Buying a Used Jeep Cherokee or Grand Cherokee

nano5

I am looking at a 2000 Cherokee. I need it mainly for a go to work vehicle and to haul the kids around. I think that I put about 4000 miles on my vehicles a year.--Now my question--How dependable is the Cherokee with high miles and what is considered high milage on the Cherokee?
The one that I am looking at has 140000 miles on it and it is mainly highway miles. Thanks in advance.

redgemini

I BOUGHT A USED 2002 GRAND CHEROKEE, AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
1- MY RADIATOR FAN BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSTATE. (250.00)
2- RELAY FAN WENT BAD, COOLING FAN WOULDNT TURN OFF ($350.00)
3- IGNITON KEY LOCKED.

I HAVE A CHILD AND I DONT THINK U WANT TO HAVE ALL THIS PROBLEMS WHILE UR KIDS ARE WITH U!!!

DO NOT RECOMEND THIS CAR.

canuck785

I am now the owner of my 3rd Jeep. 1 wrangler and 2 cherokee.

I have had no problems what so ever with them.
both were high mileage 175,000 km and 225,000 miles and now this one has 96,000 miles and it is a 2001 limited edition and it runs like new.
my 1987 cherokee that I had up until last year was a champ and the guy I sold it to still drives it everyday.
my wrangler had to stay back in canada but i drove it for 3 yrs and I couldn't not have been happier with it, zero problems.(ok, I had to change the started -50$)

so for me, Jeep are winners and I just love the way they look, drive, the room they offer plus they are as good on the road as they are off road.

it will be difficult to find a cherokee with less than 90/100 k on it consider that the latest model you can buy is a 2001 (last yr manufactured) but you can always go with a more recent model and get a grand cherokee (from 1993 up to now) more bells and whisles and a bit more costly but you will be able to find one with less mileage.

If you know someone that has access to car auctions that could be something to consider.
I also suggest that you do some homeworks before, test drive a few of both models and see from there.
a good place to start to compare prices and mileage IMO is www.autotrader.com. you can look up local Jeep for sale and get a lot of infos on them.

good luck!

drinehart

NOT SO!!! Grand Cherokees YES. I've heard nothing but bad things about Grands, but I bought my 2000 Sport in 2002 with 34,000 miles and in 5 years have put 113,000 miles on it. Besides routine oil changes, plug changes and such, the only "other" work that I've had to do is replace the driver side window motor, ($58 and 20 minutes of my time.) and just recently my moon roof stuck open. That's it. This is my second Jeep, the first was a 96 Cherokee Classic that was totalled by someone who pulled out in front of me.
I have found the Cherokee to be THE most reliable, and easy to self maintain vehicle ever produced, (next to a bicycle!).

I say BUY one!!!! You won't regret it.

pahefner01

I have a 99 Cherokee Limited with 89K on it and am planning on driving it for another four or five years. The only problems I have had have been minor. Power windows and a real problem, I've repalced two. Other than that I had a short in the Cargo light wire that was hard to find. My cousin has owned three Cherokees and drove them all well over 150K. I've talked to a lot of people who have driven Cherokees, not Grand Cherokees, well over two hundred thousand miles.

90xjgirl

i have an 89 cherokee with 266000 plus miles on in and the motor still runs really strong, yeah i have replaced pumps and pullys but that goese with age kindve expected i love cherokees would never by another suv. that is a lot of miles for a 2000 though you should look around for one with lower miles

xscout

I've got two Grand Cherokees that I bought used and now have about 150,000 miles each. Both have been reliable, great vehicles, not to knock the Cherokee!

rodeoboy

I bought my 2000 Cherokee Sport brand new and can say it is the best vehicle I have ever owned. I've even owned Toyotas that had about 80% more trouble. The Cherokee is a very safe, reliable vehicle with a fad-free-I don't need to impress anybody-look and it will never let you down.

The only thing that you won't like for the kids is that as they get older, they grow out of the back seat area (it is very small).

By the 2000 model, Jeep had several years to get it right and the 4.0L in-line 6 cylinder engine, although long in the tooth by that time, had undergone many refinements that year that made it quieter and smoother than those that went before it.

Expect to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $7500 for one depending on the condition. Mine is in mint condition and has 91,000 miles on it. Kelly Blue Book says it's worth $6,000 in the shape it is in, but I would not part with it for less than $12,000 it is that good.

Don't settle for anything less than the 4.0L in-line 6 cylinder engine and with that you get one of the best automatic transmissions made, the Japanese AW-4 and the Chrysler 8.25 rear axel, a major improvement over the earlier Cherokee Dana 35.

The mileage on the one you are loking at tells me you should stay clear of it. Try to find one with less because it all depends on how the thing was serviced and driven and one with that many miles could have been treated any number of ways and passed through many different drivers.

Keep away from the same era Grand Cherokees....bad bad.

jayd123

I am graduating and buying my first car would appreciate some advice:

I am considering purchasing an '03 or '04 model (max. purchase price is 20K) of the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Pathfinder, or 4Runner (also thinking Volvo XC90). If my primary concerns are reliability in regards to repairs (since the models are 3-4 years old) and mileage because I am moving to Los Angeles, what do you advise me on?

