2003 Jeep Cherokee CRD from South Africa - Comments

From day one the vehicle had a vibration when it is driven at speeds exceeding 100km per hour. This is very irritating and is a terrible driving experience. The vehicle has been back to the dealership numerous times for repairs, but to no avail. The latest correspondence from the dealership and Daimler Chrysler is that it is a "characteristic" of this model! It is hard to believe that a premium branded product such as Jeep displays such a poor "characteristic" (Noisy and vibrates)! I was not told of this "characteristic" when I bought the vehicle. I would advise any potential buyer of this model to make sure that he or she is happy with this "characteristic", especially when you are going to spend at least two hours a day in your Jeep like I do.

The Jeep Cherokee gives a terrible driving experience. I will not advise anyone to buy this vehicle unless you are sure that you get what you pay for. Don't let the looks and the brand deceive you, because all the positives could be overshadowed by the bad "characteristics" of the vehicle.

Didn't you test drive a diesel model before buying it?

Of course the diesel engine will be noisier than the 3.7 liter gas engine.

I have a Liberty (Cherokee outside the US) with the 3.7

and I absolutely love it. It's reasonably quiet, smooth

and fairly quick. No problems to speak of either.

I hope yours gets straightened out for you.

In the state where I live (Massachusetts) the diesel model cannot be sold due to the strict emision laws. (Of course almost everyone wants the diesel)

In my opinion the 3.7 liter gas engine is the most practical choice here in the U.S. anyway.

Sure you may give up a little fuel mileage with the 3.7, but my mileage isn't terrible- 16+ city 20+ highway.

(Of course I'd like it to be better, but this is a 4,000lb

SUV.)

The 3.7 liter engine is a fairly refined engine, I can only hope that it will equal the 4 liter's engines reputation for longevity. (Although I really don't have a lot of faith in Chrysler's engineers.) I think that overall Jeeps were better off in AMC's hands, although the Liberty might prove to be one of the best Jeep models ever, there really was nothing wrong with the old Cherokee, and the Wrangler speaks for itself. I miss the old AMC designed YJ though.

Even though it was a bit crude and had a buckboard ride, it remained true to its Jeep roots and was a durable and easy to work on vehicle.

The TJ that replaced it certainly has a much better ride,

but it's much more difficult to work on and the instrument panel looks like it could have been lifted out of any number of Chrysler vehicles.

You must admit that the Liberty (Cherokee in your case) has a well thought out instrument panel and an attractive interior that yet somehow still captures the Jeep flavor.

Back to the engines for a moment, the 4 liter engine is an old Nash design that can be traced back to the late 1920s.

Needless to say, it is a proven design.

A number of websites list vibration above 60mph (100km) as a problem on these vehicles - apparently caused by mis-aligned drive shafts. This can be fixed.