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The reason we were thinking of doing this was because the jeep only gets 13 mpg. We looked at every other type of SUV and the Subaru foresters, searching for better gas mileage.
Truth is-nothing even came close to the jeep.
The jeep is paid for. We took out an extended 5 year/100,000 mile warranty on it. Aside from the gas mileage, it is the perfect car for us. We decided to keep it until it dies. The difference to buy something else was at least $12,000 and we figured we could buy a lot of gas for that.
If you have a jeep that you've maintained and is in good running condition, and is paid for, you are in great shape. You would not get much for a 1994, but would have to spend so much more in today's market for something comparable. My opinion - Keep the jeep, save money, and when it dies, buy something you really love.
I drove a 1988 Volvo 240 DL for 13 years. It was a great car and we had paid it off early on. My dream car had always been a Jaguar. Throughout the years, I had times when I thought about selling for a new car, but I thought - what's the point since this one is paid for and nothing out there really excited me. I vowed I would drive it until I could afford a Jaguar. This past May,
my dream came true!! Sold the Volvo to my nephew, and bought a 1998 Jaguar XJ8L with only 13,000 miles. I paid $28,500 which is about the cost of a regular new car these days. I am really happy I waited.
Since the jeep is paid for, we only have one car payment a month to make. I don't know your financial situation, but owning a car that is paid for is a true advantage. An older car also saves on insurance, and here in Atlanta, on ad valorum taxes.
Hope this helps!
Anyway, my wife has just reported that it is sometimes hard to start - just keeps turning over and over without 'catching'. Doesn't happen all the time, can be at initial start of the day, or sometimes when she tries to start up after having been shopping for a while. Can anybody hazard a guess as to why or have experienced this? Thanks!
Any suggestions???
Our Grand Cherokee is the limited. It has 4WD and a V8, which causes it to get low gas mileage.
A V6 and 2WD probably gets better gas mileage. A V4 gets even better. The larger the vehicle, the larger the engine and thus worse gas mileage.
It's a great idea for your husband to keep the jeep and for you to get a car. The new larger SUV's won't be getting much better gas mileage. Unless you need two SUV's, I would get a car.
Just my opinion. Good luck on whatever you decide. It is fun to go looking and test driving!
Sounds like the control module for the tranny died and the cars went to limp-home mode.
Any other thoughts? Thank the Lord it is still under warranty. Soon it will be like a new car as the brakes have all been replaced so far.
My main question is, what sort of problem areas should I be aware of if I buy this vehicle? Are there common issues to be on the lookout or preventively maintain for? I am concerned that this Jeep wouldn't be as reliable as what I'm used to (135,000 bulletproof miles on the Toyota and never a lick of trouble). Second, what sort of gas mileage should I expect (a more specific answer than "awful" would be appreciated!)
Many thanks in advance, and looking forward to any advice that comes my way!
Dave
Minneapolis, MN
I'd go with the '96 to '98 version, V-8.
I wish I could tell you to get a '99 or '00, but avoid them like the plague. I wish I had kept my flawless '96.
It is awful gas mileage, but the jeep is beautiful, rides great, and is the utility vehicle we need.
We did have to replace the air conditioner ($1,200). Afterwards, we took out an extended warranty for 5 years/100,000 miles. (We now have 45,000 miles on it).
Hope this helps with your decision. (Most V8's with 4WD get lousy gas mileage.)
I do have a question about an alarm system. It came with the engine immobilizer, but not an alarm. When I checked with the Jeep dealer, they said I could find one cheaper at a private company rather than buying one through them. When I visited an alarm installation company I've used before, they had a basic set-up that would utilize the remote that came with the car. However, when they were ready to install, they said that the Grand Cherokee is tricky, and they would have to remove the front door panels to tie the alarm system into the front door locks...something about the way the computerized parts of the car are put together, so they said. I told them not to do it, because I didn't want my new car dissembled so soon.
That seemed odd to me, since there is a central point in the upper console to control locks, etc. Does anyone out there know if there is a basic alarm system that can be installed on a Grand Cherokee which doesn't involve opening up door panels and making multiple connections? I'm assuming that what the installer said was right, or perhaps they just didn't know what they were talking about? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Dealer read error codes and indicated problem was a sensor. "Flashed" the module which I presume means updated the program and presto, the world is great again. I hope it lasts.
This '99 GCL (bld date 7/99), V-8, QT plows through bumper deep snow like there is no tomorrow. It is quiet and comfortable on the long trip, but I am very shaky about keeping it past the warrranty expiration.
In the last 3000 miles, they have replaced 1 window motor and three calipers. The whine and transmission thunk are still there and considered "normal" by DC.
Sorry to say, I think its time to go back to a well built German or Japanese vehicle.
Brakes on the '00 warped at about 14,000 miles. 5 star dealer refused to extend warranty even with proof of the 3 warped sets of rotors I had. Filed complaint with DC service...they turned it over to the 5 star dealer who again refused to do anything. I ended up replacing the rotors with a 24,000 mi warranted set from Autozone for less than $100.
Slammed DC and 5 star dealer with the survey came after I had it in for service. Service mgr. who refused to listen about a serious defect in their brakes called to see why I had a problem with the service. Got no other satisfaction or response from DC, so I will probably NEVER go near a DC product again.
They told me that CD came out with a new rotor and pads earlier in the year that will last 40,000 miles.
I've had the rotors replaced 4 times and turned 3 times. They did replace them again with the new set. All covered under warranty. So don't let your dealer jerk you around. They get paid BIG BUCKS for warranty work and the they will cover yor front rotors and pads.
