The Most Reliable Jeep Will Soon Be Killed
Jeep vehicles are renowned for go-anywhere off-road capabilities. Also, with its long and esteemed history, the automaker has an important place in American car culture. However, reliability is an area of weakness. There are some exceptions, though, including the 2023 Jeep Cherokee compact SUV. It’s the most reliable Jeep, according to Consumer Reports. Unfortunately, the Cherokee won’t be sold for much longer, for it will soon be killed.
2023 Jeep Cherokee is the most reliable Jeep vehicle, according to Consumer Reports
Jeep has a loyal following. However, even some of the most diehard owners will admit to the unreliability of the American brand. Jeep vehicles have impressive capabilities, but they are often plagued by problems, leading to costly repairs.
Overall, Jeep ranks low for reliability compared to other car brands. Consumer Reports ranks Jeep as the 2nd most unreliable car brand, behind only Mercedes-Benz. This ranking follows CR’s annual Auto Reliability Survey, in which the organization collected hundreds of thousands of owner surveys during the previous year, per USA Today.
However, the 2023 Jeep Cherokee is an exception in a sea of undependable vehicles from the American automaker. The Cherokee is the most reliable Jeep model, according to Consumer Reports. It had the least number of problems that owners identified in the Auto Reliability Survey, so CR bestowed it with the top honor for Jeep dependability.
Conversely, some Jeep models fared poorly in the Auto Reliability Survey — with two models earning dubious spots on the undependable list. Consumer Reports named the 2023 Wrangler compact SUV the most unreliable vehicle, while the 2022 Jeep Gladiator took the third spot.
The Cherokee will be discontinued in 2023
The honor of being the most reliable Jeep is bittersweet for the Cherokee, though. After nearly 50 years of rugged adventures, the Cherokee will be killed. Jeep has already ended production of the iconic SUV — and 2023 is the last year for sales of new models.
The Cherokee debuted in 1974. It started as a two-door model based on the Wagoneer SUV. — and later changed to a unibody platform in 1984, per The Drive.
It can’t be overstated how important the Cherokee has been to the Jeep brand and the automotive industry. Jeep has sold millions of units of the Cherokee, and it was a precursor to the SUVs that now dominate the automotive landscape.
However, it’s the latter point that led to the downfall of the Cherokee. In its early days, it was a standout model. However, now, there are an endless number of SUVs available, and the Cherokee couldn’t keep up with the competition. Other compact SUVs are much more popular — and sell in droves. This includes the top-selling Toyota RAV4, as well as the Honda CR-V, Chevy Equinox, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, and Kia Sportage.
Over the past decade, the sales of the Cherokee significantly decreased. In 2022, Jeep only sold 40,322 units of the reliable SUV, per CarFigures. This is more than a 50% drop from the 89,126 sales total in 2021 — and a far cry from its heyday. It was no longer profitable, so Jeep couldn’t justify selling it anymore.
Will the most dependable Jeep ever come back?
Consumer Reports naming the Cherokee the most reliable Jeep model is a noteworthy achievement, especially with the overall unreliability of the Jeep brand. However, the end of an era is near with the killing off of the iconic SUV.
However, is this truly the end? Is the discontinuation permanent — or will the SUV come back down the road? If I had to wager, I’d bet on it eventually coming back. The Cherokee is too important of a model to Jeep’s legacy to kill it off forever. It might not come back right away, but I could see it returning within 10 years in the future. Also, Jeep already discontinued the SUV once before for the American market — in 2001, only for it to return in 2013.
A similar thing could happen again. However, given the move of Jeep and Stellantis toward EVs, if the Cherokee does come back, it will likely be an all-electric SUV.
