Is a Jeep Cherokee a good car?

I am 17 and looking to get my first car, I am a pretty good driver ( I drive like a grandmother), and I like trucks and SUVs over small cars.

My mother wants me to get an expensive almost new small Japanese car, which frankly I do not like.

my parents are looking to spend somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 dollars on a used Cherokee, model years 1997-2001. I think i've done more than enough research on the vehicle and yet my mother still thinks its a bad idea.

I don't want to be a demanding, spoiled teen, but I'd much rather have less money spent on a car that I actually like.

My mom thinks that 100K miles is terrible and it will break down, and she thinks that it will be expensive to repair, which is quite the opposite of what i've researched. Also she and my father thinks that I will roll over too easy.

So, as most of you are XJ owners, what are your thoughts on:

Repair Costs
Reliability
Mileage Issue


and What are things to look out for in Cherokees with 100-120K miles?

I will be showing her this post, so hopefully you guys can help me out.


Thanks!

If you can work on your own vehicles, then I'd get one. If you aren't capable of doing your own work, then NO.

well as a tow truck driver and off roader i seen some bad things there good until u get in a wreck with them i seen one get hit at 25mph and looked like it was hit at 70 mhp

More power to you. As for repair costs - I bought mine for 2400 with 107k on the clock and lots and lots of rust and neglect, and between upgrading it and repairing it, I've spent around ten grand (including purchase price) and learned a LOT in the last year and a half.
Reliability - once you fix the stuff that should have been handled by the previous owner, they're great. Find one without rust, which shouldn't be an issue for you down there - check for floorboard rust by looking up from underneath it and hopefully pulling the carpet up in front of the front seats if you are allowed to.

Mileage - I know people on here with 300k on their Cherokees. I have 139k on my Cherokee as we speak and other than a transmission issue (costing me $500 in materials and parts for a FULL rebuild on it, I'm replacing the transmission with a used one and rebuilding the old one completely as a spare) and the rust I already mentioned, it's going strong. I expect this engine to last well over 200k. My Comanche has 208k on it right now, engine is also going strong (even after being run for hundreds of miles with only 1/4 the oil it should have had in it by the previous owner) and I would not hesitate to do a cross country trip in either.

EDIT: as for tipping over... well... a friend of mine tried for something like 8 minutes to tip his over while offroading last weekend. He finally did. It had a couple inches of lift on it and 33 inch tires instead of stock 28s. Here's the video of him finally succeeding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltsx-fjqLtE

A stock XJ will be fairly difficult to roll unless you do something very stupid in it, like sideswiping a curb at 70 or something.

1999 is considered by some the best of breed of XJs. They made a few changes in the last two years of production that are considered bad. They used a head casting, 0331, that has a reputation for cracking between cylinders 3-4. They changed the front axle from a high-pinion D30 to a low-pinion D30. Most don't care for the low-pinion as it may get hung up on rocks, and in the 00-01 tends to result in driveshaft vibrations if the XJ is lifted. Last is the 50 state emissions package on some. The CA legal exhaust manifold has two pre-CATS that tend to make things very hot in the engine bay, resulting in heat soak issues, however there have been reports of heat soak with 99-01 production, 49 and 50 state emissions versions.

The Jeep 4.0 inline 6 can see 300k no problem, and some report near 400k. If it has an automatic transmission it will be an AW4--nearly bullet proof if maintained.

If at stock height there is no more chance of rollover than any other SUV.

As you are young--not a crime, just a fact--you should take it to a qualified, competent technician for a full used vehicle checkup.

Go for a 98 or 99. 97s have screwy electrical systems. 00-01 had heads with a cracking problem.

The 4.0 and the aw4 are a great combo for reliability, 100k is not anywhere near the end of the lifespan for these vehicles.

As for roll over, for an SUV, they have a fairly low COG. (It is a station wagon right? )

CherBear said:

97s have screwy electrical systems.

The 4.0 and the aw4 are a great combo for reliability, 100k is not anywhere near the end of the lifespan for these vehicles.

