Episode 982 – Most Stolen Jeep
Grand Cherokee Wins Awards
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has won two consecutive awards from MotorWeek Driver’s Choice!
Best Midsize Utility vehicle in the 2024 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards, earning the honor for the second consecutive year.
Grand Cherokee wins Best Midsize Utility for the second year in a row for its on- and off-road capability and extensive model lineup, including plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee 4xe and three-row Grand Cherokee L (only available in selected markets of Eurasia)
Grand Cherokee 4xe represents the most technologically advanced and 4×4-capable Jeep Grand Cherokee yet, delivering 380 hp, 637 Nm of torque, and up to 51 km of all-electric range in urban areas
Grand Cherokee lineup delivers refined on-road driving dynamics and unrivaled capability, courtesy of three 4×4 systems – Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and Quadra-Drive II
Jeep® Wrangler, the most iconic and recognized SUV ever, earns the prestigious Best SUV of 2024 from Cars.com
The award applies to the new 2024 Wrangler lineup, including Wrangler 2.0- and 3.6-liter gas models, V-8-powered Wrangler Rubicon 392 (Not available in Europe), and plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe
Electrified Wrangler 4xe delivers up to 3,3 l/100 km fuel economy, an all-electric range of 45 km that increases up to 55 km in the urban areas
Cars.com says the Best SUV of 2024 winner represents the ultimate in capability, value, and versatility
The new 2024 Jeep Wrangler offers eight available exterior colors, including the new-for-2024 Anvil, and multiple open-air freedom options including three top choices (soft top, hard top, and Sky One-Touch Power Top), two-door choices (full doors and half doors) and top and doors off.
Most Stolen Jeep?
According to autoDNA, the Jeep Cherokee is the only SUV on the list of the most stolen vehicles in the US. In 2018, the Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee was one of the 10 most stolen vehicles in Texas, with 13,210 reported thefts. However, The Zebra says that the total number of thefts for the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee over the past decade is less than 30,000.
Chevrolet full-size pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Civic
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Optima
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Inspecting your Jeep AFTER a run
After a great day of wheeling, it’s always a good idea to take a few minutes to look around and under your Jeep. You just put it through some rough roads, maybe some 4-wheel drive, maybe even some extreme rock crawling. Double-check things to make sure your jeep is in good working order before you hit the road back home. Here are some things to look for.
Once off the trail and while airing up, take a look at your tires. Are there chunks missing from the tread or sidewalls? Is there a tree branch stuck in one of your tires that’s just barely leaking but you may not want to drive home on it? It’s good to do it once over visibly to make sure there are no issues. Once you are aired up, do a quick check of some basic things to make sure you didn’t bang it too hard while on the trial and something isn’t broken or bent.
1) Check the shocks – Check to see if they got bent while you were dancing through that rock garden. Are they leaking fluid? Do the bolts at both top and bottom seem to be tight?
2) Check for any oil or fluid leaks. This is somewhat important. You need oil to keep things like engines and transmissions functioning. You may have kicked something up on the road. Maybe while crawling over a rock you may have peeled your diff cover off. Perhaps a well-placed rock poked a hole in your gas tank and you have a slow leak.
3) Check that your mirrors are back to normal. You may have adjusted them to back out of that obstacle you decided not to take, or you may have pulled them in to get through that tight squeeze.
Once at home, it’s a good idea to do a more thorough inspection. Depending on what type of terrain you put your Jeep through determines how much inspecting may be necessary. Bill uses a power washer and always does a complete inspection of our Jeep top to bottom. Mostly bottom. Although it’s always nice to have a clean and shiny Jeep to drive around town or back and forth to work, it is a really good idea to “detail” the bottom side as well. Bill has found things that way and avoided several larger issues, or worse, trail break-downs. He calls himself a little OCD but as he cleans the suspension, hose, brake lines, springs, shocks, drive shafts, etc. he says it’s a great way to find fatigue, stress cracks, and loose or missing bolts. Make sure you create a consistent habit in your inspections and who knows what you may find. Some things to check for;
1) Check the undercarriage, especially if you don’t have body armor. Check for upper and lower control arm rubber bushings. They tend to get destroyed when you flex the suspension a lot.
2) Check the oil pan/gas tank
3) Check for loose connections with wires. Or maybe they are wearing on the frame or springs. A fist full of zip ties goes a long way toward preventing failures on the road or trail.
4) Check for loose connections with bolts. You don’t need to do a re-torque after every run but just do a visual. Sometimes it’s just enough to catch something that could become a real problem.
The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” really hits home when you’re the one not breaking down on the trail and you get to help your buddy with his breakdown.
(https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver)
Trails 411: https://www.jeep4x4school.com/
Must-Have Stuff for Your Jeep!
Faraday Box for Car Keys, Car Key Signal Blocking Box $19.99
This car key signal blocker box set is a must for your car protection. Faraday boxes and pouches effectively protect your car’s security system from getting hacked and prevent theft of your keyless entry car keys. Protect your personal and financial data by preventing RFID scanners & readers from detecting your card’s RFID signal.
M and XL