1988 Jeep Cherokee Base 4.0 liter inline six from North America
Summary:
Go anywhere, built like a battleship, and always there for you
Faults:
Leaks hydraulic fluid in the clutch from time to time, I usually can go a month and it will be half empty. Just do the fluid once in a while.
Coil wire from the coil to the distributer was cracked, replaced it because it was actually throwing the timing off, this is the only time it has not started. Took one from a old Ford pick up.
Idler pulley bearing went, replaced the pulley, $25.
General Comments:
This was owned by my father-in-law, he traded it to me for a 50" TV I had (I had two).
He bought a 2001 Chevy full-size extended cab, then got rid of the thing in six months and got another Cherokee.
The truck runs great has tons of power and has a little bit of surface rust (I repaired it). It goes just about anywhere. Fuel economy is good for a 4.0 liter motor.
This vehicle is great, but I am starting to not rely on it for those long trips (over 200 miles one way) and am using it as a winter driver and fun mobile. I have seen other Cherokee's go for 250,000+ and some up to 360,000 miles so the way I figure it I will have it for five more trouble free winters. Burns no oil!
I am looking for a new daily driver so I can put some time into this truck, It need a brake job soon and possibly a tune up.
It simply is amazing that this thing just keeps on going, starts all the time, I thing the biggest worry I have about it is that the odometer is so close to the 200,000 mark... its a psychological thing, you just don't see that very often.
The other thing that is great is the seats they have all the standard controls plus a kind of rocker like control, it's hard to explain, but once you have it, it is something you miss in other cars.
Any one who finds one with low miles and good condition, snap the thing up fast, you won't regret it ever.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th January, 2002
16th Jan 2004, 13:46
I have an 88 jeep Cherokee with a 4.0 engine. I seen that people are a little worried about high mileage - don't be. I have 407,000 km on mine and still passes all the emissions, doesn't burn oil, and has plenty of power left to spare. Only serious engine work done was a timing chain. My jeep before this one had 579,000 km on it and still had plenty of life I'd still be driving it, but the body fell apart.