ok so, i have always loved cherokees, but never owned one or had any friends/family that owned one. recently, a god damn tree fell on my parked car and totaled it...so i figured i might as well look into getting a cherokee.

my questions are...
what common problems do they have? i have heard about weak trannys but no details

what is the longevity of a cherokee? im used to honda and subaru which can go to 300k

would a cherokee be a good choice for a DD? any reason it wouldnt be?

ANY info would be greatly appreciated. in the longrun, i would plan on doing suspension, fenders, bumpers/tow accessories, roof rack, light bar, CB radio etc...

this is a car i am looking at, i have a very limited budget, so i cant afford to pick up a beat car that needs work.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/1324116440.html

 

I originally had a 92 that my friend bought from me years ago. It now has around 250k on it and has had no problems. I currently have a 94 with almost 200k on it. I stick to a good preventative maintenance schedule and have had no problems at all. I use Lucas products for the tranny, fuel, and differentials only as a habit, not to cover up any problems and all is well with it. I have pulled trailers and driven trails with it almost completely stock and have never had any problems there either. It is also my DD so it rarely ever sits still even for a day. I am a jeeper for life and am proud of mine doing so well and will continue to drive my cherokee as long as I can keep it going.

 

i dont know what you have heard about weak trannys but in have a 98 cherokee that has 146,900 miles on it an no problems i have no leaks anywhere i have no problem getting out of my own way. If you get the inline 6 its just like a honda but 100x better it will run forever if you take care of it the right way. If you are looking at getting one for a dd do it. I love my cherokee to death

 

I have a 93 with 189,000 miles on it and have only had to do regular maintenance for a 16 year old vehicle. That is a good looking Jeep. The price seems a little steep. Ask questions about it (homemade battery holder?). Maybe you can talk him down a little.

 

grand cherokees are the ones with weak trannys. cherokees have a whole different tranny. but they last forever. and there better than some european car cause you can just drive to napa or autozone or whatever you have and buy anything you need for it there instead of special ordering it.

 

The only problem that xjs had that stood out in my opinion was the cooling system on the 87-90 xjs,it was junk. They are very capable and strong.

 

the only detractor would be the fact that a cherokee isn't going to get freakishly good mileage like a civic or something would....

Other than that, they are strong, reliable, easy-to-fix-if-they-break, vehicles...

 

I dont know about the weak tranny comment, maybe that is in relation to the AX-4 or AX-5 or the BA 10/5. If you get a 4.0 liter XJ it will have the AX-15 (manual) or the AW4 (Auto) or the NV3550 (2000-2001) and they are all stong trannys.
A common problem on the XJ is not mechanical... it is rust and is common in the floor pans. There are preferred options such as the Chry 8.25 rear end instead of Dana 35, but for a DD and mild trails the Dana 35 would be fine.