Abu Dhabi Off-Road Club Forums

In my chase for a used wrangler i met a guy today who has an 04 sahara, hardtop, manual, black, done 55k, he says it has 7 years warranty till 2011. I had a look at the serive book, last check up was done at 53k.
it has scratches around the edges of the doors and the interior needs cleaning, otherwise it looks fine. i drove the car, shifting seems to be smooth.

he is asking for 46k, i told him that im welling to pay 44k, he'll get back to me if it fine with the owner (its his friend's car).

I need the jeepers advice, any other thing i have to watch for.

Discuss directly with the owner!

take the car for full check up at the trading interprices , they will be able to tell you if there is anything in the car and also if it had accidents and stuff.

about the price , if u get it at 44,000 dhs i think thats a good price if the car is clean.

Well, I cant stay quiet for long.

I am a bit picky and would do my own tests both visual and mechanical and if it passes I take it to the dealer for full inspection and service history. The dirt inside the car reflects how tidy or carefless the owner is, also need to know why there are scratches and where did they come from.

Check the car when its COLD, strat it then press and release the clutch to listen to the clutch bearing (common issue with 04, 05 and 06 models) nothing major at all, but something that helps you with negotiation

Check for oil leaks on both front and rear axles from the seals connecting the drive shafts. Other possible leaks from transfer case or gearbox.

Check for noises when engaging 4x4, try it on some sand and check both high and low ratio for easy shifting and any abnormal sounds. Keep in mind that Wranglers are noisy as they come out of the box. 8O 8O

Look for inclination to the front side (it means the car used to be driven on very hard terrain at high speeds) suspension is spoiled.

You already said that shifting is smooth. I assume you did the test at low speed as well as high speed both upshift and downshift.

Dont test the car with the radio on. You need to listen to the car, you can listen to the radio at home...

Open the windows, drive next to a wall and listen for noises squeeks etc.

Open the hood and do a detailed inspection for replaced parts tampered components modifications, leaks etc.

At the end if I like the car (CLEAN car) I normally buy it even if it is a bit pricy, cause cheap and spoiled cars will never become clean again no matter how much you spend on them.

Hope I did not forget anything. Wish it was in Abu Dhabi to see it with you.

Regards,

thanks guys for the info. If i decide to buy it, i will surely do a full check up. i drove it, but man, now i remember why i sold it. I couldnt differentiate between the normal and abnormal noises, i felt that the suspension was soft (maybe because i have the rancho in my patrol).

the scratches were on the frame where the door closes, my friend said it might be because the owner used to wear boots with metal parts, it the place where you hit your foot when ever you get in.

i had a look at the service book, it was serviced every 10k. but the guy said the warranty is unlimited for 7years?? i thought its 7 years or 110k kms ?

yah i remember it used to be at that time 7 years or 100,000 km which ever comes first , hmmm now they stoped this in the new models.