Faults:

Since purchasing this Jeep, nothing has really gone wrong with it other than the usual wear-and-tear items. Miles were high when I purchased it (from a dealer for $3,500) but it had obviously been well maintained. I have replaced brakes and rotors, but nothing else. The steering has some "play" in it, but I'd expect some wear in the rack-and-pinion for a vehicle with these miles on it.

General Comments:

This Jeep has been extremely reliable. We have owned 5 Jeeps now: A Wrangler, two Grand Cherokees, a Liberty (wife's vehicle), and my Country. The Country is basically a fancier version of a Jeep Cherokee Sport. Mileage averages about 16 mpg no matter where or how you drive and the suspension is very rough. In fact, this vehicle rides like a truck, but then that's one thing that gives it a more rugged feel. My only complaint might be that the seats are very uncomfortable and I find myself shifting in the seat constantly, trying to find a comfortable driving position. In my opinion, for what we spent on it, this is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. Everything works perfectly, including the 4-wheel drive (both part-time and full-time) and even the air conditioning and cruise control. I will probably drive this Cherokee until it falls apart!

Faults:

Not much has gone wrong with this car. It had a leak in the transmission fluid line, and needed a new radiator when I bought it. Since I've owned it it has needed the ball joints and the U-joints replaced (that was my fault, for the way I drove it). The previous owner really beat it up though, which is a shame because they are awesome cars. He somehow bent my brake pedal, and cracked some of the interior panels, but I fixed those. I mean for a car that only cost me $150 it is awesome. Yes I said One Hundred and Fifty Dollars, and yes it ran when I bought it!!! I love this car and I will no doubt buy another one when this one is finally dead! (Which might take some time!)

General Comments:

I can't say that this car is quick because it is a Jeep and they are SUV's (duh!), but it is a tough and rugged car and runs beautifully for a car with 263,000 miles on it. Some of the interior panels were broken or cracked, but I went to a junkyard and got some replacements for it so it's fine now.

Faults:

Mystery problem at around 165,000 miles - the car would start bucking whenever the fuel injection kicked in. Throwing new parts (oxy and TPS sensors, etc.) didn't correct the problem. The dealer said it was a problem with the #2 injector, then that the injector control computer needed to be replaced. I had my mechanic install the computer from a similar Cherokee that had been junked, which did nothing to correct the problem. Finally, the mechanic found that the wiring in the #2 injector harness was defective and replaced it in five minutes. The problem was solved. (He's since told me that other owners of '93 Cherokees have had this problem.)

Alternator replaced at 172,000 miles.

Upper radiator hose blew at 175,000 miles.

Replaced headlights at 182,000.

Starter died at 189,000.

Radiator needed patching at 192,000 miles.

Universals needed to be replaced at 195,000.

General Comments:

This car was bought for me as a first car for college at a time when gas was cheap. I was the fourth owner. As a kid who just learned to drive, I was hard on it (including backing into two lampposts, at least one parked car, abrupt slamming on the brakes, sudden acceleration, etc.), and probably would've broken a more fragile car. In hindsight, I'm impressed by the Cherokee's resilience in light of my driving abilities at the time.

Cherokees will nickel and dime you to death (see above), but the major parts are solid. Between repairs, a well-maintained Cherokee could drive across the country and back. The AW4 automatic transmission is one of Chrysler's best, and worked beautifully. The engine was solid, and the only problems I had were routine things for the age and mileage of the vehicle. I lived in Vermont at the time and took the car on trips as far as Virginia and it held up reliably without a whimper. (Later, I commuted from Vermont to Boston regularly without problems.) It was comfortable to drive such a long distance, too. It only failed to start three times in five years - once, because the alternator died; once, because the starter died; and a third time because I bought a crap battery. It was great in the snow, too. By the time I sold it, I was moving to a warmer climate and wanted something more economical, but it was a great first car at the time.

Cons: When something does go wrong, Mopar parts are expensive and you pay for it.

Also, the thing burns up gas like nobody's business, especially the automatic. I typically went through a tank of gas a week. If gas hadn't been so cheap in 2001, it would really have hurt my pocketbook. My gas mileage was roughly 16-18 mpg; usually a lot lower if I was just driving it around town or to class. It's better than most SUV's and pickups, but that really says more about the impracticality of other SUVs. Where fuel economy is concerned, it's not a practical daily driver.

For the record, my stepfather has owned two other Cherokees - an '87 and a '96. Both of them leaked oil, which is a common habit of Cherokees. Mine never lost so much as a drop. It's probably just luck on my part, but I wouldn't expect the same from other Cherokees, especially older ones.

If you need a strong, all-purpose utility vehicle with four wheel drive, and don't mind paying for a lot of minor repairs and iffy fuel economy, a Cherokee is a good choice.