Faults:

Transmission blew twice.

Head gasket blew twice.

Fuel pump blew.

Front wipers stopped and started again.

Rear wiper and washer stopped and started on their own, often when the car was off.

Radio would be on or off, but the display would either stay on or shut off on its own. The cassette player ate tapes, too.

Fan failed.

Water pump failed.

General Comments:

Looking back, I'm almost sure there were more problems than that with the van. Oh well, I can't remember them all now. Suffice it to say that for the first half of my family's ownership it ran well. For the second half of its time with us, it gave us nothing but trouble and bills, time and again, until we called it the six million dollar van.

Don't tow trailers or haul stuff on the roof. We did, once, and it blew the headgasket, and the transmission. This was the 3-speed, which is generally considered to be better than the 4-speed they started slipping in later. The fuel pump had been going since we bought the car, and it seemed as if the electrical systems would never stop acting up. For the first few years however, it was a reliable vehicle, with only a few electrical peculiarities.

So, don't use this minivan for anything heavier than you'd use a K-car for. It will get you back.

Faults:

Replaced Starter at 256 thousand Kilometers.

This van has no problems!

General Comments:

This mini van was purchased in 1986. We bought it brand new, and I don't regret a thing. I still drive it and it is a commuting van, I work 70 KM away, and let me be honest this van is the most reliable thing ever driven. My wife drives a 1999 Honda Civic SIR and I already had to replace the engine. The van has no rust and I have never done any body work to it. I get the van body oiled every year to prevent rust, and it works! We used to drive to Florida every year with the whole family, and this van was comfortable and reliable on the highway. It is forsale now just because after driving the same van for 20 years I got bored, I now currently own a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. Great Truck By Dodge.

Faults:

I've Replaced the brake pads twice

The Air conditioning went out after 80000 miles

Took out choke plate after 100000 miles (it was sticking)

The Arm rest fell off after 50000 miles

General Comments:

This van has been the worst vehicle I've ever owned. It does not get nearly as good gas mileage as my 1983 GMC V8. The van is very sluggish and revs hard to keep up highway speeds. It has all the options, but the clock does not work on it.

Faults:

The engine is the 2.6 Mitsu 4-banger, and has been reliable as a hammer, though in 2001 I had to replace the camchain, balance shaft chains, and all the various chain guides and gears, because two of the guides had worn out and broken away and had falle down into the sump and were causing a terrible racket. I bought a camchain replacement kit from JC Whitney for $175, and fixed it right up.

I've had to replace the ignition (Cap, rotor, wires, plugs) twice, after it became very sensitive to moisture in the air, as in, it wouldn't start on rainy days. This seems to happen every 4 years or so.

I replaced the radiator with a newer, boneyard-sourced piece in the spring of 2003. Half the corrugations on the original had rusted away, leaving only the tubes. the radiator didn't leak, but withouth the corrugation between the tubes, it couldn't shed the heat fast enough.

Many of this van's problems are the result of it living outside it's whole life (corrosion), and not being driven regularly for a couple years (2003-current).

I converted the carburetor from automatic to manual choke, because the automatic function began sticking. Also the secondary throttle plate shaft corroded shut, and so I bent the arm out of the way and it just runs on the primary throttle. (As if it needs more)

I have had to replace the front brake pads twice, the front rotors once, and only recently replaced the brake pads on the rear, because one wheel cylinder got stuck (from corrosion) and the passengers' side rear brake was only working on the front shoe, which had worn out down to the metal backing plate. I was able to free the cylinder piston and make the wheel cylinder work again.

I have replaced ALL the steel brake lines in the front of the van due to corrosion/leaking, and both front brake hoses as well because the rubber sheathing deteriorated untit they began leaking and one burst.

I had to replaced the driver's side rear wheel cylinder because the bleeder valve was rusted in place, and when I tried to release it, it broke off.

At 104,800 miles (in the fall of 1991) the speedometer cable broke, but I've never replaced it.

In april of '05, I had to remove the primary drive cover on the 3-speed automatic (a stamped steel cover on the driver's side end of the tranny) and solder shut some rust-caused pinholes that were making the transmission leak fluid pretty copiously.

I replacedf the stock, factory exhaust just last month, because the OEM muffler had developed two small pinholes. The rest of the exhaust was solid, though rusty.

As you may have guessed, I do all my own work. Except for the Camchain replacement, none of these other repairs I've done are what I'd consider major, or more than a short term annoyance.

General Comments:

This has been a great vehicle. I bought it used for $1,350, and have gotten every penny's worth, and more. My oldest daughter recently got her driver's license, and I gave her my "Good Car", and began driving the van regularly again after 2+ years of it sitting in the driveway non-running for up to 2 months at a time. I put a new battery in it, and began driving it daily. Since the long hiatus, the more I have driven it, the better it has run.

It starts up very time, runs smooth, doesn't burn any oil (though it leaks a bit). The body even looks fair (minor bubbling on one rear fander and the back hatch around the window) though the paint is sunburnt and faded.

It recently passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Vehicle Inspection, including the emmisions portion, without any problems. Current sticker, good to go!

It gets about 19-21 mpg average, so it's not terrifically great on gas, but then again it's a big shoebox. The Speedo cable broke about 2 months after I bought it in 9/1999, and so the odometer has read "104,800" since then. I am only guessing that it has 185K on it, it could be more. It's really been, in terms of reliability and cost of ownership, one fo the best vehicles I've ever bought.

Somebody not able to do their own work might not think so though.