A one in a million, love it
No major problems.
Kept general maintenance up with 2 very good mechanics.
Don't want to give it up, have had a 2004 Ford Taurus given me.
Would not have replaced it otherwise.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd November, 2008
Built like a tank
-Kick panel under the dashboard had been kicked too many times and was barely hanging on when I got it.
-Chrome detail thing on the rear drivers side door started to peel off at some point.
-Turn signal flasher failed (around 220k miles.), bought a new one ($5), couldn't find where it goes, so I dropped it in the glove box. It started working again!
-Power steering pump burned out (problems started at 215k miles.), car sat for 6 months until I realized a new pump was only $30. Easy fix too.
-Transmission was starting to slip at around 225k miles, never actually died.
-Alternator died about 225k miles. also. ($60 or so dollars.)
-I didn't realize how important oil changes were (my first car.) Engine blew (threw a rod, I think, not positive.) at 238k. I could still drive it, but it was slow, loud and shaky. Lasted long enough to get me home from final exams!
I miss this car! It was my first, ran like a champ, would still be running if I treated it better.
Does not handle well on ice (what does?) It's not a sports car. Otherwise an awesome vehicle, cheap to drive and maintain. I'll get another eventually. I'm a huge fan of the 2.8l v-6, it was easier to work on than an average small-block v-8.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd May, 2008
Reliable
Left CV axle @ 107K ($66 in parts)
Brakes + wheel cylinders @ 100K ($100 in parts)
Shocks + struts @ 100K ($325 in parts)
Headliner sag (before I bought it) I removed it myself and had a shop recover it for $25.
The front end is starting to get a bit loose.
I estimate it will cost $200 to fix.
Power windows are very slow. This seems typical of 80's era GMs.
Almost everything on these cars is either metric or Torx.
Buy the proper tools if you do your own work, it's much easier.
Not a bad car. Not a bad car at all.
My parents had one in the early 80's just like mine, it was a reliable car too.
This car fires right off on the first try, every time, cold or hot.
It has plenty of power. I average 27MPG @ 70MPH.
It rides nicely, typical family sedan type handling.
Parts are cheap.
It doesn't stand out.
A/C still works.
The things I've had to do to this car are normal wear items. I can't fault the car at all. I think it will last for a long time yet.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th August, 2007
Gonna suck when it finally dies. I love this car
Since I have bought the car, nothing has gone wrong with it. Before I bought it however, the previous owner stated he completely overhauled the front end because it stranded him on a busy bridge here in Green Bay. The rear defroster never worked, the right rear window doesn't roll down, and the gas gauge is inaccurate (half is actually empty). Not sure if it's a bad thing, but the water temp is usually at 220+ on the highway, something I try to baby by putting in neutral on off ramps and crank the heater.
This was really my 2nd car. I'm 19 now and still continue to drive this car every day. You'd think a 19 year old would drive like an idiot, but I baby my car. This car is simply the most comfortable, reliable, drivable car I've ever driven. The engine still runs like a swiss watch, the transmission shifts almost perfectly, I'll elaborate on that in a second. The bench seats can fit my huge self very well. I'm 6'4" and love the low profile feel of the car. I get the oil changed every 2500 miles and back in November, after winning a $100 bet on the Packers, I flushed and changed the transmission fluid. I have no doubt in my mind this car will easily reach 210,000 miles!
My ONLY complaint about this car is the transmission when it's cold. I live in Wisconsin, it gets pretty cold here in winter obviously. When the car temperature is below 140 or so, it simply will not shift out of 3rd gear. It must be warmed up fully (or at least 150 from what I see on the gauge) before it goes into 4th gear or overdrive. It's not a big deal really I suppose, but I work right by the highway and feel I'm forced to take the city home because I try to avoid high engine RPM at all costs.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st March, 2007
I have an 87 Cutlass Ciera, basically built on the same platform just a different bodystyle. I noted that you said on cold mornings that you trans won't shift out of 3rd (or what feels like 3rd) untill it's heated up. I have this problem with my car. Right now it's got a 2.5L engine with the 125C Transmission (3 speed with TC lockup, which feels like 4th) (wish it had the 2.8 with OD Trans). If I'm driving at normal road speeds which is 80km/h (50mph) it won't lock up at all, but if I travel at highway speeds over 100km/h for at least 5 minutes, it will finally lock up. I just want to know what you've experienced with your car. What do you have for an Engine/Tranny? I did some research and have found that it's could be the TCC (Torque Convertor Clutch) Solenoid and a Pressure switch. (which basically go hand in hand) From the dealership, it cost me 60 bucks for these 2 parts and a side pan gasket. Hope you can put this to use, but just let me know what you've noticed with yours.
I have the 2.8V6 with the 440T4 tranny (4 speed + overdrive). I think it was just a feature in these transmissions to keep it out of lockup until the engine and everything else was at a good operating temperature. I never did much research on it since it didn't bother me all that much.
As for experiences, this tranny had 1st, 2nd, 3rd, a slight lockup, and a much bigger lock up overdrive. The speeds were 0-12 MPH (1st), 13-18 MPH (2nd), 19-33 MPH (3rd), then 34-45 (3rd and lockup) and 45+ MPH for Overdrive for regular acceleration. However, when it was cold, the shift points went much higher and it really forced itself into the first lock up gear when I took the highway home after starting it up. I really don't think I can make a whole lot of sense to anyone, but myself on this hehe.
3rd Nov 2008, 11:10
My advice is to sell the 2004 Taurus for whatever you can get - the old Chevrolet will be far more reliable.