Jeep Wranglers GoodBad

kswillie · Mar 23, 2016

I have been looking at used Jeep Wranglers, late 90s to around 05. I had a CJ2A back in the 60's but have not kept up on the different Wranglers that are available now. I would like to know if there are some years, models, motors, ect, to stay away from. I see most of them have the 4.0 motor. How does it do? Manual or auto transmission is good but I would like A/C.

Aaron Ford · Mar 23, 2016

The 3.8 in an 08 Wrangler Unlimited is anemic. It is also very noisy with transmission whine coming through the shift boot. I am personally not impressed. I drove it to work today to isolate noises from the front end and it appears the coil springs are out of position and rubbing the bump stops.

Aaron

RayP(MI) · Mar 23, 2016

Around here, that vintage would be pretty much beat to death, if the rust hadn't eaten much of the major important parts up.

jimg.allentown · Mar 23, 2016

The 4.0 is a good engine. Prefer the high output version. Stay away from the 3.7 if it is available in the wranglers.

RN · Mar 23, 2016

I still have a 4.0 4 door Jeep- hasn't been licensed for couple years. Engine still runs decent, fuel injector rail was about a $80.00 item. after 3 deer and couple side slides into trees, it is a 'work in process' and tow small trailer around the woods, stay off road vehicle. Some replacement parts setting in shed, windshield can be purchase yet but for now it is not getting back on main roads. Older separate frames easier to fix from rust in snow and rust belt, old DJ5 has sheet metal and rivets, screwed on floor panels so new owner still uses it, can get license plates. Like some cars in rust belt- scrapped because body fell apart while engine and drive still good, had a Datsun 210, Pontiac Sunbird, Ford Escort had to stop driving for that reason, sent to salvage yard. Jeep 4.0 engine can be fitted to some earlier model with the frames, some value in the dry market areas also. Some body shops can do a decent, usable, cheap and ugly repair of body for customers who pay cash and don't mind rat rods- some of them are used for hunting and snow plowing so owner doesn't mind angle iron homemade sort of subframes. The ugly critter runs and clear driveways, that's all that is needed for paid for vehicle now. RN

Grampy · Mar 23, 2016

The 4.0 was a pretty good engine. If I was looking for one, I'd go for the auto trans. The problem with old Wranglers is that so many of them have been beat to death, modified, repaired and etc. Very hard to find one that age in good condition. Most of them have been 'rode hard and put away wet".

dhermesc · Mar 23, 2016

When Dodge dropped the 4.0 inline (2005?) they started putting the 3.8 V6 from the Dodge minivans in the Wranglers. Pretty good engine right up until it starts burning oil - then it will run the crankcase dry in a 1000 miles. The 3.7 was used in the Liberties and what a POS it is.

The automatic transmissions in the (2003-2011?) Wrangler and the Liberty (and the base Dodge Pickup) is a very cheap light POS (42RLE) that was taken from the Chrysler K-Car and modified for RWD. Do not try to use this transmission for towing even if it has a transmission cooler - you'll be buying a new one.

Greg1959 · Mar 23, 2016

Google or U-tube "jeep death wobble".

I've had two of them. Getting ready to rebuild the front end in the 2nd one next week.

Below is a link to what the Death Wobble looks like. Is seems to be a very common occurrence with Jeeps.
link

Bobl1958 · Mar 23, 2016

I have had a few. Stay with the 4.0, the 4 cyl's are too underpowered, especially if you are on the highway. I prefer the automatic to the stick. If you are in very rough terrain you will always be riding the clutch vs the auto where you don't have to.

I like the AC as well. As I'm sure you remember, the soft tops are very noisy going down the road, hard tops are considerably quieter.

Currently I have a very nice 1993 Wrangler with auto, AC, and 4.0 that I got from a car salesman. Only has 93K miles on it and is in beautiful condition. Sat in a shed and didn't drive it much. The man was 6'-5" tall and didn't fit in it very well, thus the reason for the low mileage.

