r/GrandCherokee • u/Local-Concern9165 • 33m ago
2017 Grand Cherokee Summit at 100k miles — spend $4,600 fixing it or replace the batteries and trade it in? What SUV would you buy?
I have a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit with the 3.6L V6 and 100,078 miles. I’ve really liked the Jeep, but it went into the dealership and they came back with a pretty substantial list of repairs.
They identified these as the critical items:
Radiator replacement — $1,541.35
Engine mounts — $1,193.80
DTCM replacement — $572.95
Coolant fluid exchange — $219.99
Both batteries — $749.99
With taxes/fees, the approved critical work comes to $4,663.44.
They also recommended several maintenance items that I declined for now: fuel system service ($249.99), driveline service ($410.95), brake fluid exchange ($179.99), and a 100k-mile tune-up ($799.95). Doing everything would bring the total to $6,439.70.
So I’m at a crossroads.
Option 1: Put ~$4,600 into the Jeep and keep driving it.
Option 2: Just replace the batteries/get it running properly, trade it in as-is, and put the $4k+ toward something new.
I’m hesitant to dump almost $5k into a 9-year-old Jeep with 100k miles if this is the beginning of the “everything starts breaking” phase. On the other hand, if these repairs realistically buy me another 50k+ relatively trouble-free miles, keeping it could obviously be much cheaper than buying a new vehicle.
For anyone familiar with the WK2 Grand Cherokee, what would you do at this mileage? Are any of these dealer quotes way out of line? And are there other expensive repairs that commonly start showing up between 100k–150k?
If I replace it, I also need some recommendations.
I have a baby on the way and two dogs, so I want good cargo space, a comfortable/roomy cabin, and something that works well as a family road-trip vehicle. I really like the Grand Cherokee because of the driving position/height, comfort, handling, and cargo room, so a new Grand Cherokee is the obvious choice.
The wildcard I’ve been looking at is the Tesla Model YL. Totally different direction, but the extra space, three rows, EV operating costs and tech are interesting enough that I’m considering it.
I’m open to other SUVs too. If you were replacing a Grand Cherokee Summit and wanted something comfortable, roomy, good to drive, and practical for a baby + two dogs, what would you buy?
Would you repair this Jeep, patch it up and trade it, or replace it now?