Faults:
-Clutch wire that goes from the pedal to the engine (100 dollars) this was at 145,000 miles.
-Headlamps every 30k or so.
-The cataytic converter back twice (first time the muffler mechanic didn't do his job correctly) over 100,000k
-The ragtop is seeing wear at all the seems, but I sewed the ripped seems my self with black spider-wire and that works fine, also replaced the velco patches with a heavier duty velco and adhesive.
-Had some problems with getting the front hubs to go to 4X4 after 100,000 miles.
-Because the doors are thin, and the lock assembly is flimsy, I have had some problems getting the door unlocked in cold temperatures. (Usually just take a large container of hot water and poor down the outside of the window and around the the lock assembly and voila)
General Comments:
I feel that for the money to buy this vehicle, this is an extremely reliable and dependable little SUV. Of course you can't take a stock Tracker off road, its design is not robust for this, but for trips in camping grounds, around a small farm or in the snow, I feel it works, runs and operates pretty well.
It is not extremely comfortable on long trips, but on a day-to-day basis and putting around town, this car is great. I have taken mine from Ohio to Florida 5 times (when it was over 80,000 miles). And I consistently drive it still at (156,000miles) on the highway at least 200 miles every weekend.
The car has a short wheel base and for inexperienced drivers, if you turn to sharp you can actually get the front wheels to jack-knife, so cornering has to be done conservatively. Also the thin construction gets blown a lot on the highway and at high speeds you have to stay on top of the car's handling.
Overall for the money I can't believe that this car has put me through what it has, I wish all vehicles started/ran as good this one.
1st Apr 2010, 00:01
I completely agree with you. I am a former Geo Tracker owner and I miss it more everyday. I would gladly take it over my current car, even though it is older and has some rust issues. It is extremely easy to work on as well. I love it and I am planning on buying another one soon. This time, one with four wheel drive, because my last Tracker was 2WD.