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How many miles can a Jeep Grand Cherokee handle?

baseballerbaseballer Member Posts: 1
edited November 2017 in Jeep
I am considering buying a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it has 102,000 miles. I do not know much about mileage, but he told me I could get it for $5,000 to $6,000. It sounded like a good deal to me, any ideas?

See Also: How To Make Your Car Last 200,000 Miles

Comments

  • xscoutxscout Member Posts: 141
    I have a couple of 1997's with over 150,000 and both still run great. The in-line 6 is an especially good engine. The main thing, like with all cars, is how good has the maintenance been? See if the seller has any maintenance records and also run a Carfax report. Check out the selling price on the Edmunds.com site.
  • jeeplover5jeeplover5 Member Posts: 1
    Buy it!! I bought a 1996 Jeep Cherokee Grand Laredo 2 years ago. It had 190,000 but was very nice physically. I was worried about the mileage but it now has almost 300, 000 now. It runs beautifully and I believe it will go a lot longer. I will drive Jeeps 4 ever and I will drive this til it dies, then I will probably put a new engine in it since the body is holding up so well :)
  • carl_manleycarl_manley Member Posts: 3
    The High Mileage is really not a issue when it comes too Jeep's because they are some very durable vehicles I purchased a used 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee back in 2005 with 90,000 miles on it and it's still running strong as if the engine was brand new I currently have 117,328 miles on it and the only service I ever had was a new battery and Transmission Filter. I live in the Northeast and I love driving thru the snow and helping people who get stuck in it. you will be okay as long as you purchased the vehicle from somebody who keep up with the maintenance.
  • naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    My 2001 Laredo 4L I6 4WD that I just sold to my son at 83k miles is running fine. I have done all the basic Oil change & simple stuff (just did serpentine belt & 2nd brake job, first was done under warranty because of the notorius bad rotors but you have an older model that may have missed that "fun" from 99-01). I also did the tranny and transaxle flushes but only did one set of differential flushes at 36k miles since we rarely off road it. It should go MANY years; our mechanic says that I6 engine with Selectrac shift-on-the-fly 4WD is the best they ever made, too bad they discontinued the engine with Selectrac only in the Liberty!

    The reason I mention this is for anyone reading this forum with a new 07 or 08 that has the lifetime powertrain warranty...I noticed in my new 07 Laredo 4.7L that it requires differential service every 15,000 miles, which seems excessive to me and not an easy DIY operation, especially on the rear diff buried under the vehicle. However, I am a bit uptight that any warranty claims will want to see something proving that was done. I don't have a debate on the 36k miles service for trannys and transaxles/transfer cases, but I hope buyers are aware of what seems to be overly excessive differential fluid service change requirement (I obviously am a jeep fan buying a 2nd one, but their drivetrain service is a bit old fashioned compared to newer simpler CUVs).
  • leakleak Member Posts: 5
    Hi, I have a leaking problem on my 2000 JGC 4WD 4.0 engine. I notice some bad leaks on my front driver's side. I went to Midasand they said its a gear box and they're charging me almost $800 for the parts and labor. Before that, I checked the power steering tank and its almost empty since I last check about a month ago. could this be the real problem? Can this be remedied by just replacing a certain gasket or filter from the gear box.

    This is a great forum.
  • naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    There is a steering gear box on that dvr side (I can't go look on my 2001 w/4L as my son is driving it now). I'd be real suspicious if your power steering fluid is low that might be the problem, however if not a simple clamp it could be a costly fix with a part/gasket. With that much at stake unless it's a garage you have used before and trust, you might want to find a local smallshop mechanic and get a 2nd opinion.
  • leakleak Member Posts: 5
    Hey Thanks for that info. I think thats the best thing to do if you wanna make sure you have the right diagnostic before you spend some money. I also got problems of leaking front and rear differential and the gap between the transmission and the motor/engine. Midas told me that it was very expensive to have that fixed because you have to bring down the whole transmission. Fot the differential, what are the things should I watch out for concerning safety issues. I just wanna take things one at a time because they already talking bigmoney right here.

    Again, thanks for the help.
  • naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    Sorry, I really do not know of safety issues in rear ft/rear differentials other than my earlier comments that Jeep specifies 15000 mi fluid changes, which seems excessive compared to other 4WD/AWD vehicles. Perhaps to prevent problems, some insurance, or help fund the service department? Maybe some others who have run the fluid out of those units can comment on what goes wrong short of gears seizing/freezing or overheating (if you have the Selectrac like I do on my 2001 4.0L, I don't believe you engage the transfer case to front differential until you are in one of the 4WD modes, but of course the front wheels/axles are still turning.

