reliablity of the jeep cherokees thru 1990-1999

[akaech]

hi, i want to get a Jeep Cherokee and she thinks that they are absolutely horrible and not reliable. so i am posting this to prove her wrong. i want to know the truth, if they are awesome or if they suck

[kiwi_outdoors]

its variable, I have had a 1998 (manual tranny) , 1992 and now a 1997. Great 4X4 for the $ - you can' t beat it, also carries 5 people and securely stows a lot of stuff. The used 1992 crapped out at our local Safeway - its CPS (Crankshaft Position Sensor) died - so it would not run. Cheap fix. Our 1997 Jeep did the same trick with its Cam shaft position Sensor (under the distributor) in behind Mammoth Lakes - car won't run without it - a SS$ tow and $ fix. Then on our recent holiday the 97 Jeep fractured (fatigue) one off the two tranny coolant lines that run alongside the passenger side of the engine - a $900 tow from Toroweap Point and an $87 fix. BUT - its still a hell of a lot of 4x4 for the $. I am looking for a 2001 model - the last of the era of the "Cheap Jeep". I considered some other 4x4, but the Jeep still wins my heart. BTW - consider a Sat Phone if you go out of cell range. Also - standard radiator is single core - too small, replace it with at least a twin core unit. And carry a list of engine trouble codes - you can read them on the electronic odometer display.

[Bootboy]

'96-'02 Toyota 4runner. Nuff said.
My buddies 99 Cherokee has been a headache for him with less than 150k. The CPS has left him stranded before, he's had various electronic as well as mechanical issues. My 4runner is a dream at 192k. No problems whatsoever.

[akaech]

'96-'02 Toyota 4runner. Nuff said.
My buddies 99 Cherokee has been a headache for him with less than 150k. The CPS has left him stranded before, he's had various electronic as well as mechanical issues. My 4runner is a dream at 192k. No problems whatsoever.

i have a couple friends and they both say that they are gutless and wouldnt recommend one

[DOSS]

Seen Heeps broke down on the side of the trail as often as I have seen Toys.. they are all statistically just as reliable as each other the variable is how they are taken care of and how they are used. If you beat the snot out of either one and don't take care of mechanical issues and general maintenance you will be screwed in either one :)... You are right about the older Runners being a bit gutless (Low power to weight ratios)...

[nelsonccc]

I loved my '01 cherokee sport. Never an issue with it other than general stuff. Eventually got rid of it and now drive an '01 4runner with 170,000 miles. A few issues here and there but they go and go and go.

[Russted]

i have a couple friends and they both say that they are gutless and wouldnt recommend one

Gutless = Yes. More dependable = Yes.

If your looking to run a quick 1/4 mile in a 4x4, then definitely get the jeep. I'm with Bootboy and "she." I've run a bone stock 3rd Gen all over Utah and never had any problems, while getting 19-22 mpg. A little scraping on the Maze trail out to the Doll House area, but that's about it. I'm using mine to access trailheads and not rock crawl, so dependability and gas mileage is more important to me. Buddy's with jeeps are lucky to get 17-19 mpg in their stock Cherokees. There is a reason why people pay 20-30% more for a comparable 4runner. My two cents, but sounds like you've already made up your mind.

More importantly... what are you planning on doing with the jeep? Keep it stock, run it to trailheads, or turning it into a crawler?

[Scott P]

Statistically, Toyota 4Runners are actually much more reliable than Jeeps. This can't really be argued. All data taken by various sources easily prove this. For a Jeep though Cherokees really aren't that bad (the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler fares far worse than the Cherokee in the reliability department). The 2000 I used for work for many years actually did OK (which wasn't true of my Wrangler-that thing was always having problems even when fairly new).

Both are about equal off road. Surprisingly, the 2000 Cherokee (not the Grand one) actually gets pretty good gas mileage, roughly equal with the 4Runner. I was surprised that it actually got slightly more than my about equal age (1999) Pathfinder. The 4Runner is definitely a much better vehicle than the Cherokee, but a used one will cost you more as well. You may also want to look 1990's into the Pathfinder (the new ones can't really go off road at all). They are cheaper used than a 4Runner, a better vehicle than the Cherokee, but go with the base or SE model because the LE was not as good off road. The base Pathfinder does almost as well as the 4Runner or Cherokee off road, but perhaps not quite (I drove both simultaneously, one at work and one for personal so could make a fair comparison). If you looking to modify though, don't go with a Pathfinder. An Xterra can easily hold it's own off road against a 4Runner or Cherokee, so it may also be worth looking into.

As far as being gutless, it depends on the year.

From 1990-1995, the Jeep Cherokee does have a bit more power than the 4Runner. From 1996-2002, they are roughly equal, though the Cherokee has a very small edge.

