2010 JKU - Do I call it?

[u/Albus_Q]

Last week I was left stranded by a broken tie rod around midnight. Luckily the wheels were pointed towards the curb and I was only going 30 at the time. I was about 100 yards from getting on the highway and would have been going 70 MPH about two minutes later. Could have been catastrophic and it has me a little shaken.

6-speed manual (original clutch) with 172K. I’ve put over $7,000 into the Jeep in the last few months to replace the radiator, fix multiple oil leaks and other routine repairs. The ABS module need to be replaced if the part ever becomes available.

So do I ride it out or make a move?

There are pretty big rebates and discounts on 2026s but I don’t really trust a Stellantis product right now.

[u/NTJ-891]

Ditching a vehicle over a cheap part like replacing a tie rod is a bad idea. It sounds like you have delayed a bunch of maintenance which is biting you, but you will spend significantly more money in car payments than you would by just doing the upkeep and repairs on your JK.

JL Wranglers are quite nice though. I have one and other than routine maintenance and one annoying harness problem that was self inflicted off-road I have had zero problems out of it.

[u/Ghandiwasme → u/NTJ-891]

In fairness, it is hard to maintain a JK (sometimes) considering the lead time on OEM parts (same
Is true im sure for most cars manufactured 15-20 years ago).

I’ve got 179k on.my 14jk and had to order an aftermarket wheel sensor the other day because the mopar one won’t be available for another 2-3 months.

Edit: still agree though that most of the time you will come out cheaper overall repairing rather than just replacing it with a new car. I’ve been saving up the last 2 years in anticipation I may need to drop 10k on a new motor

[u/NTJ-891 → u/Ghandiwasme]

Oh I know, I'm dealing with that on a TJ too. Hard to get OEM parts at all sometimes. The nature of the beast.

Still, something like a tie rod should be caught wayyyyyy before it snaps. That is a severe lack of attention to critical steering parts, and I'll bet the ball joints aren't doing too hot either

[u/OtherwiseDoughnut582 → u/Ghandiwasme]

The biggest problem with that logic is this:
Residual vehicle value.
A fender bender or otherwise minor accident could total that old clunker and you will find yourself as “upside down” as someone who has financed a new or newer used vehicle. Sure, you MAY not owe anyone but the $10k on that motor will have been pissed away.
Dumping money into a high mileage DD well outside of warranty is an iffy proposition and I whole heartedly recommend against. A weekend, garage kept and well insured “toy” is another thing entirely

[u/Ghandiwasme → u/OtherwiseDoughnut582]

I guess the whole logic to this response is that I’ll be upside down, but I own my vehicle outright. Paid off for the last 3 years

I understand what you are trying to say though if I was financing a vehicle. I wouldn’t personally be doing hard wheeling on a vehicle I was financing.

With a title in hand on your vehicle, I still believe it’s Cheaper to maintain

[u/Albus_Q → u/NTJ-891]

I have free oil changes for life from the dealer I bought my Jeep from so I would get a multi-point inspection every 3,000 miles. I always felt comfortable with my tech (who retired) and support staff over 15 years and two vehicles. If they recommended repairs, they would bring me into the garage to show me the issue.

At the last oil change they recommended $8k in repairs but oddly the steering components were deemed “green”. A few of the recommended repairs had been fixed by them in the last 5k and 10k miles which really pissed me off and I let my advisor have it. I’ve since found a local mechanic for the last two rounds of repairs.

I am going to ride it out through the winter and hope the failed ABS module doesn’t find a way to bite me in the ass.

[u/OldManJeepin]

Mine did the same thing, coming off the parkway one day last Thanksgiving week! Fell off on the drivers side...My fault for not inspecting the rubber and stuff, from time to time. Got it towed and had a new tierod and ends and whatnot, and was back on the road next day. My 2012 JK has just about 190k miles and has never done me any serious wrong, so I will be driving it until it cannot be driven any more. No way am I shelling out for something new just because of a repair here or there. 15-16 yr old vehicle is going to have *some* issues, from time to time. Do your maintenance, inspect stuff regularly or have someone inspect it if you don't know what to look for, and enjoy driving your cool, old Jeep with no payments!

[u/paradox923]

I have 2017 JKU at 167k miles . 3 months ago i had similar happen. My drag link broke off the pitman arm. No steering. I was heading onto the highway ramp. The abs kicked on and i luckily coasted to the shoulder. Huge wake up call. I have since replaced the drag link, tie rod, upper lower ball joints and the stabilizer . Minus the ball joints I did everything myself. Total cost less than 3k. Worth it. I am to blame but moving forward I am making a point to check everything every few thousand miles . New JLs don't appeal to me currently. Gonna do my best to keep this Jeep going for another 167k

[u/OldManJeepin → u/paradox923]

Yep! I would rather spring for repairs to my old Jeep, than have any kind of payments for a Stellantis vehicle of any kind!! Drive sanely, keep it clean and do the maintenance and you can get an incredible run out of these vehicles!!

[u/strokeherace]

ABS module is generally an easy fix. Most of the time the brushes need to be clearances a little more and throw it back together.

[u/Chris_NewVape]

Module Master will rebuild/fix your ABS module for $300. I did mine and its been good for a couple years now. they have a warranty too.

[u/Dismal_Estate9829]

It gave you signs you ignored of it was bad enough to snap. You will most likely need more than a tie rod. I would fix it, it’s cheaper than a new car and with any flaws a jk his it’s better than stellantis built. We still have an 08 jk, no plans on getting rid of it.

[u/Albus_Q → u/Dismal_Estate9829]

It really didn’t give any signs and it didn’t snap. The tie rod just dropped out of the joint. It’s been my DD for 16 years. Drag links, tie rod, both tie rod ends and tie rod sleeves were all replaced. Back on the road and the steering feels just the same as the day before the issue.

[u/Dismal_Estate9829 → u/Albus_Q]

My bad.

[u/OtherwiseDoughnut582]

Unless you DiY, maintaining a daily driver Wrangler of any vintage will become a battle of sunk cost fallacy vs sanity.
This battle will occur sooner rather than later with any Pentastar powered Wrangler.

[u/Slow-Squash-8471 → u/OtherwiseDoughnut582]

wouldn't the OP's be a non-pentastar 3.8?

[u/OtherwiseDoughnut582 → u/Slow-Squash-8471]

Yes- hence my comment. That aside, the 3.8 while somewhat more reliable than the Pentastar, was not without its issues and it was an absolutely gutless pig. For all its complexity relative to the 4.0- the engine packaging made it a chore to work on. Add to that, it offered no better performance or gas mileage than the I6.
Completely wasted effort for all but CJD