Car specilists: advise needed!

[AfterBurn]

My dad is looking to buy an used Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0LTD, but he doesnt know Jeep, doesnt know its reputation, so we'd like to know if there are known caveats with Jeep and this model in particular. Maintenance problems, things that have a habit breaking, anything that might be of some importance.

Please advise.

 

[Mikal]

If you like low reliability....... that's the way to go!

 

[Maetryx]

Don't forget to check out Kelly Blue Book for information on that model/years current value. There are two values listed, usually known as low blue book and high blue book.

Low = what a new car dealer would give you if you traded it in toward the purchase of a new car
High = what a new car dealer that also sells used cars would sell it for after absorbing the cost of making it mechanically sound and presentable

Reality = somewhere between the values assuming reality is that you're not buying it from a new car dealer

 

[geno]

<< If you like low reliability....... that's the way to go! >>


Riiiight, do you have anything to back that up? Jeep's are extremely durable vehicles, and the Cherokee's have been great SUVs for a long time now. AB - what year are you looking at?

 

[psteng19]

which generation Jeep?

my friend's 1995 Grand Cherokee has had countless problems. sorry, i dunno specifics.

 

[BCYL]

yeah... like Mikal said, Jeep's reliability is not too good...

 

[Soybomb]

I take it mikal doesn't own one.

That engine is a real work horse and the axles, transmission, etc are good quality too. I've got a jeep cherokee with a 4.0 that has almost 200k miles on it and it still runs great. I can't praise the jeep drivetrain enough. The only weakness I'd imagine on that is partially dependant on the year. If it was the right year to get a certain (I cant remember the number) transfer case than at about 75k miles the viscous coupler in the transfer case will be getting doggy and die. When it goes out its a few hundred to repair, but thats about the main flaw, and that all depends on what year jeep and how many miles it has on it.

Go visit the jeep grand cherokee forums here and ask the questions about it. They own and abuse the vehicles and will be able to tell you the strengths and weaknesses quite well.

Good luck

 

[Mikal]

.....so as you can see there are good and bad vehicles in most any nameplate. (But all Yugos suck!) The single most important thing is the condition of the one you are thinking of getting. Pay a good mechanic to check it out.

And yeah, I had a s@#$%y experience.

 

[AfterBurn]

Its a '95 model, 60,000 miles on the clock. Looks very good and well maintained. Does this help?

 

[Soybomb]

I would still recommend that you post at the forums in the link I gave you, but unless I'm mistaken a 95 will not have the transfer case with the viscous coupler that is prone to going out, I think those stopped in 94. Those are probably my favorite years of them btw. As always though let your family mechanic give it the once over just to be sure!

 

[Cyberian]

Check 'Consumer Reports' in the Library.
They give it a &quot;below average&quot; reliability rating.
YMMV.