Hey all! I'm asking this same question in the Dodge/Jeep General section, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of traffic there so I figured that I'd give it a shot here also. My cousin Nicole wants to get a late 90's Jeep Cherokee Sport 4 cyl. 4x4 as her first car, but her mom is concerned that 4x4 components are going to start breaking and costing them a lot of dough. Are there any known common problems with the 4x4 systems such as transfer case or front diff failures, or are these things fairly reliable?

Thanks in advance everybody!

 

I don't know a damn thing about them but a buddy of mine is pretty knowledgeable about them. If you don't get any info from anybody here you can send him a pm here on our site.
http://www.truckmodcentral.com/forums/member.php?u=2

He's built quiet a few and he's a car buyer, so he knows a good bit about most makes.

**You can remove that link if it's against the rules**

 

Thanks man I appreciate the link! It's not breaking any rules BTW

 

Watch out for the years that had the vacuum accuator on the front axle and the part time transfer cases wear out or break more often so try to stick to a 2/4h/4L (NP 231 case) option. Some but few came with 44's in the rear so try to find one of those!!! I have an 88 and it was a very solid rig for 180,000 miles, now its a trail rig only. JEEP: Junk Each and Every Part, Just Empty Every Pocket!!!

 

Its a regular cherokee and not a grand rite???

I would avoid the 2.5 and find one with a 4.0/auto... Having the 2.5 in one is like having a 4.3 in a silvy..
The 4.0/aw4 combo's are known for going WELL past 200k miles before needing replacing,ive read about some that have 300k+ on them and there still goin ..The 4wd system is the same as you would find in a regular model wrangler so its good to go there..
I would try to find a 98-01 one as they were the last/newest they had to offer..
With proper care the jeep should live a long life

 

Great info guys, I appreciate it a ton!

*EDIT* Yep Andrew, regular box Cherokee