Jeep Wave Customer Care Program: What You Should Know
Jeep's prepaid routine-maintenance program uses a familiar name and offers additional perks.
Jeep
QuickTakes:
Included with the purchase or lease of all new Jeep vehicles, this two-year package provides two complimentary oil changes, two tire rotations, and other membership benefits. Owners of some older Jeeps can add Jeep Wave for an additional fee.
Jeep Wave Is Not an Extended Warranty
At its core,
Despite some published sources referring to the Jeep Wave Customer Care Program as an extended warranty, Jeep says it is a limited warranty. Jeep dealers offer those packages separately for buyers who want longer vehicle-warranty coverage.
What the Jeep Wave Program Includes
Jeep Wave provides owners of new Jeeps with two free oil changes and two free tire rotations during the first 24 months of ownership. According to Jeep, the equivalent retail value of these services depends on the specific Jeep model, powertrain, and location.
Beyond those services, the Jeep Wave program delivers added value from several other perks. One of these is a $40 one-day rental vehicle allowance that comes into play if you bring your Jeep to an authorized dealer for same-day maintenance. So, if you need transportation while waiting for your vehicle, and the dealer has a rental car available, you can get $40 toward its cost. If the rental fee exceeds $40, you pay the difference. You do not get this allowance if you leave your Jeep overnight.
Jeep Wave's Trip-Interruption Coverage
Jeep Wave's trip-interruption protection will reimburse you up to $1,000 per incident for lodging, meals, and emergency transportation. This coverage includes accompanying family members, too.
There are two important caveats here. This benefit kicks in only if your Jeep has been made inoperable by a mechanical failure related to the services covered by Jeep Wave or anything covered under the vehicle's basic limited warranty. Also, the incident must occur at least 100 miles from the Jeep Wave member's address.
While the Jeep basic limited warranty runs for 36 months or 36,000 miles. The Jeep Wave benefits last 24 months but with unlimited miles during that period. Simple math shows that unless you renew the Jeep Wave after 24 months, you will lose trip-interruption protection for the vehicle warranty's final year.
The Jeep Wave program website notes that trip-interruption protection includes 24/7 roadside assistance for the five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty period.
This timeline is a bit redundant since this roadside assistance perk already comes as part of the Jeep powertrain warranty. If you choose not to renew the Jeep Wave after 24 months, you still get any time remaining for the roadside assistance benefit.
Jeep
Jeep Wave Member Benefits
Some Jeep Wave members may have qualified for longer Jeep Wave benefits. Those who purchased a model-year 2021 or newer Jeep vehicle before July 17, 2023, got Jeep Wave for 36 months, and that term remains in force only for those buyers.
For those who bought Jeeps starting July 17, 2023, though, the program reverted to 24 months, which is how it was for the 2016 to 2020 model years. Jeep owners can check their Jeep Wave membership status on the program's website.
Jeep Wave Is Not Transferable
Some confusion about the Jeep Wave program may stem from terms in place for 2016 to 2020 Jeep vehicles. The program applied only to specific models and trim lines at that time. Beginning with the 2021 model year, Jeep automatically enrolled all new buyers into the Jeep Wave program.
At the end of the 24-month free period, a Jeep owner can renew Jeep Wave annually for about $150 per year. Owners of 2015 and newer Jeep vehicles may purchase the Jeep Wave membership by visiting a Jeep dealer or using the Jeep Wave site.
Whether you join the Jeep Wave program by purchasing or leasing a new Jeep or purchasing it for an older model, the membership is not transferable. If you sell the vehicle, the membership simply ends. The next owner can join at their expense.
Those who take their Jeep SUVs off-road will appreciate the six-month subscription to the onX Offroad Elite service included with Jeep Wave. Touted as the No. 1 off-road GPS navigation and trail app, onX Elite guides users to 650,000 miles of trails and roads legally usable for 4x4s, ATVs, dirt bikes, side-by-sides, and snowmobiles. Subscription to the app costs $100 annually, so consider this six-month trial worth $50.
Jeep promises unspecified "preferred treatment" at Jeep events around the U.S. and access to exclusive events. Without knowing what those events are or what the treatment involves, there's no way to estimate the value of this benefit for every individual Jeep owner.
The Jeep Wave program includes around-the-clock access to representatives tasked with handling inquiries from members, who can call the toll-free number or use the live chat feature on their membership account web page.
Don't forget to Jeep wave other Jeep drivers on the road, an always-free benefit of Jeep ownership.
Jim KoscsJim began writing about cars in the late 1980s and has covered automotive topics including business, car culture, collecting, design, history, racing, profiles, and technology. He was a managing editor for Vette, MuscleCars, High-Performance Pontiac, and High-Performance Mopar magazines. He wrote and managed business newsletters for auto retailers and car-rental companies, and made an appearance on CNN as a car-rental industry "expert." He's covered automotive public relations for an agency serving BMW North America and directly for Mercedes-Benz USA, writing press kits and speeches. His business provides expert product writing for more than a dozen automakers, and he has written features for the Greenwich, Amelia Island, and Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance official programs. His byline has appeared in The New York Times, Hagerty Media, Hemmings.com, Performance Racing Industry magazine, AIADA Auto Dealer magazine, the BBC Autos page, History.com, and Porsche Panorama magazine.
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