Jeep Cherokee 2.5 Litre Turbo Diesel 4WD

See if you can find a copy of the Dog and Lemon Guide at a newsagent. Its the same motor I believe as was used in the early Range Rover( VM) which did not enjoy a good rep. The Petrol motor in the Cherokee was the hemi 4l which was long lived and tough.
Cheers Pete

Hi Old Mal.
I dont know about the 1997 TD 2.5 but i did have a 1998 model from 2002 to 2009.I brought it with 56,000 on the clock and sold it at 203500 km.
Overall the VM performed well with only the usuall wear and tear you get with most vehicles as they get older.During the period i owned it i had the starter motor replaced (bugger of a location for the mechanic,right underneath the turbo and exhaust manifold) and a new clutch.I switched to Bio diesel at one stage,which was a big mistake, and that cost me, however that was my own doing. I would not have changed to a 2005 KJ if it were not for the low towing capabilities of the 2.5 (1400kg max).We upgraded to a caravan and sold our lighter camper trailer.
I was more than happy with it.Bear in mind the petrol version will use more fuel than the diesel.

A lot of people who have one love them, as a mechanic who has had quite a bit of experience on these I must say they are a very unreliable engine which have a lot of problems. They have individual alloy cylinder heads which are very prone to cracking and overheating. They have two engine control modules, one Bosch for the VM components and one Chrysler to act as a go between for the Bosch to communicate with the rest of the car. This system causes many problems. I have seen too many other problems to mention here regarding this engine. If your son wants an early model Cherokee I would strongly suggest avoiding the diesel and getting a petrol model. It may use more fuel but is a far more reliable engine, the only problem the petrol's suffer from is crank angle sensors failing which are easily replaced.

Regards Jon