Jeep Wrangler JK Buyer's Guide (2007-2018)

If you’re thinking about purchasing a 2007 to 2018 Jeep Wrangler, you’ve come to the right place. Buying a new or used vehicle can be an extremely stressful experience for some. While NADA and Kelley Blue Book can offer you guidance on a stock vehicle’s given market value, much of that can go out of the window when dealing with the Jeep Wrangler. This is largely due to the tremendous amount of aftermarket wares typically adorned on a given Jeep.
Known by many simply as the JK, the 2007 to 2018 Wrangler has been one of the most successful Jeeps ever produced, both from a sales and performance standpoint. A large source of the JK’s triumph is due not only to its modern amenities that its predecessors lacked (hello, power windows and power door locks!), but also the convenience and practicality that the four-door Unlimited version brings to the table.
Full Article Here: www.drivingline.com/articles/...

[@chrismishefske2995]

That was a great video. Very informative 👍

[@DrivingLine]

Thanks! 👍

[@kofiofosu9051]

Great video. Got a 2011 in 2019. Good vehicle. My next will be a 2016-2018 unlimited.

[@DrivingLine]

Right on!

[@mr.CooksBigly]

Nice video! Bought a 2016 Rubicon with the hardrock package two years ago. Only regret is not buying it in 2016.

[@brianduff5004]

My 07 with the 3.8 has literally beaten the snot out of tj and newer jks haven't seen to many ljs where I where but I'm not afraid of them. Bring it. I'll see you at the top when you get there.

[@queensapphire7717]

Yeah, I have a 2010 (JK Rubicon) & 2016 (JKU 75th Anniversary) and the 3.8 not nearly the problems with the 3.6 (oil cooler, radiator, thermostat, main seal failures), and they both have 55k miles. I’ll never buy anything with a Pentastar again. If the oil cooler was more easily accessible, would not be so bad, but you need to take the motor 1/2 apart to change it and 3 of the spark plugs, such a dumb design.

[@ShaneIrwin7]

Thanks for this video. Very informative and well done. I'm new to Jeeps, at age 53 (but always been a Jeeper at heart)

[@Just_Call_Me_Tim]

This is the exact kind of video I’ve been looking for! Thank you! I’m on the hunt for a 2016-17 Sport S or Sahara to get a little later this year, and you’ve given the best technical breakdown I’ve found yet!

[@mr.CooksBigly]

Tim!

[@user-bi4hc8ib4z]

We are considering a purchase and appreciate the efficiency and quality of your video. Thank you.

[@terrancemurphy6027]

Nice job on the video. The off road video inserts are very cool. The information was helpful. I own a 2011 Jeep JK Sport. Low kilometres. No mods.

[@KellyRobinette]

Wow! Thank you! I'm definitely pinning this video. This is the most helpful video I've found yet. Thank you!

[@ivanvarykino8202]

Being a longtime toyota/lexus owner and current daily driver of a rock solid GX460, I'm definitely wary of owning any jeep product. That said, their reputation as toads for motorhomes is real. Looking forward to purchasing one for it's intended purpose as secondary adventure vehicle. Thanks for the CK primer!

[@Edscomment]

Great video, good advise and good explanation of the different gen’s of JK’s I have one of the last 2018 JKU’s and I am happy I did !!

[@JackwDyles-zu3jt]

Just got my 2013 jeep wrangler sport 4x4 with the soft top and the 3.6 v6 and 6speed trans. Have had it 3weeks and love it. It has nothing fancy on it but I'm going to do some things to it and have fun. O it's got around 127080 miles on it.

[@scottkinderdine3317]

I have a 16 2 Door Rubicon & Love it!

[@RM-gm6zt]

Thanks for making this video - enormously helpful!

[@fryreartechnology7611]

Great information and most helpful. I know when I get on a trans cooler and rock guard on my transfer case will be my first modification. Also 2013 up is helpful. Coworker was trying to get me to replace his timing chain on minivan motor you talked about it had 150k and needed all that work plus a timing chain

[@RyanRKJ]

Very thorough guide. Thank you. I’m considering an early, higher mileage 2 door.

