Jeep owners! How long can I expect my Wrangler to survive?

[MorningGlow]

Millie is 8 years old and just hit 165,000 miles. She's never seen the inside of a garage and has a healthy dose of rust (Northeast climate). Battery was replaced two years ago. No other major repairs (other than the driver's side door hinge rusting out and the door falling off, which of course has been remedied--kinda need a door in this climate). Been warned that the front brakes are likely due to be replaced sooner rather than later.

How long can I expect my aging Millie to last? I really REALLY need her to keep going as long as possible. (Another car payment? In this economy? Not happening.) The good news is I'll be driving her a lot less once MG Jr. starts kindergarten a couple of blocks away in the fall.

So--any ideas? :shrug:

[flvegan]

1. Wranglers are notorious for paint/trim/bodypanel problems over time

They powertrain, however, is fairly bulletproof. Pretty odd for a Chrysler product these days, but it is true.

If you've gotten 165k on the original brakes, you HAVE to keep that Jeep because it's possessed.

[MorningGlow]

4. Mille does indeed look like crap

She ain't pretty no more, but she still runs, and that's what important.

I drive her too hard to still have the original brakes--I'm pretty certain I've had them done several years ago. However, the original battery lasted seven years, and was still working fine when the mechanics went to change my oil and found it leaking acid all over the place. It was corroded in place, but it was still nearly full capacity.

[IndianaJones]

2. 4 or 6? nt.

[MorningGlow]

3. Six.

I've become addicted to power, despite the shitty gas mileage. :evilgrin:

[IndianaJones]

5. actually the 4 and six get almost identical mileage. never understood why anyone...

would get the four.

the six is bulletproof. 300k+ with good maintenance. Is it manual?

A jeep will rust out before it breaks down.

[MorningGlow]

13. Really? I didn't know that

I always had fours (always used cars--whatever was available on my uncle's dealership lot), so when I finally got a NEW car, I jumped at the chance for a six. It's an automatic, though. Mr. MG tried to teach me how to drive a stick ONCE--so I popped the clutch on his Toyota Rav 4 and we leapt forward about three feet--big deal--is that any reason to throw me out of the driver's seat and refuse to teach me ever again?
:rofl:

Good to know about the 300K. I think Millie will definitely rust out first--she has a good head start in that department. Depending on our financial circumstances in the future (who knows what they will be), I'd just need to keep her going to a little more than 200K, but 250K would be ideal. Thanks! :hi:

[ileus]

20. the 4-5k extra for the 4.0 is the reason.

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. My sister in law traded hers in after 18 years for 2K, which isn't bad

and it was still driving well.

[MorningGlow]

14. That IS good

Mr. MG says I drive Millie too hard, plus we lived out in the back o' beyond for several years--hence the large number of miles in a fairly short period of time--so she won't make it into double digits for age. Interestingly enough, I've never driven her on any long-distance trips. A few hundred miles round trip, just a few times, is all. Lots of many-mile meandering when MG Jr. was small, though--if he fell asleep in the car, there was NO WAY I was gonna move him till he woke from his nap! Ah, the good old days when gas was cheap enough to do that...

[LostinVA]

7. Haruka got rid of her 5-year-old Grand Cherokee with that much mileage on it

Never had any real problems. It had a leak in the brake line, when she got rid of it, though. Otherwise, it was fine.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. ...and she was jealous of other, cooler SUV owners with heated

leather seats and stuff...

[LostinVA]

9. Her Saab has heated leather seats and gets better gas mileage

Pretty good in the snow, too.

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. Mine gets better gas mileage because I don't go anywere.

:P

[LostinVA]

11. She's doesn't go far

:P

[MorningGlow]

17. That's true

Mr. MG has a Saab that is great in the snow, and he wipes the floor with me when it comes to mileage.

And :blush: I must admit I have heated-leather-seat envy. Jeeps are cool, but they're hardly luxurious.

[MorningGlow]

16. That is so good to know

Especially because I'm the one driving the kid around most of the time.

[pookieblue]

12. I had a jeep comanche

that went for nearly forever before the transmission went out. It was well over 20yrs old when that happened.

[MorningGlow]

18. Wow

I don't think Millie's gonna make it to 20...sometimes I wonder if she'll make it to 10.

[ileus]

15. In Jan I'll have owned mine 10 years, 72k body perfect.

I bought it in Jan 99 with 49k, I put 20k on her my first year. She's stays in the garage all summer and I cover her up of the winter and don't get it out in the snow or salt (my honda works just fine up to 6")

The 4.0 and Tranny should last 250k at least, I'd say you'll need a new clutch soon if that hasn't been replaced already. I replaced my front calipers and rotors last year for less than 200 bucks. I rebuilt the rear brakes year before for less than 150.

Rust depends on where you live and how often you wash it of the winter, I wash my vehicles after every "salt cycle" and it's worked great for me so far.

[MorningGlow]

19. Nice sig

You take good care of your baby! I'm afraid I don't do as well--not even close. Our last two houses didn't have garages, and the one we have now is Mr. MG's woodshop, so Millie's always been outside in LOTS of snow, ice, and salt. Can't get away from it 'round these parts.

[littlebit]

21. Mine is 16 years old

and is still running great. I repainted it last spring so now it looks great also.

[Rob H.]

22. I have a '91 with 188,000+ miles on it

I'm not sure how many soft tops I've had on it thus far, but it's been really reliable. The biggest repair I've been part of was when my dad and I wound up replacing the wiring harness after the covering on one of the battery cables split and resulted in acid getting in and making the wire so brittle it just snapped off one day.

The paint has seen better days and the foam rubber seal across the hinge at the bottom of the windshield needs to be replaced because it's dried out to the point that it leaks in heavy rain, but the A/C blows just as cold as the day I bought it even though it's never been recharged. If they didn't get such horrible gas mileage I would buy another one when it comes time to replace this one.

Semi-OT: I'd buy one of these if Jeep would make it--it's a diesel/electric hybrid Renegade concept that's supposed to use recyclable, sustainable materials in its construction.