Hello All, I'm new to this forum and would like some info on Jeep Cherokees. My son wants a 1994-2000 cherokee/sport for his first car and would like pros and cons on these vehicles. Are these expensive to maintain? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Well welcome to the forum! 91-94 are the same as is 00 and 01 so if I were you I would look at 91-01. I don't think they are that expensive to maintain.... But you start dropping a lot when you start to modify lol
Good luck, they are amazing vehicles!
Also im 16 and don't want anything different so he should love it!

 

hello and welcome!

heres the thing, jeeps are really well built, reliable machines (up till the 2000's that is...) that are usually very capable. now, if you get one that has been wheeled or beat on, then expect there to be some odds and ends that may need fixed. ususally they revolve around front end steeering components and/or driveline issues, but jeeps can be known for electrical gremlins, too. so make sure you know some of the history about your potential xj: has it been wheeled? any mods? do you have a good shop that you can take it to? someone who will put it on a lift and actually know what they are looking for?

some stuff you can do to check for issues:
-obviously the overall visual inspection for rust, or different colored body pannels, etc. then move underneath. grab a long screwdriver if ya want and see if you can poke holes thru anything like floorboards or frame rail.
-front end: get a jack, get it so there is LESS pressure on tires, but so they still sit on the ground and have a buddy turn the steering wheel back and forth while you look at all the steering components. your just looking for play, or binding, or anything unusual.
-get tires (one at a time is ok) but up on a full lift will make all this easier... anyways, while holding onto wheel joint, spin the tire just a tiny bit back and forth to see if the joint is loose. if it is youll know it. also, if standing on side of jeep, grab a front tire top and bottom and see if you can get any movement camber-wise (you know, push/pull back and forth). this will indicate a bad u joint as well.
-make sure to engage the 4wd system a couple of times, cycling all the way from 2wd to 4lo
-even if CEL isnt on, put it on a code reader to see if there is anything storred in there
-see if drive shafts will move at all when vehicle is on ground. there should be no play in them. the rear is just a u joint replacement if its loose, the front may be a cardon joint that would warrant just replacing the DS with one from the JY..
-make sure all the window switches work at passenger doors.
idk... my .02