2003 Chevrolet Tracker 4 cylinder
Summary:
Reliable, fun to drive, economical, cheap to maintain
Faults:
Very little has been done to this car in terms of major repairs.
New engine mounts at 110,000 miles ($400).
Brakes, belts, tires, normal stuff.
Air intake serviced at 115,000 miles ($100).
That's basically it, this car has been extremely reliable.
General Comments:
We bought this car brand new in 2003. We have almost all the features with the exception of the 4X4, since we live in an area of no snow or even rain.
No major repairs have been done, everything has worked fine throughout the years (knock on wood).
The A/C does need to be serviced, but it's never been serviced in the 9 years we owned it, and we live in 100 degree weather.
The seats are not as bad as everyone makes them sound. The rear seats are a bit uncomfortable, but I found that reclining them forward a bit made them much more comfortable.
Power is lacking, especially when the A/C is on, but for a school/going out car, it's absolutely fine.
The funny thing is one friend has a 2005 Ford F150 and another has a 2011 Nissan Maxima ($43,000 car), and they will normally choose my car over theirs when we need to go in one car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 27th November, 2012
6th Mar 2011, 17:07
I didn't have a preference for timing belt or timing chain, not until recently. The timing belt on our '99 Tracker (2.0L 4wd) broke. It was the "upper chain". Keep in mind this engine is INTERFERENCE. The preference comes because - if a belt snaps you replace it, maybe the tensioner and water pump. If a chain snaps, you have all the metal parts banging around, metal shavings to clog the oil pump, messy oil to work with. If you run low on oil, that affects the chain ultimately. Listen folks, get a vehicle with a timing belt and NON-INTERFERENCE if you can. Some that come to mind are -- Most Toyotas, Ford Ranger 2.3L + Mustang, I think Geo Metros 3 cyl.