    I also wanted to comment on your leak in the "gap" between the tranny and engine. If I understand it right I think that is the rear seal , reference http://www.trustmymechanic.com/rear_seal.htm which is the only major (ie, 2 day) repair I had done under warranty on my 01 JGC, besides the infamous front brake rotors/pad replacment. That scared me with >12 hrs labor the main cost so I added a $640 extended warranty however it barely paid for itself with just 2 seat heaters and an oil pan gasket repaired and really (knock on wood) nothing other than normal maintenance since.

    I hope you get yours resolved and find a reasonably priced trusted mechanic in the process too. Anything with more miles will start costing some bucks, as I explained to my son when he picked up my 01, they are solid safe great to drive with our 4 months of heavy MN winter, but they do cost more in gas and repairs than a little 4 banger 2 door sport car.
  • leakleak Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for your help. It is really a great forum. I can learn something from it. The link you've sent is really helpful. Hoping to get more response from this.

    All the best.
  • simplyrealtwosimplyrealtwo Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I just purchased a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 143,000 miles. This high milage worries me, especially in such a short time. I've had some maintence issues with the Jeep. I've had the roters turned, a heater core replaced, a vaccum leak fixed, oil leak fixed, radiator flushed for the second time and recharged, I don't beleive the macanic (sorry I can't spell) did it right the first time. My concern is the high milage I don't know if I did the right thing when I bought this Jeep or not. Fortunately all repair cost has been covered by the dealer I bought the vehicle from. Its very frustrating to deal with this, seems like my Jeep is in the shop more than its under my carport. My main question is can this Jeep handle these kind of miles, plus the ones I will be putting on it, from around 36,000 miles to present 143,000 are highway miles, not sure if that makes any difference or not. Or do I need to consider getting rid of it quick, like before the warrenty runs out. Can anyone give me some advice on this matter and quick. I don't have any service records on the vehicle, other than what is on the carfax report I had run for myself. I paid $7200.00 for the Jeep, that sounds like a good deal to me, what do you think? :( :mad: :cry:
  • 5213252132 Member Posts: 62
    Well, right now I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ with 130,000 miles on it. It doesn't worry me because we had a Jeep Cherokee that lasted to 300,000 miles. The engine was original, transmission. But most every thing else, we had replaced.
  • mommyjanmommyjan Member Posts: 17
    We have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with 114K miles on it and runs beautiful! We're actually considering selling it since we just bought a minivan, but we hate parting with it. We know it will run forever......tows beautifully too. I would definately say that Jeep Grand Cherokee's are worth the price!
  • dulyddulyd Member Posts: 2
    My 1994 jeep grand cherokee has 214,149 miles on it and the only thing i have had to do to it so far is a new alternator and new pcm because the voltage regulator is in it. :shades:
  • rthundercloudrthundercloud Member Posts: 2
    My 93 jeep Grand Cherokee blows very little heat, I have changed the thermostat & that did not help. any suggestions?
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    have 2000 jgc with 175000 on speedo and changed alt and had front diff over hauld
  • jronjakohjronjakoh Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 1993 Grand Cherokee Laredo about three months ago. Drove it for about a thousand miles and it went from a whirling noise to a loud cluncking and onto the side of the road.. Had it towed home and come to find that the Bearing around where the driveshaft goes into the differential (front) went kapute. Seal was bad and the bearing was ripped all apart. Seems the previous Owner didn't keep the differential full. Mine has about 139,000 miles on it.Only paid $1200 for it.

    Have it up on floor jacks and have to separate the axles to get to the bearing from the inside.About $100 for parts and grease,oil,etc. but hrs of labor.
  • wolver1ne5167wolver1ne5167 Member Posts: 3
    With or without maintainance....? If you maintain it right...forever....! :shades:
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    will probly have to change the ring and pinion gears also had 4 wheel parts in mesa az change mine as dont have the setup tools cost bout600.00 for all
  • xquizzyt1xquizzyt1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 99 Grand Cherokee with 150K on it that's still going strong with original everything. However, I recently ran over something and have to replace the fuel tank... which I'm not excited about. Other than that, it's doing great.
  • 95zjtom95zjtom Member Posts: 8
    We have two 1995 Grand Cherokee Limiteds. My wife's was purchased used January, 2000 with 82,000 miles on it. It now has 246,000 and has required almost no repairs short of a starter, water pump, and radiator (mainly due to a collision with a Honda Accord - the Jeep won!) I took the $ from Allstate and repaired it myself and it looks great. It is due for new tires and our favorite garage says it does need some steering parts. So we are taking it to them in two weeks for upper and lower ball joints plus a few other small parts. Then it will be good for a least two more years and hopefully many times that. The four wheel drive still works great and that is why we purchased the GCLtd #2 the next January.

