Looking at a used 1996 Cherokee for my son.
Can you guys give me a heads up on what to look out for.
I assume check the floorboards for rust through any other gotchas I need to be aware of.
The vehicle I'm looking at has 129,000 miles on it and the owner claims it won't downshift into 1st gear when you come to a stop (auto tranny). I'm thinking probably solenoid in the trans to fix that.
I do have an OBDII scanner so I figured I would take it with me and check for any codes.
Are they prone to oil leaks or t-case leaks or tranny leaks?

Thanks for all your help in advance.
This could be a fun cool toy for both of us.

 

Very prone to leaks ESP the vc gasket oil filter adapter o ring, rear main, and pan. And the rubber full plugs on the axles usually leak too. So don't be discouraged by leaks there all easy to fix besides the rms is a little more intensive. Get it up to 65 to test for death wobble ( shaking vigorously in front end. Also test all the 4wd stuff,

 

sounds like it should be fine
check for rust and of course have it running from the time you get there to the time you test drive
feel for any weird bumps or hiccups in the engine
check the dipstick for rust
as when the last tuneup was, radiator change, other replaced parts w/ receipts etc.
ask what the main purpose of the jeep was (daily driver, teenager driven etc.)
listen for any leaks coming from the underside
make sure to test drive it
is it stock? if it has any aftermarket suspension parts, pretty much plan on throwing them away

I'm sure someone can add to that list but 96 is a good year and those miles are really good
whats the asking price? I would pay up to $1700 for that particular one