Faults:
Steering column needed to be replaced.
Soft top looks decrepit by 2 years and costs around $500 to replace.
I replaced the clutch once and feel it starting to go again.
Consistent problems with the gear box and transfer case. Had to repair leaks in transfer case. 4 wheel drive just stopped working one day. After 2 attempts to have the gear box repaired, 5th gear still will slip out unless I physically hold the shifter in that position (possible attributable to a crappy mechanic).
The thing just can't get enough gas. I feel strange if I can go a couple days without a visit to the fuel pump.
The undercarriage is now an intricate mess of rust. A mechanic has recently told me that this vehicle will not see it's way to the other side of the next big pothole I hit. This, however, can be mostly attributable to salt on the roads in winter and not washing the undercarriage after taking it through the mud.
One of the hinges on the rear door is broken.
General Comments:
The jeep is an absolute blast to drive. It's a toy on grown-up wheels, and I used it as such. I've taken it off-roading many times (thought that was what it was for) and am now paying the price in mechanical problems.
It has excellent power and acceleration in low gears and barely any in the higher ones.
Fantastic summer vehicle, but if you live in an area that gets cold winters the heating system will barely take the edge off (soft top). But it does have excellent handling in the snow.
Lot's of road noise! It's the least aerodynamic car ever made. Very bouncy, but more of a rolling effect than sharp jolts... great suspension system.
The body and even interior are incredibly weather resistant, mine still looks fresh as new.
19th Aug 2004, 14:50
Well, considering the fact you have a 4 yr old for a mechanic, and you don't wash the salt and mud off of the underneath, it's a miracle you haven't locked something up. Such a shame to see a good Jeep be killed from lack of care.