Summary:
Total money pit, total regret
Faults:
Power window mechanism broken on both sides.
Headliner sagging.
Safety belts need replacement.
Car emits white smoke and gasoline smell on start up (head gasket).
General Comments:
I paid $1400 for it, so I guess I cannot really complain.
The plus is that the feeling of driving the car is great, it is both responsive and powerful, and the gas mileage is not too bad for a car of this type (I am still getting 21 MPGs if I keep things calm on the highway).
However, the interior of the car does not conform to modern safety standards (no air bags, no head rests in back). But the worst part is that the interior assembly is also surprisingly cheap. Repairing even simple things often means a destruction of permanent seals and welded bolts, while the parts used are often plastic that breaks when touched the wrong way.
At a car 20 years of age, one can of course take nothing for granted, but the degree of deterioration was still quite shocking to me.
Basically, there wasn't a single thing about it that did not turn out to be a problem.
And since yesterday, it blows smoke out of its exhaust on start up. Looks like the head gasket will kill it now.
I think this kind of car is best used as a fixer upper to trash on mud and gravel roads. For everything else, it is too unsafe and unreliable at this point.
$1400 for a piece of trash. Very disappointed and angry at myself for going for it, despite warning signs during the buying process.
My advice: Always have an independent mechanic check your car before you buy it. Never let anyone talk you out of that, no matter how "nice" they seem!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 21st February, 2011
