Faults:
There was no lighter when I purchased the car from its previous owner.
The brakes where squeaky when I first got it and since I never took the time to get it fixed, I now have a pretty consistent wailing sound coming from it that I am getting fixed very shortly.
The windshield wipers need replacing.
The alignment needs readjusting.
General Comments:
I have been more than pleased with my car in the year that I have owned it. It is my first car and my Dad named it the Cherry Bomb. It's a 2- door hatchback.
For its mileage, I think it runs surprisingly well. There have been almost no problems and I have few complaints.
I wish that it had rear window defrosters because in the winter I can never see out of it first thing in the morning.
The mileage isn't as great as I thought it would be, maybe 27-30 mpg in the city and 40-45 on the freeway. I mean that is pretty good, but not as good as people said it would be. But hey, its still a bargain!
A lot of people have remarked on the poor quality of the air conditioner, however it has worked superbly for me. The only problem I have there is the switch is loose and in order for the blower to turn on, I have to stick 2 pennies between the switch and the casing of the switch. But apparently, that's a common problem so it shouldn't be difficult to fix.
Another reason I am so happy with the car is that it takes a beating and keeps ticking! I am a complete car idiot... I owned it for a year and went 10,000 miles before I thought to change the oil. I have never taken it to a mechanic for maintenance (although I am going to soon) and it is still wonderful.
As you can see I am very happy with my little red cherry bomb!
7th Jul 2003, 03:40
The "wailing" of your Brakes means that you need new brake pads and could need your rotors replaced. Do that soon because they are so small that a few weeks limited driving can eat up half of the rotor without you knowing it. I have a 97 metro and I'm having to live with one good rotor because I wasn't prepared for the cost of the brake pads and two rotors. When the repairman showed me the rotar damage and the bill I nearly fainted. Rotors cost plenty, but that may affect your alignment as well. From the date of your post I hope you did it by now. You can buy a new lighter at any auto parts store it is simple to fix. It snaps together.