We've heard of issues with the hinges on the two-door models at higher miles, but we've also seen the hinges get loose on fourdoors. if the previous owner was using the door as a crutch to get in and out of the Jeep, you will need to address the hinges with whatever model you pick.
Look for cracks at the suspension mounting points. even XJs driven on the road their whole lives can start having problems with the unibody at higher mileage. also, if you're looking to save a few bucks by buying a 200,000-mile XJ, make sure there's no rust near the unibody at all. repairing that rust could easily cost you more than replacing the Jeep.
If it has power windows, it's likely the regulators and/or motors will be on the way out and need to be replaced somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 miles. proof that it has already been done will save you the effort and money for what will be a required repair.
It should come as no surprise that our favorite pick when buying a much highermileage Jeep is the TJ. What might surprise you, though, is that we only think the '97-'03 Wrangler is a good deal. get one with the four- or six-cylinder, make sure there's a manual transmission behind it, and you should be good to go.
We just don't trust any Wrangler automatic transmission to make it to 200,000 without needing a rebuild, and the TJ is no exception. The other parts that we question in the later TJs are the nSg370 and the 2.4l four-cylinder. To begin with, they aren't nearly as overbuilt as the parts they replaced, and we've not seen any Jeep with them at 200,000 yet, with or without rebuilding major components.
As for the rubicon, don't even get us started. a Jeep made for wheeling? good luck finding a higher-mileage one that hasn't been beat on. So with the unproven components and the rubicon getting beat on in mind, we set our year range.
With all the higher-mileage TJs, check the track-bar mounts at the frame, especially the front axle track bar. if the Jeep saw a lot of offroad action, this mount tends to work loose. Often, it can tear the frame apart at that location. also look at the rear track-bar mount at the axle-they're known to disagree with the axlehousing and part ways.
Make sure the axles have gear oil in them, as the goofy rubber fill plugs like to leak, as do the axleshaft seals. When left untended, it can quickly lead to a seized rearend.