Also, how important would it be to buy from a dealer versus private party and should I spend the extra money to get a lower mileage vehicle still under manufacturer warranty?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

tidester

While you're waiting for a reply here you should have a look at Selecting and Buying My First Car.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

wlbrown9

I had experience with Grand Cherokee, '99 & '00 Laredo. These were early versions of the WJ Jeep that ran from '99 through '04. Gas mileage was okay for a SUV, probably 19 MPG in average driving (with the 4.0L Inline 6 cyl). Repairs were much worse than I would have expected. Multiple power window regulators, rear end, ignition key switch, water pump, fuel pump gasket and BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES. Dumped the second one before my extended warranty ran out at 4 years, 75,000 miles.

I don't have that much experience with recent Pathfinders or 4Runners, but if either of these need repairs, it might not be inexpensive.

Depending on the trim level you will accept, you could get a GMC Envoy (Isuzu Ascender is the same), Ford Edge or even a Ford Freestyle NEW for probably starting in the $22-23K range. NEW basic trim level SUV's would have full factory warranty and depending on your credit history, financing a new vehicle would probably carry a lower interest rate that a 3-4 year old used vehicle.

1ofthefew

I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I bought it used in 2003 with 21,000 miles on it. It now has 110,000 miles on it. I drive it every day it never gets a days rest and it still runs strong. Every thing works on it, its been the most dependable Car/SUV/Truck I have ever owned. The family and I all fit fine. The only thing I would look out for is the drivers seat. Mine is starting to sink and I only weigh 210 lbs but from all the miles the seats condition is fine but the padding is starting to go. But thats my only compliant for a Jeep that has a 110,000 miles on it. Mine does have the In-line 6.

jaguar0027

Hi folks,

I have a friend who is interested in purchasing a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. It has about 17,000 miles on it, and it looks pretty clean.

I have to go to the dealership to check it out, but so far it "sounds" good. Does anyone here have this particular year and if so, can you let me know if there are any problems you have had that I can be on the lookout for?

Also, can anyone run me a Carfax on it by chance?

Thanks in advance.

stever

The dealers pretty much all subscribe to CarFax so ask them for one.

smithed

I bought a 2005 (same model as the 2006) used with 8600 miles on it last year from a private seller (they didn't need it any longer) I now have 16,000 miles. I have the 3.7 Liter V6. There is a V8 (4.7 liter) available. I really like this vehicle. The only problem was a leaking 13 pin plug that is in the 5 speed automatic transmission (it is a Mercedes design) The dealer fixed it in 15 minutes under warranty. This is a known issue with that tranny, the same thing happened with our 300C, which has the same transmission. I paid $18000 for it: leather, sunroof, power seats. I have done my own maintenance: oil and filter are easy on this one. There are no grease fittings to service on these.

If the car fax is clean (the dealer will likely do that for you) then negotiate the best price using the info here at Edmunds. :shades:

stephshe

Hi I'm new to this site and I was trying to get some advice on purchasing a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 6cylinder. I recently fell in love with a fully loaded one(sunroof, leather) and I found this site and read some mixed reviews about this vehicle. The dealer has it at the transmission shop now fixing the coil(?) and says it should be back this week. The vehicle has 124,000 miles on it and they gave me a carfax report(I did my own on it too) and it has had 3 previous owners all in texas(where I also live). I plan on doing a preowned vehicle check(costing $100) this week but I wanted advice on if this is a good vehicle. The dealer is asking $4925+ ttl. What do you think?

naatz1

I posted this basic reply elsewhere on one of these JGC forums

I bought an 01 GC new and have been generally happy with it. Other than the infamous brake problems which we got free calipers and rotors under warranty, the only other mechanical problems were minor: 3 bad seat heaters, stuff like that, all fixed under 3/36 or the extended warranty. I had a power window regulator go in 07, another notorious problem, and did it myself for $100 w/A1autoparts vs $500 at the dealer. Oh yes, I had a loaded (leather, no sunroof tho) Laredo with the I6 and Selectrac since my mechanic said it was the best combo Jeep ever made, so I sold it to my 21 year old son last Fall and no problems in almost a year at 89k miles now. Your 00 with the I6 must be similar to mine and while the 99s first year after fairly drastic design change had bugs most of these improved every year after that.

FYI, I bought an 07 GC loaded Laredo last Fall and got it with the V8 & quadratrac since they no longer make the I6. I needed to tow a 3000lb boat/trailer and the torquey V8 does a much better job than Jeep's new V6. I would have preferred a shiftable Selectrac but you can't even get that unless you buy a Liberty, no comparison in ride etc compared to a GC. What was real interesting is I paid $1000 less 6 years later than my 01, as last Fall they had a $4000 rebate vs 1000 on the 01, and I have a lifetime powertrain warranty. I bet I could buy the equivalent 2008 for a few thousand less with our $3.50 gas here in the midwest.

Back to your 00, if the mechanic checks it out I'd go for it and be sure to get a 30 day warranty from the dealer for at least major repairs. Our bank Blackbook value assuming its a 4wd in average shape is $4450 and depending on where you are with winter approaching you might get it for less with that many mis and hi gas prices. I am happy with my 01 or I obviously would not have sold it to my son and both another Jeep - good luck.