Hi guys,

I'm looking at getting back into a Jeep. The last Jeep I had was a '00 Cherokee Sport, which I stupidly got rid of 10 years ago. Loved it.

I'm looking at a '00 Grand Cherokee 4x4 4.0L and wanting to know what I should be possibly concerned about before I look into it further. Seeing that it's a 13 year old vehicle, I'm sure you all know the costly issues it may have.

Any info would be great!

Mark

 

You have to be careful with the wj's (gc 99-01) I see ones with transmission and engine issues all the time although engine issues would be less likely with the 4.0

 

Electrical problems so test every switch and every option to see if it works,The 99-01 are known for engine problems,Crawl under it and look for rust anywhere and everywhere.

 

Thanks for the info.

Are the 3.7's more reliable then the 4.0? I always admired the 4.0, but never owned my previous one long enough to have any problems. I'm having to spend less than $8500 on a used one so I can stay out of payments. All the Jeeps I've seen got over 120k miles. Hopefully nothing to major wrong with them. I know your typical wear/tear items might need some changing.

 

4.0 is way better

 

I bought a 2000 WJ in July of 2012 and have put 12K miles on it. It had 125K on the 4.0 and 242 transfer. I have a vacuum leak in the power brake booster when applied heavily and 2 weeks ago, the lock-up converter clutch stopped working. This vehicle was detailed before I bought it and had impecable maintenance records. It was from western PA and had zero rust.

In conversation with a local trusted transmission shop, I was told 135K is about the time the transmission clutches begin to flake and send debris throughout the system. He said it's about the time to rebuild it to ensure another 100K without major repairs. He discribed how they bore out the valve body and sleeve it with stainless steel and put in hard aluminum spools and replace all the solenoids. This will cost me around $2500 to $3000 because the converter needs to be replaced.

This is not what I wanted to hear because I only paid $4200 for the Jeep! Having said that, I'll go for the rebuild.

The 4.0 is in excellent shape and runs strong. I change the oil every 3K with full synthetic and it holds 45 psi at idle hot.

Having had good luck with the Selectrac 242, I would be reluctant to buy one with the Quadrotrac 249. IMHO, stay away from the 4.7!

 

Are you having transmission issues? If not don't waste all that money. Could probably get a new one nearly haha

 

The 4.0 isn't the most power full engine but it will run 300k+ if its taken care of.

 

The 4.0 is a long stroke "torque" motor. It's what some people call a "tractor" engine because of it's low rpm pulling power. If you're looking for WOT power and acceleration, get a V8.

Again, IMHO the 4.7 is junk from the start. It's just my opinion, however.