1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport review from North America
"Fun, capable, versatile vehicle for a reasonable price"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Aside from 'normal wear and tear'; the only things I have had go wrong in the last five years are:
* exhaust manifold cracked; fixing this this weekend, so no price estimate available yet
* leaky steering box; "fixed" by a bottle or three of power steering fluid with 'stop leak' additive.
* blew out a tie rod; that was probably my fault though :)
* the soft top is showing it's age and plastic windows are getting "hazy"; this is mostly due to how I treat them, but you shouldn't be too surprised if this happens to you (after ~3-5 years). Also - in the last ~6 months the zippers on the windows have started slipping, that will be fixed when I replace the top/windows :).
General comments?
I love my Jeep; still handles excellently on and off road and looks almost as good as she did when I got her.
Suspension is, naturally, a little harder than a 'normal car' might have, but I prefer it that way.
Would not recommend it as a 'family car' :) ; but it has been a great work + weekend car for me (drive her 60+ miles every day and have gone on several 600+ mile road trips). In fact, I 'expired' my warranty by month 13 (36,000 miles)...
Recommended reviews
| Keep the top off and use it for a dumpster |
|
| The most fun on 4 wheels... most of the time! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0L 6 cylinder (inline ) Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 6 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 350 miles |
| Most recent distance | 101000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Blazer |
| Date of Entry | 7th May, 2002 |