Faults:

Got a great deal on it because the paint was peeling badly when it was only 7 yrs old.

Had the car stripped and painted.

Replaced Radiator (this is a weak point of the Grand Wagoneer)

Replaced pressure line on power steering after it blew out.

Replaced power steering pump due to leaking seal.

Replaced starter solenoid.

Replaced front and rear engine seals.

Replaced EGR valve.

Rebuilt carb.

Repaired frame next to the gas tank. This is a FATAL flaw in these cars. Sometime in the early 80s Jeep redesigned the gas tank and skid plate on this car and the result is that it traps dirt next to the frame and makes it rust out. I had a 1979 wagoneer and it was designed differently and did not have this problem.

Leather seats and leather steering wheel started going bad prematurely.

General Comments:

Overall it is a really nice car, it rides like a true luxury car, and will go almost anywhere.

In my opinion it has the best 4-wheel drive system ever designed, even better than the new computer controlled systems on new SUVs.

The leather and corduroy seats are very comfortable even for long trips.

The large windows and narrow pillars gave much better visibility than newer SUVs.

Overall it is a great car, and it is fun to drive. It is amazing how many people compliment the car. Several have even tried to buy it!

The only real negative is that it gets only 13 miles per gallon on the highway.

Since the model was discontinued over a decade ago parts are getting harder to find, as are mechanics who know how to work on them.

They are much tougher than the newer plastic SUVs. I am certain that as long as parts are available somewhere there will be Grand Wagoneers rolling down the road long after most newer Jeeps have gone to the junkyard.

Faults:

1989 Grand Wagoner - all incidents since April 2002. (all $ Canadian)

* Incident #1 - Brake master cylinder, calipers, flex hose, service ($800). The brakes went really soft, had to tow it in.

* Incident #2 - transmission service /seals and misc ($250). A routine service where oozing was noted.

* Incident # 3 - front brakes pad and related ($300) (went for a tune up #5 below and 5-10% was noted left on brake pads)

* Incident #4 - Muffler and pipe ($300) (tail pipe had rotted off, muffler a bag of bolts, converter was OK)

* Incident # 5 - Major tune up, wires, distributor etc ($300) (coughing sputtering, poor power, was getting about 8 miles to the gallon)

* Incident # 6 - Now just a few days after the #5, the in car heater won't come on, although the air conditioning module works. Perhaps it's the switch. And the right front window has started sticking. (to be done)

General Comments:

Hi folks. In April 2002, I acquired a 1989 Grand Wagoner from a relative. It had about 60,000k, now has 66,000 k. We love this fine beast. But we are bugged by the maelstrom of problems. But, despite the growls we won't cut this wildcat loose. Comments?

Faults:

Gas gauge is inaccurate.

Temp gauge may be inaccurate: never goes above 160 but smells like it's overheating in hot weather.

Only gets 11 - 12mpg.

Exhaust rusted out when I got it at 156000 miles.

Headliner beginning to sag.

Reverse lockout is unreliable, so be very careful when shifting from drive to neutral while moving!

General Comments:

Awesome off road capability.

Beastly powerful engine.

Very reliable.

Faults:

My 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer didn't survive the third fire. The first time it was burned happened at the gas station when the catalytic converter overheated and started a fire. The interior of the car had to be completely restored.

The second fire was due to a short in the wiring harness.

The third fire was the fatal one. The engine started smoking while parked at a service station. The engine was off and the cause of the fire is unknown because the engine was so badly burned.

The Jeep seemed to be part of the family, and we are all so sad because it is gone. It can't be replaced by anything on the market. Despite the many problems we had with it through the years, it always stopped running at a place where I could get help and continue on my way.

General Comments:

We bought the Jeep Grand Wagoneer because of its classic style and its reputation for dependability. It lived up to its looks, but not to its reputation. We loved it anyway.