Good day all. I'm in Nicaragua and we are looking for a 2nd vehicle. Test drove a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic 4x4. It has 105500 miles. Body appears to be in decent shape, has some scratches, never seen polish,lol It seemed to drive ok, feels almost like a tank!! Of course our other vehicle is a 2011 CRV 4x4 which of course drives more like a car,lol! Anything I should look out for?? I have read that the rocker panels tend to rust out, but this car has spent its whole life in Nicaragua, so no signs of rust. She said she is the 2nd owner, changes the oil every 5000 km. It looks fairly decent, asking $5500 usd. Few cosmetic problems, such as the fabric from the ceiling is falling down!! Weird, never seen that before. Anything I should watch out for?? I plan on getting it inspected, anything I should ask the mechanic to pay attention to?? Many Thanks

 

The sagging headliner is nothing to worry about. It happens to every XJ.

 

If everything is sound and there really is no rust (front floor pans are NOTORIOUS for rusting due to leaks), and no engine issues, etc., the only thing Id say is $5500 seems a bit high to me. Maybe $4-$4500 at most. After all, it is a 14 year old vehicle with 105K on it.

And honestly, the headliner sagging is usually, not always but usually, due to moisture. You better check everything REAL GOOD to make sure there are no water and/or rust problems.

 

Thanks all! Cars in Nicaragua are a tad bit higher than what 1 would pay back in the USA. To find an older car that someone has taken care of is hard to do. Going to see it again Sunday and will take a closer look for rust and water damage. I have just read that these machines are monsters and super reliable. Labor here in Nica is super cheap, just takes time to find a mechanic u can trust! They even allow you to buy the parts and they install. Many Thanks

 

Very Nice.. Welcome to CF and for future usage.. A Jeep is a Jeep.. Not a car

 

lol--I was talking "cars" in general, not "jeeps" in particular,lol And to be honest,I'm not truly a Jeep Fan --yet. I'm more of a Honda/Acura guy. This Jeep wont be seeing much off road in its future, but many of the roads in Nicaragua are pretty rough!! Just looking for a dependable daily driver! Thanks all. Never know, may become a Jeep fan. TY all

 

Dependable daily driver thats REALLY easy to fix and work on with TONS of inexpensive aftermarket parts. Thats a Jeep!

 

That is what I have read about this 1998 Cherokee Classic 4x4!! We shall see. I think $5500 is a tad high, even for nicaragua standards

 

FWIW you could get 7k for that in the states..

 

Not up here you couldnt, but different areas have different going rates. For me, in Maine, $4500 tops. Guy next door sold his '99 Sport last year with NO rust (always garaged) loaded, 135K on it for $3500. He started out asking $4500 and it took him 8 months to get $3500.

 

That is true. Different states have different rates. Or in the case of the OP countries.

 

I was looking on auto-trader in the DC area and some where $5000-$9000, but they seemed to be in super condition!! looking on Craigslist,they were in the $1500 to $4000 range. We shall see, going to look at it again today. Thanks

 

Yeah, well....some people are nuts.

 

Just saw it again, and it drives like a truck,lol 1 major thing that concerned me is that the front passenger floor area was damp!!! She wasnt sure why. She said she has never noticed it damp before, but never looked. She mentioned that a friend had just finished cleaning it????? And if you don't know much about Nicaragua, its currently the rainy season here (April to Nov) And when it rains it rains hard!!! So def concerned about a leak. But the inside roof felt dry.

I'm no 4x4 expert, but it must have rear differential oil, correct??? I believe the only thing she has changed regularly is the engine oil. Thanks

 

If the floor is wet, Id bet almost anything the floor is rusted out completely. Not a HUGE deal if you can cut and weld in new ones, but it is a big job. Not expensive if you have the cutting and welding tools mind you, but if theyre shot (driver and passenger) then its not worth ANYWHERE NEAR what she is asking. If you need a shop to do it, cut that price in half at least.