Man oh man, i'm relatively new here but i see a lot of 2k xj problems.
Could it be i own one myself and gravitate to those threads?
Did they build more 2Ks than any other year?

I did have some issues with mine over the 17 yrs/326k miles that i owned it.
Here's my 2000 xj story.

Replaced (or fixed) due to failure...the BAD:
Alternator
Power steering pump
Steering box and shaft
Radiator
Lower control arms
Head light switch
Weird engine tick @ 280k miles, replaced with a Chrysler crate engine
Rebuilt rear differential
Crank sensor replaced once
Rear hatch wouldn't lock shut
Front O2 sensor, rear Ok but replaced it anyhow
Rear axle seals
Front U-joints
Rear U-joint
Front sway bar bushings
Timing chain
Window regulator
Power window switch pod
Broken speaker wire in door jam cable
Oil pressure sending unit

The GOOD:
Never had problems with the 331 heads
Oil pressure was good with the original engine
IAC, TPS, MAP and CAM Water temp sensors were all original and working. Replaced all of them with the new engine.
Auto transmission still good, knock on wood!
TCase still good but had it rebuilt for the h*ll of it when the the rear differential was rebuilt
No electrical issues other than mentioned above
Air conditioner still works good
Injectors still working but replaced later on with 4-holes
ECM still works ok
Water pump look brand new but replaced anyhow with new engine
Flex plate still good, no cracks but replaced with new engine

Whew!

 

Sounds like it was an excellent 2000 XJ to me and most all that you replaced were common wear items on most 4x4's more so on many others.

 

I wouldn't say they are all lemons and like Fred notes above most of the parts you replaced were basic wear items and you got good service from it before the engine replacement at 280,000 miles. That being said, the 2000 and 2001 definitely have more well documented specific issues than earlier Cherokees and I won't buy another for this reason.

My personal 2001 Cherokee gave me more trouble than my 96 that had twice the miles on it. I sold the 01 and kept the 96.

They are prone to head cracking, heat soak from the two additional mini cat converters right under the intake, piston skirt issues, low oil pressure issues, etc, etc.

I also swear my 2001 was down on power compared to my 96 despite a full tune-up and new fuel pump. They are supposed to have similar performance but it sure doesn't feel like it to me.

 

I would never hesitate to buy a healthy 00 or 01 XJ. It's the internet--the negatives of things get way more spotlight. I also think people somehow have the wrong expectations of long-term ownership and/or owning an older vehicle entails. Many seem to think that cars exist forever the same way they do for their first 50k-100k miles---oil and filter changes---and get really surprised when real maintenance comes knocking. They also seem to react to that real maintenance like it is some sort of bankrupting force of money waste. Maintaining a car long-term costs NOTHING compared to the money wasted on new car payments, and remember: those car payments don't pay for the maintenance that those new cars still need.


One alternator in 17 years is nothing to be upset about.
17 years.
No comment.
17 years.
Because of bushings? 17 years. Because of arm failure? No comment.
No surprise if you weren't using a relay harness.
A 4.0 that doesn't tick after 280k miles is the one to be worried about.
No comment.
All of the above--17 years.
17 years and 280k miles (if this happened on the original engine)
17 years.
**** happens especially over 17 years.
Common for most XJ's especially after 97/98
17 years.

 

Yeah, looking back with all those miles i put on it most of those replaced parts were wear and tear items.
But that engine tick was driving me crazy.
I couldn't figure it out so had a few mechanics check it out including a Jeep technician and they all scratched their heads also. It started instantly, good oil psi, no obvious forward crank or cam movement and ran great. Pulled the pan and no piston pieces
Best guess was a worn wrist pin. The new engine is quiet as a church mouse. But then again i got a FlowMaster on it now! lol

Forgot:
Original fuel pump still good @ 290k miles but paranoid on it quitting so i had it changed. Had a failed fuel pump with my old Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo Z. Had to call the hook on that one. Sorry i ever sold that car. Til this day i haven't seen another one of them on the road.

