I am looking to buy my first car and would love a Jeep Wrangler. I’ve found a 2001 with 80,000 miles for $5000, which is about what I’d like to spend. Will I be facing major expenses and/or will the car be expected to last me for at least a couple of years with moderate mileage?
The previous owner bought it new and replaced the clutch at 45,000 miles, and he’s replaced the oil every 3-4,000 miles. Is there anything else I should be looking for before buying this?
Thanks.
You’ll get all manner of replies suggesting that you not get the Jeep but rather a Toyota Corolla or some such. If you actually can appreciate owning a Jeep, you may be happy with this one. Don’t expect a smooth ride and be prepared for some eccentricities. I would wonder why the clutch needed replacing so soon, however. I would prefer that it be a 6 cylinder because of performance issues. However, both the 4 and 6 have their supporters in the Jeep world and both engines are known to last a long time. If it’s an automatic transmission, the TF999 (or 32RH) is known to be very durable in this application and off-roaders frequently swap manuals for this automatic. Just have it checked out thoroughly before you buy it. I’ve been driving Jeeps for over 20 years and a replaced clutch has been my biggest expense so far.
That’s an amazing price. Assuming a 4 cylinder, with manual trans, the price should be around $10,000. ^ cyl with auro the price would be 13,000 or more…
My question would be “what’s wrong with it?”
80,000 miles is nothing to a wrangler, you should expect a well maintained one to last 200,000.