- A $63,685 special-edition Wrangler topped out at just $34,250 at auction.
- The Wrangler 4xe once ranked among the best-selling plug-in hybrids.
- Jeep is currently being sued for the Samsung batteries of the Wrangler 4xe.
When this 2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Willys ’41 rolled into a US dealership, the sticker read $63,685. Logic would suggest that this special-edition model, built to celebrate the Wrangler’s military heritage, would have enough desirability to at least hold its value better than some other Jeeps. What happened at auction said otherwise, and it wasn’t close.
Read: Stellantis Walked Away From The 4xe, Its Owners Couldn’t
This Wrangler 4xe Willys ‘41 was recently listed for auction through Cars & Bids in Torrance, California. With just 3,600 miles (5,793 km) on the clock, it certainly looks fresh and inevitably drives just like a new one. The lone deviation from stock is a set of US Marine Corps stickers slapped on the bodywork. Everything else is exactly how it left the line.
Despite the retro pitch, buyers stayed away. A full week of listing pushed the high bid to just $34,250. That lands almost $30,000 under what the truck cost new, a gap wide enough to make the original window sticker look like a typo.
Cars & Bids
The Downfall Of The 4xe
Perhaps one reason the off-roader failed to sell is that it’s a 4xe model. At one stage, the Wrangler 4xe was one of the best-selling plug-in hybrids in the United States. However, it has been subject to several critical recalls, ultimately prompting Jeep to stop selling it last year. A bunch of 4xe owners is also suing Jeep over the model, alleging the lithium-ion battery pack from Samsung has defective cells that increase the risk of thermal runaway and fire.
Would you have gone higher than the $34,250 top bid, or does the recalled battery and that soft top make even that too much? Tell us in the comments
Cars & Bids
The configuration of the Willys ‘41, no doubt, divides opinions, too. It was offered exclusively in a shade called Olive Drab, which isn’t the most appealing. Additionally, it has rather odd-looking, paint-matched 17-inch wheels. Perhaps the single element restricting its appeal the most is the fact that it was sold exclusively with a tan-colored fabric soft top, which certainly isn’t as practical as the hard roof panels the Wrangler is sold with as standard.
