1996 Chevrolet Corsica Sedan from North America - Comments

From the first time it rained, after buying it we realized there was a leak somewhere on the passenger side. I got into it one morning to find a pool of water on the front passenger floorboard.

In addition to the normal maintenance, like oil changes, spark plugs and the such, I have had to replace the alternator twice.

Just in the last year I've had to replace the following:

O2 censor.

Ignition coil.

Valve Cover Gasket.

Map censor, twice due to a short in the electrical system.

The Fuel Injector.

Upper and Bottom Radiator Hoses.

The Serpentine Belt.

This week I was informed that the loud knocking noise coming from the engine compartment is the tensioner.

And if that wasn't enough, my air conditioning stopped blowing this morning. It is as if the fans isn't running or something.

Other than the water leak I actually loved this car when I first bought it. It fit into my budget just fine, but here in the past year or so I've spent well over $1500. A bit too steep for a single mom.

I wouldn't recommend buying the Corsica with the 4 cyl. engine. Get the one with the 3.1L V6. It might use more gas, but it is a better motor. The best choice would have been the 1987-94? Corsica's with the indestructible 2.8L V6 I have personally seen those cars with over 350,000 miles & still running strong. About the A/C not working. It could just be a loose or blown fuse for the blower (fan) motor. It would be simple & inexpensive to fix.

Actually with proper maintenance the 4 cylinder motor is the better motor. The 2.8/3.1 v-6 is plagued with thousands of little problems that will drive you nuts and all parts for the v-6 are way more expensive than the 4 cylinder.

No, actually the 3.1 Liter V6 is the best engine Chevy ever put out. They are indestructible. Corsica is also the best car they ever put out. The only thing bad is the alternator.

I have 3.1 V6 with over 150K miles on it. Still going strong. Good fuel economy. I drove it from NC to CA and back. No problem. It has more passing power than I expected when I was going uphill at Rocky Mountain. Too bad GM couldn't make enough profit to continue building this car. They sure don't make 'em like they used to.

I've owned both the 4 and 6-cylinder models. A '90 2.2 and a '94 3.1. Of course, I had the usual starter and alternator go on the 2.2, which did run fine otherwise, but the V6 would be my choice every time. Too bad that my '94 was one of the bad Corsicas I see people write about: its foot wells got soaking wet, and upon removing all carpeting and isolation on the firewall I found that the spot welds were actually rusting through (bad manufacturing) and when I poked around the part where the firewall is joined to the floor, I ended up with many holes in it. The car was also rusting badly at the top of the windshield, and under the weatherstripping in some places. No such problems with the '90, which was a beater with many more miles. It was rock solid. Guess you can win or lose with these cars.

The passenger side leak is probably due to a loose door seal (the seal between the front window and the door). May be difficult to spot, but try to pull it *gently* and if it comes of, just glue it. Have done it on both sides due to leaks and it works fine. Yes, the 3.1 may be bulletproof unless it has a manufacturing defect, which many of them have. Mine suffers from too high clearance in the bearing between the rod and the piston (don't know how many pistons that are affected), even it has done less that 60K miles. Common problem I've been told, and there is nothing to be done about it unless a full rebuild. I'm just waiting for the engine to blow up now... when the engine is cold it sounds like an old diesel engine, but better when hot.

I would agree that the 3.1 is one of the better engines GM has made in a coon's age. I have a '94 Lumina with one with over 200,000 miles on it. The only complaint is that I have put 4 alternators on it over the past 9 years. My wife has a '95 Corsica with the 2.2 and it will melt the end of the spark plug off every couple of months. Not sure why, maybe a bad coil? Anyway, the Lumina with the 3.1 is the most reliable thing we own.

I agree the 3.1 L V6 engine is great. I have one and it gets great gas mileage. I would make a 17-mile trip both ways to work everyday and I would fill up every 2 weeks. My Corsica is a 1996 and there is no rust on it and the paint is not chipped at all, unlike my piece of crap Ford Thunderbird I had for 3 years.