This is one cheap SUV.
When you’re looking for a used car at $3,000 or under, your options generally include vehicles with major defects. We’re talking chicken wire in lieu of doors, smoke plumes coming from under the hood, and other potentially costly adventures. And while an old Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited with over 256,000 miles doesn’t sound great, this could actually be a tremendous find.
Made only for the 1998 model year, the Jeep Grand Cherokees with the 5.9-liter V8 were fast SUVs before fast SUVs were a thing.
Posted on Facebook, this Jeep might not be appropriate for taking on Widow Maker in Moab, but it wouldn’t be a bad runabout for your in-town excursions. The long description details a number of mechanical problems the owner has resolved in the recent past, plus he claims the engine runs smoothly. While it’s dripping some oil, coolant, and power steering, that’s pretty much expected with such a vehicle. As long as you don’t ignore the levels under the hood, you could have a fairly reliable and fun SUV on your hands.
There are a few criticisms about this Jeep Grand Cherokee. For one, those tires look a little too worn to give any meaningful traction in snow and ice, so if you live where it gets below freezing you might want to invest in some new rubber. That’s also true if you want to off-road this beast.
Buying anything with the check engine light on can be risky, but this guy claims it’s for the O2 sensor, so if you can read the codes and confirm that you’re in the clear. The ABS light is also illuminated because of the rear wheel sensors, according to the seller. Again, confirming that fact would be wise.
Less-than-perfect paint is to be expected at this price point, but this ride honestly doesn’t look too bad from the pictures. Of course, some people use creative photography, so seeing a vehicle with your own eyes can reveal all kinds of things.
Still, you get quite a few parts with the purchase of this Jeep, which includes front and rear differentials with 100,000 miles on them and a full set of seats. That means you won’t have to be constantly searching for parts since you’ll already have a nice stash on hand. The Alcantara headliner is in good condition and the leather upholstery looks fantastic for the age and mileage, matching the rest of the interior.
You could do far worse for $3,000. That alone makes this offer tempting, especially if you’re in need of an affordable yet reliable sport utility packing V8 power. Clearly the current owner has taken good care of this Jeep. Plus, this is a fairly rare Grand Cherokee. With how crazy people get about SUVs of any age these days, especially Jeeps, someone needs to snatch this one before we break down and get it for ourselves, please.
