Faults:

Everything was good until 70k miles. Then it all started.

I replaced the cam position synchronizer, which was chirping like a bird.

Replaced the idle air control valve, which was causing the car to cutoff at idle (tried cleaning, but that didn't fix it).

Replaced rear struts and springs due to sag. Replaced sway bar links, which were worn and making a rattling noise.

Replaced driver's side CV axle, which was making snapping and popping noise.

Replaced outer tie rod ends both sides due to excessive wear. After two front end alignments, the tires were still feathering and wearing on the inside with front end vibration. Finally drilled out the welds on top of the strut mount and adjusted the camber. Followed by my own toe adjustments (at 113K miles, front tires are finally wearing, even with no vibration).

Replaced coolant overflow tank, which had cracks on the bottom and was leaking.

Repaired leak in metal heater core line that goes to the water pump near the firewall.

Replaced water pump and thermostat.

Replaced belt tension pulley and arm, which was chirping and out of alignment.

Clearcoat started peeling off trunk and bumpers at 107K miles.

Replaced EGR valve gasket and vacuum sensor.

At 114k miles, noticed coolant leak with no visual signs. After some research and diagnostic testing, I found the head gasket was bad on cylinder #1, which caused an occasional misfire at start up. I replaced the head gasket, upper and lower intake gaskets, and performed a coolant system flush with particular attention to the heater core, which was partly clogged and wasn't providing good heat. This is all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there's more to come.

General Comments:

This car has a nice quiet ride.

The gas mileage is about 28 MPG on the highway.

The interior is durable and comfortable.

Faults:

Problems that soon developed...

Head gasket failed 3 months and 1 day after the $500 3 month warranty expired.

Terminal rust.

Cooling system.

Brakes.

Fried and loose spark plugs.

General Comments:

If this car was taken care of, I bet it would have been a great car for us. But I bought from a dealer, and with no records and no CarFax (again), I ask myself why.

In retrospect, the fluids looked too clean, the paint too fresh, and the price too cheap from a dealer.

$10 K&W worked to fix the head gasket problem. I used the directions found on the web, not on the can.

I didn't see the rust until too late. It was hidden under the black plastic on mine, and is so bad; when you jack up the car, the jack goes up, but the car does not. Look out on all unibody models.

Once I finally bought the correct plastic bottle with a good cap. I had no cooling and overheating problems. Too late to save the head gasket. Also, the thermostat was found to be installed in reverse.

The drum brakes and emergency brakes were fixed when I discovered one of the springs that hold the shoes was missing. Didn't see that coming.

The front hub bearing assembly was a fix it yourself affair, but got ugly with frozen parts.

Discovered a miss was caused, not entirely by the head gasket problem, but by 2 loose plugs, 1 burnt plug and a bare wire. Maybe caused by the head gasket after all. Runs better now at 130000 miles.

Still needs struts, tires, steering pump pulley wobbles, water pump pulley wobbles. All those will have to be replaced soon, and are probably original equipment, and the wear is expected.