No much changed for the 2015 T4R so:
I came from a 2011 Dodge Durango (same running gear as a GC) and couldn't be more happy with my 2014 TEP. Well, admittedly 3rd row seating on a Trail would be awesome, but that's minor in the big picture.
This May will be a year since FCA took back the nightmare that was our 2011 Durango. Within a couple months the headliner needed to be replaced and the navigation/entertainment system gremlins started showing up which required multiple trips to the stealership. Then the fun started, a noticeable shudder reared it's head seemingly on torque converter lockup. A couple trips ensued for a reflash and what else I don't recall. Everything was fine for a couple months until the shudder came back, so another trip to the stealership. They couldn't replicate it so we decided to take it to another stealership for a 2nd opinion. Come to find out there was no transmission fluid with no visible signs of leaking and there were never any puddles where we parked. So at around 25k miles we were more than happy to give back the Durango. Sure others have had it worse but the time suck this vehicle was and having to deal with stealerships because of it, was tiresome.
Not a JGC but still from the same manufacturer, my father-in-law has a 2011 or 2012 Wrangler which decides to stop running at random moments while on the highway. He's had to have it towed multiple times because it would not start again. It was lemon lawed as well, but for whatever reason he decided to keep it. Of course it still has problems, at least he has a lifetime warranty out of the deal.
FCA has made great strides in improving their vehicles and I'm sure they will continue to do so, but with my recent experience there is still a ways to go it seems. My 2014 TEP is the first Toyota I've owned, it has made me a convert and FCA products are officially on the list of vehicles I would not consider owning. Wasting time dealing with warranty issues is not a hobby I want to pursue.
I think alot of people buy vehicles they know to be unreliable, thinking that since they have a warranty, it won't be a big deal if something breaks, because they can just take it in to the dealer to get fixed for free, and be on their way.
They have no idea of what a nightmare it can be trying to get warranty work done.
When a problem first surfaces, there isn't always a trouble code to go along with it. It can be some weird noise or feeling that happens several times a day on your daily commute, but isn't easily reproducible. So you will make an appointment, a tech will drive your car for 5 min, and not notice the problem, and say nothing is wrong. So then you make another appointment, and insist you drive the tech around to reproduce the issue. Of course then you aren't able to reproduce the noise for the tech. Then you take more time and start driving around the dealership, looking for areas where you can regularly reproduce the problem.
Finally at your 3rd appointment, you are able to reproduce the noise for the tech. If you are lucky, they will agree it isn't normal, but some will still say it is normal, because it isn't in their best interest to do warranty work, as they get paid less for it.
So finally your car is in the shop and is going to get fixed! Of course while it is in the shop, you get stuck with some crappy sub compact rental vehicle, while your car sits in the dealer lot waiting on the parts they ordered, that will then be "Thrown at the Problem". A few days go by, and your parts are finally in! The parts are haphazardly installed into your car, because the tech wants to get this warranty job done as quick as possibly, so they can make better pay at a non-warranty job. Whatever was removed, usually doesn't completely go back together. Just enough to get the car back on the road.
If you are lucky, the parts they threw at the problem will actually fix your problem. In my experience, you are lucky if that happens 50% of the time. (I had my TDI Jetta in for sunroof issues 3 times, and finally gave up after they weren't able to fix it)
So if you are really lucky, you were only without your car, and stuck in a POS Rental, for only 1 week, and there were only a few bolts and clamps the tech forgot to put back in your car. Now you just have to wait until the next issue pops up.
My last 2 vehicles were new VW TDIs (A 2011 TDI Jetta and a 2012 TDI Golf) I owned each for about 1 year and 10k miles. Both had multiple issues pop up within those 10k miles. I could never enjoy either of those vehicles because I was always trying to reproduce weird noises and ect, and taking them into the dealer for warranty work. My free time was spent scouring the forums trying to find others with similar issues, because I knew I couldn't just drop the car off at the dealer, and expect them to diagnose and fix the issue.
In the almost 2 years and 35k miles I have spent in my 2013 4runner, I have yet to have a problem with it, and it has never seen a dealership mechanics bay. It is so nice just being able to drive it, and not worry about things breaking, or having to think about potential big ticket repair items down the road when it is out of warranty. I would never own an unreliable vehicle, like a VW or Jeep GC out of warranty because of all the high ticket items that are likely to break. I won't have any worries keeping my 4Runner after its 60k warranty has expired.
Another thing to add, un-reliable cars usually depreciate pretty quickly. If you end up buying a turd of a JGC, and get tired of all warranty work that comes along with it, you will take a huge depreciation hit if you want to get rid of it. The 4Runner on the other hand holds its value extremely well!