What I'm wondering is, what kind of reliability I might have had with that vehicle if I had kept it.
I had few problems with it, but the main thing was the brake rotors warping. Other than the rotors, it had to have a new control module for the air conditioner/heater, and both the front doors had the power window motors replaced during the 13 months that I owned the vehicle.
If I had kept it, I knew I would continue to have the brake rotor problem, or I would until some permanent fix was put in place. I did mostly highway driving and didn't even use the brakes nearly as much as most people would during the same number of miles. I was also very easy on the brakes whenever I did have to use them. I always preferred to slow down way ahead of time if it looked like I was going to get caught by a traffic light, and I often avoided having to even use the brakes that way.
Other than the brake problems, what could I have expected to run into with that I-6 and SelecTrac system?
I thought it was a great SUV. There's not another SUV out there that is nearly as good-looking inside or out! They are supposed to have the best off-road capability of any of the SUV's, although I didn't use mine for that purpose.
I used to post here all the time, and I thought it was a shame that such a nice looking, comfortable, capable vehicle like the Grand Cherokee had so many reliability problems.
So, what's the experience of some of you with that I-6 and SelecTrac combo? Anybody put a lot of miles on theirs, and what kind of luck have you had?
tom
What would be a fair price and are there any problems I need to be aware of?
Overall I have been very please with my JGC, I have enjoyed driving it. I had been planning to replace it in eight months with an '02 model when my lease ends, but now I am reconsidering this plan with all the rotor problems. I have another ski season to go through with driving up and down mountains where heavy breaking is sometimes necessary. It concerns me that if they replace the rotors (4th pair), I may be faced having to deal with warped rotars next spring once again before my lease is even up. My question to any JGC owners or maybe I should say former ('99 to '01) owners, has anybody had success with DC in breaking thier lease early at no cost to them due to the persistant problem of warping rotars? It is obvious that DC is totally aware of the problem if a 5 Star service manager admitts to. Curious to what anyone has to say. Thanks.
The problems I had?? just the usual suspects..
stalling while idling..
hard starting..bad fuel pump
brake vibration..
transmission "THUMP"
whining..
leaks... etc. etc. etc..
my advice is to dump your JGC and never give DC a dime for anything ever again.
M.
$14,155 depreciation is not too bad over three years of ownership. One guy has offered me $20K right off the bat but I think I can get more. It's only been for sale for 5 days. Just be glad you don't drive a Ford Explorer...they aren't worth anything now.
M.
Donlino, you can tell when your rotors are warped by the shimmy you feel when the brakes are applied.
tsjay
Mark
Brake Pads & Rotors replaced at 12k
Rotors turned at 16k
Fuel Pump replaced
Steering Gear replaced
Power Window Motor
Front Passenger Door Panel (4-times)
Air-bag sensor
Still have the drivetrain whine
One could say that DC has some quality issue's.
However, when it is not in the shop for repairs, I really like this SUV. Good combination of luxury & power(V8). Great traction in the snow & rain. Attractive exterior/interior styling.
I leased my JGC with a turn-in date of March 02. I thought about purchasing it but the quality problems concern me. I might consider going with an 02 Ltd, if the problems have been corrected. Otherwise the only other SUV that has a similiar combination of luxury/power is the BMW X5. However the price jumps up another $15-20k.
Is it me or do you thinkg DC should offer no-charge loaner cars to JGC owners that have warranty work.
I'm considering to buy a new JGC with V8 but concerned about the quality of the vehicle after reading all the problems which people experienced.
Do you recommend to buy one?
thanks
M.
( all on road , city driving )
I have read a lot of posts on brake issues. I drive in fast moving (80 mph) expressway traffic that comes to a hard stop, sometimes over and over. Is too much for the JGC brakes? Will I have rotor trouble in a 2001?
How is the acceleration on the Jeep 4.0 six? I know it does not match the GM 4.3, but is it close? Has anyone driven or owned both?
I have a 95 Jeep Cherokee with the inline 4.0 6 cyl. The power is more than adequate, but I don't regret choosing the 4.7 V8 for the JGC. Overall, I am very happy with it.
M.
I bought a new 2000 JGCL a year and a half ago, after agonizing over the decision, given all of the problems that so many people were having. I was a nightly participant on these forums when everyone was complaining about the 99 JGC's, and I was trying to decide whether or not to buy one.
But my 00 JGCL has been absolutely cherry, I'm happy to say. I had a few very minor warrantly problems, all fixed in one shot; and I had the awful front drivetrain whine that virtually everyone had, due to the Dana drive train. But the whine was fixed in one day with one quick visit to the dealer.
And, besides those two visits to the dealer, I've had no problems whatsoever, and I now have 41,000 miles on my Jeep GCL. I love it, now, just as much as the day I bought it. It drives and handles fabulously, and I would still rather have my JGCL than any other suv out on the road.
This is the first time I've been back to this site in almost a year and a half, and I just came back to see what the latest scuttlebut was.
The bottom line is, sometimes you get lucky and get a cherry . . . I did. Some folks weren't so lucky.
I have a 99 JGC I-6 4x4, 43k miles, great vehicle, no rattles at all, great ride, roomy, no problems at all EXCEPT:
I replaced all four tires at 28k miles because I noticed excess wear on the front right tire. With the new set of tires, I notice the rear left tire still looks brand new, but the front right tire clearly looks like it is wearing out faster than the other tires. Is anyone else having this same problem of excess wear on just one tire?
Otherwise this is a great SUV and I'll be a Jeep owner for life (4x4 is great!)