I love the Jeeps, but just remember they are not a caddy. Bob

jimg.allentown · Mar 23, 2016

Actually, the Liberty and probably some others used a Toyota transmission. The 42RLE seems to be a decent unit for its designed purpose. Actually, the A604 was OK as well. After all, there are literally MILLIONS of them running around without chronic transmission problems. I did notice that since 2007 or earlier, some genius decided that the dipstick for checking the transmission oil was no longer necessary.

pat sublett · Mar 23, 2016

The sorriest vehicle I ever owned, outside of a Ford, was an 89 Cherokee.

dhermesc · Mar 23, 2016

What "Toyota" transmission?

The Liberty was introduced in 2002 with the 45RFE transmission that was also used in the older Wrangler and the "box" Cherokee. It was a pretty decent transmission but in 2003.5 the 42RLE replaced it. The 42RLE was the automatic transmission in all the gas powered Liberties from 2003.5 to 2012. Its also in the 2003-2006 Wranglers behind the 2.4 4 cylinder engines.

As designed the 42RLE evolved from the A604/41TE that was used in underpowered V6s and 4 cylinder front wheel drive cars and minivans and it was pretty good in that capacity. Bumping the engine up to 200+ hp and hooking it up to 4X4 and telling people how "tough" it was caused them to fail by the bucket load. Dodge also used them as the base transmission in the 2003.5-2012 3.7 powered Rams. They didn't do very well there either. There's a reason most fleet trucks were Fords and Chevys in that time frame even though the Dodge was cheaper.

Gambles · Mar 23, 2016

If there were some years to somewhat avoid, the late 90s 4.0 engines with the 0331 cylinder head is probably at the top of the list. They tend to crack and put antifreeze into the oil. Also, as already posted, do a Google search for "Jeep death wobble". It's somewhat hard to diagnose, could be any of a dozen different parts causing it, and when it's severe, it's downright dangerous. I'll surely get flamed for this statement, but if you want a super reliable vehicle, avoid the late 90s-early 2000s Jeep, plain and simple.
With that being said, I have three Jeeps with the 4.0 engine, all of them between '96 and '98, one with a manual transmission and two that are automatic. No, I'm not a Jeep fanatic or a Jeep addict, I just happened to get all three on the luck (or unluck?) of the draw.

Gambles · Mar 23, 2016

Some years were. They also had cracking cylinder heads and pistons that lost their skirts.
Overall, the 4.0 Jeep was NOT a 300 Ford six.

Rollie NE PA · Mar 23, 2016

I can't tell you what to buy. I will say this, I Have had Jeeps from 1987 to 2015 and have not had the problems some are talking about. I did have the death wobble but is it usually the steering dampener or the track bar. The later model Jeeps 98 on up have very little problem with death wobble. I currently have a 2000 and a 2002 with over 160,000 on each and have never had to have a front end alignment.In my opinion the 4.0 is a very good engine.

Greg1959 · Mar 23, 2016

Rollie NE PA- " The later model Jeeps 98 on up have very little problem with death wobble. "

Both of mine were 2004 models.

Rollie NE PA · Mar 23, 2016

All I can say is that my 2000 and 2002 have never had a wobble problem each have over 160,000 and as everyone knows Pennsylvania has some of the worst roads in the country. lol!

Tx.Ricefields · Mar 23, 2016

I have a '99 with the 4.0 with a 5 speed. A Jeep is a different animal love them or hate them. The 4.0 is a GREAT engine, I know of some with over 300k miles with no engine problems. Other areas of the vehicle seem to have a higher repairs.

