Kymasabe

So, I'm on my 3rd XJ, really didn't do much with the first two, just drove them and light maintenance. But, didn't keep them long either, and didn't know of this forum at the time.
So, here I am, XJ #3, readin the forum every day and now when I drive the old XJ I think "oh no, is that death wobble starting?", "what's that smell? valve cover gasket leak? oil filter adaptor leak?, wait, is that coolant, do I have a 0331 head ( I don't, it's a '99), is today the day my clock spring will die or my crank sensor"? Or one of a hundred other common things that happen with our old XJ's It's gotten to where every day I drive the thing I'm worried about something breaking, burning out of falling off my 99, pretty well kept, 181K mile old girl.
So, the big burning question is...am I worrying unnecessarily and they're pretty much reliable most of the time. OR are they really as problematic as the forum suggests they are and its just a mater of time before I have to do all the dreaded repairs I read over and over again (I'm already bypassing my heater core, not needed much in SW Florida).

Lake00XJ

I've had two, now down to one again, and in general, they are pretty reliable. I had 246k on my 99 and never had to do anything to it other than the generic stuff one does to a used vehicle. My 00 on the other hand, after replacing the head and engine (0331 cracked and cracked block) it's been pretty trouble free. If the nss ever fails, bypass it and problem fixed for free. But since the new engine it's been a champ

cruiser54

This could be the biggest problem:

firebane

Reliability depends on how well anything was maintaimed. Biggest flaw is the cooling system which gets neglected.

OldTires

After 20 years, stuff begins to wear down. It happens to all vehicles. You are pretty much destined to do maintenance stuff, including replacing components in the belt drive and suspension.

I bought my 96 in 2007 and didn't do much maintenance until 2014 when stuff just started to break down. But now that I have done all those things, I feel it is very reliable, especially when I know how to get in there and fix it right.

JandDGreens

Yup cooling systems is it's short coming, and with previous owners using tap water over that 200k miles (especially hard tap water) the whole system needs attention. A lot of people try and change their manual fan to a electric one, but I think that if you up-grade to a Grand Cherokee heavy duty clutch fan and add a override switch to the electric one with a clean system your golden! (That is assuming that you have re-geared, if you went up in tire size)


But for the most part, they are great vehicles when well maintained. But yes you need to be prepared to fix and replace things as after 200k things do wear out. Because my rig get mostly trail time I am always looking ahead and replacing parts that are original to the vehicle as a precaution and if it is practical to save something as a spare, I will.

JandDGreens

Funny things is that even looks like me!

ElMartillo

You seem to be mistranslating the information you are finding here. You’re choosing to see the info on this site as an indicator that every XJ in use is plagued with mechanical problems.

Technical discussion forums will rarely get any posts explaining there is nothing wrong and their vehicle is running flawlessly. If I posted every day nothing went wrong with my XJ my post count would be quadruple, or more, what it is now.

When I read this forum I find it comforting to know what the common issues are for these vehicles. It lets me know what I should look at for preventive maintenance and if an issue should arise. I also find comfort in knowing there are many knowledgable folks here ready to help.

If you’re inclined to do things like bypassing the heater core rather than fixing it correctly, you may not enjoy owning an older vehicle.

Unless you sign a new auto lease every year or two, you will have a vehicle that needs repair occasionally. XJs are easy to work on, parts are inexpensive and easy to find. You have a fantastic support network here. If it makes you feel better, get another XJ as a back up vehicle. That’s what I did

PatHenry

My Dad put 400k on his 94 with minimal issues. The engine and transmission still worked perfectly when he took it out of service, his problem was rust. To quote him his XJ was "The best vehicle I ever had".

You routinely see folks on here with mileage over 200k. If the XJ was a reliability nightmare folks wouldn't keep them going or be willing to put time and money into them. Everybody has a breaking point where they say it's not worth it and NOT everybody is willing to replace engines/transmissions/transfer cases if theirs fails. Certainly not everyone on this forum is or was a professional mechanic - myself included.

Just as anecdotal evidence, I don't think I go a day without seeing an XJ driving around (not including my own) and often I see several in the course of a day. SInce the XJ model ended in 2001, that means every one I see is AT LEAST 17 years old. I live in a tough state to pass inspection, so junky vehicles that are barely drivable don't pass. This means the many XJ's I see are in pretty decent shape.
I owned a TJ, so I also notice any TJ's driving around. I don't see a whole lot of them and that model went until 2006, so any I see could be as young as 12.
What does that prove? Nothing scientifically of course.

Suprmn

Echoing what has been said here. With any vehicle it depends where you step into its life cycle. People are buying cherokee's with over 200K miles on them as drivers. Not too many other brands that can claim that. What you see here is people getting caught up on maintenace, etc. I have a friend that bought one with 320K and turned it into a freeway driven, offroad wheeler. Still on its original engine and transmission. Caught up on maintenance and it came back from last years 750 mile trip with no issues. The best match up for an XJ is with someone that can do a little of their own wrenching as its pretty easy and economical. If you cant, I would look for one with an impeccable and documented maintenance history. Then your chances of a lot of trouble free miles is pretty good.

PatHenry

^^^^^^ This.

The part about having a willingness to do a little wrenching is spot on and decribes a lot of folks on the forum from what I can tell. (Myself included)
Of course it is an extra level of comfort knowing that there are active -expert- level guys like cruiser etc and a wealth of knowledge in the archives from no longer active experts like CCken, available with a quick search or a well posed new question at our disposal.

pinchrunner

Good thoughts! Ditto for me as a new forum member catching up on a variety of topics in a hurry and getting to know my XJ in the process. A funny form of Jeep-hypochondria I think.

RocketMouse

^^^ exactly... every vehicle especially as they age, will naturally need attention. Some more than others. I've done a decent amount to mine since getting her about 3 months ago. A little neglect from the PO on mine.... but overall I think it was maintained with oil changes.
No real leaks now... so keeping eyes peeled.
Big thing I think on the plus side for our XJ's is that while all vehicles need service and replacements over time.... the design of the XJ makes it a vehicle that if you're at least mechanically inclined, it's not difficult to work on yourself. Which is where the savings are.
They still need the parts and TLC, but being able to do it yourself saves boat-loads of cash in labor costs...and you also get the satisfaction of successfully wrenching on it yourself.

EEVEE

Wear and tear is typical in xjs so of course at this age they arent as said reliable until you fix them up. But parts are cheap and can fix yourself so in the end its reliable once issues are sorted. The best jeeps are ones who have maintenance done and records are a plus

Kymasabe

Bypassing the heater core made sense to me, I live in sub-tropical SW Florida, I need heat about 3 days a year. Maybe. didn't make sense to rip apart the dash and go the hassle and expense for a heater core.