Faults:

I've heard some squeaking and rattling, but nothing too intense or chronic.

The cruise control stopped working temporarily once. I was on a flat road, (I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix), but using the cruise control buttons exclusively as an accelerator. After a half-hour of using the buttons to increase and decrease my speed in and out of traffic, (speed ranging between 60 and 90), it just quit. Haven't had a problem with that since, though.

Amazing customer service story:

Bought a blue 2001 from Earnhardt's in Tempe, Arizona. A few days later, I and other people began noticing the vehicle body was tilted to the left. I measured it on level ground: it had a 1/2 inch tilt.

I took it to Earnhardt's service department. They said a 1/2 inch tilt was "within Chrysler tolerance limits" and they could not fix it unless it got worse. They assured me it probably would get worse, and that when it did, I should bring it in and have them separate the frame from the body and insert some spacers. Obviously, this isn't something you'd think you'd have to go through with a brand new vehicle.

So I did the best thing I could think of: have my wife talk to the sales rep. We demanded a new Jeep, even though the one I bought now had 200 miles on it. After some arguing, an unexpected thing happened. The guy told me to come down and pick out a new Jeep. This time I got a green one. Just swapped it out with the old one. Good job, Earnhardt's!

General Comments:

So far so good in every aspect, though I miss the 1997 Wrangler I traded in. We've got a baby girl now, and my 4-door Cherokee makes a better "family car."

Off-road performance not quite as good as the Wrangler, but still constantly amazes me.

Overall handling more truck-like, less nimble than Wrangler. Very stable driving experience at 90 MPH on the freeway or 40 mph on bumpy dirt roads.

The 4.0 liter engine provides plenty of power off road and on. Perky acceleration.

Cargo space less than perfect, though I did sleep in the back once. I'm 5'6", and could stretch out diagonally - with the back seat down, of course.

Road noise considerable at high speeds.

You don't realize how many Cherokees are out there until you buy one. Still, the classic styling looks more rugged than most small SUVs.

Faults:

The car has had a problem from the first day I picked it up from the dealer. The car shakes out of control when idling or starting. It makes knocking noises and acts as if it will stall.

I leased the Jeep in February and it has already been in the shop for a total of 25 days. The dealer can never duplicate the problem. The check engine light also goes on frequently.

I will never buy another Jeep/Daimler Chrysler vehicle again. I am extremely unhappy with this car.