Faults:

So far, the car is running perfectly. It's much better on gas than I expected and the seats are super comfortable.

The 3.1L engine is sufficient for my needs although I wish the steering was tighter. When making a turn aggressively, I really notice that there is a lot of play in the steering. I'm looking into whether this is normal or not. There are no noises or other oddities with the steering. My '94 Grand Prix had much tighter steering, but I guess it's like apples and oranges.

The power moon roof needs a track replaced. This is a common repair it seems. Apparently, they are plastic. There is a kit on the market that allows you to fix just that track without replacing the entire moon roof assembly.

The power window switch doesn't work sometimes.

The center console armrest hinge has broken --- another common problem. It doesn't bother me much as I don't store anything in the console, so I never have to open it.

General Comments:

My first car was a 90 Camry, purchased in '92 when I was 18. In '96, at 143K the tranny started slipping so I traded it for a '94 Grand Prix. This car was a nightmare! Electrical problems galore. I totaled it Xmas eve '98 in a snowstorm and vowed to never drive another American car. I moved to NYC and didn't have a car until a year ago when I moved back to NJ and inherited my moms '01 Sonata. It now has 160K on it, and is still running, although it needs a new tranny and power window repairs.

I saw this Monte Carlo and thought it was in pretty good condition for it's age. It only had 71K original miles and was obviously well taken care of. It is fast becoming my favorite car --- and I loved my Camry. I love the amenities: V6, power moon roof, very comfortable leather seats with electric 4-way driver seat... and I was looking for a black coupe larger than a Cavalier or Mustang, with better reviews than a Sebring and cheaper than a Solaro. Well, I got it all for $2500!

If you can find a well-maintained, low-mile '97 Monte Carlo, I say go for it!

Faults:

The (+) battery cable went bad, causing the car to have a mind of its own, causing spinning gauges and warning lights coming on -- my ABS TRAC and BRAKE lights were all on and there was nothing wrong with the braking system whatsoever.

Power window master switch went bad on the rainiest, windiest day of the year, causing the window to be stuck in the down position.

Intake Manifold Gasket is leaking -- do not have the money to repair, so I'm just adding coolant as needed, as the leak is small and external presently.

General Comments:

The car has rather good performance.

The gas mileage could be improved, I average about 19 in the city. Highway is about 30, so I try to drive highway as much as I can.

Very bad cupholder design. The one that folds out of the armrest (I have the stripped down bench seat model) squeaks horribly. The other below the radio is difficult to fit anything in as I have an aftermarket radio.

It is essentially a Lumina Coupe. I have a friend who drives a Lumina and they are exactly the same--just one's 2 doors and the other's 4.

That car left me stranded once, which turned out to be the battery cable, nothing major. I was around the corner from my home so I was able to walk home and have it towed out of the parking lot later.

Allover, it seems to be a pretty decent car. Beside from the GM manifold gasket defect, there's nothing else majorly wrong with the car.

I've seen many Monte Carlos and Luminas from this generation making it to 150,000k, at least.