Looking back, perhaps the first warning about my Wrangler 4xe ownership experience came before I had much time to drive it.
On March 23, 2024, I handed over my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee to Jeep of Morristown in New Jersey as part of the transaction for my new Wrangler 4xe. After the dealership’s promises about the vehicle, I expected to begin another positive chapter with Jeep. Our family had already owned a Compass and two Grand Cherokees.
Instead, I found myself chasing answers about a vehicle I had already surrendered.
From my perspective, the dealership held my Grand Cherokee for approximately two months without getting the return properly reflected with Chrysler Capital. During that time, I continued receiving calls and messages about the old vehicle. I also received a bill for more than $5,000 that took weeks of follow-up to correct, including trips to the dealership to speak with people in person.
I had left with a new Jeep. The responsibility for untangling the old one seemed to follow me home.
What the Text Messages Show
On May 2, Chrysler Capital sent a message stating:
“Your lease maturity date has passed. Please return your vehicle promptly.”
The same demand arrived again on May 8. By then, 46 days had passed since I handed the Grand Cherokee to the dealership.
My response, preserved in the screenshot, was explicit:
“I returned the vehicle to Jeep of Morristown NJ on March 23rd 2024. I have also called Chrysler Capital twice to inform them of this. I also communicated with the dealership to inform them of this.”
The reply directed me to call Chrysler Capital for support.
That exchange captures the frustration. I was being asked to return a vehicle I no longer possessed, after already contacting the lender and the dealership about precisely that problem.
The screenshot does not establish what happened inside the dealership or when information was transmitted. What it does document is that I was still receiving return demands in May and was explaining, again, that I had handed over the vehicle in March.
Correcting the Bill Did Not Erase the Experience
The billing issue was eventually corrected, but getting there took weeks of effort. There were calls, follow-ups, and days when I went to the dealership to speak with people directly. None of that was how I expected to spend the beginning of my Wrangler 4xe ownership.
In hindsight, this experience feels like an early warning about the difficulty I would have getting concerns addressed. At the time, I wanted to believe it was an administrative problem we could resolve and move past.
I share this because the ownership experience begins with the transaction itself. Before handing over a trade-in or leased vehicle, ask for written confirmation of who is responsible for the payoff or return reporting, what happens next, and how completion will be confirmed.
On March 23, I thought I had finished with my Grand Cherokee. The messages arriving in May told a different story.