Jeep Water Leaks: Problems with Jeeps since 2008

June 18, 2013
By: Robert Silverman

Ben Franklin once wrote that the only two guarantees in life are death and taxes. Well, we would like to add a third guarantee to that list: there will be Jeeps on the road with water leak problems.

Since 2008, we have been flooded with calls from Jeep owners like Janae with leaking windows, sunroofs, soft top convertibles, hard top convertibles, dome lights, doors, and door handles. We’ve seen leaking Jeep Wranglers, leaking Jeep Patriots, leaking Jeep Grand Cherokees, and leaking Jeep Commanders. We’ve seen more than one leaking Jeep Liberty and a leaking Jeep Compass or two as well.

We’ve helped hundreds of Jeep owners with water damage to upholstery and electrical shorts from water leaks. Many of these cases have been wrapped up quickly and many of our clients have been awarded new vehicles or complete buybacks.

Nobody wants pools of water on the floor of their Jeep Commander or water damage to the seats of their Jeep Wrangler. But the Jeep leak problems have also led to a particularly troubling mold problem – it makes the vehicle unhealthy to drive and it brings about a terrible odor. Here are some problems our commenters have reported:

Do not wait until the seventh repair to seek legal help. Most states require three or four visits to a repair shop before the vehicle owner can take legal action.

Another tip: do not wait until your car’s warranty has expired to address the problem or you may be left out to dry without any legal leverage:

If you are dealing with mold or any other problems related to a water leak in your vehicle, make a service appointment with your dealership immediately. If you have an odor problem, try to locate where it is originating from – this will allow the dealer to help you more quickly.

Make sure the shop gives you a repair invoice for each trip you make regarding your Jeep leak. Keep them somewhere handy – you’ll need them if you have to open up a legal claim. And remember…

If the first repair doesn’t solve the problem and your Jeep leak returns, take your vehicle back to an authorized Jeep dealership – it doesn’t have to be the dealer you bought it from.

If continuous repairs do nothing to stop the leaks from happening and you repeatedly have to bring your vehicle back to the shop while it’s under warranty, you can take legal recourse under State Lemon Laws and Federal Warranty Laws and assert your rights.

If you are dealing with Jeep water leaks, fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form. We will review your situation and determine if/how we can help.  You can also call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652).