Josh Pace

Hello, I am new to the forum but have been reading post on here for a few weeks now.

You most probably get asked a lot but I'm looking at getting your opinion on 97-99 XJ cherokee reliability. The last post I seen on xj reliability was from 2010 but I'm looking for now (2017). I'm looking at getting one as a daily driver and also do some off-roading.

Any opinions I would like to here

WyoCherokee

97-99's were the best years IMO. you wont have any issues running it past 250k as long as it is maintained. Lots of information out there.

CurrySoSpicy

they are reliable, but the newest one is 16 years old now. By "reliable" we mean it has a solid foundation which is the 4.0 I6 engine. Your still probably going to need things like ball joints, axle joints, cooling system maintenance, etc.

get those thing working right. You got a good rig.

jordan96xj

If by reliable you mean go buy one in decent shape and drive it for the next 2-5 years with confidence, without concerns of being stranded on the road, and only worrying about oil changes. Then no, it is definitely not reliable. The newest ones will be about 16 years old by now. Even if they have been generally well treated, they need a lot of care and feeding when you first get them to get them back in order.

After that first 6-12 months of setting things straight, and getting things back to where they need to be, they can be generally reliable. As reliable as any other vehicle made in 1997, perhaps a bit better in some cases because you can sometimes find replacement parts that are better than the originals (but not all cases).

The upshot is that they are a generally simple design, especially by today's standards. So when they do have problems they are pretty easy to work on, parts are widely available, and very affordable by today's standards.

For example, I rebuilt my entire front end with name brand parts, including steering knuckles for a budget of around $500. It only took a few hours, and I did my own alignment to within .01% of a follow up computer alignment.

Now days, replacing a single ball joint on an economy sedan will set you back more than $500 at a shop.

For folks that intend to head to a mechanic every time their vehicle needs attention, a 16-20 year old XJ is probably a poor choice. But for those that like to do most of the basic jobs themselves (including suspension work) it can be a very rewarding and affordable vehicle to drive on a daily basis.

Mine is an 80 mile/day daily driver. It was stock with pretty much factory original components when I bought it about 2 years ago. I have put about 30k miles on it so far, and the only true part failure I have had so far was a bearing starting to fail on the water pump.

But the list of things I did as "preventative" work is a mile long (but not terribly expensive). Leaf springs, shocks, hubs, axle u-joints, drive shaft u-joints, wheels, tires, brakes, fluids, exhaust, every bushing, control arms, ball joints, knuckles, all steering linkages adjusters and tie rods, etc., etc.

nujeepguy

after some initial fixes,and my paranoia about,"whats going next'! i was not comfortable driving 8 miles to town.
now i actually go to town,WITHOUT my spare parts box and toolkit!
i really like driving my 00 sport.

oh,just fixed air cond!

moparado

I agree with jordon96xj.
As previously mentioned, you would be buying an old vehicle with either existing 'hidden' problems or potential problems down the road.

As with any old vehicle expect the usual maintenance issues and if you're not mechanically inclined vehicle wise, expect to pay big bucks getting it repaired at a shop.

Also, many XJs out there for sale have been modified by previous owners and subjected to off road and other abuse.
If you do buy one, my advice is to buy an XJ that is bone stock with relatively low mileage.

dcollins3208

Sure, with a AAA membership

Martlor13

huh.. that makes a vehicle reliable? Haha

Josh Pace

Thanks guys, I have found one stock except for some 31's on them. It has 240000km (Australian) what would you guys think on that? It's also had a new rear axle.

moparado

Lets see, 240000km is almost 150,000 miles according to my converter.
Thats not stellar mileage but definitely decent for an XJ.

Would be great if you could post more details.
What year?
4 cyl. or 6cyl?
2WD or 4X4?
Rust?

At first glance, it might not be totally stock.
If its got 31's on it, there's a good chance its been lifted? If so, how much?
Thats not necessarily a deal breaker if it was done right.

When you say new axle, do you mean the axle shaft only or the entire differential unit?
Can you post pictures of it?

Rambler65

Sound decent, but condition, condition, and condition are the three most important factors!

I have found my XJ to be quite reliable for its age. In two years the repairs it has needed are replacing a rusted brake line, the brake flex line in the rear, and the alternator. Not too bad for a vehicle nearly 20 years old. Since I do my own work this was no big deal. (For someone dependent on going to a mechanic it would be a different story if driving any older vehicle.)

I think that if you get one that is basically sound once you go through the initial sorting an XJ is going to be as reliable as anything out there, if not more so due to the fundamental soundness and simplicity of the design.

Josh Pace

It's a 1998, 6cyl 4lt, 4x4.

By the looks of the photos it looks like it hasn't been lifted.
He said the rear axle had been change so I'm guessing just the shaft.
Also haven't been to look at it yet as I am busy with work, so not to sure on rust.

moparado

Good year for an XJ.
It looks like it might have a small budget lift or even an upcountry package.
If its got an upcountry package, thats a plus.
Or it could just be the larger dia. tires. Ask the owner.

It looks good from the pic.
When and if you test drive it, go through all the 2WD hi gears and then put it in 4X4 hi and 4X4 lo. 4x4 low is tricky for new XJ owners. There's threads here on how to do it.
One other main concern is rust.
Good luck.

Josh Pace

Cheers everyone, I have had no lucky with this guy answering at all so will have to keep looking for one

s346k

older vehicles are as reliable as you make them. pay attention to odd noises during driving and take time to thoroughly inspect the vehicle when you change the oil or do any other work. with frequent and consistent effort - 99.9% of the time you'll see/hear an issue and then correct it before it ever causes a problem.

common sense and simply looking at the vehicle go a long way.