As for roll over, for an SUV, they have a fairly low COG. (It is a station wagon right? )

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97's aren't that bad. I'm on number 2 and the only issue I had with my old one was the power windows and locks. I solved that problem by buying one with manual windows! Op I say you go for it they are a good choice as long as you can do some basic repairs and you maintain it. The engine and trans are bullet proof and parts aren't really too expensive compared to many vehicles.

CherBear said:

00-01 had heads with a cracking problem.

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Some 2000s and '01s, but not all of them by any means. I've owned both years; my last XJ (a 2001) was totalled with somewhere around 105,000 on the clock and no cracking issues, while the present 2000 is going strong at 157,000.

FlexdXJ said:

I say you go for it the are a good choice as long as you can do some basic repairs and you maintain it.

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This is key. It applies to any vehicle, but if you can do the basics on your Jeep you're miles ahead already.

Just don't expect to win any fuel economy arguments with your folks. There are full-sized trucks that can get better mileage than XJs, particularly modded XJs.

My current XJ is my first car that i've actually been able to drive, and in my opinion its a great car for high school kids (im only 15). 4 wheel drive, handles fairly decent and has plenty of room for sports equipment or friends.

So i would say go for it.

Mine has 345k miles. I replaced the engine and tranny a little while ago because I wanted to reboot, but the old stuff still ran. The big expensive problems with them is that the paint is really bad, the floors tend to rust from all the little leaks, and the seats break easily, and most people can't do the body work. They are pretty safe and aren't really prone to rollover unless you do something really dumb like drifting in a parking lot with one that's been lifted. Mileage is weak, they only get 20ish on the highway and less around town. They are great vehicles to learn about cars.

Both of my jeeps have over 200K miles. One with 230 and the other 245. Like said before if you dont have an ability to wrench they can be pricey. For the most part though they are usually cheap to have. The jeeps are pretty easy to learn how to wrench on though.

My dad had similar issues about the 100k mark when I was turning 16. Its a generational thing; they used to get rid of cars well before 100k.

A Cherokee can be reliable after 100k, BUT speaking as someone who was once in your exact same position, I'll put it this way:

You've got plenty of time in your life to drive the vehicle you want to have/can't get now/can't afford.

That Japanese car is going to be pretty damn reliable. The Cherokee should be too, but will likely have a few issues crop up (CPS, Harmonic Balancer, etc). Every time that happens your parents are going to launch into the "I told you so."

I sold my Dad's hand me down Accord to buy a Chevy S10... which started having issues... so I bought a Mustang... which started having issues... so I bought another Accord, brand new.

Now that I'm a bit older and have some spare cash, I daily drive my Accord and play with my Cherokee.

Just providing a different angle on this one. Sometimes its worth it to listen to the parents on car #1.

casm said:

Some 2000s and '01s, but not all of them by any means. I've owned both years; my last XJ (a 2001) was totalled with somewhere around 105,000 on the clock and no cracking issues, while the present 2000 is going strong at 157,000.

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It's such a hit or miss thing with the cracked heads. I've had three '01 0331 cylinder heads pass through my hands and not ONE was cracked (mileage ranged from 150K to 160K). Supposedly there was a particular supplier of the heads that had a bad run during the manufacturing process - although I don't see why they would have ever corrected the problem since the head cracking issues generally weren't seen until years later.

As for the original poster's question - 4 to 7 grand is going to pick you up a very nice, low mileage XJ. If your parents would be willing to drop the full 7 grand, you could easily grab a late model '00 or '01 (if you wish to take the gamble with the head cracking issues) Limited with about 100k (or less) on the clock for that price and it'll come with just about every option imaginable. Like other have said, stay away from the rust buckets. These trucks seem to rust in every nook and cranny and it can become a real headache down the road. A true southern Florida XJ shouldn't have an ounce of rust on it, unless it was used as a beach cruiser.

The reliability of these vehicles is pretty ridiculous if they're maintained properly. 300K miles for the engine, transmission, transfer case, and axles is pretty reasonable and I've seen them go beyond that. The Cherokee is also an incredibly practical car - plenty of room, decent power, lots of torque, and four wheel drive when you need it. The fuel mileage isn't something to write home about, but it's not terrible either. I average around 16 in town and 18 on the highway with my '01. My '99 seems to do better at 17/21 and I think it's because of the California exhaust emissions package that is on my '01 that Joe Peters talked about earlier.