[@shawnobrien6949]

Great video very informative we bought a 2018 jk sport , the dealer we went to tried to sell us the newer JL ,but i was told never get a new vehicle the first year it was produced. So glad we got the jk sport we dont do much rock crawling and i use it as my daily ,recently put a rock krawler 2.5 coil spring lift with the fox 2.0 shocks great ride for on and off road when we like to do some light trail riding.

[@NK-vw4ms]

how are you doing reliability wise?

[@bsdelaney]

Great video. Told me exactly what I needed to know to help with my decision on which year.

[@rickyricky2482]

New to Jeep. Your video was exactly what I was searching for. Thanks.

[@DrivingLine]

Glad it was helpful!

[@infernoleviathan8868]

I got a 2D JK (not unlimited) i can see the pros and cons about having 4D against 2D. ✌️ Jeep wave all in here 🤙

[@aboel3zz]

Thanks a lot, this is very helpful to decide which year model to buy

[@chrishachet8622]

This was a very helpful video!

[@mikey5542]

Great video! Precise and informative!

[@jacoblucio1952]

Exactly the video I've been looking for goodstuff!

[@jjtt7408]

THANKS FOR THE INFO / RIGHT TO THE POINT ABOUT THE PARTS THAT COUNT AND WITH JUST STRAIGHT TALK NO ADD ON B/S / THANKS AGAIN / LOOKING FORWARD TO A UP DATE ON THE NEW YEAR RIDES

[@ChrisHolman]

I own a 2022 Unlimited Sport, I'm wanting to get a 2012 JK Rubicon to mod out for a dedicated offroader. Thank you for this video.

[@ArizonaJK]

3.6 is a great chose if you install aftermarket rocker arms. If the oil is not changed on a regular basis they all develop at head tick. Also rear main will leak along with engine oil cooler and filter housing. But again great bottom end for boosting. I forgot Engine block casing sand will clog your cooling system. You can join the law suit if you have one of those.

[@chetmakowski463]

Very informative. Thanks!

[@salukiwordman]

Very helpful, thanks for the effort.

[@bobbyrob2008]

Thanks so much, cool video and good info. 👍👊

[@RanchoTexano]

Great job - everything in one place. thanks!

[@DrivingLine]

Thank you!

[@filmgeek1711]

Great video - thank you.

[@Knenemeka]

Nice video!! We got a 2016 green 75 anniversary edition

[@bquade70]

Excellent! Looking at them-. 👍👍

[@southernboy5085]

super helpful bro thx!

[@v8felon]

Great information thanks

[@highsmith20]

Excellent video

[@kyleobrien6891]

May want to include different gear ratios that were included and the limited slip option in the rear axle

[@thomasmoore7124]

Got a willys 2015 love it

[@peterc8979]

Original owner 2010 Wrangler. Reaching 400 000 km soon.

[@jjblaster2692]

What is name of the song playing when the video starts and what is name of the band? Its a jam! Great video

[@ianmagnuson1626]

Thanks for the video! I wish I saw it before I got mine. Recently I jumped from a 1994 YJ to a 2011 Rubicon. I have noticed that it’s a little slow accelerating, but it’s still such a fun Jeep! Now I’m shopping for lift kits and tire/wheels lol

[@ssslither123]

There’s a 2011 rubi 2d by me, dealer warrentee’d out the motor and is wanting 24k it’s got 112k on the chasssis im just not sure if I should do it how’s your 3.8 holding up?.. I was told to get 4L jeep and nothing more if you can just for the reliability.

[@monkeybarmonkeyman]

I was hoping you'd compare a 4.0 straight six to the newer V6 drive-train.

[@afjeep3325]

Great video!

[@DrivingLine]

Thank you!

[@twagn]

Love my 2015 Sahara. Nice bells and whistles...looking into a V8 swap and limited rear axel

[@kofiofosu9051]

Liked this video. Have a 2011 sport which is great. Would love a 2013-2016 for more power. Big price jump; but probably worth it.

[@Adriansito1506]

why not a 2012 ?

