I personally think that the Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a very nice and reliable car. I have a 1998 Z34 and I'm impressed with the power and how comfortable the car is. I ts my first Chevy and I would by another one, but a new SS.

Hello Steven.

I purchased my 1999 Monte Carlo from Hertz Rental in January of 2001. I was surprised by the level of quality to price that I paid for this vechicle. Since then, I have put about 40,000 miles on the vehicle over the last 2.5 years. I am reasonably satisfied with my purchase. I like the V6 power versus the spirited, but torque challenged Camry (4 cyl) that I picked out for my mother last Spring. Some of the problems that I observed are as follows:

Brown substance on the inner top of the radiator cap upon my return from a long trip to and from Sacramento.

Slight grinding sound that sounds like a water pump bearing that's getting ready to go out.

I left the car out in the sun all summer. Now, the turn signal doesn't work unlesss I give it a little english and hold it in a certain position. My locksmith friend says that, the little springs went out inside the steering column.

I weigh a lot so, when I get in and out, I find myself kinda having to angle my fall into the driver's seat. I also have to pull on the steering column a lot to position myself properly. This has resulted in the steering wheel bending from all of that pulling. I wouldn't have to if the head clearance was better. I'm 5'9" and my head almost touches the roof of the car. My friend is about 6' feet and has to angle in just to get into the car.

Other problems such as the brakes concern me. I notice a lot of awkward squealing after I start backing up. There's a guy at Toyota Long Beach, Long Beach, CA who says, "you really have to know the brakes on these cars (Lumina/Monte Carlo). He says that the brakes are tricky, and if you don't put them on right, they make a lot of noise. This means that a lot of mechanics will replace the brake pads, but they won't put them on just right, causing you to experience a lot of problems with your brakes. The mechanic that I speak of relined the brakes on one occassion. He was correct. I never heard a peep out of the brakes when he did the work.

As for the interior. No problems. The cassette player needs a little refinement. I had some problems, but nothing to write home about.

That's all for now.

Oh, a little wind noise coming from the driver's door toward the rear. It appears that the seals are a little lacking.

One more thing. The Monte Carlo can't really breathe that well. I suggest some sort of aftermarket device to allow the car to be less asthmatic. Performance would increase more than a little bit. Otherwise, performance is adequate.

Mark

Fresno, CA.