Description
1998 Jeep Cherokee Limited 2. 5 TD Manual with full service history, long MOT and in road-ready, daily useable condition.
Iconic American 4x4 silhouette in moss green pearl over the tan interior. Stock OEM specification - not been abused off-road or converted into an overlander with crazy aftermarket kits.
From what I understand, it was slightly neglected mechanically during and just after COVID. This was rectified with the recent welding repairs on the sills, repair to the steering box, 4 brand new cylinder heads, new head gasket, service, and a fresh MOT completed in March 2025. New cylinder heads have been sourced via George, the VM engine specialist in Chesterfield. All invoices are available.
The jeep has covered ~500 miles since the quoted work. Starts on the button, holds idle and revs beautifully, goes through all the gears and stops smoothly, considering its age. The clutch feels good and is solid. The Cherokee XJ is not the fastest, nor most precise nor agile and nimble in steering and handling from the factory, but the diesel engine has plenty of power even by today’s standards and holds the road surprisingly well on the motorways, etc. It consumes potholes and all surface imperfections quite smoothly also. The battery holds the voltage, the engine doesn’t overheat on short or long runs and in traffic. The oil pressure is consistently good and is not leaking either. I am managing 30MPG on average.
Exterior condition is 8/ 10 from a couple of meters away, and 5-6/ 10 on closer inspection. There are no signs of lacquer peeling, but most panels have various scratches, some stone chips, and blemishes. No major dents. I tried to capture everything in pictures.
The interior is in pretty good shape for age - 7/ 10 conservatively. In good clean condition, with no nasty smells/ sticky plastic or buttons. The driver’s seat is the worst for wear, but no large tears, etc. See the pictures. ~90% of the electrics work - seats and mirror adjustments, dashboard gauges and all warning lights, original cassette stereo and radio, wipers, horn, air con/ heater, overhead info display with mileage, compass, etc. Not working: rear window defrost, front flood lights and the service light under the hood. The doors don’t currently lock from the remote key, but they operate fine and lock from the internal door lock button on all sides, so the car is secure when leaving it, and weirdly responds fine to the unlock button on the key. I will try to diagnose this further shortly, did not have the capacity yet.
The headliner is solid and there is no sagging, like on many of these. The overhead compartment tunnel has a slight gap on the driver’s side - believe the culprit to be a broken clip that is supposed to hold it in place.
Tow bar and factory-fitted roof bars. Original alloys, that could benefit from a refurb for better aesthetics, but not in too bad of a shape as of today. Decent thread on the 4 matching Hankook AT tyres. The spare tyre will need to be replaced, if desired and isn’t from the Hankook set.
Currently at 157070 miles. The jeep comes with a folder full of history, significant service and maintenance records covering pretty much every one of its 27 years.
For complete disclosure:
Please don’t expect this to be in showroom condition - it is nearly a 30-year-old car. I did my best to describe and capture everything openly and transparently, and provide pictures.
- There are irregular signs of surface corrosion on various bits of the undercarriage, but nothing too worrying that I have been able to see or been advised by the service and the 4x4 specialist garage that has seen it. It previously had the protective coating applied, but it is coming away in places now. I have booked a prep and respray of the underside with Lanoguard, but could only book an early May slot. Happy to account for this in the final price if purchased beforehand.
- I also booked it for the transmission oil change, as it hasn’t been done in a while, from what I know - same as above, was only available for early May appointment with everyone local being too busy.
- There are minor patches of surface corrosion at the two wheel archways on the interior side - visible on pics.
- There is a small area of corrosion (3 cm2) on the rear, left side panel, which is bubbling. To me this is the worst part of the exterior.
Another personal purchase is forcing the sale to release the funds.
This XJ has been a great weekend and occasion car. I believe it has great potential, with the recent cylinder heads replaced - no reason why this engine shouldn’t cover at least another 150k miles with adequate servicing and attention it deserves from an enthusiastic owner. Extremely practical, quirky and quite comfortable cruiser. I don’t see it requiring any significant £££ investment to maintain in decent and usable condition.
I am open and available for any further questions, viewings/ test drives- please reach out.
