Faults:

Manifold bolts failed. locks have failed. some rust. changed timing belt.

General Comments:

A reliable small SUV. Clever balance of power/ acceleration/fuel economy. Inside spare takes up too much space. Motor gives the feel it will never fail.

Faults:

The only problems I have had to date are the a/c needed to be recharged.

The catalytic converter is in need of changing.

The wiper/washer motor has also needed to be replaced.

The factory rear shocks had to be replaced, though the front shocks were still good condition.

General Comments:

This has been a GREAT car.

The vehicle is in superb condition inside, but the paint is wearing on the roof outside.

The 5 speed transmission is great.

The 4 wheel drive is great and easy to engage.

It handles good for a top heavy vehicle, and is a most comfortable ride.

There is lots of room inside, and roof rack space on top.

Faults:

Rear brake rotors needed to be replaced, cruise control/light switch went, various electrical problems (fusible link on battery and rear tail lights), electric window regulators (front and rear window), rear speakers, a/c high pressure line, muffler replaced, front suspension is clunky, transmission slips.

General Comments:

Fairly basic sort of old school SUV. It's compact and easy to park. The looks are rugged. Interior space isn't very good. Rear seats have raised floor giving a knees up seating position. Once seats are folded down, it's OK. It's a squeeze for 5 people.

Reliable engine even though it's underpowered and overly thirsty. Seems get only about 16 mpg. 4wd system needs to be manually selected and can only be activated in the wet or in snow.

It's a fairly slow vehicle and at times feels under-braked - particularly since my car is fitted with the optional off-road tires. Handles like a vehicle 1000lb heavier than it is.

It's been beat up and responded pretty well to the abuse until around the 150k mark. Now something seems to go wrong every month.

I have not had any mechanical problems - mostly electrical.

Faults:

The oxygen sensor failed out of the blue, $65 dollars to adjust. Transmission failed due to computer telling it to be in 2 gears at once $3200 to replace the transmission and computer. Exhaust manifold will need to be replaced shortly.

General Comments:

I purchased this vehicle as it was in excellent shape and was a good price. Since then I have paid over $3000 in repairs in 3 months. My dream vehicle has turned into a nightmare. It also drinks fuel. It is nice to drive in 4 wheel drive in the winter, but in 2 wheel drive it is slippery and skids at times.

Faults:

Needed new timing belt and water pump at 85000 miles. Regular scheduled maintenance that costs $600 at the dealer to do.

Had intermittent starting problems. Made a quiet buzzing sound at the relay box behind the passenger side floor panel. Dealer replaced relay, than replaced starter. Replacing starter made problem much worse. Dealer than replaced ignition switch. This turned out to be the problem.

Had injectors cleaned and differentials drained and re-lubed. Hopefully will be good for another 80000 miles.

General Comments:

I love the styling of this SUV. Mine is a 4 door XE with manual windows and a manual transmission. Not much quickness, but good enough for around town. I've heard to avoid the automatic transmissions for the 88-93 models, and that the exhaust manifold bolts will break because of the manifold itself warping. I imagine that will be in the future, a $500 per side repair. But this truck is sweet, drives good and is very roomy inside. The cup holders are useless and the cargo space inside is limited. Maintenance for me so far has been expensive, changing the timing belt is not a routine procedure and the starter is a labor intensive process, it does not come out easy. So do not expect the maintenance to be cheap. But if you dig this vehicle, it should serve you well, as most the problems are more an annoyance than critical. Just change that timing belt every 75000 miles!