Hi,
I posted here a little while back with my story of a shady dealership--bought an '00 XJ with assurances that all rust was superficial, it turned out to be rotted through beyond repair.
Now the dealer wants me to trade it for another '00 that he has on the lot with 108k miles (less than first car). From my untrained eye, it's a lot less rusted than the first one but still has some pretty big issues--most noticeably on the floor pans.
I paid more than I set out to for the first car with the idea that I was getting a good condition fully tuned-up car. Already this hasn't been the case and I'm worried that the "replacement" is just as bad. I've seen mintier versions of the same car with similar mileage sell for about 2k more so if I can make some repairs and get it in nice shape, it could be worth it. Just getting my money back is most likely going to involve a lawyer. What do you think?
Pics of replacement car undercarriage are attached. Please help this clueless XJ lover out (and thank you in advance)

 

It looks pretty salvageable in my opinion. however i would put the time into it to cut out the bad sections and re-weld some new metal on there. The main unibody rails look decent. It kinda sucks you gotta worry about that though when you paid for it to be in good condition.

Wheres the jeep from? mines an 01 and the underside had no where near that much rust when i got it and im in NJ. Salt kills everything in the winter months.

 

Do you think it can be done for a not-crazy amount of $? If I could start this process over, I would never have gone to this dealership.
It's in Long Island and I have a feeling that some of their cars (including the one I originally bought) are Sandy salvages.
Thanks for your advice!

 

I'd start looking into lawyers. I may be spoiled with rust free choices in SoCal, but there's no way I'd buy that, especially considering the back-story.

 

Once you cut out the bad sections and replace with new metal coat the new and remaining rusted surfaces with POR-15 (www.por15.com) Rust Preventive Coating. This will permanently stop the rust.

 

Great plug for a great product, but I don't think the OP is looking for a project of that magnitude (or that kind of $$$).

 

I don't have the skills or the space to do much myself and would not be able to put more than about $1200 into it (for now at least).

 

Bummer story. I'd get a lawyer. Then I'd pull a Hunter S Thompson move and buy some exotic fleas or other horrible insect and toss them down the guys chimney.

Good luck man. I wouldn't drive either of those Cherokees if possible

 

Let me play devils advocate. You bought a 15 year old used vehicle from up north & you don't like the condition that it is in? Did you not look at it before you bought it? Seems like buyers remorse.
What a dealer or individual says during the transaction means nothing if it's not in writing.

I'd pick the better XJ & go with it. Next time look the vehicle over with a fine tooth comb or take it to a independent shop to have it looked at. Should cost less than $100, cheaper than fixing all the rust issues.

Good luck.

 

I did look at it, I just wasn't allowed to have it assessed independently by a mechanic before purchase (he's still not letting me with the replacement). He assured me repeatedly that the rust I kept pointing out was surface only and that it was covered by a written warranty that never materialized (was supposed to be e-mailed). I discovered most of the issues when I took it to a mechanic straight away.
The mechanics I've spoken with will not meet me at the dealership.
I definitely made some mistakes buying the car but that doesn't mean he should be selling parts cars unfit for driving as certified pre-owned well-maintained cars without allowing 3rd party inspection. The dealership broke several laws (no buyers guide provided, bait-and-switch, dangerous vehicle). Acknowledging my mistakes but at this point I'm just trying to determine if the 2nd (also rusty) car is a smarter move than getting a lawyer to help me get my money back.

ETA: this is anything but buyer's remorse--I was thrilled to have this car and prepared to drop some money on restoration--what I wasn't prepared for is a badly misrepresented car that isn't even possible to repair (car 1).

 

most of that rust, other than the floor rot, is typical of a vehicle that has sat for a period of time. that is just surface rust (like on the drive shaft, e brake adjuster and sway bar/links). this, i wouldn't really worry too much about. it can be painted over to look better.

but as for the rotted floor, i would just ask the dealer to have that fixed at a local body shop. shouldn't cost them more than a few hundred bux to weld in some sheet metal.

as mentioned, i would choose the nicest looking one and go with that and learn from this experience, look into trouble areas on the next purchase.

 

Thank you!
Sadly the nicest *looking* one was car 1, glorious red with a minty body. Too bad she was rotten on the inside (underside)!

Just want to be able to drive the thing without fear of imminent total collapse.

 

I would never purchase a vehicle from a dealer who wouldn't let me get an inspection done first. They're obviously hiding something. Shame on you for letting it happen.

 

Thanks for your helpful comment!
It did strike me as weird but they are affiliated with the Jeep dealership and had tons of positive reviews. They also claimed it was under a 30-day warranty which served as a guarantee for this type of damage (which is why they're trying to trade instead of telling me too bad).
As I've mentioned already, I made mistakes buying this thing and am just trying to figure out the best next steps. But yes, I'll throw some shame onto the pile with the large financial loss and the regret I've already expressed for how I went about this.

 

I think you should go talk to a lawyer before making a decision on what to do. You're trying to decide without having all the relevant information. This may be a situation where all it takes is a letter from the attorney to get your money back, or it may be a situation where you're **** out of luck. Looks like the NY lemon law doesn't cover you since you're over 100K miles, but there may be something else that can be done.

If it were me, I think I'd want my money back rather than keep that rolling lesion he's trying to get you to take. Maybe it's changed, but when I lived in Brooklyn the inspections were pretty harsh. Did that thing actually pass? The fact that he won't let you get it inspected by a mechanic is troubling, especially considering that the 0331 head on the 2000 Cherokee was prone to cracking and may actually put you in even worse shape.

But then, maybe you only paid $500 for the first one, in which case you could just drive it until dead and leave it on the side of the road somewhere.