Faults:
At 215,000 kms (the first day I owned it) the starter would crank over with the car running for NO REASON! This could have been potentially dangerous, but no serious damage to the car or other people on the road, I replaced it the next day. However, I bought the car knowing it had this problem, besides it was the original starter, it has to go eventually... about $250 altogether.
At 216,000 I also replaced the factory exhaust system, I can't beleive it lasted that long! I replaced it with a custom Magnaflow system and its fairly quiet and sounds great! Free'd up a little more low-end grunt as well. Cost me around $300.
Just now I did a brake job, was a little dissapointed the the rear calipers were sticking and not grabbing the rotor properly, but it's supposedly a common problem with this car, I didn't need to replace the caliper, a little cleaning and a service kit fixed it, cost next to nothing, about $150.
The CD player has stopped working, but then again...it's an 11 year old unit, not suprised really! Ouch! A $290 repair estimate, time for an aftermarket deck...
The power antenna has stopped going up and down, makes for some crappy radio reception and a nasty grinding noise every time I try to use it. Haven't checked out pricing yet.
The heat sheild on the exhaust manifold cracked and it had to be welded back together to stop rattling, cheap fix, about $50.
The car uses a bit of oil, about half a liter every 5000 kms, not a big deal tho, I expected worse.
General Comments:
While this car is a little maintenance hungry, I do like it. It has lots of power, especially since its equipped with a 5-speed, a very rare option. None of the power options (and theres a lot of em!) have failed, and the interior is super-durable. It looks brand new still. The car throws awesome heat in the winter and the A/C is ice-cold.
The car has hugely wide tires, and handles fairly well, engine lacks a little bit of low end grunt, but explodes after 4000rpm! I've taken a 5.0 Mustang with this thing!
The seats are superb! Okus the cabin is very quiet with the windows rolled up!
The exterior looks great! But the urethane isn't that durable, as it's a little deforemed with age, but the car has absolutely no rust! Amazing for a GM car! Credit a galvanized body and all that plastic!
The clutch has weird engagement and it takes a while to get smooth with it, excellent shifter! Very short throw and very positive feel!
Excellent steering feel! Just the right amount of power assist! But the car is a little darty at speed, probably cause of the monstrous tires.
Factory headlight and foglights are useless, replace them with PIAA's or something else...