Jeep has maintained one of the highest 4x4 building standards in the industry for over half a century. These standards were imprinted in the brand right from its humble beginnings when the company used to make machines for the military during the treacherous world wars. However, in its great history of success also lurks a great history of failures the company wishes it could forget.

Jeep’s greatest forte have been its impressive utilitarian capabilities coupled with unparalleled power and reliability that make their marques some of the best to drive. However, with these 10, the company failed to stick to their core formula and rather present cars plagued with issues not even a collapsing automotive startup would create. These 10 are the Jeep vehicles the company regrets making, and petrolheads hope you won’t go around shopping for in the first place.

10 The Jeep Renegade

Via: Car and Driver

This Jeep fails in the greatest test any Jeep can be taken through – reliability. According to JD Power Consumer Reports, the 2015 Jeep Renegade scores an underwhelming 2.5 out of 5 reliability score among consumers.

RELATED: Here's Everything We Know About The 2022 Jeep Wrangler Renegade

Via: Classic Dodge Chrysler Jeep

That bad score took two full model years for Jeep to finally salvage. Their 2017 Jeep Renegade is considered to be the less sour lemon, albeit with a still underwhelming score of 3 out of 5. Most reliability issues for the Jeep Renegade came from the faulty suspension which forced major recalls for the first two generations. The engine has also been reported to lose power suddenly, with the Uconnect system acting up occasionally.

9 2007-2020 Jeep Compass

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No pun intended, but Jeep desperately needed some direction with this marque. For a decade, buyers kept taking a gamble with the Jeep Compass, a risk that never paid off. Firstly, the Jeep Compass’s electronics always kept shorting thanks to wiring issues that would suddenly stall the engine. The transmission was also reported to overheat at 70k miles and above.

Via: autoevolution

The Jeep Compass was also prone to leaking, something that didn’t make sense to buyers given this marque has no sunroof. The culprits were the interior lights on the roof and the windshield which somehow found a way to fill up the interior with water. Older models were also very uncomfortable to drive, something that drove a lot of buyers away from this bitter car.

8 1948-1950 Willys-Overland Jeepster

Via: automotive heritage

The 1948 – 1950 Jeep Willys-Overland Jeepster was designed to be an off-road SUV. However, what it ended up looking like was a vintage collectible, even at the time. Its production run was nowhere near impressive. The Willys-Overland Jeepster only graced the production line for two years, between 1948 and 1950. During this period, only 20,000 units were produced.

Via: automotive heritage

The main reason for this flop was how hard Jeep failed at producing a utilitarian yet family-friendly marque as they had promised with the Jeepster. Yes, the marque had deluxe features and interior fittings, but the construction was still basic. It also had poor all-weather equipment and the engine seemed to struggle especially in fast-paced traffic.

7 2012 Jeep Wrangler

Via: Foothills Auto Mart

Of all Jeep Wrangler model years, the 2012 marque was voted the worst model year in the nameplate’s history. This 4x4 had a whopping nine total recalls over its tenure, which was one of the largest in the nameplate’s history.

Via: WallpaperSafari

The main culprit for these recalls was airbag issues, which affected millions of cars produced by the company at the time. The 2012 Wrangler also suffered from a myriad of other issues that the 2007 and 2008 model years suffered from. For instance, the TPIM would suddenly fail, prompting repairs that would cost upwards of $1,300. There was also a list of common engine problems that would dent $4,400 off the driver’s pockets.

6 The Jeep DJ, Aka Dispatcher

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The production of the Jeep DJ, aka Dispatcher, started in 1955. The marque came in either a floor-shift or column-shift three-speed Borg-Warner T-96 manual transmission. The design of this marque was based on the CJ series. This series included compact pickup trucks and open-bodied off-road vehicles.

RELATED: Here Are Jeep's All-Time Worst SUVs

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The DJ, unlike the CJ, was a two-wheel, rear-wheel-drive Jeep that included a swinging rear door and sliding doors. There even was a special mail delivery model that featured right-hand steering that would allow mailmen to easily reach mailboxes. Yes, the idea was nice, but the execution was sketchy, which left a lot of question marks on enthusiasts’ heads.

5 2006 Jeep Liberty

Via: Biscayne Auto Sales

This model marked the beginning of a big slump for Chrysler Jeep. The Jeep Liberty was summed up as a cheap car with bad design by most critics who got their hands behind the wheel of this distasteful machine. It carried the same unimpressive aura as the Jeep Compass which many Jeep fans didn’t understand why it was even being produced in the first place.

Via: Selected Jeeps

Off the pavement, the Jeep Liberty couldn’t hold its own. The ride height was pathetic, the interior was too cheap, the suspension was atrocious, and to make matters worse, the 2006 Liberty gobbled down gas like a thirsty camel in the middle of the Sahara.

4 2006 - 2010 Jeep Commander

Via: The Car Connection

The 2006 – 2010 Jeep Commander looked like a giant box on four wheels. The only thing buyers remember about it was its Goliath-like stature. However, everything else could be killed by a stone.

Via: Auto ABC

The Jeep Commander bragged of three rows of seating. That didn’t make much sense to most Jeep buyers, who would rather buy a minivan for the family than invest in a Jeep with an extra row of seating. To make matters worse, the Jeep Commander had very little off-roading capabilities which were far from what the brand stands for.

3 The Jeep Cherokee

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Don’t get it wrong, the Jeep Cherokee still stands as one of the most iconic SUVs ever built. Its styling was so perfect, despite the touch of no-frills boxy and ruggedness. Those older Cherokees have lived to still look iconic, despite years of aging and much younger builds making way, like the 1995 Jeep Cherokee to the 2021 model years.

RELATED: Ranking The Best Jeep Grand Cherokees On The Used Market

Via: Wikimedia Commons

What has happened is that Jeep has failed to maintain the touch of elegance used to build this nameplate. Newer models have more problems that make the Cherokee no longer desirable. As latest as the 2021 model year, many buyers complain that the new Cherokee sits at the bottom half of crossovers in the market thanks to a tacky interior and underwhelming on-road and off-road performance.

2 The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Via: AutoTrader Classics

The Jeep Wrangler’s rich history goes back to 1986. About two decades later, Jeep decided to add the Wrangler Unlimited version to the lineup. This 2004 marque was born at a time when Jeep was experimenting with different Jeep Wrangler versions such as the Sahara, which featured a new cloth interior, roll-up windows, removable doors, and a windshield that folds down. There was also the Wrangler Sport which sacrificed comfort for the sake of performance.

Via: Select Jeeps

The 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited was the bad apple of these. Yes, the exterior and the engine both got upgrades. But Jeep couldn’t figure out how to make the Wrangler Unlimited less thirsty and provide safety technology for a lower premium.

1 1993 Grand Wagoneer

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The 1993 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was not released to fill a glaring gap in the market. Rather, this marque was launched in a miserable attempt by Chrysler to revive a brand name. The last great Jeep to bear the Wagoneer nameplate was the 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer SJ. However, two years later, in a strike at quick sales at the expense of brand legacy, Chrysler released the 1993 Grand Wagoneer as the top trim option of the Grand Cherokee ZJ.

Via: CarExpert

That publicity stunt didn’t go well. Chrysler not only suffered low sales but also butchered the great name the Jeep Wagoneer was.

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