kreigmack

Here in Arizona, XJs sell like crazy! I've been searching for a while and found this (copy and pasted from craigslist)

"Up for sale is a 1999 jeep cherokee. has 156xxx org miles, great condition inside and out. runs awesome, super cold ac, dark window tint, good deck with sub and amp in the back. Tires have 90% tread on them. Asking $4800 obo"

I test drove the Jeep and the actual mileage was 172,xxx and the check engine light was on. The guy had a stack of maintenance records, most of which were from the previous owner. He said that he was selling the Jeep because his wife needed something bigger. I told him I wasn't interested and walked away. Later that night, he texted me and lowered the price to $4400 without the sub and amp. That's when I told him about the check engine light. He looked into it and replaced the faulty part (code p0107, engine coolant temp sensor voltage too low) and that there was no more code.

I told him the most I would pay was $4200 and he said that was acceptable. Is that too much or should I hold out and keep looking? It's a black XJ, my least favorite color. It had your typical scraps and dings for a 12 year old Jeep.

Cheers!

johnydoe

round here for 4k it may be rusted (due to our winters) but it would have atleast a lift and 33" tires....

hell theres a nice 8" lift body/floor fully redone of 36 irok w/beadlock for 3200 negotiable that i was looking at....for a stock xj price anywhere from 800 (rusted body) to 2500 in very good condition is acceptable in my parts and if its not running for whatever reason then theyre real cheap, i seen one "trucked" with 7" lift, roll cage, d44 rear locked d30 front locked for 550 cuz the motor needed changed...

Keaton

Skip it. I bought a 2000 up here with 142k for $3800. 172k is kinda high dude. Id pass on it. Btw id say its a bad sign if he had the mileage that far off on the ad and didnt mention the cel in the ad, even if the cel is supposedly fixed. Ya cant trust anybody so any little things like that should turn you away from it.

DevildogEOD

I recently just bought my first jeep last week. 1999 xj. for 2500. no rust, no problems, no cracks. it has 130.xxx miles on it. i live up in new hampshre so we are prone to rust and more water. what i got was a lucky find. maybe you should look around some more.

mr white

He probably just pulled the bulb out anyway.

Geck_87Laredo

You cannot "pull the bulb" on the check engine light.
That check engine code is absolutely nothing to worry about. It might need the little temperature switch replaced on the thermostat housing which takes 5 minutes and $15 bucks which is probably what he did. The mileage is not high at all! These 4.0 motors last up to 300K miles or more! Most Jeeps do not come with any type of maintenance record so that is definitely a plus side! If the oil was changed on time every time then you should definitely consider getting it. You come across all different deals so do Not wait on a cheap one!! More than likely there is more problems with one that is unusually cheap anyway! It does not matter what that other guy paid for his jeep that lives across the U.S.

If it is clean and no visibly hacked wiring i would jump on it.
Check engine lights get thrown for the smallest details so don't let that stupid light make your decision for you!
If it's clean and meets all your requirements then Jump on it!

Hope this helps.
Jeff.

Keaton

While I agree about the cel coming on for stupid reasons, I gotta disagree about the mileage. Sure they'll go for 300k+ miles, that's with proper maintanence throughtout its whole life.

So the dude has maintanence records, cool. The guy said most were from previous owner. For all you know, it hasn't had anything done to it since the last record he has. That's the way I look at it. You cant trust anybody's word even if he says he did all oil changes himself or whatever.

My first Jeep I had, I beat the living hell out of. It had around 190k miles on it when it got totaled out. It probably would have kept going but it ran like crap. Even though I did do regular maintenance on it. Point being, just because he has records, doesn't mean those 172k miles were easy miles. For the amount of money you're spending dude, id find something with less miles.

mcguyver_xj

everyone has mixed opinions i bought my '99 with 206k miles and it runs gorgeously after i stepped on the regular maintenance the po's had been slacking on (they were a very nice couple whom i still speak with and keep them updated as this jeep was her baby for 10 years) my jeep also has some minor rust but in areas where its not difficult to fix...oh i also bought my jeep with a cel on but i test drove it to a parts store and had the codes read so i knew what i was getting into...i would pass on it honestly to many red flags and if you feel you'll regret it chances are its not worth it...

Geck_87Laredo

I have a friend with a 99' XJ with 246K miles on it and it runs great. Hell, my last jeep had 298K miles when i bought it! And on top of that it looked like it was used and abused and it lasted 20K more miles before i bought my 97 XJ and built a 4.6 stroker. Obviously you don't want to buy one that runs like crap and the whole bottom of the unibody is dented up(Even though mine was still running like a champ when i sold it). With these Jeeps being so old they Are going to have some miles on them!

I really cannot believe you guys are telling him to find one with less than 170K miles. Really guys? These Jeeps are 12+ years old!! It's really rare to find a 97+ XJ with less than 150K miles.
If it sounds like it runs good and the maintenance records look good then Jump on it. Who knows the circumstances! Maybe the current owner didn't drive it much and that could be why the maintenance records are from the P.O. I know i sure do not keep any maintenance records and nobody that i even know does!

I'm not trying to sound like a dick but i know what i am talking about. I've been around Jeeps my entire life.

Jeff.

emptypockets

Do yourself a favor and ask him if you can have it inspected by a certified mechanic if you are truly interested in it. I've driven many vehicles to potential buyers repair shop of choice without a whimper of protest. So if he says no, I'd pass. Oh, and winter time is usually about the worst time you can buy a Jeep. The prices I see on CL right now are flippin' insane.

djlarroc

$4200 is still too much IMO.

Be willing to travel a little, and you'll get a better deal.

kreigmack

Thanks everyone for their input. I passed on this particular Jeep. I happened to come across a '94 XJ for $2200. There are a few things that need fixed, but I'm happy with what I got. I just need it as a second vehicle to get me out to the trailhead for mtn biking and hiking.

The windshield wipers don't work, the A/C needs either recharged or repaired and the headliner is gone. Hopefully that's the extent of issues, but for $2200, I can live with that.

Anyone ever work on diagnosing the windshield wiper problem?

Cheers! Happy Turkey Day!