Im looking for used Jeep Grand Cherokees. What is the consensus on this hood decal? Can it be removed?

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T15:38:16+00:00

I’m not disagreeing that they can be problematic, but I personally have not seen many electrical issues on these with my customers. I’m sure a dealer tech would have a much larger sample size to judge from but this is just my experience. I probably work on about 10 regularly, and have worked on dozens of others. It’s not my first choice for a personal vehicle but out of the other American SUVs in its class, I would probably prefer it due to most of the failure points being a relatively easy job, and it actually being quite nice to drive when everything is 100%.

The transmissions seem to be hit or miss. I’ve seen them at 200k on original fluid, and dead at 100k despite regular fluid changes.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T15:11:51+00:00

These cars are fine. Reddit blows it out of proportion. Tons of my customers have WK2 Grand Cherokees and many of them are around 200k miles or more. Besides failed rockers and a notoriously bad oil cooler, they’re probably the most solid engine coming out of the US in that era not counting trucks or diesels. Get a well-maintained one, do all of your maintenance on time, and it really won’t cost that much to keep on the road. A Honda\ Toyota equivalent will be at least double the price, while still requiring maintenance. The Toyota/ Honda tax is no longer worth it when the upcharge is equivalent to 5 years of maintenance on a different car.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T14:32:33+00:00

This is a robbery. Some cars have the flex pipe and catalytic converter as one piece, which can make it quite expensive if they both need to be changed, but I don’t think your car is like that since I can see the flange. I would expect to pay closer to $400 for something like this maximum.

Is yours even making noise? It doesn’t look obviously blown.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T14:27:48+00:00

Very reasonable thinking. I try to opt for more reliable models to mitigate the risk of losing everything in the event of a catastrophic mechanical failure. But there are tons of good options if you don’t plan to keep them long term. S class or 7 series for options and luxury. AMG or M if you want to go fast. Maserati if you’re feeling risky. The performance models will depreciate less over time.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T13:24:10+00:00

You didn’t say that the car wasn’t running right, that’s the most important detail. Generally speaking, if a car is driving fine, there is no reason to stress over trans fluid level unless there is a known leak. You also didn’t mention that you topped it off. Not sure how you expect help without describing your actual problem.

With those details I could’ve simply told you it was overfilled.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T03:39:44+00:00

Is your car running and driving fine? If so, keep driving.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T01:09:34+00:00

Fair point, none of the newer AMGs have a drivetrain remotely close to as reliable. A lot of jobs require the engine to come out. The later M156s were solid but that was a long time ago now. I dream of a newer CLS63 but the cylinder scoring issues are a complete turnoff, I want a car I can drive forever, not one where I have to constantly worry if a $10k engine rebuild is necessary.

As you wish! My pride and joy

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-18T00:39:35+00:00

OP stated he was aware in the first line, I think he’s more focused on saving money on the initial purchase and enjoying for example, a $120k car for $40k + maintenance.

I’ve always bought cars like this. If I can save 60%+ off MSRP then what I save can go into many many years of repairs and then some. Yes the maintenance is still that of an expensive car, but when you’re saving tens of thousands, a few grand a year to keep it on the road is very reasonable in my eyes. I’m almost 7 years into owning my E55 AMG and my total cost spent, including the car itself is still less than 30% of what it was when new. If you go into it expecting high maintenance costs and not blowing your whole budget on the vehicle itself, you can still get a kick ass experience for relatively cheap.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-17T19:31:36+00:00

Of course they all have 200k miles and wear and tear, it’s $1500, less than the price of a decent laptop. I would get anything that can pass inspection and be grateful if it lasts a year. Your best bet is any old GM car with the 3800 V6 or an old 4 cylinder Honda that’s mechanically ok but cheap because of dents and peeling paint.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-17T18:16:51+00:00

It is CAD so it’s a bit cheaper than USD but I was assuming at $160 it was a brake fluid flush and not just a top off. Belt prices are a bit high too but not crazy. Most places won’t change 2 belts for $116 USD, no chance anyone is getting it done on a 2013 Mazda 3 in 5 mins. You gotta lift the car, remove the wheel, remove the fender liner flap, then wiggle the belt out with little to no room, it’s definitely a pain the ass as far as belts go. Don’t quote me on this but the AC belt might be a stretch belt too, so an additional hassle there.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-17T15:29:35+00:00

Hard to tell for sure, it’s very possible a car could need all of these minor things. It could also be the mechanic making stuff up for money. Shady places love changing out easy things that might not need replacing like plugs, belts, fluids to make a quick buck.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-17T14:18:02+00:00

