This three-row luxury SUV promises Escalade-level comfort at a lower entry price, and the cabin genuinely delivers, plush materials, spacious seating, intuitive controls. But the 2022-2024 models carry a troubling pattern: transmission seizures before 40k miles, electrical failures that strand owners, and service waits stretching into months. One mechanic's warning about a third transmission failure in two weeks tells you what dealership techs see daily. Depreciation is brutal, reflecting market awareness of these issues. The 2026 refresh brings a new inline-6 engine that may address some problems, but lacks real-world proof. If you're leasing short-term, the comfort might justify the risk. If you're buying, the Expedition and Tahoe offer similar space without the reliability gamble.
Stellantis stretched the Wagoneer name across two wildly different products, and only one deserves consideration. The gas-powered version is a spacious three-row hauler with a strong turbo six and genuinely comfortable highway manners, think of it as a Tahoe alternative that trades GM's proven reliability for slightly nicer interior materials and Stellantis's signature electrical quirks. You'll deal with infotainment freezes and the occasional dead battery, but it'll get your family where they're going. The Wagoneer S electric variant is a different animal entirely: owners report repeated 12V auxiliary battery failures that strand the vehicle mid-drive, documented unintended acceleration incidents, and dealer networks that can't fix the problems. Several are pursuing lemon law buybacks, and Stellantis paused US production until 2027. If you need three rows and can stomach the depreciation hit, the gas Wagoneer works, just budget for electrical gremlins. Skip the Wagoneer S entirely.