Looking at a 01 Jeep Cherokee Sport tomorrow

[nalees]

Much belatedly (see other thread here) I have finally sold my Bonneville and am diligently searching for the right Jeep! I think we have our sites on one, and I'd like your input again

Here are the details I have:

4.0 straight 6. Automatic transmission. Power windows and door locks. keyless entry. excellent tires. Very very good condition inside and out. runs like new!! 166k

Called and found out it also has cruise control and tilt wheel, but no CD player.

From the pics I've seen it looks in great shape, and we plan on going to see it tomorrow morning. He's flexible on the price which already seems to be a decent deal. ($3500)

Any suggestions on what to look for? Think it sounds good?

 

[rushca01]

Run away! I will never own another Jeep product ever again! The only Jeep I would own is a brand new one with the 10 yr 100,000 mile warranty.

I just saw recently they were listed as one of the least reliable cars yet again (not the first time).

All that being said if this thing is some project car and you are a Jeep junkie go for it and do what you do, but for daily driving look elsewhere.

 

[eldirector]

At a 166K Miles, here are a few things I would check:
- belts, hoses, vacuum lines, etc... Likely starting to dry-rot by now
- Look for oil leaks from the engine, and from the transmission and transfer case (both will have a red-ish fluid)
- The NP231 transfercase is a chain drive, and will develop quite a bit of slop. A lift is the best way to check it (all 4 tires in the air, spin the rear, and see if the front spins immediately, or waits until the chain's slop is taken up - transmission in neutral, of course)
- The bushing on the suspension arms are rubber. They will develop a lot of play with any abuse (or even normal wear). Oil (from a leak) will eat the rubber over time.
- my little trick - check the air filter and filter box. A pretty clean one indicates decent maintenance. One plugged with crap, and a box full of junk, means no one cared. A brand new filter in a filthy air box - might be hiding something!

An XJ (Cherokee) can be a great vehicle! Expect a bit of maintenance with that mileage, but it should have a few more good years left in it. $3500 for one in good shape (clean, little rust, runs well) is a great deal!

 

[public servant]

Run away! I will never own another Jeep product ever again! The only Jeep I would own is a brand new one with the 10 yr 100,000 mile warranty.

I just saw recently they were listed as one of the least reliable cars yet again (not the first time).

All that being said if this thing is some project car and you are a Jeep junkie go for it and do what you do, but for daily driving look elsewhere.

My Cherokee is 10 years old. It had 50K miles on it when I bought it 7 years ago. It now has 133K miles and all I've ever done is change the oil, brakes, belts, hoses and tires. Routine maintenance. It doesn't use a drop of oil between changes and goes through deep snow and ice like a champ.

I'll never have anything but a Jeep as my POV.

 

[M107]

Between my wife and I we have owned 4 yj's and 2 tj's Wranglers, 2 jeep Cherokees and 2 Grand Cherokees. we love Jeeps! I'v never had a major problem with any of them other than me putting it some place it shouldn't be. The 3.0 is a great engine and easy to work on and so is the 4.0. If they kept the oil changed and didn't 4 wheel it hard you should be fine. Look at the under body and see if there is any mud on top of the transmisinon and transfer case, any heavy scratches on the frame or any dents in the rocker panels, This will help you tell if it may have been roughed up off road. Most lots try and clean'em up so look in the hard to wash places. Good Luck! See now your making me want another CJ or Wrangler to play with!

 

[T-rav]

Transmission
Transfercase
Suspension Parts
Rear end

The usual suspects for problem on Jeep and they are the expensive areas!

 

[LEaSH]

I like them all, but I'd like to find a late 70's Cherokee or 80's Scrambler to wrench on.

 

[Fargo]

90's era Cherokees also had issues with the forward motor mount breaking. You might want to take a look at that as well.

Best,

Joe

 

[groovatron]

166k and runs like new?.........are you sure it's a Jeep?

 

[x10]

Love the Cherokee's
Hate the gas mileage

O and you will need brakes about every 15k, They were hard on breaks,

Also cant remember which year they went from the Infrared remote to the RF remote, the IR was shaky you had to almost be close enough to put the key in before it would trip

BIG body problem with the doors, the hinges sag and the striker gets beat out of the body, they have to be cut out and rewelded in,

The radio's were notorios for sudden death

but I still drove my 95 to over 200k and right now running a jeep patriot, we'll see how it holds up

 

[Ashkelon]

Get online and broaden your search terms to include owner forums. Transmissions have been a significant issue during these model years. I can't say for the straight 6s but I know I have a 01 Truck that is a POS that I only use to drive trash to the dump. Perfect for that but wont' put family in it to go anywhere.
3500 seems high. BUT if in good shape and mechanically inclined who cares? Money evens out over time.

 

[Fenway]

I would run but I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Hoosier8]

I have a 93 Jeep Cherokee Sport 6 cyl with 248,000 miles on it. I bought it at 193,000 miles for $2,000. While I have had it I have replaced the thermostat, the fan heater resistor, the rear brake cylinders, the front pads and rotors twice (they are cheap), and the starter. After putting 50K on the tires it came with I just picked up replacements off of a board member. It has always started right up and runs like a top. The tranny has never had any problem. Needs another fan resistor but I can still run the fan on high so I don't care. The straight 6 is an American Motors design and over designed so should last a long time when taken care of.

Granted, it looks like crap after the hail storm some years ago and a replaced drivers side door of a different color (wind almost took it off and the little part that stops it from opening too far was not attached, then got hit by another car and the door fell off in my hands when I got home.), and after some thugs broke out the little window in the back door to get in and steal some change, which is now a beautiful piece of duct tape art (that stuff is great).

My GF laughs when she gets in, laughs, and says it is a piece of crap. I love it.

One weak point on the older Jeeps is the transmission safety start switch which is located on the transmission. It gets dirty with grime eventually and then, if you are lucky, you can wiggle the auto shift lever while turning the key and start the car. It is expensive to replace. If mine sits too long, I have some trouble with it. I plan on installing a starter switch to bypass it which is a simple fix and is how old cars used to be started. I also plan on getting another 50K out of it.

If this thing blew up tomorrow, I would look for another one to replace it.