[@Adriansito1506]

Why are soooooo many people avoiding the 2012 please enlighten me cause i have a great opportunity to buy a 2012 WUS but im scared now that people are just saying trash about them the one im taking a look at has 160k miles on it and its 12k on it ..... THE TRANSITIONS !!!! ARE SUPER AMAZING !!!! KEEP THEM UP !!!!!

[@DrivingLine]

Early in 2012 there were issues with the 3.6L. While all of them should have been covered under warranty, it's possible that the head issues may not show up until later (out of warranty). For this reason, we generally tell people to avoid the 2012.

[@holycarmods66]

It was very helpful i have a 2017 jeep jk sport i think there great

[@logo1654]

I can second that!

[@Mark-yy2py]

Me too!

[@Christopher-vf6kx]

We now have 2 '17s! 2 door soft top and 4 door hard top. There was no reason to have any other vehicle after driving them.

[@rxs3016]

I’ve had a Cj7, 2016 jk, 2017 jku, and now I own a 2018 JLU. The JLU, IMO, is way better. It’s more efficient than any of the older Jeeps. It’s best Wrangler ever,. A great daily driving Wrangler with excellent fuel economy.😃

[@jaradderosa3252]

Ali - good informative video but one thing I would add about the “worth” of the Rubicon is if you want to “buy or build” your rig. Obviously someone that wants to build on the mild side (35’s or less) can safely use the Rubicon and not have to go through the necessary upgrades needed for a more hard core rig and still have a good reliable rig. A lot of the rigs that you see on you tube and such are guys running 40’s and aftermarket axles that can handle the associate load with the stress.

[@Ali_Mansour_Editor]

Jarad DeRosa I struggled with whether to go down the rabbit hole of tire recommendations. I felt I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t talk about re-gearing for tire size and that would just leading to me talking about some of the weak points of the axles a.k.a. ball joints, C’s, etc. I think a Builders Guide video would be a better spot from me to dive into all of those. Either way, thanks for the note!

[@jaradderosa3252]

Apple Cobbler Films - I totally get it. Rabbit hole is the perfect description because 1 thing leads to 5 more with a Jeep.

[@Knenemeka]

Great video we went with the 2016

[@DrivingLine]

Thank you! Enjoy your Jeep!

[@TheNastynelly1]

Great video

[@DrivingLine]

Thank you!

[@shanevanorder2644]

I got a 2016 sport the drawbacks for me so far has been rocker arm failure ,leaking oil filter housing and cat converter issues can be very expensive if your not a do it tourselfer

[@GavinSeim]

Thanks good video. The noisy 90's looking interludes between each category are really annoying though. Just put text and keep talking.

[@chrislarsen1033]

That red jk with Alberta plates is sweet! Lol

[@cva1122]

Hardtop: I mounted a small electric winch on the roof of my garage. Winch the roof up by myself in spring and lower back on in the fall. Park my MX-5 Miata under the roof.

[@HuliDongs]

In countries like SA and the UK the Wrangler Jk always had a diesel variant which is a 2.8CRD

[@DrivingLine]

Yep! We wish we had that option here in the U.S.

[@Cam-im8io]

@@DrivingLine import them

[@mikecain4289]

You neglected to mention the Rubicon Recon axles.

[@johnnyboi5661]

I deliver parts to a mechanic that owns 2 jeep rubicon, he says the 3.6 is just full of problems. He didn’t go into much detail cause he was busy, beside making a little comment that, His whole career, he has fixed more 3.6 than 3.8, hardly any 3.8 ever comes in to his shop.

[@PK-nw3jx]

OH man. Watching this and I'm regretting buying a used 2010 Rubicon unlimited. It's my first time as a Jeep owner and now I'm wondering if I was cheated on. I'm from Palau in Micronesia. A small island very similar to Hawaii but smaller. No mountains, hills, forest and alot of dirt road. I'm a short petite woman and I love jeep and always wanted one. We don't have car dealers like in the States, so we have to fly out to buy and ship it over or we buy used from locals. And that's what I did. I bought from a local here . Right now, I'm waiting shipment on the ignition starter, spark plugs and I don't know if I need to buy a new sway bar. I don't do off road but after watching your videos, I'm debating if I should sell my jeep now. But I just finished repainting and added cowls, lead lights, and so forth so it looks really good now. But now I'm wondering about the Transmission and all that stuff. If it's worth keeping. What do you think?

