I have liked the car overall but the experience of owning it is getting bitter and bitter day by day.
BHPian Starwar19 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Persistent issues with my Jeep Meridian.
A Tale of Endless repairs and Workshop visits.
Bought a Jeep Meridian on 30th of March, 2023. I had lot of problems while finalising on my option with a budget of 50 Lakhs. There are barely any options in the market right now running with a diesel engine. I’m quite satisfied with the performance and handling of the car. It is my daily commute car and in just under 4 months I have already crossed 13500 kms. Which tells you that I cannot afford the car to visit Workshop frequently due to time constraints.
I have liked the car overall but the experience of owning it is getting bitter and bitter day by day. I had issues with the showroom while doing the PDI and there were certain minor issues like rumbling and creaking noise from the door. (This minor issue turns out to be a major one)
I have also written about my worst experience while buying the car. Right from purchasing until now, i have had constant issues. The issues may be minor but they are persistent. They service centre people have rectified the issues but the car had to visit workshop frequently. I’m listing the issues below right from the start:-
- There is rumbling and creaking noise from all four doors. (This issue persisted while taking the delivery but the SA lubricated the rubber bushings and the noise went away.) This issue has turned out to be a major one, I’ll discuss this in detail below.
- Fit and Finish Issues. Their is gap in lot of dashboard fitments. They are not visible to eye and that is why I missed them on PDI but they are underneath, and now they are making rattling noise. Workshop Solution:- They changed one interior panel under warranty and also rectified the dash sound but now it is again coming back after a run of 1000kms
- Jeep Life App is not working. Workshop Solution:- To change the device from the car and for that they need my car for 3 days.
- Undulated Vibrations felt on Highways and when the car is parked. (With the engine turned off, ofcourse) This vibrations are not continuous but felt very randomly. Workshop Solution:- The workshop simply denied this claim.
- Left door keyless entry button not working properly.
This were the series of issues. I know all of this above issues are minor and can be solved by the workshop people. But i feel ashamed to tell you that my Brand New Top-end Premium car has visited workshop 9 times in total in this span of 4 months.If this was not enough to surprise you, for the 1st issue of rumbling and creaking noise from the door, the workshop assistant couldnt clear the noise and for that he has SWAPPED all four doors with his Demo Vehicle!
Still the Noise is persistent! The noise is less compared to previous doors but it is still there.
Would you ever believe of changing all four doors of a new car just for a rumbling and creaking noise?
In this series the workshop has worked and tried to rectify the sound:- Lubrication of all the doors, Alignment and adjustment of all four doors, changing of the rubber bushing on the door, changing of the rubber bushing on the chasis, Swapping all four doors.
This are all the probable solutions done on my car, yet they are not able to clear the sound.
The problem is not with the Rubber bushing, not with the doors, not due to misalignment, then what remains is Body. Will they change the body now?
The workshop is clueless about the problem, I’m stuck with this persistent problem. The workshop says that now they have to call a Jeep Service Doctor (Plant Doctor). I don’t know what’s store in for future.
But I’m already fed up with the issues that I face in my car. The constant issues with my car have transformed what should have been a pleasurable ownership experience into a seemingly never ending battle with my car. the car has become an unreliable companion that constantly demands attention, energy, mental peace and financial investment.
The problems may seem minor but if they are minor they keep on popping up frequently and then why the workshop is not able to rectify?
I don’t have an immediate solution to all this problem. I want my fellow Team-bhp members to help me out from this situation.
- Shall I take this up with Jeep?
- Shall I ask for an replacement?
- Shall I take the company to consumer court?
- Shall I simply sell the car? (The car has massive depreciation, atleast 35% i’m assuming. Also the next owner will check the history and the issues might hit my resale value as well.)
I want to get rid of this problems and if not then this car. The car brings hiccup every month. Spending just about 40 lakhs OTR, I have zero peace of mind.
Please help in terms of finding a permanent solution to this constant problems.
Thank you for bearing with me.
Here’s what BHPian revsperminute had to say on the matter:
Similar experience here. The Meridian has been the most unreliable and niggle-ridden modern car I have driven. Jammed windows, random warning messages, squeaky doors, I could go on and on. Also, the car completely died on me one time.
I regret not waiting for the Kodiaq L&K every time I get behind the wheel of the car. Fortunately in my case, the car is not a permanent resident in my garage. What further sours the experience is my friend’s XUV700 AWD which has proved to be much more reliable, fun to drive and better appointed to than this car. Both were delivered within a week. All at 2/3rd of the price.
If you can afford to, get yourself something new. It’s best to cut your losses and move on. At least, you’ll be happy driving a car that brings you joy and not headaches.
A fortuner will be the end-all when it comes to reliability whereas a Kodiaq will give you brilliant fit and finish, luxury and driving experience.
Here’s what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:
This is a really unfortunate situation. Its a pity Jeep cant keep their QC up to the mark. I would also suggest that if the finances add up, perhaps its best to cut your losses and sell early.
Given your running, perhaps an Innova Hycross may make sense. Its petrol hybrid so operating costs will be low, ongoing maintenance cost should be low too combined with bullet proof Toyota reliability. While the interiors are mediocre at best, at least (hopefully) what you see is what you get – Toyota will not let down on the build quality.
Fingers crossed, I’m feeling fortunate in comparison that I’ve had no extraordinary issue but when I read such horror stories all around, it makes me also think that perhaps its best to keep this car only till its within warranty and sell within that window to move on to the next one.
Keyword: Jeep Meridian: A frustrating tale of endless repairs & workshop visits