1996 Chevrolet Corsica review from North America

Motor mount had to be replaced almost immediately after I acquired the car.

Had to replace an oxygen sensor, the first time the "service engine soon" went on (which was the first of many, many times) over my two years with this vehicle.

3 of 4 fuel injectors went within an 18 month period.

Head gasket blew at around 98,000 miles.

Transaxle cable came loose.

Alternator and battery croaked together at around 106,000.

These are just the things I got fixed that I can recall off the top of my head.

I understand that when you buy a car that is approaching six digits in distance, you are likely to have to put some money into it. I have had other cars for which this has held true, and I have not been terribly disappointed in having to do so. It's still usually cheaper than having a new car payment. However, such was not the case with the Chevy Corsica I drove. I had the car for two years, only put 12,000 miles on the car, and for the majority of the time had a "check engine" light illuminated, a car that would stall in traffic on a whim, and for the second year of ownership spent as much time out of order than in order. The car dumped all its oil onto the pavement while I was out of town visiting a friend. I took it to a Monroe Muffler to see what the heck was wrong and if I could drive it home without killing myself or the car. They advised against it, citing a fuel tank leak and a leak in the crankcase, but said the call was ultimately mine to make. Not really being in a position to afford a) a tow job and b) bus fare back to my hometown, let alone Monroe's outrageous rates if they COULD have helped me, I chanced it by replacing the oil and buying a couple extra quarts so I could reload if need be. Strangely enough, the oil I put into it just to get it back to my mechanic stayed in and the mechanic himself could not find any oil or fuel leak apart from having a bad fuel injector.

On several occasions I could smell fuel when idling, but not always.

I and my family had driven used cars in the past, and with regular maintenance, could alleviate any problems with relative ease and economy. This is the one car I have experienced where you could put upwards of $500 into it, drive it home from the garage only to have it not start for you the next morning. (this was not a problem with my mechanics, as I took it to the same ones as I did my prior vehicle, and they were always able to get to the bottom of what ailed my vehicle)

Apart from the core problem of unreliability, I had issues with the performance of the Corsica when it did run. The car was quite susceptible to cross-winds, perhaps more so than the considerably lighter Hyundai that I now drive. Between the highway speeds of 60 and 75 mph, the car shimmied quite a bit. (what a choice on an expressway: run off the road, rough ride, or risk getting a ticket) The 2.2 L, 4 cylinder proved well underpowered. All good and fine if you only drive on flat terrain, but an obvious flaw if you live in hill country as I do.

The interior was passable, albeit goofy. The power window controls were located on the center console. The wiper and light controls were dials in the corners of the message center, and the fuel cap was on the right side of the car. (quite odd for an American car built in the USA) Daytime running lights that could automatically detect whether they needed to be fully illuminated for nighttime driving were a plus. Seats were reasonably comfortable, and AC Delco stereo emitted nice sound for a bare bones factory sound system. But I am not amused. How good can these amenities be when the car soundly fails in its chief task-to get me where I need to go?