'04 GC

The problem points are mostly related to the gee gaw, hoo haw, and bling bling found in the Limited and Overland models.

Particularly trouble prone is the automatic climate control's blend doors. A revised design was released part way through the model year. If you must have this system make sure you get a WJ built late in the model year.

The preferable (to me at least) is the SelecTrac Transfer case, it is a selectable true 4WD rather than an semi-AWD

The I-6 4 liter engine will last 200-300 hundred thousand miles without major problems as long as you follow the WJ maintenance schedule. It uses a design proven over 20, 40, or 70 years depending on where you select as a starting point.

The 4.7 liter V-8 seems to be a good design and is sometimes referred to as a 'semi-hemi' due to the shape of the combustion chambers. It has been in use since 1999. Some years had two 4.7 engines (regular and HO).

There are two available rear axles. Both are good enough for street and mild off-roading. The 35c is an iron axle with the drawback of thin axle shafts and the 44a is aluminum and flexes.

FWIW: I have an '02 WJ Laredo, 4 liter, 42re, nv242, d30/35c with leather and like it just fine.

I recently bought a late build '04 Laredo Rocky Mtn. Edition and so far so good. Mine has the 4.0, Selectrac, D30/D35c with 3.73 gears, and factory trailer tow. Besides what's already been mentioned, I found it really useful to compare the build date to the list of TSBs that apply to '04s on the WJJeeps site, especially if there's little or no time left on the bumper to bumper warranty.

One Laredo I test drove pulled hard to the right, a somewhat common problem that can be fixed with offset ball joints, a little more complicated than adjusting the toe settings. A 4.7, Quadratrac Laredo I seriously considered had a suspect TCM and of course the D44 rear. A service advisor I trust told me most of the problems with that drive train, particularly with the non-HO version of the 4.7 have been resolved, although they're still seeing occasional problems with the D44 axle and frequent tire rotations and the new fluid keep the Quadratac xfer case happy. He also agreed about avoiding auto climate control.

The one I bought seemed to turn more RPM than I expected at highway speeds when I test drove it. That turned out to be a PCM software version that didn't enable the torque converter lockup feature. They flashed it to the latest version and now it works as expected, in fact with the 3.73 gears and the 17" wheels used on this version, the RPM at

70mph is about the same as my old ZJ with 3.55 gears. Makes me wonder if someone traded it in because of poor gas mileage. The only problem mine does have is the steering wheel creaking, but if it doesn't get any worse I'll probably leave it alone. Anyone happen to know the torque specs for the 4 steering column nuts or if there's an easy home fix for this?

In any case, there are a lot of '04s on dealer lots coming off 2 year leases to choose from due to the employee pricing deals many with some

3/36 warranty time left. The 7/70 is transferable for a $150 fee. A certified one means you don't pay the transfer fee, you get an extra 3 months or 3,000 miles tacked on to the end of any 3/36 left, and the 7/70 goes to 8/80.

In article , wrote: #My wife is thinking of buying an '04 GC. Is there anything I should be #aware of or looking for? I have already given it a once over and #nothing jumped out and bit me. Anyone have any #thoughts/comments/praise/gripes concerning the GCs ?

I would go over the TSBs that affect the '04 model:

And if it is still under warrenty, get them all taken care of before it becomes your dime. If it's no longer under a warrenty, I would negotiate the price down if the TSBs are needed and have not been done.

/herb