1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4X4 4.0L I-6

Summary:

Reliable and Fun. What more do you need???

Faults:

First off, I made the mistake of purchasing the Jeep from Carmax. I drove off the lot, got a block away, and the person following me home called me and said that my hazards were on, even thought just my left turn signal should have been on... and it was only flashing the hazards in the back. Brought it home, saw it do it, and back to Carmax we went. The problem was the turn signal switch (later found out very common problem on the last generation Cherokee's). Had to get the part from a dealer, couldn't get it till next day, blah blah blah, gave me a rental and I had her back the next day.

Day two (now a Saturday). Was doing a closer inspection of everything, fluids, squeaks, rattles, parts loose or missing. I had a 30 "we'll fix anything" warranty on it, so if I found ANYTHING I was bringing it back and complaining to them. Upon a closer inspection, I noticed the power steering pump seemed louder than one should. Behold, little to no fluid in the tank. What a surprise! Also, the light under the hood didn't work, there is a wobble in the front end, and my transfer case sprung a leak while sitting in my driveway, AND it was and still is severely out of alignment. Went back that Monday for power steering fluid, new hood lamp, tire balance and rotation, front end alignment, and new input/output seals on the transfer case.

Carmax's idea of aligning my front end was to drop the air pressure in ONE TIRE (it was pulling right, so they sropped left) to 25 PSI!!! That is dangerously low for a vehicle of this size and this weight. I'm lucky I didn't have a blow out on the highway trip back home! Since I prefer to have the proper amount of air in my tires, I'll live with the alignment, until I can get the money together to get a proper one from a place that actually knows what they are doing.

There is still a wobble in the front end. I suspect the tires are bad, and I will be replacing them next weekend.

The transfer case seals are leaking once again. I need to change out the fluid in there anyways, so I'll replace them myself, while I have it apart in the future.

About the only two things they did were fix the hood lamp and add power steering fluid (who knows what brand).

Also needs a tune up. Further inspection revealed what are probably the OEM plugs, wires, and distributor.

Recently replaced the battery. The existing one was the one put in by Chrysler at the factory. And it spent the majority of it's life in New York, which means harsh New England winters.

General Comments:

Despite the minor annoying problems, it is a wonderful Jeep. This is my first car. Wanted one since I was old enough to understand what Jeeps can really do. Definitely had to have the 4.0L engine. Extremely reliable engine. Loads of low end torque that will get you through anything you can throw at it.

Didn't get any real snow to test out the 4X4 this past winter, but I have taken it off road a couple times (mine is bone stock) and haven't had any problems.

The seats are pretty comfortable, but on longer trips I can start to feel it in my back.

Don't think you're going to get a smooth ride if you buy a Cherokee. You definitely feel all the bumps in the road. But that's fine by me, I didn't buy it for a Towncar ride. I bought it for the Jeep reliability and ruggedness.

I do not blame any of the above problems on Chrysler. The majority of the problems are normal wear and tear items of a vehicle of this age, and I blame them mostly on Carmax for not checking out the vehicle before they sold it to me, and myself for not tearing it apart completely before I bought it.

Overall I'm very impressed with it, and will regret having to sell it in about a year when I go off to college.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th June, 2005

2nd Sep 2008, 11:59

The last time I checked New York is not in New England.

New England consists of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

There are still plenty of Cherokees on the road here in New England - where owning a Jeep is almost a way of life.

6th Oct 2008, 21:57

At the time it was a 6 year old vehicle. That's a lot of time for someone to beat the crap out of a vehicle. No matter what any car sales person says, look VERY closely at the vehicle.

11th Mar 2010, 15:38

Front end chatter or wobble especially while braking is quite common on this vehicle. Have the front end gone over by a knowledgeable mechanic, and also have your front brake rotors trued up with a light turning, and that should clear things up.

You are very right - the seats are not very comfortable, but then again, ever ride in a WWII jeep? If you ever do, you will know right away this issue comes from the Jeep heritage, and not from poor design.

So far my company has 217,000 miles on a our '99 Jeep, and the only major work done so far was to rebuild the transfer case at 142,000.

1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0

Summary:

Reliable and fun to drive!

Faults:

Air Conditioning motor remains running even with heat on. Had to unhook. Able to place the wire directly to battery to keep it running, but drains battery if not removed for the night.

Passenger side window works sporadically.

Fog light switch won't work at all now. Used to come on once in a while.

Rear wiper starts and then stops half way up the window. When it does come on, it runs very slow.

Seat belts very difficult to unlatch.

Brakes grab tremendously after rain. When stepping lightly on the brakes when they're wet, I come to a jerking stop.

General Comments:

Other than problems that seem to be electrical, I love the Jeep. I haven't had the problems looked at yet due to the fact that the price will add up quickly for a bunch of small stuff.

Living in the Northeast, 4 wheel drive is a necessity and it works great.

I don't feel that the ride is bumpy at all. I owned a Wrangler and had to sell due to neck problems that were aggravated from driving it.

This car has a great turning radius and accelerates when I need it to.

This vehicle has 141,300 miles on it and hopefully it lasts 100,000 more.

I have no complaints about the body or the molding. A few rust spots about the size of a quarter each need to be fixed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd June, 2005

2nd Jun 2005, 20:32

I have the EXACT same thing on my brakes. They lock up instantly when wet or cold. Once they get dry or warm, all is good again. 1999 sport as well.

8th Jun 2005, 17:15

I am debating on whether to buy a 1999, 2000, or 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport, mostly as a second car to my Nissan Sentra to commute to work in the winter. Are there any improvements to the 2000 and 2001 over the 1999? I am leaning to a sharp looking 1999 with relatively low mileage and 1 owner. This would be my first car other than a Nissan in over 20 years. I never had any real problems with Nissan, and wonder if I should stay with Nissan, like an older Pathfinder. Any recommendations?

29th Jun 2006, 04:19

I purchased a 1999 Jeep Cherokee approximately 4 years ago now. It has been a great vehicle except for the manual transmission. At approximately 120K the clutch went. It cost me $900 to replace it. Now at 150K the clutch is sticky when hot. Mabey an automatic would have been better? Otherwise this truck has been problem free.