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99 Jeep cherokee


dinghyboy
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I know price is kinda hard to figure out but I'm thinking of buying this for my daughter

 

http://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/4618681307.html

 

Is that a good price?

 

Did the 1999 have the same head issues as the 2000 and 2001 4.0litres?

 

What sort of problems would you anticipate with this jeep and what would you look for?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Gavin

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well i don't think its geting 26-30. i looks to be in great shape kinda high for my area but up north i don't know but looks good. check under for rust since its up north looks like driver front fender may have be changed missing trim and looks like newer front bumper cap. 99 should not have the same head issues.

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I do not have w 99 but right now licenced and on the road I have 3 98's and a 2000 (and we like them)

 

IMHO  :dunno:

 

Price is on the high side but it is low miles and looks clean.

 

Test drive it ....take it through some turns....stop hard...listen for any clunking or rattling......see if you can get to some loose topsoil were you can engage the 4x4 and see if all works well.

 

Like all jeeps crawl under and check your floor pans and frame for rust. Go through all the drive train as best you can ( it is a 15 year old Truck).

 

The head will have a # cast in it so you can see what it is if that is a concern......but my experiance has been that unless it has been overheated an excessive amount of times ......you should be good.

 

I bought the XJ's for my daughter's and my wife and they all love them......I feel safe when they are driving them.....especially on a Manitoba winter's night.....and since i am the fleet mechanic .....it is nice that they are easy to work on.

 

Oh and I agree with above.....he is fudging on the milage....or he drives down hill a lot with the wind to his back.... . :MJ 1: .

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There is trim missing on the driver's front fender with no signs of it having ever been there... at least that is visible in the pic. Wreck repair? Other unseen damage? Flare doesn't seem to match up with the bumper as well on that side either.

 

If you use something like carfax remember it is only as good as the info it is giving. If I hit a tree, straighten the sub-frame by hooking a chain to a tree & backing up until it jerks it straight-ish, and slap some china crap sheet meal on it that would never show up.

 

Not an outrageous price around here but not bargain, either.

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Look at the front bumper caps then look at the side trim and rear bumper caps. The front end has had some work done. Buyer beware. Look at the front end really close if you decide to pull the trigger on it. The unfaded front caps and the missing trim is a red flag to me.

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Man, you guys have sharp eyes. I look at it and see a good looking jeep. You guys look at it rationally and pick up the clues. Thank you. I'm now better prepared to inspect it and see what he says about the body work. I'll pay extra scrutiny to the inner fender wells and radiator area to see how extensive the damage was. 

 

If it was involved in a front left corner accident what area of the suspension and unibody would you be concerned about? It doesn't look like the body panel damage extended back to the door so how do I tell if it was merely cosmetic or something more serious.

 

The price is pretty good for our area so I'm a little sceptical since the truck has been on craigslist for 20+ days.

 

Thanks to all of you for your input.

 

Gavin 

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If whatever damage it suffered was repaired properly, IMHO $4200 for a '99 XJ with only 106,000 miles on it is a GOOD price. They're selling for more than that around here with higher mileage. His gas mileage claims, however, are pure fantasy. As someone said, expect maybe 17-20 mpg.

 

Check the front footwells from underneath for rust. The XJ is just as likely to rust out there as an MJ.

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The seller is lying about the MPG.  So what else is he lying about?  Others have spotted some body work?  What does he say about any body work?  Bet he says nothing or never happened.  Not sold in 3 weeks?  Guess others think it is not a good buy at $4200 or what ever he will take.

 

Give him a low ball offer and be prepared to walk away.  Look for a Honda or a Toyota for your daughter.

 

 

Here is another on for you to look at:

 

http://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/4658476587.html

 

Less money, same miles, nicer car.

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I beg to differ about that ZJ being a better car. It probably has full time 4wd.

It has a Chrysler transmission. V8 + AWD= gas hog.

Don't get me wrong, I like ZJ's, I've had 3 but I also had much better luck with XJ's requiring much less upkeep.

10+ XJ's with no auto trams replacement.

3 ZJ's, replaced 3 trans in one other two sold with the transmissions acting wonky.

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For whatever it's worth, in my opinion, 1999 was the best year for the Cherokee.

 

My reasons:

  • Unless it's a VERY late model 99, it does not have the 0331 head (known to crack)
  • It still has a distributor.  The coil packs on the 00/01 showed no appreciable gains and if one coil pack goes bad, you have to replace the whole thing (and new ones are not cheap)
  • Many 00/01's came with pre-cats, which added 2 additional oxygen sensors for a total of 4.  More stuff to go bad
  • High pinion D30 in the front
  • First year of the all-agate interior. No more two-tone ugliness of the 97 & 98
  • Painted fender flares on Sport models.  The less unpainted black on an XJ, the better as it will just fade over time.

 

Basically, to sum it up, in the 1999 XJ you get away from the interior/exterior ugliness of the 97 and 98's (Sport models only.  The Upcountry and Limited models were quite nice) and you also stay away from the potential mechanical headaches of the 00/01.

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