    Number two Jeep Grand Cherokee had 94,000 miles when I bought it and it now has 294,000. I just put on new tires and it also just had some new fuel injection sensor parts: crankshaft speed sensor, throttle position sensor, air idle control, plus a complete tuneup.

    Both Jeeps run a great as the day we purchased them. When we have to, we will only buy another Grand Cherokee (or two maybe). They are great for Michigan driving and we take them about 150 miles further north to our second home, which is 500 feet in from the county dirt road in the Pere Marquette state forest.

    As a final note, I change the oil and do most work on them myself. I have used Valvoline MaxLife oil in both Jeeps for the past four years at least. As mentioned earlier, we hope to be driving these same Grand Cherokees for many more years.
  • jesusislord1jesusislord1 Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering about how much should I pay (cash) for a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 59,026 miles? 93,187 miles? 99,948 mile? and 90,110 miles?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Pricing depends a bit on options, color, condition and your zip code, and whether you are buying from a dealer or private party. Try the Appraisal tool here.

    How you pay for it probably won't make any difference on the price, but that could depend on the seller a bit.
  • 95silverado95silverado Member Posts: 2
    i have a 1997 jeep grand cherokee, that has 230,000 miles, original tranny, engine, and transfer case. just the usual maintinance. But over all, it has been very reliable, it has the 4.0 litre. As for the newer Jeeps, with the 3.7 litre V6, those are not as reliable as the time tested straight six
  • 95zjtom95zjtom Member Posts: 8
    We have two 95 Grand Cherokee Ltd. Both have the 5.2 liter V8 - the best engine ever. I have one parked at our 2nd house in N MI waiting for me to take the heads off and rework them, due to my ignoring the sound of a bad water pump. It has 317,000 miles with nothing done to the engine other than starter, alternator. At about 295,000 it needed a new cam shaft pickup in the distributor, plus the auto shutdown relay, and the sensors on the multi-port fuel injection. But it has had the tranny and quadra trac transfer case rebuilt and needs that again.

    I am driving the other one daily still, and we bought it 11 years ago. It has 299,400 or so miles and has needed very little work. A transmission oil leak about 90,000. I have replaced the starter twice, the alternator once, the water pump once, and also replaced the sensors on the multi-port fuel injection. Plus the normal tuneups on both of course.

    All in all we have been very happy with both Jeeps and are anxious to buy another someday soon.
  • brookronjasbrookronjas Member Posts: 1
    We are about to consider to buy a 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo SUV with 348500 Km/ 216548 Miles for $1,800.00 CND within our price range. Just looking for some feedback on how these vehicle handle the mileage and endurance. 4-wheel Drive, 4.0L Engine, 6cyl, Great tires BF Goodrich All terrain T/A. Only being sold because seller has to move. Worth checking out????
    Has supposedly been well maintained. We have not seen it yet. Look forward to hear back, thnx!
  • nicktashnicktash Member Posts: 1
    my 95 jeep gc laredo has 317000 miles and lovin it its the I6 4.0 my only problem with the jeep is it shakes terribly at 50 mph i need help with trying to figure this problem out?? please help me out
  • victeryvictery Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 jeep grand cherokee 4.0 liter, that has over 384,000 miles, original tranny, engine, and transfer case. Not much other replaced parts - just the usual maintinance. It has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. Bought it when it had only 67,000 miles on it. I don't change the oil very regularly - sometimes waiting till I can't see it on the dip stick. Go figure.
  • ampippinampippin Member Posts: 1
    My 99' GCL has 182,000. It leaks antifreeze, transfer case is shot, leaks in back side window, and left brake lights wont work.... but I still hafta drive it everyday... Price of being poor... :confuse:
  • dlh0024dlh0024 Member Posts: 1
    My Jeep starting doing this too. All it was is the steering damper which cost me less than a few hundred dollars. If this is your problem they call it the "death wobble" that you can look up on the internet.
  • tseunamitseunami Member Posts: 1
    My 95 grand cherokee ltd 5.2 l has 272,000 miles. I just put a new transmission in it. Still running strong!
  • mickymanatisomickymanatiso Member Posts: 1
    mine did the same thing,I would have to pull over it was so bad. Took it to 4 different mechanics even jeep no luck and then my backyard mechanic took a look at it and saw that the new stablelizer bar had been installed backwards . He installed it correctly and have not had a problem for 8 years.
  • jgc92jgc92 Member Posts: 2
    My 97 Grand Cherokee has 282,XXX and is till running strong!
  • mattygeezymattygeezy Member Posts: 2

