Need advice from people with experience

[Mozvader]

Hi folks,

Im looking to pick up a new Cherokee this week but I have some doubts. I haven't seen the car I'm purchasing in person and it's the first time I buy a car from up north and I'm worried about rust. I got even more worried after talking to the salesperson. Lol! She didn't exactly inspire confidence in me.
The XJ looks really clean, it's low mileage, and it's a 2 owner car.

Here are some pics under the hood and of the undercarriage. Do any of you guys with experience buying cars up north see anything I should be worried about?

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[Overland]

Yeah, it looks like it's been detailed, which means it looks like after they washed everything under the hood, they painted everything black to look fresh. Common used car dealer tactic.

The underside looks especially suspicious. Looks like they sprayed undercoating right over the rust.

 

[Overland]

God, look at the front drive shaft yoke. That's indicative of what the rest of it looked like. It's a polished turd, I'd walk unless it was under a thousand dollars.

 

[Overland]

Rear shaft, sorry. Looks like the U joint has never been replaced, and the clips are rusted to the yoke.

 

[Overland]

They even painted the exhaust, and it has a new muffler.

For what it's worth, the worst place to look is not shown. Look at the front corners of the floor pan, inside or outside of the unibody frame. They tend to rust through right there, and any repairs would be obvious. Probably why you can't see it from the angles provided.

I mean, you could drive it, and it probably looks nice enough on the surface, but should you have to remove any bolts underneath, things are going to break, strip, etc. So if you want to lift it, you have that to deal with right off.

 

[Overland]

Oh, and it appears to have cheap Hankook car tires on it, which are like $45 each. Those really aren't much for inspiring confidence.

"Look, it even has new tires!"

 

[Overland]

This forum doesn't allow basic members to edit posts, so sorry for the numerous replies. It looks worse every time I look at it. If I were to guess, it's on a used car lot, it was purchased cheap or stolen via "trade in" and was extensively detailed in an attempt to sell it to someone who would never open the hood or look underneath. It's probably listed in the neighborhood of five to seven thousand dollars. Actual value is probably closer to fifteen hundred given the rust, but like I said, they're going to sell it to some kid who doesn't know what to look for because he wants what he sees.

On the surface.

 

[8Mud]

I'd check if it is smog compliant for your local. I may be wrong, but that looks like a resonator after the muffler and not a CAT, which means it may be an import.

I'll never buy another XJ without folding back the drivers and passengers side carpet. And the carpet around the rear wheel wells. Both are often the spots where you find nasty surprises.

All that undercoating may make sheet metal repairs just that much harder.

 

[Mozvader]

I'd check if it is smog compliant for your local. I may be wrong, but that looks like a resonator after the muffler and not a CAT, which means it may be an import.

I'll never buy another XJ without folding back the drivers and passengers side carpet. And the carpet around the rear wheel wells. Both are often the spots where you find nasty surprises.

All that undercoating may make sheet metal repairs just that much harder.

I ran both major vehicle reports. It's a 2 owner car. The mileage checks out. It's under 100k. Serviced at the Jeep dealer and the exhaust was replaced in April of 2016. I know cars but I don't know rust.

 

[Heavyopp]

What year is this XJ? What is the asking price?

That sure looks like a jeep cat to me before the muffler -- it's not after the muffler

I do not like all that fresh undercoating -- it would have to be a screaming deal for me to buy it

Bring a hammer and tell them you'd like to tap a few places underneath -- bet they won't let you


Where is it? If it's local to me I'll go look at it for you.

 

[Tim_MN]

The most common rust areas are behind the rear plastic bumper corners, the rocker panels, in the door bottoms, the top corners of the windshield, and in the front floor pans, all areas that you can see fairly easily. The Cat Converter likely is original.

Overall, average or better than average for rust.

 

[Mozvader]

What year is this XJ? What is the asking price?

That sure looks like a jeep cat to me before the muffler -- it's not after the muffler

I do not like all that fresh undercoating -- it would have to be a screaming deal for me to buy it

Bring a hammer and tell them you'd like to tap a few places underneath -- bet they won't let you


Where is it? If it's local to me I'll go look at it for you.

Thanks you but it's in Maryland.
That nice clean undercoating does look a bit off but I can't see any holes. Nothing looks corroded away. Everything looks solid underneath the black.
Also there's no rust around the battery tray and the headers don't look pitted. It's really clean under the hood and I don't mean the Gunk engine bright. The metal and all the bolts look clean

 

[Mozvader]

The most common rust areas are behind the rear plastic bumper corners, the rocker panels, in the door bottoms, the top corners of the windshield, and in the front floor pans, all areas that you can see fairly easily. The Cat Converter likely is original.

Overall, average or better than average for rust.

I got pictures of the inside door jams and the bottom of the door. Also got pics of the rain gutters and around the windshield. Actually the truck doesn't have any dents or dings at all. If they are there they must be tiny.

 

[sinat01]

What part of MD? and if its under 100k it may just be a unicorn that was well taken care of. but take a slag hammer (welders hammer whatever you call it) and tap the floor, and the unibody rails. check under it kinda on the inside of the rear quarter panels and feel around the bottom parts of the wheel wells.

And not to hijack but why do they rust at the upper portion of the floor pan? I noticed mine rusted through there the other day and I gotta fix it lol

 

[Mozvader]

What part of MD? and if its under 100k it may just be a unicorn that was well taken care of. but take a slag hammer (welders hammer whatever you call it) and tap the floor, and the unibody rails. check under it kinda on the inside of the rear quarter panels and feel around the bottom parts of the wheel wells.

And not to hijack but why do they rust at the upper portion of the floor pan? I noticed mine rusted through there the other day and I gotta fix it lol

It's in Edgewood MD. 2 owner car first owner had it 16 years. I checked both reports and service record. Everything matches. No accidents. Under 100,000 miles. I ran the reports myself just Incase and to compare with what they gave me.

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[country2]

Hi, looking at some of the cross members/rails you can see where some rust was painted over and possibly master cylinder leaking also. Looks like they did a good job of cleaning it as I see no oil leaks.

 

[country2]

Hi, looking at some of the cross members/rails you can see where some rust was painted over and possibly master cylinder leaking also. Looks like they did a good job of cleaning it as I see no oil leaks.

 

[EMSJEEP]

Why is the power steering hose bronze?

 

[Overland]

Thanks you but it's in Maryland.
That nice clean undercoating does look a bit off but I can't see any holes. Nothing looks corroded away. Everything looks solid underneath the black.
Also there's no rust around the battery tray and the headers don't look pitted. It's really clean under the hood and I don't mean the Gunk engine bright. The metal and all the bolts look clean

You don't know what corrosion looks like under paint/undercoating clearly. I'd be willing to bet it was parked in grass for a while, and under a hundred thousand miles means it sat somewhere for a long time. I see some pretty rough spots underneath, but I'm not going to draw you a picture.

I took my neighbor to pick one up in San Antonio, from a guy who had purchased it from the original owner in Maryland. We knew it was rusty, but didn't notice the hitch was rusted in two until we removed it. Paid $750 for his and it was loaded. You can do much better with private sales.

Can you not see that drive shaft yoke?

 

[country2]

Why is the power steering hose bronze?

looks like its got a little rust on it also.