Big headache

[Lori Meyer]

We recently had the radiator and the water pump replaced on our 2011 Jeep Liberty Jet. She was running like new and we even took her six hours over to California. A couple of days later we couldn't get it started and had it towed to the Jeep dealer. He said it was that computer security code or something. They fixed it and tuned it up, $600.

When they took it for a test drive he said it ran rough and will let us know what is going on. He called us and told us we needed a new head gasket, $3,800. How can you drive a Jeep 6 hours when it's in need of a head gasket? We just bought this 3 weeks ago, 1 owner, clean Carfax.

My brother in New Jersey told me it sounds like it needs ignition coils because it ran rough, but if it was the head gasket we wouldn't have been able to drive 500 feet. It was running like new the entire trip, no issues at all.

How do I approach this guy about rechecking it to make sure it's not the head gasket?

 

[Phil + Neela]

There should be more symptoms for a head gasket depending on where the leak is and what's leaking into where.
Coolant in the oil.
White or blue smoke from the tailpipe.
Loss of compression.
Now, these are severe cases, though.

My main questions is: did you overheat the engine? Is that why you got a new radiator and pump?
If you overheated it, then it's entirely possible as heat KILLS these engines.

You could always get a second opinion from another mechanic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JasonJ]

Lori, I replied to your other, older thread.

3 weeks... is there any law in NJ that protects you as a purchaser for the first 30 days or something? Seems to me I'd be returning the vehicle to the seller for a refund of the purchase price, cut your losses on the two repairs you had done thus far and find a vehicle you can trust.

Something very off going on with this Jeep that doesn't add up.

 

[Lori Meyer]

The odd thing is it has been running like new, never overheated, even on our 11 hour round trip to CA. We parked it, it didn't start the next day and had it towed to the Jeep dealer where he diagnosed a computer problem but said it was running rough and diagnosed a head gasket

 

[Lori Meyer]

We bought it 2 weeks ago from a private seller here in Arizona.

 

[JasonJ]

We bought it 2 weeks ago from a private seller here in Arizona.

Well, I see from the other thread you are having it fixed and just gonna drive the piss out of it for the rest of time. That was the other option I had thought of mentioning... it's typically what I do with my vehicles as well.

And there is nothing wrong with that, especially if you love the vehicle. The way I see it, as far as repairs go, if the total repair costs per year dont exceed what it would cost my in car payments for a new(er) vehicle, I'm doing good provided I still enjoy the vehicle and it meets my needs.

I usualyl buy cars for around $10,000 and finance it such that I have no more than a $200/month car payment. So given that, if repairs to a vehicle that is paid for don't exceed $2400 per year, I'm still ahead of the game.

Now in your case, since you now have about $4500 in repairs to the Jeep, if you can drive it for 2 years without any major repairs (not counting maintenance), you'll break even according to my numbers, provided you would have the same or similar car payment. That's not too bad.

I too love my KJ... I'll drive it for as long as I can, and repair it within reason if I have to. I've been lucky in that I've only had to do roughly $200 in ACTUAL repairs to mine in the last 7-8 years. *Knock on wood*.

So they CAN be reliable... just get it right and keep up on maint. and you should be fine.