Used Jeep help in Phoenix, AZ

AZMikeD

AZMikeD

New member
I'm headed up to Peoria to look at a used LJ this afternoon. Private seller. Any of the Phoenix area guys available to go look at it with me?

I have a good idea what to look for when looking at used vehicles but thought it might be a good idea to have someone familiar with Jeeps with me. And a second set of eyes wouldn't hurt either.

If not, no big deal.

Thank You!
 
Just got back from looking at that LJ. 2006 with 101k miles. Looked pretty sound mechanically. The underneath looked clean. It appeared that the transmission, transfer case, and axles had been serviced at some point. The brakes may need some attention but I don't think its anything worse than pads and rotors. It seemed to drive fine, shift through the gears OK (automatic), and no problems driving in 4 hi or 4 low. I think for the most part it is fine mechanically.

My biggest concern was that the whole car had been repainted. Both the body and the hard top. The owner claimed this was due to vandalism and not accident damage. The Carfax backed that up. There was some damage to the plastic of one of the front marker lights which he said was from the same incident. I initially noticed the Jeep logos were missing on the sides and then noticed some runs in the paint here and there. He said the paint job comes with a warranty.

Also, the previous owner (he's the second owner) had installed a tow bar with a trailer brake controller. There is Teraflex budget boost spacers above the springs and airbags in the rear springs so I'm guessing the previous owner was doing some heavy towing.

Lastly, there is no service history. The owner has a "friend" who is a mechanic and who does all the service for him. He said he can get some more information when service items were done. He didn't sound like he knew much about cars himself.

Personally, I liked the guy and wanted to trust him and think its a good car. But I like to see that paper work.

At the end of the day I got him down on price but we were still $500 apart on price. He came down to $13500. Thoughts?

Thank you!
 
AZMikeD said:
Just got back from looking at that LJ. 2006 with 101k miles. Looked pretty sound mechanically. The underneath looked clean. It appeared that the transmission, transfer case, and axles had been serviced at some point. The brakes may need some attention but I don't think its anything worse than pads and rotors. It seemed to drive fine, shift through the gears OK (automatic), and no problems driving in 4 hi or 4 low. I think for the most part it is fine mechanically.

My biggest concern was that the whole car had been repainted. Both the body and the hard top. The owner claimed this was due to vandalism and not accident damage. The Carfax backed that up. There was some damage to the plastic of one of the front marker lights which he said was from the same incident. I initially noticed the Jeep logos were missing on the sides and then noticed some runs in the paint here and there. He said the paint job comes with a warranty.

Also, the previous owner (he's the second owner) had installed a tow bar with a trailer brake controller. There is Teraflex budget boost spacers above the springs and airbags in the rear springs so I'm guessing the previous owner was doing some heavy towing.

Lastly, there is no service history. The owner has a "friend" who is a mechanic and who does all the service for him. He said he can get some more information when service items were done. He didn't sound like he knew much about cars himself.

Personally, I liked the guy and wanted to trust him and think its a good car. But I like to see that paper work.

At the end of the day I got him down on price but we were still $500 apart on price. He came down to $13500. Thoughts?

Thank you!
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I personally think you should look at jk's for a little bit extra cash you get a much more capable vehicle
 
I appreciate the suggestion. Unfortunately, this is at the top of my budget and I haven't been able to find any 4wd jku's for under 15k. But I understand where you're coming from and wish I could spend a little more. I was actually trying to stay closer to 12k. This is my first Jeep and I haven't ruled out upgrading down the road. Thanks.
 
LJ's are nice, but JKU's ride a lot better and are more confortable. TJs and LJs are way over priced for their age. JKs arent cheap either.
 
RMC2 said:
LJ's are nice, but JKU's ride a lot better and are more confortable. TJs and LJs are way over priced for their age. JKs arent cheap either.
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You realize the LJ he was looking at is only one year older than a jk?

All jeeps hold their value pretty well. The Ljs are fairly rare and sought after.

In its stock platform, a jk is much more capable than a Tj, but that can be fixed 😁
 
What was the asking price of that LJ? From what you're saying, I'd look somewhere else.

LJ's are super capable. I got lucky and found a Rubicon LJ 6spd and it has taken me everywhere. The extra room the LJ has over the TJ is quite a bit
 
Moabbnd said:
What was the asking price of that LJ? From what you're saying, I'd look somewhere else.

LJ's are super capable. I got lucky and found a Rubicon LJ 6spd and it has taken me everywhere. The extra room the LJ has over the TJ is quite a bit
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He was asking 14800 which I thought was high. I was able to talk him dowb to a price I thought was good based on the miles and options. I think it's mechanically sound and seems well taken care of. I get concerned about the durability of non-factory paint jobs but I guess we'll see. It has a documented lifetime warranty.
 
David1tontj said:
You realize the LJ he was looking at is only one year older than a jk?

All jeeps hold their value pretty well. The Ljs are fairly rare and sought after.

In its stock platform, a jk is much more capable than a Tj, but that can be fixed 
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You realize an 06 LJ was likely sold in 05? About Ten years old. And yeah an 07 JK is 9 years old. Most of the ones I looked at were not stock - and that was a strike against them in my boat. Stock = less likely to be used and abused or built with components that might not be the best. I honestly wanted an LJ and not a JK - till I drove one. The last LJ I drove was lifted and nice looking. Didn't like the way it drove down the street because of the way it was done. i have seen plenty of JKU's for only a few thousand more than LJs and not just 07's. My 09 went for $19.5k with 76k miles and in great shape. I don't think I saw any LJ's for less than $12 and twice as many miles when I was looking (like you said - desirable). I'd still love one though.

Add: Cherokees dont hold any value. And yep, I want one.

I like them all. Thats why I still have an 85 CJ7. But each have their pluses and minuses.
 
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