I heard someone say that they've never seen a used Jeep that wasn't a POS. Is that true? If one were buying a Jeep (Wrangler), should one choose brand new over late model used because of reliability/defect issues?
BYou want one that's never been off road...
Earle
Well, "someone" always has an opinion, so you came to the right place, the home of opinions!
A used Jeep is like any other vehicle, if the previous owner(s) took care of it, it will likely continue to be a good vehicle. If not, well.....
Rule of thumb, newer and lower mileage will be better than older and higher. With short-wheelbase Jeeps, however, the buff factor comes in. Many of us love the old CJs and will put up with anything to keep them on the road & trail. YJ Wranglers are best after '91 (EFI engine management), TJs are outstanding but, of course, newer and more expensive. If it was me buying another one, I'd go for a low mileage 4.0L TJ Sport with the Dana 44 rear axle.
These days its more like Ive never seen a new jeep that wasnt a pos. KH
keep in mind the 4.0L starting in 1997 had some block design changes. expect a coolant leak betweek the 3 and 4 cylinders under the intake manifold.
No, this is not true at all. It is certainly not any more true than a statement that all used Mustangs are trashed, or that used BMWs are junk, or used anything else it crap. The Crap Factor has a lot to do with the seller.
If one were buying a Jeep (Wrangler), should one
No. One should choose a new one because they like new stuff, or a used one if they can tolerate Coke spilled on the floor and a few parking lot dings.
Owning a Jeep is like being with a woman. You have to put money into her to keep her happy. I see no difference in an old versus new Jeep except cost. It's also more fun to work on an "older" Jeep... cutting yourself on steels just feels better than a plastic cut.
or custom drain holes and a family of cats living under the hood, depending on how long it's sat there
I bought a '97 TJ (wrangler) last year with 68K on the ticker. 4.0L, Hard top, AC, sound bar, rear seat, near-perfect, $9600. Anyway, it's been a GREAT vehicle. I've put 12K on it now. It had not been offroad by the looks of it when I bought it (it has now !) It does not use or leak a drop of oil, runs smooth and strong, and other than replacing a oil pressure sensor that was bad when I bought it, and the battery and brakes and tires and plugs and filters (normal stuff in other words) it has been no hassles. Great vehicle. i love it.
Just be smart, buy a 4.0L (less likely to have been run hard), have it checked out and/or use common sense. In my case the vehicle was so obviously cherry that I didn't it checked out and the roll of the dice worked for me.
I can't figure out where the whole "Jeep is a POS" thing comes from. Ask a Jeep owner, any Jeep owner you see, if he/she likes their Jeep. I did that about ten times before i bought mine and every single one said they loved it and had minimal problems.
-jeff
Like mine! Those scratches and dents in my skid plates are part of a trim package! ;-)
...and the buyer...
Those are valid considerations too.
Bought my '97 TJ last year with 67K miles it. GREAT vehicle. Not a single problem other than an OP sensor that was bad when I bought it.
-jeff
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