Summary:
Very tough truck that is great off-road!
Faults:
Front windshield wiper assembly jammed which caused the wiper motor to burn out. Had to replace both parts.
The inclinometer leaked liquid all over the dashboard. I do not know how to fix this.
Replaced the clutch when I bought it. Cost around $500 for parts and labor!
The heater barely functions. It takes 10 minutes to get any heat and never warms up much.
I occasionally get exhaust smell in the cabin, usually when stopped in traffic within the first 10 minutes of driving.
Breaks are getting weaker. It might need new pads or new calipers.
General Comments:
I bought the Raider as an extra vehicle and to drive in the winter instead of my 2001 Eclipse. It is a ton of fun to drive and has only disappointed me in a couple areas.
I have taken it off-road at Silver Lake Sand Dunes in west Michigan. This is one of the more grueling off-road tests for an ORV. It passed every test I could throw at it. It climbed every sand dune in the park with no trouble and outperformed some Jeeps. The inclinometer was great for avoiding roll-over (which does happen on the dunes.) It is a lot more fun to drive off-road than one of the big tank-sized SUVs.
My prior SUV was a 93 Cherokee with a 4cyl and 5 speed. On off-road competency I would rate these two as equals. The Jeep was a little more comfortable inside, but the Raider is more unique and fun to drive (and was cheaper to buy). The Jeep advantage was shift-on-the-fly 4 wheel drive. The Raider has auto-locking front hubs which have to be unlocked by driving in reverse for 3-6 feet.
If anyone else has had the same problem with the heater please let me know. I don't want to pay to replace the heater and am not sure that is the real problem. The engine temperature gague never gets much above the cold mark, the engine exhaust fan is always on, and I haven't found a good way to block airflow through the radiator.
Also, if anyone has successfully fixed the leaking inclinometer please let me know how.
The best part of my Raider is that it starts every time. Even in below zero fahrenheit weather. Drives great in the snow.
Email me at jalittle@comcast.net.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st January, 2005
24th Jan 2005, 08:45
There is no "fix" for the leaking inclinometer, just replacement. That whole cluster with the inclinometer shows up fairly frequently on ebay, usually not too outrageously priced. You can occasionally find one in a salvage yard on a Raidler/Montero that hasn't been picked over yet.
I used to own an '89 Raider with the V6. I did not have any trouble with the inclinometer, but the engine burned a LOT of oil for not really that high a mileage (130K). It had a pretty uncomfortable ride, too, even with the adjustable suspension seat on the driver's side. It also seemed rather susceptible to rusting.
Good luck with yours!