1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0

Faults:

Recall replaced the brakes, other than that, tires, battery, window motor, ignition (coil pick up), radiator, a/c freon refill.

General Comments:

Other than the above, this 4x4 has served me well in the deep snow, off road, highway on business, etc. Real 4 wheel drive doesn't get stuck like the pretend all wheel drive SUV s. Plenty of room inside, good towing capability and average cost of ownership. After 10 years it still looks good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th November, 2003

25th Jan 2004, 17:04

I wrote this entry a couple months ago. Since then we have had extreme cold and deep snow where I live. I have NOT missed a day of work and the Jeep has not missed a beat.. I should have added that I have the part time Command Trac. I get a feeling that all the tranny problems on this board seem to be related to the Quadra Trac. I noticed a little drip under the tranny pan, found out it there were 3 loose bolts, tightened them, end of problem. The Part time traditional 4 WD is EXTREMELY reliable.

7th Mar 2004, 15:12

Adding another comment to the original post. The O2 sensor went south costing me $200 to diagnose and fix. (engine was acting weird, check engine light on, flashing improper codes.) On the plus side, it was axle deep in mucky mud on a woods road, and even though I had to back up to hit certain sections "at speed", never a hint of getting stuck. Try that in your Lexus or M3.

2nd Feb 2005, 10:49

Same owner again,

Almost a year later, after several trips to the woods, and a killer snowstorm, this Jeep has run well with no issues. We recently had 18 inches of snow and needless to say there were few vehicles on the road except for true 4X4 s. The part time system has never let me down. I went looking at new Jeeps recently and the salesman said for reliability and traction, the old system was hard to beat.

I am going to get a new one one day, but its going to be tough letting go.

2nd Mar 2006, 19:55

Anytime you need to have your AC recharged it means there is a leak somewhere, AC recharging is a big scam in the auto industry as well as commercial and residential areas as well, any honest repair person will tell you if you need to add refrigerant there is a leak within the system somewhere, elderly home owners get ripped off on a regular basis when a repair company returns to their home every year to add refrigerant to their home AC systems, DON"T GET SCAMMED!!!

1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0 I-6

Summary:

I can't part with her

Faults:

The fuel pump left me near 110K. I have since learned that I should not have been surprised. A dealer in Maryville, MO took care of it for me for $500. A private mechanic likely would have done it for $350.

The transfer case is leaking slowly and the rear of the transmission has developed a bad leak in the past months. (My oil pan underneath in my garage caught 1.5-qt. in the past 4 days.) It's waiting to get into the local transmission man's shop - NOT A DEALER - for repair. He's promised $300 will take care of it.

Other than that the rear view mirror fell off the past winter. In 40K miles of ownership, that's all I can pinpoint. I'm very content with its reliability.

General Comments:

I held my breath in February of 2000 when I decided I would pay $9700 for a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee that had almost 98K miles. Having just wrecked my last car and wanting an SUV that was in my price range, I decided to take the plunge.

3 1/2 years later (September 2003), I can honestly say there are fewer decisions I've ever made that make me as happy as buying my Jeep. She's gotten me all over the Midwest like a champ. The body was great when I bought it, and still is. The interior looks new, which is a testament to the the previous owner and my desire to keep it that way.

When talking engines with mechanics and others, I've learned that the 4.0 I-6 is amazingly tough and will stand up to any test I've given it. A college roommate of mine and his father put 200K on a I-6 in an old Cherokee and had to quit driving it when the transmission left at that point. I change my oil when it needs it, depending on the type of driving I've been doing. Simply put, I would strongly consider marrying this engine if it would bring me beer and do the dishes too.

The transmission scares me a little, mostly because of stories I've heard, not that I can tell firsthand. Mine is still strong at 138K, with the only slips coming in the coldest of winter. When (and if) mine goes, a local mechanic has quoted me a price of $800-$1100 to rebuild it with a 12-month, 12,00- warranty. As with any repair, I will trust my Jeep to the 'little guy' who has to keep his reputation in town.

The 4WD is outstanding. Growing up in Iowa and living for years 3 miles from the nearest pavement, we had our fair share of trips in the 1980 Chevy truck to get where we needed to go. I would put the foothold the Jeep gives me on snow up against that any day. It honestly is the most secure I've ever felt on snow and ice in any vehicle I've been in. I have to TRY and break traction in parking lots, etc. when goofing off in snow when it's in 4WD. Even in 2WD in snow the Jeep impresses me.

The driver who put the majority of my Jeep's miles on was a hot-air balloon pilot and traveled across the country a great deal. I also have put plenty of highway miles on my Jeep. I baby it and take care of it as if has to last me a lifetime. Some days I think it could.

Gas mileage is solid, especially when you accelerate slowly and make a conscious effort to save gas. A trip 500 mile trip last weekend yielded me the best mileage I've gotten in my Jeep at 23.4 MPG.

The interior has held up well. Even the driver seat resembles more of a new seat that on that's 10 years old.

Other: Paint is great, no rust at all. Radio was replaced with am aftermarket CD player and speakers too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th September, 2003

12th Jan 2005, 19:43

I am saddened to report that this Jeep died in an accident on 1-10-05 in Charlotte, NC. It was rear-ended by a GMC at a Sonoma that was going pretty fast (35-40 MPH??). The Jeep held up well, though it still is a complete loss. I am very sad to see it go. I'd just rebuilt the tranny at 142K. The engine was still great and everything else seemed intact. I was hoping to hit 200K with her, but had to say goodbye at 146,416. As testament to my love of this type of Jeep, two days after the wreck I'm looking at a similar vehicle. Long live the Jeep!

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