    If your buying a jeep there is one thing to keep in mind. If its a Grand Cherokee make sure its not the years that they made them Awd. You cant take them out of 4wd which makes them bad on gas and more expensive to fix. Trust me on this one cause I own one. I took the front drive shaft off just to save in gas. If you get one buy a XJ. Ive owned both and its night and day. They have the same engines but different drive train. 4.0 engine is a great engine tho. Mine has 174000 and it would still spin the tires off it if you want. Power steering boxes and heater cores are a pain tho to fix on Jeeps too! But they are good vehicles over all. Mine is a 93 and still passes N.H. inspections

  • mattygeezymattygeezy Member Posts: 2
    edited April 2014

    Oh ya make sure the front bushings and parts are tight cause Jeeps are known for their death wobble. Ive had this happen and its exactly how it sounds. Scary as hell!

  • overland2014overland2014 Member Posts: 2
    Just traded my 1999 JGCLtd with a V6 that had 170,000 miles. The engine has been great and showed no signs of slowing down. Mechanics always told me how much they loved that engine.
  • 02jeepoverland02jeepoverland Member Posts: 3
    My 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland just hit 168k miles. Anyone have the reasonable cost to replace the governor sensor for the transmission slip??
  • naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    I have not checked out Edmunds in 1-2 years but was a regular on here from around 2001-2012 and just spotted this today.

    I sold my 2001 JGC loaded Laredo 4.0L with Selectrac (shiftable) 4WD to my son late 2007 and he's now got almost 150k mi on it but the only problems have been:
    1. Brake rotors replaced under warranty but no brake problems since. Leather seat heaters replaced under warranty 2x and now still work. There were some other minor problems in the 6/60 ext warr contract we bought but nothing major.
    2. Since son bought the car he's replaced both front door power window motor/cables and now the drivers (most used) just froze & broke again. That's a problem area for this vehicle. He's also broke the front drivers seat brackets twice.
    The car's starting to rust and despite a good engine no oil burning there are a few other borderline problem areas (eg adding a pint of antifreeze every month so suspect waterpump or headgasket's weak) and is planning to move up to a new small SUV soon like Subaru Crosstrek, MX5 etc.

