I read a thread that said 00-01 is known for a bad head?
mine is an 01, should i be looking to unload it?

Thats a repair i do not want to deal with. wasn't there a number on the head or something i can check?

is it bound to happen anyway or is it only if it overheats?

 

Total piece of garbage, no reason at all for you to deal with it, send it to me and I'll even pay you $50.

 

There are tons of posts on this and even I fell pray to the histeria.
If you have apples to apples and found a 1999 with all the similar extras, miles, condition, etc --- I would go for the '99 and not give yourself an ulcer. BUT -- I found a super clean 2000 with low miles, spent all it's life out of the snow and bad weather roads, stock , no rust , great paint and did not have a tow hitch. I bought it and will try my best to NOT get it hot. I had a compression test and did all the safeguards that I could and bit the bullit !!!
To keep the anxiety down a little -- put away about $100 per month into the XJ head fund and then try and not worry about it. If you want, find an honest mechanic in your area (ask your friends/family) and let him do some checks and then start with the cooling system for your first repairs .....

That is what I did and only will be worrying during the infamous San Diego hot spells in the summer and when I go to Arizona for Spring Training

take care and good luck, Randy from Oceanside , CA

 

ive got a 2001 with 217,000 miles on it never have had any problems with the head. and ive had it overheat a few times and had to replace a few cooling components and havent had any problems since

 

It's the 0331 head, it's made of aluminum and its not for sure going to crack its just more prone to cracking then others.

Edit: my apologies the head is not aluminum, thought I had read that it was somewhere, and being thats nowhere near my favorite era jeep (renix) I don't retain as much info on some stuff. However if it is the 0331 head it is still prone to cracking.

 

not.

OP
OK I'm getting really chicken little scared now, my price for your jeep just fell to $25, you deliver. LMK

 

There is a lot of stuff to read and check out. As with any used vehicle, there is ALWAYS a risk of a major problem. Hell...there is risk with new cars too (ahem....Toyota).

2001s mostly escaped the 0331 head issue (it was some impurity in the cast iron (yes, not aluminum) that caused the cracks between the 3rd and 4th cyclinder on the 2000. I believe (but research to verify) some 1999s and 2001s might have had the bad batch as well. 1999s I thought were different heads, so that's why I said research it.

Just do your best to keep something in reserve for any major repairs. But if you've owned your XJ long enough...you'll love it. I'm driving mine WITH ongoing engine issues (not a cracked head luckily and it is a 2000 with 0331 heads).

 

"Total piece of garbage, no reason at all for you to deal with it, send it to me and I'll even pay you $50."

Best answer ever. thanks for calming the fear. lol

 

I'm pretty sure XJs used the defective casting from late '99 through the end of production. Later Grand Cherokees continued using the 0331 head but the Brazillian casting (TUPY) that had reinforcement added between the crack-prone cylinder 3 and 4. I could be wrong, though. Wouldn't be the first time.