When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have decided to buy a Jeep Cherokee to use at our hunting club which has some muddy roads. I've been told that some year make Cherokees gave a lot of mechanical trouble. Are there any certain year models I should be looking for? Also, any particular engine that seemed to hold up the best? I'm an old man and don't have the health to be working on a Jeep all the time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The general consensus here seems to be that 1999 is the "best" year overall, and beyond that the best years are 1997-1999. The 2000-2001 models are prone to cylinder head cracking and may have more complex emission systems. Condition is everything though. Rust is the real killer, just about anything else can be dealt with. I would not turn my nose up at an earlier model that was in good shape, or a later one as long as the engine is not damaged due to a cracked head. (My XJ is a '99 though I did not know that was a preferable model year when buying, it was just dumb luck.)
The 4.0 six-cylinder engine is very robust, as is the 4-speed Aisin-Warner automatic transmission. Many here, myself included, have well over 200K miles on the clock with no serious difficulties.
However these are all old vehicles now and they all need some wrenching time. I'm getting up in years also but still do most of my own work, it just takes me longer than it did when I was younger. One of the things I like on mine is that it has manual windows and locks and no ABS. Less to go wrong on an older vehicle than if you buy a "loaded" model. Though being equipped with the model 242 transfer case with full-time 4WD available would be a plus. (Most have the 231 which is part-time only, you have to be careful to use 4WD only under slippery conditions.)
Last edited by Rambler65; Jul 3, 2017 at 11:18 PM.
The 1st-generation Cherokees are completely different than the XJs that most people have here. Those early Cherokees are based on the original Kaiser Jeep Wagoneer from the 1960s. It's a big, heavy, body-on-frame vehicle with fuel consumption that makes an XJ look like a Prius in comparison. They're nice if that's the kind of Jeep that you're interested in. Beware of frame rust on these!
The 1st-generation Cherokees are completely different than the XJs that most people have here. Those early Cherokees are based on the original Kaiser Jeep Wagoneer from the 1960s. It's a big, heavy, body-on-frame vehicle with fuel consumption that makes an XJ look like a Prius in comparison. They're nice if that's the kind of Jeep that you're interested in. Beware of frame rust on these!
Hello!
Yep, that is what I am looking for! It looks GREAT!
The 1st-generation Cherokees are completely different than the XJs that most people have here. Those early Cherokees are based on the original Kaiser Jeep Wagoneer from the 1960s. It's a big, heavy, body-on-frame vehicle with fuel consumption that makes an XJ look like a Prius in comparison. They're nice if that's the kind of Jeep that you're interested in. Beware of frame rust on these!
Desirable Year Models
