PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

Ashman · #9 02-26-2002, 04:38 AM

I had an 89 jeep cherokee laredo - not alimited or grand cherokee.

I bought the car with 69k on the odo.

In the time I owned it, I did the following repairs.

Differential
Differential and housing
Water pump
Alternator
Brakes - everything except calipers.
Shocks
Suspension bushings
Harmonic Balancer
Tires
Idle control valve
Neutral safety switch
Park Shift interlock switch
Thermostat
some hoses

All this between 69k and 140k miles, so roughly 70k miles.

Differential went bad after towing my 5500lb boat, housing got bent.

After replacing the differential, the rearend noise it had came back after a few thousand miles. they replaced the housing and the differential with new units under warranty from the first time they did it.

Towed the boat several more times, with no problems after that except the brakes and bushings and shocks getting really worked by pulling and having to stop 5500 lbs worth of boat and trailer.

Engine had minor valve cover leak I never fixed and car used hardly any oil.

Oil was changed every 5k miles give or take.

Car is still running today, in use by my mom, and is still going ok. has 160k on the odo now I believe.

The older cherokee was much better built than the grand cherokee's.

A Friend had a 1993 grand cherokee that spent most of its time in the shop, and after 70k miles was on its 2nd tranny, and the car always had problem after problem all fixed under warranty.

After the grand cherokee, he got a volvo wagon for his wife, then got her a new landcruiser. The landcruiser has never had a problem besides his wifes little parking lot/garage door mishaps.

All in all, if you geta good one, they are ok.

But in my opinion, a toyota landcruiser, or a nissan pathfinder are better vehicles. Or of course a new SUV like BMW or Benz. I love the range rovers, but too problematic and expensive to repair.

Friend had a pathfinder, he never maintained it, and all it ever needed were shocks once, brakes a couple of times, and tires. He never had to do anything else to the car in the 6 years he had it and 100,000 miles he drove it.

Car was still running and driving great when he got rid of it, interior was well worn though.

Do some research, jeeps aren't that bad, but there are better trucks out there for the same money.

Alon