[@DrivingLine]

If it was a well-cared for Jeep, hopefully you will be fine. Not all are junk, but there are known issues for sure. Our preference is the 2013 and newer for the reasons stated in the video. It sounds like your Jeep buying experience is more challenging than others. The good news is, if you are on an island, we're guessing you won't put a lot of miles on it either way. This could prolong the life of the Jeep and it's components and make it fine for your needs. Sure, if you could easily swap it out for a newer one, we would do that. But, you might be just fine if the 2010 wall taken care of by the previous owner.

[@PK-nw3jx]

@@DrivingLine Hi and thank you so much for your reply. Made me feel better. The previous owner had it in the states and when he finished from the military, he brought it with him to the islands. He probably did some off roading or rock roading or something like that back in the states. But he used it mostly to pull his boat here on the islands. It's still in good condition. I'm just worried about the engine. Now with Covid, it's so hard to order internationally.

[@12Achilleas]

On a stock Jeep jk the 3.8 isn’t that bad , I recently bought a 4door jk with 90.000 miles , auto , and it doesn’t fill underpowered, it never goes over 3000 rpm’s when driving around or accelerating

[@randrewromero]

You forgot that it's not just the first gen 3.6 that have head issues. Every 3.6 is going to have a cam lobe that shaves off and cause internal engine failure due to metal contamination. All of them will... and the "mini van" 3.8 is ok especially because a 3.6 is in....everything charger, challenger, mini van, grand Cherokee, 300, cherokee....like everything so that's not a good comparison...

[@allans7281]

Awesome video thanks for the useful information. Is there a big price difference between 07 through 11 and the newer interior? is it worth it?

[@DrivingLine]

Having owned both, I prefer the new interior. Now that these are getting up there in age, you can also see that a lot of the early plastic dashes look pretty weathered if the owner didn't take care of them. If it's a secondary vehicle, it's not going to make a huge difference. But, for a daily driver, it's worth it.

[@allans7281]

Awesome thanks for your reply!! In your opinion is engine reliability about the same?

[@nombr]

Good video, how’s the 12+ engine/transmission with towing?

[@DrivingLine]

Better than the early models for sure. You're still stuck with a limited tow rating, but increase in power and stronger transmission help tremendously.

[@GoldenK9Campers]

Are you sure about the penestar upgrades in 2016? This is the first time i've heard of this? I know the Penestar was updated in 2016, but that version of the Penestar didn't make it's way into the Wrangler until the JL was introduced.

[@DrivingLine]

I should have been more clear when I was mentioning that at the end. The engine did get upgraded in 2016, but that version didn't go in until 2018. The confusing part about that was initially it was stated that the last year JK would get that engine, but that wasn't the case. It would only be the JL.

[@gavinchilders9677]

Im just trying to figure out if i want a 2013 or newer jeep or if i want to go 2007 save alot up front and just ls swap the jeep so i end up paying around the same but im not sure if theres features the newer ones have that the older ones just didnt have available for example a plug to power things like air pumps ,or things like backup cameras which can be installed aftermarket or things like fancy stuff like some of the newer ones blindspot warning etc etc at the end of the day im looking for a Sahara or a rubicon that i can take off road but most of the time drive as a daily driver but also not break my mental balance of money as i have a strategy where i dont buy something if i cant buy it twice anyway its a lot to figure out but its good to know the engines changed in 2012 because i was considering the v8 with a older jeep to try and optimize speed and maybe even save a little on mpg if the vehicle can get further faster as i also read that jeeps struggle over 70 on the wranglers.

[@DrivingLine]

Go drive a 2013 with the automatic. You might find it has all the power you really need. Unless you are going with a tire taller than a 38, the 2013 and newer V6 with the automatic is fine on the highway (once you re-gear it to compensate for taller-than-stock tires). The comfort and layout of the later model ones is way nicer than the early ones. So, if it's a daily driver, that would be my choice. That being said, you can't go wrong with a V8 Wrangler!

