Faults:

Since Sept. 2023: AC condenser drain plugged, variable geometry intake (VGIS) valve, solenoid vent, intake gasket, #2 ignition coil, valve cover gasket.

From new in 2004-Sept 2023 various issues such as front wheel hub and bearing, turn signal switch, daytime running light control recall, OBD-02 Sensor recall. Regular maintenance like battery, tires, brakes, plugs.

General Comments:

My Mom bought the Epica brand new in June 2004. She only drove it 60,000KM from June 2004 till Sept 2023. She stopped driving in the summer of 2023 so I took over the vehicle and imported it to Florida in Nov 2023. The vehicle is only used 5-6 months in Florida so perfect for down here. My Mom was 72 years old when she bought the Epica and 93 when she stopped driving. So this Epica was literally owned and driven by a little old lady. The vehicle even has a spoiler on the trunk so my Mom knew where the end of the vehicle is when backing up. Being 5'1" it was hard to see the end of the trunk when backing up.

Faults:

I just recently bought my Chev Epica. I feel I made a mistake. First of all the dealers don't want to deal with their own headache. I believe it is in the wiring harness. Little story here:

I bought this car for $500 dollars. Owners before bought this car in July 2016. They paid $2000 for this car and soaked another $3500 dollars into this car to pass the E test alone.

I drove this car for 2 months and it quit. 4 mechanics later the car sat tore apart. It took me 15 minutes to get the car running. It would whirl over and act like it wanted to start, but didn't. It was the ECM fuse in the engine fuse box and some gas. Started right up. I took the car to the garage after sitting for 3 months with the engine light off. It passes with ease. Both the Safety and E test. Pulling the car out of the garage, the engine light came on. The car runs great otherwise.

The last couple months it drives great other than the transmission is jumping. Out of the blue it quits and won't stay running. I investigated further into the engine, under the big plastic cover. To be honest I don't know how it runs. Little did I know #2 ignition coil's not even hooked up, wire coatings are all cracked and brittle, clip was cut off. Nor were any of them fastened down. #4 coil died. So this is why the car suddenly ran like crap. I was down two cylinders. Looking under all the tape and rubber on the wires to find deep in the harness the wires coating are very brittle and are cracked exposed wires. In some cases they are touching each other. Took 4 days to rewire the ignition coils. Whoever worked on it previous to me rewired some in the wrong slots. The light was off for a bit, now it's on again and the codes are lean bank 1 and 2 PO171, PO174, and Mass or Volume air flow circuit range/Performance PO101. Not bad from having 18 codes. The only thing left to change for those codes are the gas cap and fuel filter.

Faults:

Transmission slip, too much vibration, engine light continuously on.

I had purchased this car as a used car one year ago, and in that one year I spent more than double what I paid for it on maintenance. I changed the engine, gearbox and sensors, but still it was a piece of junk.

Finally I sold it as a scrap on 18 June 2016.

General Comments:

It was always in my mind what would be the next problem.