Mark - IN. · Mar 23, 2016

CJ2? I had one of those once with a steel cab and doors. Was awfully loud like a Hiniker cab rattling through a field. Kind of need hearing protection when operating either. Mine was pretty top heavy but real durable. If it ever got too much over the tipping edge and tipped, it uprighted easy enough with some help from a couple of other guys. Not much of a street vehicle though. At about 50 MPH it screamed like it was going to launch the transmission and some pistons. Because they didn't have shoulder harnesses or even seat belts back then, at about 50 MPH if I just completely let up off the gas my forehead used to tap the windshield because the gearing was like slamming on the brakes of most vehicles. The new jeeps? YJs I think they're called. Pretty much street vehicles. Can you find your old 2 or one like it? Slip a 4.0 into it, and now you're talking. Of course a 4.0 requires lot of computer aided stuff, so find an old AMC 258 or even a 232 without all of the computer aided stuff that the 4.0 is based off of. Of course, I suppose you could find the 4.0 computer and wiring to go along with a 4.0 to slip into the old CJ2. But, if you're going to slip a computer and wiring into a CJ2 and want a 6 cylinder, I'd go Dodge Magnum 3.9 V6. They're lighter, smoother running, shorter to get better front to rear weight ratio, get better fuel economy, about the same HP, a little less torque though.

Good luck in your decision.

Mark

jacks · Mar 23, 2016

I have a 98 Cherokee 4.0 4x4. The 4.0 in the late 90's Jeeps is a great engine, good power and up to 26 MPG on mine, average 22 with a 5 speed stick. The engines with cylinder head problems started in the 2000 year model and later. I know of plenty 4.0's that have lasted 300k miles. Met someone with a similar Jeep a couple weeks ago that has 395k on the original engine. Not many gasoline engines have this kind of longevity.

WGM · Mar 24, 2016

I've owned two Chrysler products in my 48 year driving career. The first one, shame on Chrysler. The second one, shame on me. Won't happen again.

dhermesc · Mar 24, 2016

I had a Plymouth Reliant K in college, beat that thing to death. girlfriend wrecked it, had another guy slam into it and it kept puttering away. The last decent Dodge product I ever owned. Since then I've owned two. One grenaded its transmission at 25K, the other had its engine self destruct at 65K - the only engine and transmission I've ever had completely fail.

merlynr · Mar 24, 2016

A guy wanted to sell me his cj? with a V8 305? last fall for $2000. The other day he said I could have it for $1300. I looked at it a little closer and it was rusty in all the usual places like fred flintstone holes. He had diamond plate down the sides I think it was covering up rust holes. It ran but rear main seal leaked. I passed.

jimg.allentown · Mar 24, 2016

Sorry, I mixed it up with the Cherokee. They used a Toyota transmission in Cherokees from around 1987 up to 2001. They also used the Toyota trans in some older pickups and Grand Cherokees.

Bret4207 · Mar 24, 2016

We've had several Jeeps from the 50's to the late 90's. The Cherokees are a different breed than the CJ's/YJ's/TJ's. We ahd 2 Cherokees, both were awful, and I don't misuse the word at all. The later YJ's and TJ's have been fine. Both ours have the 4 cyls. A bit low on power, but it's a Jeep, not a Ferrari. Rust has been our issue. Why the companies don't galvanize frames I don't know. Why they seem to purposely engineer the frames with holes that not only allow salt and water into the interior of the frame, but seem to be designed to hold it in so the frame will rust.

I think they're great utility vehicles. Ours got 20ish MPG, hauled a few hundred lbs of grain, were great for parts runs, were fun to drive compared to a mini van, were big enough for a couple kids in the back and small enough to fit in small parking spots. Get the hardtop and hard top and hard doors unless you love someplace really warm. Dont' get one owned by anyone that put much in the way of lift kits, etc. There are a lot of really trashed Wrangler types out there and you won't find the problems until you're on your 3rd set of tires in 6 months.

Janicholson · Mar 24, 2016

I own a daily driver (short runs, no 70mph) 1957 CJ3B Willis with a 1949 IH K series cab on it. It has Toyota rack and pinion (from a 83 Tercell 4X4) and the gas tank is not in the cab). Mighty fine head turner/Ratrod. Would I buy another Jeep Willis yes, all others nope. Jim

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