Well I told myself I wouldn't join another forum but here I am.

I am on the market for a XJ here in the near future and wanted to get some input from the people that know their jeeps.

Here is one I am going to go look at later today:
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/4490358266.html

Have been emailing him and told me about a few issues he said I should be aware of
"The only issues I have are that the keypad that controls the mirrors is loose, so you have to kind of find the right spot to adjust the mirrors. Also, the passenger seat window control does not work, so the driver has to put down/up the window. Driver's seat has tear.
I think it drives great. I sold my 2010 Camry to purchase, so I'm used to a newer car, but I love the Jeep.
No dents, paint is slightly faded, but hey, it's a 15 year old car. Side moldings look like they have been re-glued. No rust that I've noticed.
I did mention in the ad that the brakes squeak occasionally. The guy I bought it from had just had the brake pads replaced, but not the rotors. I don't know why he didn't do both at the same time. I had the rotors done a month or so ago"

Overall nothing that I would consider to be a deal killer but what do you guys think? Good price/worth it?

Extra info:
-This would be my daily (needs to be reliable like most XJ that are taken care of)
-Like the fact that is stock (can modify it to my liking)
-Would take it camping off-road on the weekends
-Considerably low mileage compared to others I've been looking at.
-Like the 97+ look (personal preference no offence to older XJs)
-Also like this color a lot

Any input (good or bad) would be appreciated.

 

1- common jeep prob. you'll learn to live with it. mine is the same way!

2- if the rotors are new, just go get some new pads and replace them yourself.

if you dont know how to work on vehicles, this will be a good way to learn. if taken care of, these are some of the most reliable vehicles on the road.
asking price is a little higher than i'd pay, but its all about what you think its worth.

 

First off, welcome to CherokeeForum!

Second, that thing is seriously clean and according to a lot of people (myself included), the best year for the XJ. It's the last of the distributor engines and is not plagued with 00-01 head cracking issue. The low mileage is nice, but doesn't really matter with these things.

I gotta say though, that price is a bit high. You should talk him down to $4,500.

 

Yeah those are common issues, mine does the same window thing... And as said above, I also believe 99 is the best year, thats why I got one. Mine was originally priced for 5500, I traded it for my 01 Jetta 1.8t that I also had priced at 5500. show up with a stack of cash he cant refuse

 

Seems like the consensus so far is that it is a little pricey...I bought my 1998 (exact same Cherokee.... color, cleanliness etc.) w/108000 miles for $3600. MArket value can be a little higher in some areas though.
Other than that the issues seem very fixable and as everyone knows these thing last forever and are super easy to work on.

 

^^Agreed, around here clean XJs don't last a week.

Thank you everyone for the input, as far as working on my own cars you have no idea. I've built/pulled motors before I even graduated high school (now 23 and almost done with college) so this should be no problem. I actually enjoy working on my own stuff and do not trust some places with my vehicles.

My last car was a built 2003 Lancer Evolution and if you don't know about the 4g63 motor it will take a dump if you look at it wrong, so this should be much better for me reliability wise. Plus I've always had a soft spot for XJs.

The seller just emailed me again:
"FYI - I just became a more motivated seller since I found a car I want to buy. First $4,700 takes it".

I told myself I would not buy another vehicle until I closed on my house but this is very tempting

 

To me, the price is high. I paid half that for my 99 with 124k miles on it in the exact same condition. However, your location may demand higher prices.

BS. Learn to live with it, my ***. Fix the problem. It literally takes 20 minutes to fix.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/ho...-switch-86322/

 

It one of those Ill get around to it things. Mine works off and on, but I always drive with my windows down(no ac) and its a pet peeve when one passenger rolls there window up and the rest are down, so I usually lock my windows

 

Don't assume anything until you go check it out for yourself. It looks clean, but so did mine when I first got it. Then I discovered bondo and rust. I also paid 5k for it because that's the going rate for XJ's in my area, and they are in high demand here, and the dealers know that. You'll want to look real hard at the cooling system, and test everything. Heat, A/C (if that concerns you), 4x4, all that good stuff. Do a finger poke on the rockers, and stick your head up under the Jeep around the rear suspension area and look for any red (rusty) flags.

 

^^Good advice, I have actually been reading a few threads on here about common XJ problems and made my own list.

-Heat/AC (heat not working is common apparently)
-Rust
-Leaks
-Play/Vibration while driving (bad steering/suspension components)
-Valve Cover gasket
-Cooling system (overheating)
-Exhaust Manifold
-Rear shock bolts (common that they break)
-Possible Ring blow-by (remove oil cap while engine is on)

Again these are just come of the things I wrote down from reading on the forums over the last few days. Need to make sure the title is clean/accidents etc.... I will check it out today and keep you guys updated.

 

Some of those things can certainly be negotiation points for talking the price down, if any are discovered. Some are easily fixed (suspension/steering, valve cover, etc). Definitely look for oil leaks, and the thing is, it's hard to pinpoint what exactly is leaking. But if you discover the 4.0 covered in oil, you could use that as a haggling point. Shock bolts you won't really know until you go to remove them yourself.

Heater core is commonly clogged due to neglect to the cooling system. A/C commonly fails at the evaporator, which requires pulling the entire dash to replace (same with heater core). Take a look under the manifolds if you can and have a look at the freeze plugs. If you see any leaks, knock $1000 off the price for the labor you'll have to do to fix them (speaking from experience here!)

 

^^^ Will do, I am actually going through your build right now.

 

If its always been an Arizona Jeep...most likely the rust will be minimal. If there is a lot of rust, check the brake and fuel lines as well as the obvious. I would really be mainly concerned with leaks. Rear main, valve cover, tranny, diffs, and any cooling lines. The shock bolts will probably break...it seems as though they always do..not a hard DIY fix.
With all this being said, after he lowered his price, he will always be willing to go just a bit more to sell it. Especially if he wants another vehicle and you can find a few things not in tiptop shape!

 

That is exactly what I am thinking. I will offer him probably $4,500 cash depending on the condition once I see it in person. I really hope there is nothing major that is wrong with it. Out of the XJs in the area, this one is among the cleanest I've seen.

 

lol i'll fix it one of these days. i ride around with my windows down every day. no one else rides with me so im fine with it for the time being. i have plenty of mechanical things to get to first!