Faults:

Radiator needed to be replaced 1998.

Master Clutch Cylinder leaking.

Oil sucked through air filter shortly after purchase.

Several plastic parts broke (side mirror, A/C controls, etc.)

Water pump went bad in 1997.

Upholstery is tearing.

Heater broke 1999.

Fuel lines, leaked gas 2001.

Canvas top needed to be replaced 2001.

Angle of windshield resulted in several cracks in windshield.

Cracked exhaust manifold 2001.

General Comments:

I hate this car and will never get another one. In fact, I am going to avoid all Chrysler vehicles as a result of this experience. About the only thing a Jeep is good for is driving around town with the top down on a summer night and looking good. For regular use it is cold, noisy, bumpy, and has had too many things go wrong. It also uses too much gas. It handles nicely if you actually do go off-roading (the four wheel drive is pretty good), but it's not worth getting if you only off road a few times a year. Only get a Jeep if you have a better car in which to do your regular driving and don't mind the extra trips to the auto shop.

Faults:

Front disc brake calipers, disc rotors, master cylinder and pads at 113,500.

The Wrangler was left sitting for what I suspect was over a year or more, which in turn allowed the calipers to rust and the caliper pistons would bind and not allow the pads to release from the rotor.

Try driving with your foot on the brakes some time, that's what it was like.

Cracked exhaust manifold. Very common and I've still not replaced it yet.

Carpet kit is sloppy and needs replacing, but not a big deal.

Stock front speakers (if you want to call them that) were toast and the aftermarket radio was damaged from a theft attempt under the previous owner.

Swapped in some decent 4x6 2-way units (what pain to that was) and installed a decent AM/FM/CD head.

Now we got some tunes to block out the road noise under the soft top.

Reliable as anything I've owned in the past. That's beacuse I do the work though.

General Comments:

It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand...

Our 'home/family' fleet currently has 3 other 4x4s in it. An '91 S-10 Tahoe extended cab (200,000+ and bought new), '90 3/4 Suburban (190,000+ and bought new), 2001 Dodge RAM (44,000+ bought new too).

I've owned several other 4x4s ('67 Jeep J-20 pick-up, '69 Bronco, '74 Chevy pick-up and more), so I'm no stranger to 4x4s.

Jeeps rule the trail when it comes to slow motion agility, manuvering, climbing. The in-line 6 rocks for general off-road 4x4 work and fuel injection is the way to go.

From sea level to 8000+ ft (so far, hunting season is coming up so we'll see about the 10,000+ ft mark) without the issues of a carb to deal with.

I drive this Wrangler as a daily driver as well (60 miles round trip per day 5 days a week).

It does not have a lot of freeway power when compared to the 4.3L of the S-10 or the 5.9L of the Dodge (note power score of 6).

It does hold it's own, but you do have to work at it a little.

You generally have to pay attention to handling it as it does like to dance a little, but not too bad.

It's now been towed (toad to you RV'ers) behind the Motorhome for 3600+ miles in 7 western states, spent several days driving all over Yellowstone, a few more in northern Idaho, braved Seattle traffic for many hours and made it all the way home without a problem.

I wanted my own Jeep (Wrangler, CJ, whatever) for years. Even though this is a YJ with some pretty weak links compared to older or more built Jeep, it will fit our needs.

I do plan to do some more lift work on it, build/regear the diffs, go to 33 inch tires, transfer case mods, swap out the stock bumpers for some custom builts, etc... but after putting it through some of our more typical northern California trails (no Rubicon yet in this one) nothing has broke.

Then again, It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand... or would you?

If you get one don't forget to wave back to your fellow Jeep owners, especially me.

One last thing, don't tow with these things unless it's a very short light load/trailer. They are too short of wheelbase and not made for that.

Leave that up to the big vehicles (Like a Suburban).