[@gavinchilders9677]

@@DrivingLine see my biggest problem is balancing costs over results for example i can get a 2007 rubicon on facebook marketplace for like 10k in my area for a jk that is and a 2013 costs 20 to 30k so knowing a ls set up costs about 10k with learning to work on it ,ill be at about 20k anyway but it will run better than a v6 i dont know what the v8 gas mileage would be but in a v6 they only see a max of like 14 anyway so if a v8 improves that then ill be down on the cost of gas as long as im doing the speed limit and im not behind slow people.anyway my priorities is basically being able to drive well off road but also just having something nice to drive from point a to be i know backup cameras arnt nessacery because aftermarket ones run about 100$ .anyway thanks for the advice ive been stuck at the whole do i look for a 2013 on my own research or just buy a old one and just throw money at it to make it as nice if not better for a while.

[@7CFlo]

Have you heard much, or do you have any insight on the sand casting? Have you heard of certain 3.6 years affected more than others? Thanks

[@DrivingLine]

The early 3.6L engines had some issues, but nearly all should have been fixed or replaced under warranty. One of the reasons we recommend looking at 2013 and newer is you avoid any potential issues that could arise with the first-run engines.

[@BenLeBlanc1]

For whatever reason I do think the JK looks better than the JL...

[@nickg5275]

What do you think of a 98 TJ 2.5L 4 banger 3speed auto?

[@DrivingLine]

It’s going to be very slow, but that engine and transmission are actually pretty reliable.

[@ruslanagerasimchuk6146]

「あなたのコンテンツはとても感動的です」、

[@timothymcvay7286]

I have a 2018 jeep wrangler jk unlimited sport 4x4 would it be worth the money to get the upgrades installed that the Rubicon has and us it possible to upgrade everything

[@DrivingLine]

It genuinely depends on if you want to use it off-road for serious wheeling and how large of a tire you want to put under the Jeep. If you’re just going to run a 35-inch-tall, I would simply invest in a set of differential lockers, rocker guards, and sway bar disconnects. If you want to put the limits on the trail or move to a 37-inch tall tire, you’re going to want to replace the front axle as well with something such as a ProRock 44 from Dynatrac. If you could find a set of take-put Rubicon axles for a good deal, I would absolutely purchase them. However, if you don’t think you’re going to be doing serious off-roading, you’re better off spending your money on other upgrades.

[@robertfrancisco1193]

what do you thing of the 2018 wrangler willys wheeler for a semi off road jeep. iam not a real off roader but i do like to get off the trail here and there

[@DrivingLine]

It's a great platform. If you find that it needs a little more off-road performance, you can easily add some aftermarket gear.

[@robertfrancisco1193]

thanks!

[@96applemac]

Thoughts on buying a low km 2018 jku 2.8l diesel?

[@DrivingLine]

We don’t get the diesel JK in the U.S. So, unfortunately I don’t have a lot of experience with them. I’m not a big diesel enthusiast, but I hear the 2.8 is way more fuel efficient than the gas engine.

[@beleg1437]

You really should have mentioned at what wheel speed yoy loose your locked diff option! It's useless in sand and snow when you you want higher wheel speeds with power to all 4 corners!

[@DrivingLine]

There are plenty of companies that offer bypass modules that allow you to use your lockers in high range. You can also bypass the factory switches fairly easy so you can cut-out the speed limit option altogether.

[@dontdoit6403]

Here in Europe, ours are diesel

[@basha3862]

song name? PLS.

[@jimjenkins3928]

Looking to buy a 2011 jk 3.8L. Could i swap in a 3.6 or would i run into problems?

[@DrivingLine]

That’s not a simple swap unfortunately. The transmission is also different with the 3.6 L. I would personally just look for a later model year.

[@login7164]

Why jk looks more Jeep than jl??

[@ArizonaJK]

The 3.6 is the only choice for a caravan

[@kennyabreu6389]

Bro !! any jeep from 2007 to now are garbage because they’re from FCA/ Chrysler, if you want a good reliable jeep buy one with the 4.0 straight 6 cylinder that’s a real jeep jeep bro ...

[@DrivingLine]

We miss the TJ. That's for sure.

[@Noe-in1hq]

This cars no good at all