Faults:

Needed new tires at 65000.

New turn signal light at 65000.

New windshield wipers at 65000.

New belt at 65000.

Transmission fluid leak at 69000.

General Comments:

This car is pretty reliable, but since my Lumina has low mileage, I am not expecting to have too many problems for a while.

Engine isn't the quickest being a 3.1, but it gets the job done.

The seats are surprisingly comfortable for this size of a vehicle.

This car has been in my family the whole time, but I have only recently started to drive it.

Faults:

Alternator was not charging when purchased.

Leaked oil out of oil pump drive and oil distribution manifold gasket on top of the engine block.

Timing belt was in need of replacement.

General Comments:

Parts for this size motor are reasonable, but labor is hard due to the configuration. That is being said as an automotive technician.

After all repairs were completed, it has proved itself to be a very reliable, good looking, and powerful vehicle worthy of an after market spoiler and hood scoops that make it much more pleasurable to drive.

It does not have a Cadillac ride, but is more like a sports car. It is a pleasure to take it on long distance drives.

Heating and air conditioning are fantastic on this model.

Faults:

Starter: about $140 parts and labor.

Major oil leak.

Coolant leak.

General Comments:

Okay, first off, I bought this car cheap. I knew it wasn't going to be a perfect car, but oh man was it ridiculous!

The oil leaked constantly and I had to add a quart or two of oil to it every week just to get the stupid "Low Oil Level" light to go away.

The starter slowly sputtered out.

The radio was messed up and the buttons cracked and fell off.

The coolant leaked and when I would add some, I could smell burnt coolant so I know it was burning/leaking it.

Engine would start getting too hot even in the wintertime, so I had to crank the heat full blast to get the engine to cool down.

In my opinion, 160 hp for this car made it underpowered.

The ultimate ending to this nightmare was when I was headed home one day: the engine rattled, sputtered and then completely died near my house. The engine was done -- at 168,000 miles.

GOOD POINTS: I will say that the seats and the way the car rode were VERY comfortable. The view was very clear and it was easy to see behind you and on the sides.

As far as being reliable? It just wasn't.

My previous car was a Toyota Camry and I should've kept that. It had 215,000 miles on it when I sold it. It had been giving me problems so I ended up selling it. Ran strong. It too leaked oil like the Lumina, but never did the engine make any noise. I wouldn't recommend any Lumina. I've had problems with American cars altogether. Stick with Toyota all the way. I went back to Toyota: another Camry and I plan to write a review after the first 3k miles I put on it.

Faults:

The spring for the left turn signal broke a few days after I purchased the van. It was replaced free of charge.

I just had the thermostat replaced because I felt the car was not putting out enough heat. The new thermostat is working great, and the heat is now perfect.

General Comments:

I purchased this vehicle for under 2K in early December 2008 after my previous vehicle (Honda Civic wagon) was written off after a collision.

With 220000 kms, the van is low mileage for a 95, and the previous owner took very good care of it, as evidenced by the good overall mechanical, body and interior condition.

It is very roomy and seats 7. I used it recently to go to the cottage, which is a 3-hour ride over paved and gravel roads. There were 6 of us in the van, as well as a dog, and I pulled a trailer with all of our stuff, as well as a full-size couch. Despite all this weight, the van performed well and gas consumption was reasonable.

The only downside is that the climate controls buttons are very small and impossible to see at night. I purchased a small 12V LED light that plugs into the cigarette lighter to remedy the situation.