Ball joints replaced but also a common wear 'n tear item.

Cat converter ok but changed it out with a MagnaFlow when the FlowMaster muffler was installed. By the way my exhaust system is not the California compliant type and has only 1 cat converter.

The timing chain was changed in a last ditch effort to cure the tick. It was stretched but only on the edge of being out of spec. Changing it however made a huge difference in performance.

 

Your bad list is all wear parts to me that have to be replaced after so long.The 00-01s you read about having problems its two things the cracking head,Or its from a lack of maintenance done to it.Almost every single part of a car has a mileage life to it,And a lot of people never change stuff tell it breaks and wonders why it cost a lot or everything goes wrong left and right.And you get the people that want a cherokee and think the last years are probably the best made and get one that has had jack for maintenance done on it,They drive it a while then it snow ***** with things bad left and right.

 

The upkeep that has been done on ANY model of car, truck, suv will tell how long it will last.


My son is one who does not do so and asks me why I have everything little thing fixed if it's not right, he says that he can't afford to. I tell him that I'm too poor not to do so and wait till a lot of things need to be done at the same time or to late to do anything.

 

Sounds familiar. Thanks for bringing up this topic. I've got the same vehicle, similar mileage. Engine rebuilt at 190k or so, 0331 replaced with 0630 head with a Mike Wilson adapter so no exhaust leaks.

May I please ask, what else are you thinking needs to be replaced? I would like to know as my situation is similar.

High mileage preventative maintenance is a concern for us high mileage Jeepers. Especially those who need a reliable vehicle.

Me too, I'd rather replace stuff now and have peace of mind than have a failure.

Your list is excellent. What else would you suggest replacing?

 

Warning, long RANT!
Since i bought my xj brand new, i knew exactly what parts were original.
On the other hand if your xj is used, no telling what was replaced with cheap parts by the previous owner(s)

There's an old saying 'if it works, don't fix it'

However, based on my past work experience in the steel, petroleum, telecommunication, aerospace and automotive industries, preventative maintenance was important for all of the above to prevent down time.

Yeah i worked on a Ford assembly line after hi school and later after college as an engineer for an automotive after market parts company.

So i'm believer in 'reasonable' preventative maintenance when it comes to vehicles especially these hi mileage 17+ year vehicles we all have.
All above parts i replaced were OEM MOPAR. IMO, thats important but yeah $$!
Notice how most of the 'original' critical engine parts and fuel pump were original (MOPAR) and still working after all those miles!

The shop that rebuilt my FUBAR'd rear differential gave me a deal i couldn't refuse for re-building the Tcase at the same time. Even though i had no issues with it.

With the crate engine install i had a golden opportunity to replace most of those parts. I didn't want 300,000 mile parts on a new engine.
My goal was to replace 'some' critical parts that could leave me stranded but without going overboard.
If i remember correctly, the parts that failed around 200k to 290k miles were the power steering pump/steering box, window regulator, alternator, headlight switch.

That dam hanging headliner also, what a PITA to re-do that headliner. Never want to do that again. No helper, case of beer and the better part of two days. Everyone of those $#%^& front door trim clips broke.

I'd say a starter short list would be all the gizmos around the throttle body including the coolant temp sensor, cam sensor and crank sensor.
Check the front end for worn parts and spongy bushings also.
Do not do all that at the same time, do them one at a time or you'll have a mess to figure out if the engine don't start.

If your xj coolant was changed regularly, i'd say the water pump is probably ok. My original looked brand new when the the engine was swapped.

If you can afford it, the fuel pump. If you have the 'up country package' with the fuel tank skid plate, that was also a royal PITA when changing the pump. Every dam one of those skid bolts broke.

Having said all that, sometimes we all got to just wait til something breaks.

 

Gotta say, your experience, and your reply, are immensely valuable. Thank you greatly. Impressive that you've owned your XJ since it was new.

Awesome thread, brother.

 

A good vehicle is somewhat like a good dog; we take care of them, and they'll take care of us.

 

Amen to that.