extrashaky

Or when you fail emissions and can't get it registered.

1976gmc20

Living in Montana I always forget such things exist

studmuffin

Don't let anybody discourage you in buying a cherokee or one that may need attention for that matter. These are good vehicles but like any car things go wrong. Something as simple as a sensor or a vacuum line can ruin your day or week.

You don't need to be a mechanic to work on these things it's very easy. YouTube and Google are your friend. We have it easy with the Web any issue you may encounter chances are it's been fixed and discussed either in this forum or the many other xj forums out there.

Don't be afraid to ask but do some research first. I suggest buying a mechanic tool set I got a 60pc kobalt set for $40 at Lowes has what you need for most maintanance jobs. As you run into a job where you may need a torx set or a saw or whatever little by little your tool collection will get bigger. Owning an xj is a love hate relationship so be patient bud if you get frustrated have a beer I like to listen to music when I'm working on the heep. I know alot of guys can relate it's like a therapy for me I enjoy it kinda like going to the gym. And best of all the feeling of accomplishment is great knowing you did this or that to your own jeep it feels good man you will be proud of your piece of junk

extrashaky

I'm not trying to discourage him from buying one. I'm trying to discourage him from buying one right now. He's throwing himself into a brand new situation with too many variables to be dealing with a 15 to 25 year old vehicle as his daily driver on top of it all.

I love XJs and wouldn't discourage anybody from getting one and learning how to work on it in the right situation. These things are not for everybody, though, not even for everyone who really wants one.

studmuffin

I couldn't disagree with you more. At 16 I got my first xj it was a pos stocker renix and it never let me down. I got a job I lifted it and built it and I still daily drove it and weekend wheeled it for about 4 years.I was 16 and into video games I didn't know how to change oil but you know what I knew I had a bad *** 4x4 for a vehicle and I started learning how to do things. There is never the perfect time for anything bud you have to adapt to everything in life. If OP wants a cherokee he'll buddy go get one and come here if you need help with anything. There is nothing like driving a jeep NOTHING!

extrashaky

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that at 16 you were still living with your parents and put practically everything you made on your job into that Jeep. Not quite the same as moving to a new city and making rent, insurance and living expenses while you try to save to buy a house.

If he were 16 and living at home with the support of his family, I would say go for it.

1976gmc20

Not to mention needing a vehicle to get to work on time every day

studmuffin

studmuffin

I see your point however the topic is about how reliable is a jeep cherokee to be used as a daily driver. Is it a good choice for somebody who can't afford their vehicle to crap out after purchase. Of course there are factors that one may consider a negative such as mpg and comfort. The jeep cherokee is arguably one of the best vehicles if not suv's ever made. Parts are cheap and easy to fix yourself I don't see how you wouldn't recommend one to somebody. You can compare a jeep cherokee to an AK 47 they've been around for so long because it's proven reliability. Excuse me for being biased I'm a jeep guy my first vehicle was a 77 waggy I've owned 2 xj's and a yj. I learned to drive stick on an old *****'s I been around jeeps my hole life.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/xj...-49568/index2/

s346k

I bought mine in dec 2012. I have driven it EVERY DAY since I bought it. it has yet to let me down at 176k miles. I put 47k of those miles on it. Indiana saw one of the worst winters on record in 13-14 with record cold temps and snowfall. suck it Mother Nature, I drove to work and back and anywhere the hell else I wanted to go. i will say I am very mechanically inclined and do any preventative maintenance I can, as soon as possible. shortly after buying the jeep I spent countless hours replacing, repairing, and upgrading necessary items. the payback? it leaks no fluids, gets 22 mpg, and is more reliable than a 3 year long **** buddy.

1976gmc20

I really like my jeep but as a "new" used car, I am not real confident of it yet. Only real issue that I've had so far is the electric radiator fan not working and that's been fixed (twice!) by unplugging and replugging the connector, so it's not real confidence inspiring yet. MPG seems lousy too but I'm sure there's probably an answer for that.


My old Chevy pickups seem more reliable and fuel economy is the same or better than the jeep.


I hope in a few years to post about how rock solid my Cherokee is but I'm not quite there yet. It's sure a lot of fun to drive in tight places