    When I sold the 01 JGC I bought a 07 JGC loaded Laredo 4.7L AWD w/shiftable low and it's been a pretty good vehicle as well but only has 71k mi. We got the 4.7 V8 to pull a smaller (3k lb) boat for 5 years but now keeping the Jeep since that was the year Chrysler gave a lifetime engine/tranny/drivetrain warranty so I plan to drive it another 5 years putting on about 10k mi/year. It only gets 15 city/20 highway mpg so with $2 gas no big deal but this won't last and at $4 gas it's expensive to drive BUT for stormy rain and of course MN snow it's an excellent safe vehicle. However, just recently found to fix a tear the leather in the 07 is vinyl, so pre-Fiat Chrysler basically lied, not sure I'll be looking at another Jeep in the future despite both these being safe reliable vehicles.
  • gtdagamegtdagame Member Posts: 1
    my 96 grand cherokee with a 4.0 has 275,000 right now and its still going. just basic maintenance needed to be done. had to put a new radiator and water pump but that was the most of the expenses on it.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Good maintenance can keep a vehicle going for a long, long time; however there is a law of diminishing returns and that has to do with safety-----basically, structural fatigue. IMO, any vehicle with over say 225K on it (statistically, that's the life span of a modern car or truck), should be carefully inspected for structural failure. This might include broken welds, cracks in subframes or control arms, weakness in suspension mounting points, etc.
  • 93laredo93laredo Member Posts: 1
    My 1993 JGC Laredo has 187K on it and it purrs way past 80 on the Interstate for hours.
    If they are taken care of, mileage is a non-issue. After awhile, keeping track of the rolling numbers just becomes an indicator of how often to check in and give some routine love.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's also a good idea on any high mileage vehicle to do a front end safety check for worn tie rods and ball joints.
  • rj49rj49 Member Posts: 9
    Recommendations for 2011 GC V-6 coolant replacement, miles or time?
  • jeeplife4lifejeeplife4life Member Posts: 1
    Lol 341k that was a couple of months ago
  • jeepdave04jeepdave04 Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2017
    My 1st Jeep was a 2002 GC Laredo Sport 4.7L with 165,000 miles from an Auction. I loved it instantly, but the sellers were sneaky and got it past me with a bunch of Stop-Leak in the radiator- I was in a hurry and didn't realize it had a bad head gasket. I drove it 3,000 miles, and found it using water on several occasions, and it was getting worse... I spent $2600 and the heads were rebuilt, and radiator replaced too. Engine ran like a Swiss-Watch from then on until 278,000 miles and never used a drop of oil when I sold it. In the 4 years I had it, I'd backed into a Ballard- hard, and barely did anything to the bumper- shook the ground hard so people in buildings came out to see. Next, I was rear-ended on the 405 frwy by a new Mailbu- let's just say I drove away with barely a scratch, his front end was totaled- I felt bad for him. Next though, I was rear-ended, same frwy- on an onramp, at 50 mph by a lady in an Altima- thankfully her airbags saved her- her car was destroyed, but she hit me hard in the right corner and bent some of the Jeep frame- my Jeep was considered a total-loss, so I sold it. Jeep offers free Recall though to older Jeeps, adding a tow-hitch to strengthen the back end- I was not aware until after the collision. My next Jeep, a 2004 GC, 4.7L, 4X4 Limited- came to me with promise it was a 'Fine Vehicle', but in my hurry (again) to replace the last Jeep, I didn't test-drive it far enough to trigger a code that turned up after 25 miles. Nearly Zero maintenance had been done on it- but it only had 106,000 miles- so what he heck? I figured. So the seller's bad-maintenance led to future problems, he did refund some of my cash, yet I ended up having the Transmission overhauled, the Rear-End overhauled, New rotors and Brakes, and finally the Engine Overhauled. Let's just say now though, I have a new Jeep 4X4 at $12,000. This one has the Tow hitch, so I'm fine there, I added the larger Anti-Sway bar in the rear, not the 1", but I think it's 3/4, so a little off-roading isn't out of the question. Added Dana 40,000 Trans Cooler to tow my dirt-bike trailer. After the rebuild, and installing a VIPER ECU on the OBD port, this 4X4 can average 18 mpg easily, and I drive in some traffic, but of course if I get on it much, that drops. Prior to rebuild, the engine was burning up to 1 Qt oil every 300 miles! Now, after 500 miles beak-in, not a drop of oil lost- But I used good parts-Clevite bearings, Evergreen Pistons, NPR Rings, Victor Head Bolts, Odyssa Heads, Fel-Pro Gasket Set, Cloyes Timing- all of which cost about $2500 for that engine overhaul- but it too runs like a Swiss watch now. I guess once you fall in love with a Jeep, you stand by them- I've had a lot of Vehicles, and have a beautiful Mercedes S430 too, but nothing feels like my daily-driver and dependable Jeep GC- but you must take care of these vehicles.. If buying used- beware- not everyone takes the proper care of these, any engine or trans- they can get abused...
  • jeepdave04jeepdave04 Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2017
    Oh, I should mention that I transferred the Iron-Man lower front-end suspension links from my 2002 GC to this 2004 GC, this helps to stabilize the front end to cure 'Death Wobble', and allows for adjustment of Caster, as this was under on both. Good bushings are definitely important for the solid-axle models, prior to 2005, but they are on a truck frame, and tough. I also installed the wheel-spacer adapters to all four wheels bringing them out 1 inch- it looks meaner, but also handles better. The engine rebuild for $2500 was through a friend, I'm sure going through regular shop is faster, but more expensive, and they may want to use cheaper parts to make more $$.
  • jeeps4life03jeeps4life03 Member Posts: 1
    I know a few people who own Jeep Grand Cherokees from 1995 and 1998 who have 200k+ miles and they still run strong with very minor issues. I've seen many other Grand Cherokees of the late 90's generation with 380k miles and so on. $5k isnt a bad deal at all. GO FOR IT. Just be sure to keep up on maintenance.
  • inktesterinktester Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2011 Grand Cherokee, just turned 300,000 miles, runs great. I have to admit that its almost all highway miles . I have a lifetime warranty which covered a worn out cam shaft at 170k and a broken valve spring at 200k. Just recently my check engine light is telling me that I have a bad catalytic convertor. Besides that it just keeps running! Its a bit tired but I think it will go a bit longer still.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    inktester said:

    I have a 2011 Grand Cherokee, just turned 300,000 miles, runs great. I have to admit that its almost all highway miles . I have a lifetime warranty which covered a worn out cam shaft at 170k and a broken valve spring at 200k. Just recently my check engine light is telling me that I have a bad catalytic convertor. Besides that it just keeps running! Its a bit tired but I think it will go a bit longer still.

    Well, if its got a lifetime warranty, why get rid of it? My brother has a Jeep Compass with lifetime wsrranty.. Costing Jeep a fortune to keep that thing running.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
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