I bought a brand new Jeep Cherokee Classic in 1998 and drove it for ten years before going out to buy a new vehicle. The only reason I ‘downgraded’ to a Chevy Cobalt was due to gas prices in 2008 and the 80 miles a day I drove back and forth to work wasn’t exactly financially benefiting to my family. Although Chevy is my second choice manufacturer, the Jeep stole my heart with the power of the inline 6, the control that the 4 wheel drive produced and most of all, the ease of having to get repairs done, not that it happened often. The Jeep had 357,000 miles on it in 2008 when my husband started to drive it and today, three years later, it has 408,000 miles and still running with the original engine and transmission, without a miss.
Granted, after my divorce in 2001, I had to make sure that I always had a vehicle to get back and forth to work. While I was learning to balance the changes in my new life, raise four kids, continue my education and keep up on the bills the Jeep became an important part of my life as a nonstop mom and career woman. The last thing I needed was a money-pit for a vehicle; so, I was grateful that I got the Jeep and he got the Ford Explorer, but that is another story all in its own.
So I have to be honest, the water pump did need to be replaced three times since it hit 150,000 miles, but I did all three replacements myself in as little as 40 minutes at the cost of $45 per pump. The power-steering pump went at 300,000 miles and I replaced that myself, although that took me an hour, but was only $55 out of my pocket. I am far from a mechanic: 34 years old, always been a female and I am a business professional, not exactly appearing to be a grease monkey. The mechanic I almost hired offered to change it for about $300, so I saved myself $250 and a day of being without my Jeep. Besides tires, brakes, oil changes the only other thing that needed to be replaced were the U-joints at about 200,000 and 350,000 miles, this cost me less than $100 for parts, both times combined, 2 hours the first time with an assist from my brother and about 1 1/2 hours the second time for me to do it alone.
Besides poor gas mileage, about 15 mpg city/20 mpg highway, I know that I own one of the most reliable, best driving vehicles ever made. Never had I been stranded on the side of the road, nor had I worried about it when I drove it regularly. After religiously keeping up on maintenance for the last 14 years, I still have no problem taking it for a drive, on road or even a little off road. The muffler is starting to go now, but even washing it weekly will not stop that from rusting out in upstate New York, so muffler number three is about to take its place. I am waiting for the 500,000 mark now, patiently. Just another mile marker for Jeep. If there were a way to wave a magic wand and get 30 mpg, I would sill be driving it every day.
