Faults:

Did not have very many problems with the Trooper, a wonderful, beautiful, head turning vehicle. A joy to drive, and hauled the kids and their friends everywhere. Even took it hunting a few times.

General Comments:

Probably one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. I wished I could find one in good shape, I would buy it in a minute and restore it to near it's original condition. I drove it to Utah and all over the mountain states. It handled like a dream, and would always get second looks from people. They should go back to that model and body. I would buy one in a heartbeat.

Faults:

It loses fuel pumps and alternators on a regular basis.

General Comments:

The main reason I'm taking the time to write this is due to the problems I've had with the 60 amp alternator. I lose one every two years and finally found that I needed to install the 75 amp alternator. This fixed my transmission problems!! With the low output of the 60 amp the tranny shifts poorly and switches in to the "winter mode" where the tranny is stuck in 3rd gear. This is no longer a problem with the 75 amp alternator!

Faults:

Transmission kicks and goes into neutral on left turns or when gas is let off and then pushed again.

Bumpy on turns because of transmission.

Needed new starter at 100,000 miles.

Engine gasket leak at 125,000 miles.

Tires run out of tread fast.

General Comments:

This SUV has the coolest sounding engine, you can't even compare the solid sound of this engine with any other SUV.

0-60 in the upper 8s.

ABS is flawless.

Max torque can be felt at low Rpms.

Can tow boats like a truck.

The huge sunnroof is relaxing and a huge luxury.

Sub woofers sound awesome in this car because it is solid and has flaps for it in the back.

Looks great with rims.

Chrome lining and side mirrors.

Faults:

It had a lot wrong with it when I bought it. The transmission was not shifting out of high gear. That has been fixed by the seller since it was not disclosed when I bought it (Ebay auction). It ended up being the ignition had a short which was affecting the electronic shifting. The sun visor has fallen apart. That is weird. The shocks went bad, but that will happen on any vehicle. The tachometer "jumps" even though it runs well. Sometimes when it starts it takes a lot of turning over before it will start. The power steering hose has a leak. The AC does not blow really cold in this hot Texas heat. The radio (factory) is a piece of trash and it barely is alive, with only one speaker still working. The back door (5th) squeaks like crazy on a dirt road or any bumpy road. The CV boots wore out, as they will on any high mileage vehicle. The door locks work less than perfect. The center small hub cap fell off the rear wheel. There is a small tear on the drivers side seat. I do not know the history of repairs before I bought it as I got it on Ebay from a wholesaler. The wholesaler bought it from a Dallas area dealership that was someone else's trade in.

General Comments:

I bought the Troop to sell Real Estate in. I work Real Estate and insurance in a rural Texas small town. We mostly show land so I needed a 4-wheel drive vehicle to carry customers over the land. We often cross pastures, drive through running creeks, and through mud, dust dirt, sand, high grass, bramble, brush, over small trees, up and down gullies and hills and more. I love my Trooper for its off road performance. I did get stuck once in the back forty and a tractor had to come pull me out. I had customers with me too, bummer.

I love the ROOMINESS of the vehicle. There is LOTS of room inside. It is cavernous. I know there are bigger SUVs, but for $3200.00 you will not find one. I do not like the gas mileage. It gets 15-18 miles per gallon. I wish I had gotten a standard transmission because that it what I am used to driving and I do not always agree with its shift points. Small complaint, though.

The only large complaint is I do believe it is underpowered on midrange driving. The v6 3.2 liter is plenty powerful in the low range and it has loads of torque and pull. But lets face it, the vehicle weighs about 4,500 pounds and it is 190 horse power. 190 HP is a lot if it weighed 2500-3000 pounds. An example is when I am driving on a very hilly road, it tends to slow down a lot before cresting the hill. Also, you really have to "floor board" it to pass someone. I believe the newer Troopers bumped up the power to around 250 HP and I would hazard a guess they have the midrange power problem licked at that HP.

The Trooper rides well over bumps and rough terrain. It seems very solid. A great off road performer. I have noticed (and I like it) that the Trooper is built more like a tough truck. It sits high off the ground; 8.5 inches I believe. My parents have an Expedition, and my Grandmother and Explorer. I like my Trooper better than either. The Explorer feels TINY compared to the Trooper. The Expedition is bigger, but it seems like it would be prissy about going where my Trooper goes. The Expedition is more of a big people mover than a true off road machine.

In summary, not the fastest, not the most refined, not the best transmission, but definitely SOLID, definitely ready to leave pavement ANY TIME ANYWHERE. The used Trooper is a good value, especially to someone who wants to really use it off road. I realize you can buy a way nicer SUV like a Land Rover, or Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche Cayenne, Tahoe, etc. However, You need a lot more money to get into one of those. I am not disappointed in the least.

I would recommend buying one. I would not recommend buying one without driving it first like I did. Do not be foolish and just drive it around the block. When you test drive it, take the seller with you. Then you need to drive it on the highway, drive it off road, put it in 4-wheel drive, really EXPERIENCE it before you slap down the green backs. That is my two cents.