Hi everyone,
i am looking at purchasing a used 1996 jeep Cherokee from a used car lot for $6.5k. It’s had two previous owners who seemed to have taken good care of it. It has some rust on the undercarriage (not sure how much is too much). It seems like everything works in the car minus the radio and the power windows/locks are finicky. On my first test drive, after about 20mins it started to run a little hot. Took it back to the dealer and they took it to a mechanic who flushed the coolant and it seems like it’s fixed the issue on the second test drive. I know there are small things that need to be fixed like the timing belt, the ac belt, fluids, brakes, etc. I didn’t want to throw another 6000$ into repairs for the car. I am comfortable with up to 2000$ in repairs if needed.
I’d love to send more pictures and videos if you want through email, let me know
here is a video of the engine bay : https://share.icloud.com/photos/040KONnIyxRxzCH7T38HXW-ww
and the link to the car
https://www.ftlautosales.com/inventory/jeep/cherokee/264261/
What you don't want is any significant perforation of the unibody frame rails ("uniframe") or rotted suspension attachment points. Minor surface rust is not a problem.
You did not say what engine or transmission it has. Most of those came with the 4.0L inline six and Aisin AW4 automatic transmission, but there was also a 2.5L 4-cylinder, and a standard transmission was available. (Also a very rare diesel option.) Cherokees of that vintage were available with 4WD, AWD, or rear drive.
The 4.0 and 2.5 are both pushrod engines based on an early 1960s Rambler engine. Neither has a timing belt. Both are durable but like any engine they can be ruined by abuse and neglect.
The AW4 transmission is also durable but tends to run hot. Check condition of the fluid and make sure it shifts properly if so equipped. If equipped with 4WD or AWD make sure all transfer case modes work and there are no bad noises. (Do not engage 4WD on dry pavement. The Jeep should be stopped to go in or out of Low range 4WD.)
1996 was a transition year for the Cherokee; first year for OBD2 diagnostics and the last year for the original AMC-designed exterior and interior. There are a lot of 1-year only parts on a 1996 Cherokee.
Although not nearly as bad as today's Jeeps these can be prone to Chrysler's infamous electrical problems. Power locks and windows are frequently troublesome and data bus errors are common.
I would have a good mechanic give this thing a thorough inspection before purchase. If the seller won't let you do that, run away.
For more in-depth information on these old Cherokees you might want to check out https://www.cherokeeforum.com/ and other Jeep enthusiast sites.
Thanks chuck ! It’s a 4WD, 4.0L. I’ll definitely take it to a mechanic before hand to check it out. The dealer has been nice enough to replace the battery and flush the coolant which seemed to have fixed the overheating problem. The transmission shifts very nicely and the engine sounds good so overall it doesn’t seem to have many issues. I’ll double check the joints for rust on my next visit.
Get a prepurchase inspection and if it checks out, go for it. Those old Cherokees with the 6-cylinder are pretty good
For 6k you could get a nice condition 3rd gen 4Runner that would likely give you little trouble. That was my first thought.
Then you mentioned rust, unless it was very little that is a major downside.
Locks are acting up, and it started to overheat! It could have overheated on the last guy and they are trying to ditch it for that reason.
Major flags on that one, they can be good vehicles, but not for that price with all those issues.
I sold my 98 4Runner 3 years ago with 225k miles, running perfect with no issues, 4x4, zero rust, and lots of TLC for $4600. I wouldn't pay $2000 for that Cherokee with it overheating, that would scare me the most.
