Faults:

There were a few problems with the steering bar doing cracking sounds when it was new. It was fixed by a mechanic.

Some hoses that came installed when the car were bought, deteriorated with time, and had to be replaced.

General Comments:

I totally love this car! After 14 years of use and abuse, I must say that the only thing actually wrong with this vehicle is the amount of fuel it consumes.

I live in Caracas and this city is a driver's hell. Traffic is terrible, but even worse is that the road maintenance is the worst thing ever, in rainy seasons it gets worse. Broken roads, flooded roads, bad angles of inclination, anything that can go wrong on-road, you name it. I've been there and this car has never let me down! I figure other cars "can" drive trough most of that, but certainly not without compromising the durability of the car.

I do very little of off-road driving, only occasional dirt roads but that's it. On occasions I drive through places where I wouldn't drive a sedan. Drives perfectly on dirt roads and other poor quality terrain.

It drives very neatly, and it's actually comfortable to drive. The engine is very powerful. Acceleration and braking are pretty good for normal and aggressive driving. Excellent road and highway performance. I think it's partly because the car weight is kind of light for a vehicle of it's class.

This car is getting old, but it's working like it's new. I'd look forward to buying a new car if Jeep would only produce an improved version of the XJ with new technology. The new SUVs on the market seem too heavy, it feels like they lack power, and they also seem larger and less convenient. I'm wondering what in the world I'm going to drive in the future.

Faults:

Right after buying, the transmission had a small seep. Took 3 times to be fixed at the dealership.

At approx 65,000 miles; battery replaced and new brakes. Also had to have new muffler and tailpipe (rusted through).

At 98,000,the crank sensor failed (key would do nothing) and that was an expensive fix. Luckily I was home at the time.

At approx 100,000; when hitting a bump on the highway, the front end would shimmy to the point of almost losing control. Had the steering damper replaced. Fixed the problem. Not too expensive.

At approx 100,000; had 4 new shocks and 4 new tires installed and front end aligned (see above).

At approx 105,000; began idling very rough. Had the plugs, wires and rotor and distributor replaced. Problem solved.

At approx 110,000 the driver side door hinges broke. Father in law fixed by welding back on. Problem solved.

Around 140,000 the water pump failed. I was home again, luckily. Had it replaced and new hoses and thermostat. new belt also. On next trip she was running hot. Had the radiator replaced. Old and clogged up. Problem solved.

At approx 141,000 a transmission cooler line came loose from the cooler. Dumped a lot of fluid till I found out by putting it in gear and the car not wanting to move. Had the line re-installed. Took it to a mechanic who drained transmission and changed the lines, luckily no damage. Could have been bad had it come off when I was out on the interstate.

At approx 150,000 the radio started sounding bad. Had to put 4 new speakers in due to all the rubber was rotted out of the old speakers. Now it sounds great again.

At approx 175,000 the air conditioner compressor started making loud squealing noises, and would only kick in half the time. Had new compressor, expansion valve and rec/dryer replaced.

At approx 180,000; had the catalytic converter changed due to rusted out along with muffler and tail pipe replaced again for rusted out. A bit expensive.

Currently the washer low light is on always. Just took the connector off.

No body rust currently, but the floorboards are shot (rusted through) in many places. No one I can find want to fix them, so I will do it myself this spring.

General Comments:

Yes, it has had a few items go bad, but what car with 186,000 doesn't?

I wouldn't trade this Jeep for anything. It is fast when I need to accelerate, and I trust it close to a new one to get me where I am going. The 4X4 is great and has never let me down in any snow.

I have the oil changed every 3k miles, and so far the engine and transmission is solid and it still purrs like a cat. I plan on keeping it for a long time, and putting in some serous TLC this spring.