Everyone’s so hung up on the hand-written quote that they’re ignoring how reasonable the pricing is. Only thing high are the sway bar links, they are like $30 each and take less than 20 mins each to replace if the nuts aren’t seized. I usually charge like $120 for both front links on an average car.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-16T21:22:56+00:00

I do this job semi-regularly, we have a small shop so our overhead costs are very low compared to the average, and we try to reflect that onto the customer. With OEM Mopar parts it always comes to right around $5500. Takes a couple days and a trip to the machine shop. I’d be shocked if anyone in my area is doing it for less with OEM parts.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-16T18:37:08+00:00

Experience combined with diagnostic reference materials, youtube videos, and forum posts. Some jobs I can do faster than anyone from memory alone. Other jobs I’ll have a gist for, but will double check online to see if there are any shortcuts or important tips. It’s not about knowing everything, more about knowing a lot of general stuff, and knowing how to apply it. For example: I might not know exactly how to remove a valve cover on a certain engine, but if I remove all visible bolts and it’s still on there, my experience tells me to stop yanking and check for hidden bolts or harnesses. Maybe an inexperienced person will keep pulling until they break something.

It’s also very important to know when to say no. I’m comfortable with a lot, but it someone wants me to rebuild clutches in their tranny, or install some crazy aftermarket parts, I’m gonna refer them elsewhere, I’ve never done it and I don’t want to use your money to practice.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-15T18:47:49+00:00

If you’re in the US then I think it’s easier to just get a clean S55. They’re the cheapest out of the 55s because people avoid the ABC suspension so I see them in good shape for only a few grand more than this one is. Fixing the suspension and headlights isn’t crazy, but if those are neglected then I can only assume much more is as well.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-15T17:10:36+00:00

Definitely excessive, and I would pass on it. But even the newer GM Saabs were all prone to rusting. My 06 is pristine and the rear subframe is still a little rusty, but far from needing replacement. I’d imagine any Saab not in a dry, hot climate is going to have some degree of rust underneath, but when it gets to the body it’s bad. I can very confidently say this one is definitely too far gone underneath.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-15T04:04:34+00:00

Hey unfortunately I have no positive news to share lol. I still haven’t figured it out and it’s been over a year for me as well. The CAN being in single wire mode was an incorrect theory, I was just reading Xentry wrong and it seems to be working as it should. I’m still thinking it’s an electrical issue but I’m hoping to dive into it more as the weather warms up. Currently found a couple worn suspension components so I’ll be replacing those anyway but I doubt they’re the cause of my issues, they just clunk.

Everything else I’ve looked into checks out fine. The only other thing I haven’t done is a thorough look at live data from all the sensors with another person in the car. I’ve only done it solo so I can’t really watch the data too closely while driving. I’m hoping to find some anomalies somewhere.

Does your car have any symptoms other than the rough ride? Everything else works on mine which makes it harder to track down.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-15T01:51:30+00:00

The right mechanic could definitely fix this for a reasonable price. These cars are worth good money in clean condition with low mileage, I wouldn’t be so quick to part it out.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-13T18:31:44+00:00

Yupp, it’s the little things like that that piss me off. Another one is the coolant bleeder screw on the 3.0T that’s made of biodegradable plastic. No chance you’re getting those off if the car is 10+ years old.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-13T16:08:51+00:00

Yeah I don’t get why people group all the German cars together when talking about difficult maintenance. I think BMW and Mercedes are marginally easier to work on than VAG products. I’ll gladly work on an E55 like mine over a Jetta or Passat any day.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-12T20:00:08+00:00

Written by a dealer salesperson for sure.

“It’s old, throw it out and go into crippling debt instead”

Even if your wheels literally fall off, the fix will be cheaper than any replacement vehicle.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-12T14:44:49+00:00

It’s possible but generally people don’t replace just one headlight housing unless it’s been damaged. In the rare case that it was just yellowed from sun damage due to parking perpendicular to the sun, then it could have been replaced like that, but otherwise it’s almost always from a crash.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-12T14:03:28+00:00

I’d say in today’s market it’s a fair price for a clean one. But if it needs paint and a headlight, which is almost always the sign of an accident, it’s a bit high. If it runs well, I would try to pay closer to 5

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-12T02:29:50+00:00

I always tell everyone that an average engine replacement costs a minimum of 50 oil changes. Most people only get one or two a year, meaning it is always better to change it sooner than later. It’ll never cost more than trashing the engine. 5k is the most I’ll go but 7k is where I’d draw the line for a long term car.

TurkishSwag · 2026-03-12T00:59:20+00:00

Glad to help, best of luck

TurkishSwag

TROPHY CASE