key fob won't work. Service checked the fob's battery and it was fine so said I may need to use my alternate fob. I don't have one as I only got one with the car. Purchasing a new key fob, $530

So far I've spent more on my "new" car in the last week than my son's 22 year old car in the past 5 years.

Just wanted to vent.

[mater-three]

I’m sorry.

[mommy_jules]

We had to replace DH’s key fob last year after ODS “lost” it in the driveway. The truck had to be towed to the dealership, and then paying for the replacement was expensive. It was a major PIA. We found the lost one a few months later.

[WellPreserved]

We had to replace DH’s key fob last year after ODS “lost” it in the driveway. The truck had to be towed to the dealership, and then paying for the replacement was expensive. It was a major PIA. We found the lost one a few months later.

This is the first vehicle I've owned with an electronic start so I was SO unprepared for the sticker shock! I should have insisted that Jeep pay for a second key fob when I bought the vehicle but just assumed when they handed me the card with contact that they were talking about just a few bucks. I've only had to replace the key on a John Deere tractor, lol.

My son broke the key in his 22 year old Jeep's ignition about 5 years ago and replacing the entire ignition with new key was only about $200. <sigh>

[carterscutie85]

Jeeps are notorious for electrical issues. We had one that we couldn't figure out. We traded it. Disclosed the issues but they couldn't figure it out either and of course they didn't happen when we went to trade it.

[Heyteacher]

I feel ya! My Jeep’s battery for the stop start feature is $250…why two batteries??? UGH.

[LiveWhatULove]

Man, vehicles, ugh! I am sorry!!

We bought a little old Nissan Frontier for a couple of thousand, that was “running great” from my in-laws for the teen to drive. It went down similar to your jeep.

It kept not starting, so we jump started it.

Then a fuse was blown. We replaced that.

Then it would not start again, so we jumped it and replaced the battery.

Then a fuse was blown so we replaced that.

Then it would not start again, so after much google searching and YouTube watching, hubby decided it was a worn out ignition lock cylinder (oh, yea, thr in-laws, had noticed they had to get a few more keys made, as they were not working. Grrrrrrr)

It started better than ever, only to die repeatedly on the road. Jumped it again, blew a fuse again.

More research, of hours and hours of YouTubr, only to realize the entire ignition needed to be replaced.

Hubby, with no automotive experience replaced that, and *fingers crossed* that seems to have been the entire issue. It has been running great since that time

All the battery, and blown fuses were unnecessary.

But hubby did all the work himself, I cannot imagine the pain in th ass and expense it would have been to deal with the dealership.

Again, long story to just say, I understand your pain!!

[highlandmum]

We had to replace DH’s key fob last year after ODS “lost” it in the driveway. The truck had to be towed to the dealership, and then paying for the replacement was expensive. It was a major PIA. We found the lost one a few months later.

My friends husband dropped her fob and it fell down the sewer grate. The cost of it was $600, and here's the kicker, the car was not even a month old and had under 500 km (310 miles) on it. I honestly thought she was going to make him go down the sewer to retrieve it.

[WellPreserved]

Man, vehicles, ugh! I am sorry!!

We bought a little old Nissan Frontier for a couple of thousand, that was “running great” from my in-laws for the teen to drive. It went down similar to your jeep.

It kept not starting, so we jump started it.

Then a fuse was blown. We replaced that.

Then it would not start again, so we jumped it and replaced the battery.

Then a fuse was blown so we replaced that.

Then it would not start again, so after much google searching and YouTube watching, hubby decided it was a worn out ignition lock cylinder (oh, yea, thr in-laws, had noticed they had to get a few more keys made, as they were not working. Grrrrrrr)

It started better than ever, only to die repeatedly on the road. Jumped it again, blew a fuse again.

More research, of hours and hours of YouTubr, only to realize the entire ignition needed to be replaced.

Hubby, with no automotive experience replaced that, and *fingers crossed* that seems to have been the entire issue. It has been running great since that time

All the battery, and blown fuses were unnecessary.

But hubby did all the work himself, I cannot imagine the pain in th ass and expense it would have been to deal with the dealership.

Again, long story to just say, I understand your pain!!

My daughter has a 1997 Jeep hand-me-down and she and I cheer when it does run, lol. She's torn about buying a newer vehicle because the monthly repair on her Jeep is still way less than a car payment. I still have the title to her car and I've been encouraging her to let me donate it to NPR and then help her with a replacement. Now I'm thinking that she has the right idea!

Honestly, I don't see how most people can even afford a new or semi-new vehicle today not just because of the initial cost or payments but the cost of replacing even basic items like a battery or key fob <sigh>.

[Anonymous 1]

I'm still driving my trusty and loyal 04 Suburban. I'm pretty leary about new car maintenance costs.