"Capless Fuel Tanks" ?

[tombogan03884]

The idea has been working pretty well on military aircraft for about 60 years now, should be safe enough for auto's.

[Timothy]

There are far more things to worry about on a Jeep anyway! 

[billt]

There are far more things to worry about on a Jeep anyway! 

If you really want an honest assessment about what cars you should stay away from, research extended warranty costs, based on purchase price of the new vehicle your trying to warranty. These are nothing more than long term health care plans for your car. Chrysler / Jeep has some of the most reasonable lifetime service warranties out there from ALL the warranty providers.

On many Mercedes and BMW models, they are not even offered at any price. That isn't because they're not likely to break down, and or are cheaper to fix when they do. Forget Motor Trend, J.D. Power, Consumer Reports, and all the rest. Insuring against maintenance and repair costs, along with the overall frequency of them, dictate the cost of all of these extended warranties. The same as if you smoke, and have a history of cancer in your family, you'll pay more for health care. Or live in New Orleans or the Outer Banks of N.C., and pay more for flood insurance.

It's no different with cars. It's nothing but insurance. And insurance is all based on odds. The extended warranties on these vehicles, (Chrysler / Jeep), aren't cheaper because they're less dependable, and break down more.

[Timothy]

Chill out Bill, it was a joke...

My 120K warranty was free from my dealer, incentive to buy the vehicle and yes, I can bring it to any Ford dealer nationwide for repairs.  Hell, the thing had two recalls on it before I took delivery!

I've done plenty of research on many different fronts and I still migrate back to what's worked for me over the years.

It's the GM and Chrysler bailout that I cannot and will not swallow...they're both dead to me.

Enjoy your retirement, the Grand Cherokee is a great truck from everyone I've know to own one.  Let's hope that bears true for you...  It's big enough to mount your Barrett 50 on as well!   

[billt]

I think all of this boils down to basically how lucky you are. Nothing more. You can pay $85K and get a bad Mercedes. Or you can pay $25K and get a great Kia. It's all pretty much luck of the draw. I think overall your chances are much better today then they were 40 years ago. Back then I didn't know anyone who didn't have to take a new vehicle back 2 or 3 times to "get the bugs out".

 I remember back in 1974 my mother bought a new Chevy Nova, and she had 4 radios put in it in less than a year. Who the hell ever replaces a radio? I had a 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel that Consumer Reports rated very badly. It was the best car I ever had, and delivered an honest 50 MPG for over 100,000 miles. Today I think cars are better than ever.

 This new HEMI has 4 valve heads, 16 spark plugs, MDS, (Multiple Displacement System), that shuts down 4 cylinders under a light load. It delivers 21 MPG on mid range gas, and still puts out 360 HP @ 390 ft. pounds of torque. Back in the 60's that kind of performance came with 8 to 10 MPG on Sunoco 260 Premium, with new plugs every 10,000 miles.

As far as bailouts...... I put that in the same category as the S&W Clinton deal, and Bill Ruger's Hi-Cap magazine debacle. A long time ago. And today the same people aren't even in charge. I'm not going to make someone else do time for someone else's blunders.

[Sponsor]

[Pathfinder]

I got a new Fusion last October, and I encountered the same thing - went from an '02 F350 quad cab with the 7.3 diesel with an ordinary gas cap to the Fusion with electronic goodies up the wahzoo plus a capless gas tank. It was weird indeed.

So far in the past 6 months I have had no problems with anything including the gas filler.

[billt]

.............So far in the past 6 months I have had no problems with anything including the gas filler.

That gives me encouragement. I finally got the built in garage door opener in the car programmed to my 1997 Genie Door Opener. It took me 3 times, but the damn thing finally works. It's nice because it runs off the cars electrical system, and doesn't use a battery. Out here in the Summer, temperatures inside the car can easily get over 140F. That kills those little wafer batteries my opener takes in a single Summer. Now at least I don't have to buy any more batteries. The damn things were like $6 bucks each, and were a pain in the ass to change out.

[alfack]

My Ford Focus, bought new in 2012, has this feature and I've had no issues. I live near Seattle, it rains all the time and I leave it parked outside. I like it. One less step at the gas pump.

[billt]

My Ford Focus, bought new in 2012, has this feature and I've had no issues. I live near Seattle, it rains all the time and I leave it parked outside. I like it. One less step at the gas pump.

More reassurance, thanks. If you're not getting water in your tank outside in Seattle, I'm not going to worry about getting water contamination in Phoenix sitting in a garage!

[Timothy]

All winter and going on a year.  No issues...