1996 Jeep Cherokee Reviews - Page 6 of 11

Apparently I inherited a few minor, more annoying things from the previous owner, who had a minor front end collision (but wasn't on carfax!!) The steering wheel 'clunks' when you turn it (I've narrowed it down to a bad u-joint on the steering shaft)...but the alignment is very close to perfect.

Fuel line ruptured (probably from off-roading :) ). Easy, $0 fix. Cut bad part of hose, and reattached.

Oil pressure sending unit went out. About $25 for the part, 5 minutes for the install.

I get a pretty nasty 'clunk' from the rear when I go over bigger bumps. Most people think it's a bad leaf spring bushing.

Blower motor went out on me recently (haven't fixed it yet).

Minor cosmetic things that need to be taken care of.

I love it. The stock capabilities of this Jeep are amazing. It really can go anywhere. The Cherokee made it through a muddy/marshy area where my friend's lifted F-150 got stuck...twice.

The 4.0 I6 is a rock-solid, bullet-proof engine. It's a shame they're discontinuing production in June of 2006, I believe. The torque curve is nice and flat, and has plenty of power for getting up on the highway. Mine has 110k miles on it, and it still runs remarkably smooth.

The AW4 tranny has been flawless. No signs of aging.

Part-time 4-wheel drive (NP231 transfer case) is perfect; always engages and disengages right away. Seems like the previous owner didn't even use it.

This Jeep definitely has some cosmetic flaws, but in my opinion that gives it character. Mechanically it runs great.

For a 20-year old college student (who loves the outdoors), the XJ is a great choice. Dependable, and capable.

Transfer case has been replaced, but that was at around 190,000 miles.

Oil pressure sending unit went out, but that wasn't too bad to fix.

The worst thing I have had happen with this jeep is for the first few months I kept having the Aux. fan relay blow out it took 6 times to finally get one that would work, but after the first 2 I found out where it was so it was cheaper to replace as I had to pull the old one to keep from killing the battery. When it would blow it would blow closed so the fan would run non stop with the engine on or off.

The catalytic converter is shot, but will get that replaced soon.

1 Funny thing I have found is once in a while I can't push the break pedal down far enough to get the engine to turn over, but that's far and few between. I think it may have to do with the brake interlock because sometimes when I jiggle the shifter for the automatic tranny it starts right up.

I have also been rear ended 3 times in this thing and even though its now on its 4th tailgate the frame is still straight and drives in a straight line. It has saved my life when I have been rear ended thanks to the air bags and the overall durability of this thing.

For the overall age I must admit that 1-2 of the dash light bulbs have gone out making it hard to see the speedometer at night and the rear speakers overhead? Who's idea was that!? And yes the speakers are toast, but then again you can't get very good sound quality out of a paper cone that's 5 and 1/4" in diameter anyway.

For a college guy whop is 26 going on 27 and with not a lot of money this thing has been a rock and will not die! I have the part time 4 wheel drive and do the maintinance as required and have no problems and feel very safe in driving it.

Also for the size I like that if needed even with 226,000+ miles on it it can still get out of its own way if needed.

When it snows I have Zero problems going anywhere and I do not take it off road.

I just wish the headlights were brighter, as it gets older they get a little dimmer. But this thing is built like a rock.

P.S. As a part time DJ when this thing is loaded I can feel the added weight, but overall the engine has no problem whatsoever hauling about 300-400 lbs in the back with the seats down at all.

I just wish they kept making them or at least still had the I6 Engine for any model Jeep, but oh well so much for old faithful!