Thoughts on this purchase?

[DakotaTJ]

What do you guys think of this 2003 4.0 auto, 60k miles for $12,500? Looks to be in excellent shape. Drove it today and steering is fairly loose. Most likely needs new shocks and salesman mentioned it had a pretty serious death wobble above 45mph before they put on new tires and did an alignment. Also throwing P0122 and P0121 codes.

Not overly worried about the codes. The death wobble thing puts me off a bit, as that could end up being an expensive gremlin to chase.

Frame looks good (to me). I'm not a total noob. So I know enough about these things after my recent purchase and perusing these forums for months.

https://www.bismarckmotorcompany.co...ler-x-4wd-2d-sport-utility-1j4fa39s93p352433/

 

[Chris]

How is the frame? It's hard to tell from the photos but in some of them it looks like there's some rust.

 

[Duck Doctor]

The fact that the dealership is selling a vehicle with the CEL illuminated is a red flag for me. I would thoroughly check the frame to verify the dealership did not paint over rust.

 

[DakotaTJ]

Surface rust, very miinor. Probably about the same as my 2020 Gladiator and better than the 2008 TJ I have. I agree on the CEL, kinda weird. Got the codes off of their reader though. Oh and the fan speed knob doesn't do anything. I'm fine with replacing the whole hvac control unit if needed.

I'd buy it in a heart beat for $10k. Dealer doesn't seem to want to budge. And it's only been on the lot for a few days. 3 previous owners.

 

[tr21triton]

do y'all have hills where you live ? if so that 3.07 gearing is going to suck for sure.

 

[DakotaTJ]

We do. The lack of acceleration on the interstate was kind of shocking. I have a 2.5, so I don't think my expectations were out of line. Was thinking that may be due to the TPS codes.

 

[tr21triton]

We do. The lack of acceleration on the interstate was kind of shocking. I have a 2.5, so I don't think my expectations were out of line. Was thinking that may be due to the TPS codes.

no that 3.07 just sucks the life out of a 4.0. I have a 97 Sahara with 3.07 on 31in. tires and a 05 Rubi with 4.11 on 33's. both with manual trans. up here in the mountains of North Georgia driving the Sahara has me down shifting constantly to get up even small hills. It isn't so bad when I take it down south on the interstate where it's flatter and your running 75MPH. And the only way to fix it is by regearing it.

 

[DakotaTJ]

no that 3.07 just sucks the life out of a 4.0. I have a 97 Sahara with 3.07 on 31in. tires and a 05 Rubi with 4.11 on 33's. both with manual trans. up here in the mountains of North Georgia driving the Sahara has me down shifting constantly to get up even small hills. It isn't so bad when I take it down south on the interstate where it's flatter and your running 75MPH. And the only way to fix it is by regearing it.

Ok thanks for the heads up. My 98 SE definitely feels snappier than this 03. Already searching marketplace for an SE donor that I could take the 4.10's off of. Or I could be a real dick and remove them from my current jeep before selling it to my brother .

Assuming that I do end up buying this one

 

[TN_Project_Jeep]

Sharp-looking ride, for sure. Honestly the very low miles for that year are a little bit of a bigger concern for me. I would rather see that rig with 150,000 miles. Age will impact rubber parts regardless of mileage. Lots of time not running can result in a lack of lubrication in the engine and things can start sticking or even corroding. TPS issues often result in really poor fuel economy and sometimes major stumbling/loss of engine power. Hopefully just a swap of a TPS unit will resolve that issue, so that one doesn't bother me at all. Definitely climb under that thing and take a screwdriver to poke around all over the frame. Good luck with everything and keep us updated!

 

[DakotaTJ]

Build sheet says 3.73 rear axel ratio. Hmmm....better, still not great though. Correct?

 

[tr21triton]

Build sheet says 3.73 rear axel ratio. Hmmm....better, still not great though. Correct?

3.73 will be much better. The add said 3.07 but if it has 3.73 it will be a lot better.

 

[TN_Project_Jeep]

The fan speed issue could suggest potential wiring problems. If that rig sat for any length of time, especially outside, it could have had rodents causing problems. Don't be surprised if you find some chewed-up wiring. That could also be part of the TPS issue. Or it could just be a faulty connection that needs a quick clean and re-assembly (with either/both the fan and TPS).

 

[Gilaguy23]

The fact that the dealership is selling a vehicle with the CEL illuminated is a red flag for me. I would thoroughly check the frame to verify the dealership did not paint over rust.

Word. No biggie eh? $12,500 for a 25 year old jeep with CEL and had bad D/W until they supposedly fixed it? You must be desperate.

 

[DakotaTJ]

Word. No biggie eh? $12,500 for a 25 year old jeep with CEL and had bad D/W until they supposedly fixed it? You must be desperate.

Not at all. Have 98 that I've put some work into. Having second thoughts about a new driver and a manual though.

 

[DakotaTJ]

The fan speed issue could suggest potential wiring problems. If that rig sat for any length of time, especially outside, it could have had rodents causing problems. Don't be surprised if you find some chewed-up wiring. That could also be part of the TPS issue. Or it could just be a faulty connection that needs a quick clean and re-assembly (with either/both the fan and TPS).

Thanks. The knob for fan speed basically just spins/doesn't click into any position.

 

[AdventurePig]

Surface rust, very miinor. Probably about the same as my 2020 Gladiator and better than the 2008 TJ I have. I agree on the CEL, kinda weird. Got the codes off of their reader though. Oh and the fan speed knob doesn't do anything. I'm fine with replacing the whole hvac control unit if needed.

I'd buy it in a heart beat for $10k. Dealer doesn't seem to want to budge. And it's only been on the lot for a few days. 3 previous owners.

Fan speed, temp and blend door/A/C knobs are known to just break. Meaning they might just be spinning on the surface without actually turning the pin below. Mine did this on two of them. Knobs are a cheap replacement item if that’s what it ends up being.

 

[DakotaTJ]

Fan speed, temp and blend door/A/C knobs are known to just break. Meaning they might just be spinning on the surface without actually turning the pin below. Mine did this on two of them. Knobs are a cheap replacement item if that’s what it ends up being.

Thank you. I'm thinking that's what it is.

 

[D's Jeep Wrld]

That's too much imo,for +12k you could get you a Lj if that's interests you! Seeing all the things that are wrong with it would make it a hard N.O for me.
Those are my 2 cents and my 2 cents is free

 

[Rickyd]

used car dealers are no different than shyster private sellers. They buy low and sell high after doing the bare minimum to hide problems.

I'd look at what similar tj's are selling for from people who aren't making a living on inflating prices. Your area will be different from others. The rust belt makes solid older vehicles harder to come by

 

[DakotaTJ]

TJ's with double the miles are selling for the same price. I'm still thinking I'll pass if they don't come down. No brainer at $10k. Would probably still pay $11k.

They're a "best price" dealer so don't seem willing to negotiate. The best price thing is kind of a joke.