Faults:

The previous owner of this car blew up the engine. I bought it in 2009 so the blow up I assume happened when the car was 16-18 years old. We had a 1994 Plymouth Acclaim that had been rear ended several years earlier, and we dropped that engine into the 1992 Shadow.

After about 2 years had to have a few hoses replaced.

The thing has always been an oil guzzler. I have to put in at least one quart a month, sometimes 2 quarts a month. Various mechanics have been unable to figure this out.

Air conditioning stopped working about two years ago; never bothered to have it fixed.

Paint also started to flake off about four years ago; two years ago when it warmed up in the spring it started coming off with a vengeance.

Also, when it is cold outside (like 10-20 below 0 air temp), the engine stalls out and shuts off when in park, in reverse, and when you let off the gas completely... pretty much have to park somewhere you can pull out and be able to drive long enough for the engine to thaw a bit before having to stop at a light or stop sign.

General Comments:

I love this car. I have had it for six years. I am over six feet tall, and while I wouldn't want to be a backseat passenger, I have more than enough legroom up front.

The gas mileage is so so. It is slow to accelerate, but can easily handle speeds of 80-90mph on the interstate. I have lived in both North and South Dakota, and this car has taken me through some nasty blizzards. This car always starts (does have the stalling issue mentioned above) no matter how cold it got.

I love the hatchback with the back seats you can lay down. I can haul a lot more than you might think in this thing.

Faults:

Air conditioner compressor leak: $25.

Alternator belt: $20.

Windshield wiper bushing: $5.

Burnt out dashboard lights: $10.

General Comments:

This was my first car. I had bought it off Craigs List in September of 2008 for $350. At a price that low, I expected it to be awful. You get what you pay for, right? Well, I was surprised.

This car has been nothing but awesome for the time I've owned it. Even after 134000 miles, the only problems I've experienced haven't cost me over $100 to fix. It's a great car, and I recommend it to anyone.

Faults:

Radiator had a leak right at the seal, but got a new one for $40.

Car had sat before I bought it for 3-5 years so a lot of the maintenance had not been done. I got lucky, and the guy I bought it from had already replaced the fuel pump, the fuel line, the tires, the wires, the plugs, the oil filter and a oil change plus the spaldings on the tranny.

Interior of the car has quite a bit of wear, but the car is also 16 years old.

Exterior paint is chipping, but that is because the year this was made the manufacturer started to take the lead out of the paint. Still looks gorgeous to me though with the same blue color you see on modern Neons, and a gunmetal gray strip on the bottom.

General Comments:

This will be the 2nd Shadow I have owned and I absolutely love it. They are a blast to drive, and considering its age, it is very quick. I can get my Shad going up to 55 MPH or more before shifting into 4th gear easy. Plus it does not have that nasty vibration at high speed. I have gone as fast as 90 MPH and it did not so much as whimper.

I have the manual transmission, and if you are thinking of getting one of these, I highly recommend it. It has been very reliable and never given me any trouble. The engine in this car has also not given me any major malfunction. Taking into account the age and mileage on the car, I have been most impressed.

Gas mileage on this car is not the best. I average about 24 miles per gallon. But after having owned a Ford Taurus and a Jeep Grand Cherokee, this is a vast improvement for me. Plus it is a lot cheaper to fill this baby up. I can spend $20-$30 and get a full tank which is a plus.

I also got lucky and have a sports muffler tip on the car as well. This gives the car a very pleasant sound at high revs versus the rather annoying bumble bee noise the Japanese cars tend to give with the same modification.

Car could handle better in turns, but I suspect that with new struts and springs it will get better. Right now it has more body roll than I would like. Again, being 16 years old, what do you want? LOL.

I would recommend this car to anyone who wants a reliable car that is fairly easy and inexpensive to repair and maintain. Not to mention that they are very safe in a wreck. My 1st Shadow got hit by a Ford Mustang doing around 50 MPH. The airbag worked like a charm and I have no doubt that that car saved my life.