If you have the know-how to work on the car yourself and you have the right tools already (or your Dad does), then I would say go for it.

camarors8992 said:

If you can work on your own vehicles, then I'd get one. If you aren't capable of doing your own work, then NO.

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This is the case. If you have a 4x4, you'll want to do offroad stuff that will cause damage and possibly breakage. If you can't fix your rig yourself, you don't really need to be in that environment.

In my life, I've had 4x4 and 2WDs. I've had Japanese econoboxes, ragged old PsOS and muscle cars. Now I have a Jeep Cherokee. I do all my own repair work and mods. There's a lot about it that disappoints me but so far, so good.

SkimB92 said:

my parents are looking to spend somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 dollars on a used Cherokee, model years 1997-2001. I think i've done more than enough research on the vehicle and yet my mother still thinks its a bad idea.

I don't want to be a demanding, spoiled teen, but I'd much rather have less money spent on a car that I actually like.

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you sound like a smart teen, buy a cheaper one, maybe in the 92-98 vintage, dont spend more than $3-4k.
A long time ago, my 90' was bought for $800, i couldnt love it more.

i hate to jump on the 'these things run forever' bandwaggon, but 100k miles is still virgin.

stuff goes wrong on used vehicles, nobody can change that, thats why you buy cheap, and use the saved coin to upgrade/fix whatever goes wrong.

Honestly if i didnt like working on cars i probably wouldnt have one because their terrible on gas mileage and it seems like your family is the type to take a car to a mechanic for every little tick and clunk, that would add up for almost any vehicle....If i was in your situation i would go with small new japanese turd, until you could afford to buy one on your own, then play around with it, but thats just what I would do. \

Here's a good general rule of thumb: if the ad says it needs engine work or if you test drive it and the engine makes noise like a spun bearing, walk away. The amount of abuse done to a 4.0l is excessive and you wouldn't want to know where else it was abused. Look under the truck as well. Any rust bigger than a quarter, in my opinion, is not worth it. Especially if it's a hole already. Look for any major leaks as such. Definitely go for a test drive. If it feels funny at all, just walk away. I assume you're in no rush to buy a vehicle and one shouldn't be.

The first XJ I picked up was a friend of a friend. Well beaten and worn and definitely had some minor problems. I jumped on it too quick but I did buy it for $600. My current XJ, I looked for 3 months before I decided it was good enough to warrant an inspection. Went through it like a fine tooth comb and bought it right there on the spot.

As has been said, if you don't care to or don't know how to maintain the vehicle yourself, ANYTHING you buy used will become a problem.

That being said, these little things will go on seemingly forever if they are maintained. I got mine from a friend that I knew kept the maintenance up on it. I've had it now for almost 5 yrs, and the only problems I 've had were a radiator that started leaking, an alternator that died, and it has finally gotten to the point I need new front wheel bearings and control arm bushings (they've never been replaced). I did upgrade the brake system with a newer model master cylinder/booster, and I put a set of 98 rear leaf springs on it that I took off the same friend I got it froms' 98 Cherokee when we put a lift kit on it.

This is on a 1988 vintage 348,322 mile young vehicle.

I am starting to wonder if the AW4 tranny is not nearing the end of it's life tho, and I have also found some rust in the floorpans that I will have to address.

But all in all, it has done right by me, and it does what I bought it for very well (hunting vehicle and sometimes daily driver). I've even had 1 person tell me (and he is serious) that when I am done with it, it is his, just tell him how much. This was after seeing what I could do with it and where I could take it 3 hunting seasons ago, and he still asks me if I am ready for a newer one every time I see him.

And she don't look too bad for her age either.



Yeah, I know...shameless pic pimping...

Good?
I do have still, original and first equiped: Engine/tranny,ECU,starter,fuelpump,waterpump,alternator,axels and steeringwheel.

greetings from Holland.

'92 XJ 270.000 km

wim hoppenbrouwers said:

Good?
I do have still, original and first equiped: Engine/tranny,ECU,starter,fuelpump,waterpump,alternator,axels and steeringwheel.

greetings from Holland.

'92 XJ 270.000 km

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sorry I was so in trance, I quote myself...