I finally in the market for Cherokee again, but was wondering what are some things to look for like rust any mechanical issues and common issues I should keep in mind when buying a Cherokee XJ? Any help is appreciated

 

First off welcome.
Rust for sure if bad enough in the wrong places is a deal breaker. Mechanical issues can be resolved fairly economically especially if you can do the work yourself. FOR ME a deal breaker right off would be a 2000-01 XJ with the 4.0L engine due to the 0331 head. Not interested in dealing with it at all.

 

Be aware of what engine is under the hood. Older ones had four cylinders and V6 engines. Others have inline six cylinders(4.0) and some Grand Cherokees had V8s.

i say this because alot of the time the seller has no idea what they have(not everyone is an enthusiast). And they will list a 4.0 as a V6. Or a 4.0 as a V8. Just make sure you verify

 

Drive whatever you're interested in long enough that it gets to operating temp. Oil pressure will always be higher when cold, so you'll want to see how the engine works when, uh, not cold.

Rebuilding these things mechanically is just a matter of cost/experience. Rust is the killer on XJs nowadays. I'd buy a rust-free body with an overheating engine before I bought a low-mileage one with rust.