What to expect with an WJ?

[drewdub]

Greetings - I am in the market for picking up a DD/Expo vehicle. I have cross shop/cross posted various makes, including Disco II, Montero, 4Runner, brings me to the WJ Grand Cherokee.

What can I expect with a WJ as far as reliability/durability? I am well aware that a lot will depend on prior maintenance/condition, but generally, how are these trucks?

I have looked at jeepforum.com's excellent buyers guide, but I also wanted an ExPo perspective. I am seeing many nice well optioned WJ's in my area (Detroit) for under 10 grand. I am leaning towards trying to snag a good condition Overland, or likely a limited with the 4.7 or the 4.7 HO.

Thanks for any and all info. Also - is it worth it to increase my budget and get into a 2005/2006 WK Grand Cherokee?

Thanks

P.S. - apologize for the poor use of "an" in title.

 

[mhiscox]

Everyone has their own luck, and the WJs are not thought of as paragons of reliability. I have, however, had two of them at the 100,000 mile mark and found them to be no more troublesome than the general run of used SUVs. I also consider a sub-$10K 2004 WJ to be a sweet spot of overlanding value. Aim for a V8 Limited with Quadra-Drive II on all-terrain tires and you'll have a cushy truck suitable for daily driver use, towing, limited hauling and all but the most serious overland use.

While it's all computer controlled so you can't tell what the heck is going on, the QDII adds front and rear lockers as needed, and there's a useful low range. Most have a towing package and roof rails, and the form factor seems to me to be about perfect. Throw on a rear hatch tent and you can sleep in the back. The rap against WJs is that it's hard to get big tires on it and that the fuel economy isn't great. Fair enough criticisms, but the ground clearance is decent with stock tires, plus most Limiteds have skid plates, tow hooks and other stuff you'd have to buy for other trucks. And if you want to add rock rails, bumpers or other parts, they are reasonably priced, as such things go.

The 2005+ WK Jeeps have most of the same positive attributes, but there are those (include me) who think that neither the interior nor exterior redesign were necessarily improvements. It's all personal opinion, though. There is a bit less bolt-on stuff available for WKs, but that shouldn't make much difference. I don't believe there was any great improvement in reliability.

If you haven't been there already, go to wjjeeps.com (and wkjeeps.com, if you care) to learn pretty close to every last thing you could ever want to know about the 99+ Grand Cherokees. And, BTW, the huge amount of support you can tell exists is one good reason to go in this direction . . . you may meet youself coming and going, but that's superior in my mind to having to troll the internet hoping for a snippet of information on some more esoteric choice.

 

[88Xj]

The 4.7L is one bad motor..tons of power. But its also harder to work on, fewer & farther between than the tried & true inline6. So more expensive for parts labor & even general know how...how they set up the inline6 a caveman could change plugs, wires, cap, rotor, valve cover gasket ect ect ect! Also parts from 87-06 will work pending what it is..

I personally think Zj's are better..same axle width as Xj's, Tj's, Mj's ect ect. Wjs are 3" wider. So spare shafts or axle swaps/upgrades..parts wize a Zj is where its at. Wj's are still great but the extra parts source for a Zj makes me like it more. Also the 5.2L & 5.9L & 4.0 are all great motors in the Zj's..but again the 4.0 remains top dog for availiablity & parts ect ect..very easy to work on!

 

[Bretthn]

I am very happy with my WJ. You should be able to purchase a good vehicle for far less than your $10k budget. Save the rest to catch up on maintenance and upgrades. As far as reliability goes for the 4.7, I have come across many with 250k or more on the odometer. I agree with the previous poster about getting a limited with the quadradrive and verilok axles. You have enough traction stock to get into more places than many upgraded vehicles out there.
As far as maintenance goes, it is going to be a little tighter in the engine bay than on the 4.0 but I have had no problems working on mine.
Good luck!

 

[UK4X4]

Had 2 powerfull comfy

but had some issues

one - had the mix door failure and the whistling idle thingy

second - quadra drive would only work in low

also its not a locker- its a clutch LSD- mine did not function

had to replce just about every sensor for an intermittant cutt out- even the dealer could not diagnose it

blew two head gaskets in 6 months- in the middle east mind you but - its a large engine in a small space and the rear cylinders get hot

Me- fun to drive - loved the power both the V8 limiteds but never again

 

[b4wscrambler]

I am on my second WJ. I have some experience and have done alot of research. The 4.0 is great but the Auto behind them is not the best. The 4.7 uses oil but has more power and a better transmission. All of the WJ will need a heater core, Evaporator and blend door will go bad and need to be replaced at some point.

I really like the verilok axles, not true lockers but better than the average limited slip. I also like that with a mild lift kit you can use JK Wrangler rims and tires are a cheap upgrade.

Good luck with your choice.

KR

 

[theksmith]

keep in mind the WJ was the last model to have solid front axle, the WK has IFS - wouldn't matter for a mild trail rig, but if plan to let it evolve into not being the DD eventually, you might care. however, you can actually stuff larger tires under a WK stock than the WJ.

i think the 4.7 is of average reliability, not great. the I6 4.0L is an awesome engine, but underpowered for the WJ, especially with bigger tires and added weight of a rack, armor, bumpers, etc. the regular 4.7 is quite a bit cheaper than the HO if you ended up needing to replace it, so i'd get an Limited with regular 4.7 over the HO Overland.

i really like mine despite the few problems i've had. the only similar vehicle i'd consider instead would be a 80 Series Land Cruiser. i believe the engine might be more reliable, though they are a bit bigger vehicle. for mild trail duty a 90's 4Runner should be in your list of contenders too.

also, i would only expect to pay $6-7K for a really nice, 100k mile or less Limited WJ.

and as someone else pointed out, the QuadaDrive on the WJ are just clutch based limited slips. they work very well with 31" or less tires provided you regularly service the diffs and run the correct Mopar friction additive. with the added momentum of 33" or larger tires, the clutches wear out fairly quickly.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

If you are considering Grand Cherokees it might be worth the effort to also look into Isuzu Troopers, I'm actually getting to replace one of my Jeeps with a Trooper and am finding they are a reliable and well built vehicle, plus you can buy them with a manual transmission. And although the 4.0 in the Jeep might be a bit lacking on power, you will find more WJ's for sale with blown engines or other issues than the 4.0 models.

 

[SSF556]

Hello....as a 2008 WK CRD owner I am biased. And I will be honest...the WK was not my first choice, but I got a great deal on it as a company car and the real reason I am keeping mine is the diesel engine. I stole this picture from the jeepforum..it clearly shows that WKs can be reliable. Parts are relatively cheap. Mine has a 3.5" lift and 32" tires and it will go pretty much anywhere I want.

But Toyota vehicles have there issues as well. Any vehicle listed on expo could potentially leave you high and dry.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[WKexpedition]

I also have a WK. Great platform I think. The interior could def be better but the 4.7 and QTII trans that mine has, paired with the lift and tires I've added will def get me anywhere I plan to go. Also the IFS makes for a nicer ride during the week to work!! Obviously the off road market is not as large as the Wrangler, but there are quite a few well made options.