4Runners since 2003 all have far more power than the Cherokee ever had. This is not true of the Grand Cherokee though. After 2003, the 4Runner and Grand Cherokee have gone back and forth as to which one has the most power.

[phatch]

Consumer Reports shows them to be average at best, or somewhat below average. Plus, you're talking about a vehicle that's old to start with.

The more stuff you do to them like lifts, over sized tires, the more strain the moving parts are under.

You can make it pretty reliable, but it will be a money pit to do so. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you're looking to get a hard-core vehicle to take you awesome places. The jeep is a fine starting point for that.

That said, you might well be better off getting the new 4-door Wrangler or Toyota and work your improvements from there. Run the numbers carefully.

[kiwi_outdoors]

Tony Judd, who towed me out from Toroweap Pt., Grand Canyon, said that all brands broke down equally out there. My local tow operator in the San Jose-Milpitas area said Jeeps broke down the most.

[REDFOX]

Jeeps might look like they breakdown more often simply because there are more of them on the trails. I prefer Toyotas myself.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[kiwi_outdoors]

How is ground clearance on the 4Runner? Do the running boards cause a problem?

[akaech]

More importantly... what are you planning on doing with the jeep? Keep it stock, run it to trailheads, or turning it into a crawler?

i would use it to go deer/duck hunting, go crawl a little, and daily driver from school and back

[Russted]

Kiwi: The clearance on the 4runner is pretty good at stock height for what I'm doing with it. I've never measured, but the interwebs seem to say it's around 9.5-10" from the lowest point (rear diff.) The new Subaru Outback is sitting 8.7 inches high as a comparable. There are about 6-8 bolts per side on the running boards, and those were removed after the first trip. The wife hasn't complained about getting into yet, but if I put a mild lift on it, the boards will be going back on it.

Akaech: I did look at Pathfinders (90's,) Xterra's, Jeeps, Montero's (pre-2001) and older Troopers before buying my 3rd Gen. It's not a daily driver, but if I was driving 50+ miles a day, I would have bought a Subaru, as it would do just about everything I wanted it to do, and gas wouldn't kill me. The Cherokee would be great for what you need it for, unless your driving a ton daily. Like any used car purchase... look for low miles, one or two owners, good maintenance records, and avoid anything that has been modded too much, as it's probably been wheeled hard as well. Rust could be a killer on a car that old. Be patient, and good luck with your search.

[bobb169]

Had Nissans for 20 years..... never left me stranded or needed a tow.

[JP]

Wow, I'll throw in Ford Model "T". Just because it's not what you asked about. I owned three of these and they never broke down. I also drove up Mt. Everest with two of them. How's that doing you for the 90's Cherokee

I love the statement that the XJ's aren't as reliable than the 4Runners and that a mechanic said he has worked on more XJ's. That just might be correct, seeing there are more XJ's hitting the trails. I bet he's seen even less Cayenne's. The later Cherokee's you're better off with, 91-99. You'll get the better I-4.0L engine in the "High-Output" version. Are you thinking manual or automatic? On the top of your list is a daily driving/hunting vehicle. (You really have to know the end result you see this XJ being in) Pretty much leaving it stock, you probably wouldn't run into too many issues, just some common sense driving. But owning a JEEP (Just Empty Every Pocket) can get addicting with the upgrades and add-on's that are offered for it. Depending on mileage and abuse will dictate what issues you may have or not have. Higher mileage XJ's will run into cracked exhaust manifolds, possible injector failure, sensors such as the cam shaft, etc.

I like the XJ's, just wish you can grab the 90 tow package Dana 44, NP-231 T-case and the I-4.0L engine Stick with the later models, 97-99 or even right through 01. 00-01 have the more eye appeasing body lines.

My favorite in your year group...97-98 Grand Cherokee (ZJ). Better all around package, roomier interior and more comfort...Just some food for thought.

[Bo_Beck]

Had Nissans for 20 years..... never left me stranded or needed a tow.

mY '94' Pathfinder is finally gettin broken in at 316,000 miles. Nary a problem. By far the most reliable vehic I've had.

[2065toyota]

i would use it to go deer/duck hunting, go crawl a little, and daily driver from school and back

I wouldn't even sweat it. Cherokee's along with all vehicles break down. Nice thing about cherokee's is that new and used parts are plentiful. I have a toyota based rock crawler and my wife and daughter both drive grand cherokee's. They both have had their issues, but would recommend either one of them.

[taatmk]

I've been driving Jeeps for over 40 years. My first "car" was a Jeep CJ-5 when I was just learning how. Currently have a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. There are not enough o's in smooth to describe it.