We’ve seen some high-mileage Jeep_® brand vehicles before, and fan Jerry Burton’s 2000 Cherokee is no exception. Jerry grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After college, he went to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He retired in 1995 and started work in 1997 as a fly-fishing guide, and his Cherokee helped to serve him for years. His Cherokee’s engine light first came on at 414,489 miles.

 

Jeep Blog: How long have you been a fan of the Jeep brand?

 

Jerry: I first became interested in the Jeep brand in June of 2000 when the SUV I had at the time was once again having transmission problems.  I was able to borrow a 2000 Cherokee from a fly-fishing store that I was guiding for.  The Jeep Cherokee impressed me in the way it handled the rough washboard roads, the stream crossings and the back country roads, including the two trackers.  It also didn’t suck a lot of dust when driving on extremely dusty roads.

 

The only day I had available to purchase a vehicle was the Fourth of July.  So on the Fourth of July 2000, I purchased a new 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport.  At that time I was guiding fishermen to several private ranches and public streams in northern and central New Mexico.  The Cherokee worked great for guiding.

 

 

Jeep Blog: What steps do you take to care for your vehicle?

 

Jerry Burton: Since the day I purchased my Cherokee I did all the basic maintenance like changing the oil and oil filter, replacing the air filter and greasing it.  The four-liter straight-six engine was easy to work on because everything was easy to reach.  At every oil change, which I did every five to seven thousand miles, I would add a pint of STP oil additive.  I replaced the windshield four times, the alternator three times and the starter once and the fuel pump once.  When the automatic transmission started to slip at about 350,000 miles, I had it rebuilt.  I never replaced the AC compressor or any of the hoses.

 

Jeep Blog: Do you have any advice on how Jeep brand vehicle owners should care for their vehicles?

 

Jerry Burton: My advice to Jeep brand vehicle owners on how they should care for their vehicles would be to do preventive maintenance, wash the engine every so often, and often check things to catch a potential problem before it develops.  My Cherokee has served me far beyond what any other vehicle has done over the 57 years that I have been driving.  What can you say about a vehicle that finally after 414,489 miles has the check engine light come on!

 

Jerry’s ultimate goal is to have his Cherokee reach the half-million-mile mark. He now uses a 2010 Jeep Commander for his guiding trips, but will continue to use his Cherokee for hunting and fishing trips with his grandsons.