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YACT: thinking of buying this jeep cherokee. need some advice *update*

D

d33pt

Diamond Member
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can anyone tell me common problems with this model year jeep? I know the 4.0 straight 6 is pretty durable, but it's getting pretty high in miles.

main use of this jeep will be cruising around in the desert, but it has to be reliable enough to get me there and back..4 hour long roundtrip.

I already have a reliable tacoma for around town commute, but it's only a two seater. I will be using the jeep once in a while too, when i need the passenger capacity.

I am only prepared to pay $2000 for it..
 
A friend of mine from High school has a mid 90s jeep cherokee sport that he is constantly taking on road trips. (He works for his father as a consultant and is constantly on the read. I think he's almost up to 200,000 miles. He hasn't had any major problems with this jeep. I think if the guy took care of it, it should be reliable.
 
Get it bought, i want one but cant afford insurance as i live in the land of extortionate insurance prices (The uk). Your Jeep will go one forever, the 4.0L HO engine is the most durable engine to be put in the jeep. The only problem i can think of is that the hood release cable has been to known to snap, but its simply fixed.

Check out Jeeps Unlimited mainly aimed at wheeling jeeps (Off roaders) but they will answer any questions you have on the forums (Forums )

One thing you do need to check is that it isnt the closed cooling system which i believe had a few overheating problems (especially with you being in teh desert) they changed the cooling system but i forget when that was, i would check that out on the jeeps unlimited forums.

Heres A thread i started for you about it
 
I own two Jeeps, a 2002 Cherokee and a 1999 Wrangler, both have the 4.0l but the Cherokee is the more powerful of the two (not sure why) I have spent some time at Jeep forums and have heard very few people that have gripes about the engine, most of the time it's stories like "I have 280,000 miles on my Cherokee!".
Get yourself a Carfax (sp?) report on the vehicle if you have any doubts.
 
Yeah overheating would be very bad..especially when i'm out in the middle of nowhere and it's 100 degrees.. i will look into that. thanks for the advice.

I won't be putting more than 5k miles on it a year or so. if the engine is as good as you guys say it is, and the other owner kept it in good condition, then i think i'll buy it.
 
I have a 2001 Jeep grand cherokee. Best car I have ever had. Bought it a year ago and it hasn't given me a single problem. They are amazing in the snow which isnt a problem for you but for me its a real issue hehe. Not to mention its damn comfortable 🙂

 
I used to drive an '89 Jeep Cherokee. My dad bought it new and it was rock solid for 225000 miles or so. We traded it in a year ago for my Envoy.

edt: Actually, it was approaching 300000 miles. The last time I drove it, it was getting close to 290000 and I wondered if I would still be driving it for the 300000th mile. 😀
 
thanks for the tips guys..i'm going to take a look at it tomorrow. probably run a carfax on it. PM me if you have an active account please.
gonna offer the guy $2000 for it. hopefully insurance wont be too killer.

any other insights please chime in. I know there are some jeep enthusiasts on this board...iamwiz??
 
Do it! I bought a 93 Cherokee Sport from EBAY for $2500 with 108K miles on it. It was perfect, ran excellent, no problems, great power. Too bad I drove it into a tree, but Id say it's an excellent choice.
 
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Do it! I bought a 93 Cherokee Sport from EBAY for $2500 with 108K miles on it. It was perfect, ran excellent, no problems, great power. Too bad I drove it into a tree, but Id say it's an excellent choice.
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Ouch!!!!!!!! @_@ my Neck!!!!!!!
 
wow, i cant believe no Jeep haters in here yet.. I like the I-6.. if it was any other motor, I'd say don't buy it.. but them engines are damn strong!!!
 
i didn't get a chance to check this out yet... been too busy... just emailed the guy. maybe it wasn't sold yet..
 
I bought an 88 Cherokee for $800 in the fall. It has the 4.0L I-6. The engine is freaking rock solid. There are really no problems with the engine itself at 140,000mi. The tranny leaks, although I think it is just a broken clip on one of the lines, i'm sure if i wanted to fix it instead of pouring more ATF in there it would be cheap and easy.

The one I have had some rust, but I got out a dremel, wire wheel, and some POR15 and it did it up nice, and the body is solid now. The 4WD still works just fine although it seems to like activating only from park, not a big deal.

The mast cylinder is gone, but I think that was from towing a 4,000lb rig to a local racetrack and back (which is why I bought the car in the first place). There is a bunch of stuff wrong with the suspension, but that is from abuse.

Basically I love the car. If I had to get something I planned to drive around instead of beat up an early 90s Cherokee Limited with the 4.0L would be up there on my list.

If whatever you are looking at(the link is dead) is in good shape, make an offer and walk away happy.
 
I just bought an 86 cherokee and it is running solid, the dang thing has 182K miles. It was an affordable $500.00! Engine sounds great and the four wheel drive is a good thing for the weather up here in the northeast.
 
Another Jeep fanboy here 😀

I've bought my 92 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4x4 last April with 131k on it, and 16k miles later it's still runs great! It's my first "SUV" and I love having all of the room, etc. There has been a couple of mechanical items I've had to fix (power steering pump, etc), but it runs great! An all around great vehicle!
 
Things to look for:

Rust - though i doubt you will have many issues in Cali.
Cooling System - The switch to open from closed was in 91-92, but this one may be a factory freak. Its not a very hard or expensive fix, though.
Listen for noises out of the transfer case when in 4wd, could be the sign of a stretched chain.
Engine is good for a long time
Transmission is good up until around 200,000 miles or so, depending on how it was treated.
 
I looked at the jeep today, but it was already getting dark, so I couldn't see much. Engine ran well. I didn't drive it yet. Right rear door paint is really dull. I think that door has been hit and repaired/repainted with a cheap paintjob. The frame around the door seemed straight, so I didn't think the accident was too bad. Things that I didn't like, there was oil coated around the front differential and some of the undercarriage. There was also a light oil covering on the valve cover. Not really sure where it's leaking from. It wasn't dripping or anything, just seeping. Oil was in good condition, he said it was just changed. Underneath the oil cap, it was caked with alot of old oil residue. I've heard that this means the owner didnt' change the oil often. My toyota truck with 130k miles looks prestine under the engine compartment and inside the oil cap. Other than that, everything else seemed to be in good condition. I'm going to try to see it tomorrow in the daylight. The guy said he was working so didn't get home until 5.
 
4.0L engines usually get a sludge buildup, nothing out of the ordinary. As is the valve cover leak. Chances are you could just retorque the bolts. The oil on the front diff could be from a change. It is a messy job and gear lube usually gets all over the place.

If you have a chance, check underneath and see if the rear main seal is leaking, another common leak.

 
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