Comments: 1-15, 16
Muffler Rots.
Engine failure.
Leaks Tranny Fluid.
O2 Sensor Rotten.
Coil Failed.
Body Rotten.
Convertible top cracked - window busting out.
Rear Wheel Bearings Poor Life.
My wife fell in love with this little car, and even now as it sits dead in the driveway, she still loves the little thing. I admit, it's cute and gets very good gas mileage, however this car has been somewhat of a lemon for us. Right from the dealer (bought it used) the engine was a little "rattly" and loud. Not being familiar with the 3 cylinder I figured it was normal noise. She took the car on a trip from Ontario Canada to Virginia and after making it there, she was left stranded with a hole in the block. After an engine change in "backwoods VA" the car barely made it home with a used engine. When she got home the car was covered in oil soot and it was chugging like a diesel. We took it back to the dealer and after another engine change (another used one) they tried to tell me that my warranty wouldn't cover the installation of engine number 3 because they weren't responsible for the shoddy workmanship of the Virginia mechanics. After the threat of legal action, we got the car back, and again, this engine sounded loud and was completely gutless. I never returned to the dealer so she drove it this way for about a year. After filling the oil and topping it up with gas on a daily basis, I changed the engine (again). Enter engine number 4. This change happened about 2 years ago and it's been somewhat reliable. I've been fighting with moments of no spark, gone through some coil changes, wires, plugs, cap and rotor, but never really got to the bottom of it. Last week she went out to start it and it's toast. It turns over, but it sounds like no compression so we're not going to go to engine number 5 or possible a timing belt, who knows.
After being plagued with numerous engine problems, my wife still likes this car, but from a monetary standpoint, what we saved on gas, we payed out 10 times over on repairs. Admittedly, we installed used parts where we could, because the price for parts on this Japanese engine are astronomical. My wife only used this car to drive 10 or so miles a day, and it's had 4 engines, so needless to say, it wasn't very reliable.
If you ask her today, she still loves her little car, and even as it sits, we've had offers to sell it. As for me, I don't share her sympathy, I'm sick of the thing. LOL.
She's being replaced with a VW Beetle, which she finds just as cute, and I feel a whole lot better about her driving around in the Beetle vs the Geo.
You put 3 replacement engines in a Metro? You might be the only person on the planet to have ever done this.
Hope you have better luck with the VW Beetle, but based on the reviews of that model that you can find on this site, it does not sound like it will be trouble-free (assuming that you got a "New Beetle", not one of the old rear-engined Beetles--those old ones are looking better and better-if you can still find one in decent shape)
Don't blame the Metro because you were too cheap to buy a decent used engine and continued to out in crappy wore out replacement engines, its your fault not the car, I've had several metros and they have all been trouble free, as for that Beetle (LMAO) good luck you think it cost a lot for the Metro wait to you get the bill for those repairs.
I've owned a new 91 and a used 93, and I loved them both. They were quite, gas efficient, and all around wonderful. First of all you should know to always garage a convertible and use a protectant on the top and areas needing it. We are poor which made more sense to spend a little on a good investment to make sure we held on to it. It seems that for whatever reason you made a few bad choices. Don't blame the car, just learn from your misfortunes. By the way, I heard a lot of people traded in their new VW Beetles. What does that tell you?
I have had extremely good fortune with all 3 of my previous Geo Metro's! I owned a 91,92 and 93 and never put so much as a spark plug in them. I just purchased a 92 Metro Rag-top that has been sitting for about 3 years, put a new battery in it and it fired right up. After two days of cleaning and minor general repairs it is up and running.
It is amazing to me how much attention this little car receives. I think you must have gotten the one lemon in the bunch.
We drove a 1992 Metro 150K miles literally completely trouble free. When we sold it the engine ran perfectly and burned no oil. No engine work had ever been done. The buyer of the car loved the car so much he actually wrote us a thank-you note months later. My story is a typical one. I think you had bad luck. It sounds like the dealer sold you a bum car, and the dealer not the car might be your problem.
I have owned my 1992, Geo Metro for 3 years now, and I love it, but it has been a pain in the butt this past year. I'm only on my second motor, but all of the other things that you were having problems with, I was as well. We are selling it this summer, as it has been too much of a hassle.
I own a '92 Metro, and I have no trouble at all with it. It has quite a few miles on it, and it's so quiet when running, I can hardly hear it. But I do know that they are not meant to put up with abuse and bad conditions, just like any other economy car. So basically, you buy a junker, you get a junker. You got what you paid for.
I 1990 metro convertible with over 300k miles on it and am not easy on this car sounds like you got the one poisoned apple from the bunch.
P.S.
A leak in the exhaust system might be the cause.
I got a 92 metro.
I drive it a 100 miles a day back and forth to work.
Owned it since day one, and it's never let me down once.
It's had oil changes every 3000 miles, and all the misc. maintenance done before it was actually needed.
There's 370,000 miles on it, without ever having any major work done.
If it makes 400k miles, I'll write GM a letter of thanks.It's all in the maintenance.
Ron.
I have a 92 Metro Hatchback with 424,500 miles on it, second engine was a salvarge yard 1.0 with 75K on it, but it dropped right in and ran well. Still getting 47 mpg at 65 mph highway with 5% city driving on last tankful. Reason first engine failed was that the MAP Sensor went bad before I had enough sense to realize same and I burned two intake valves. If the head is rebuilt and the crankshaft oil seals replaced, the lower end is still good on the original engine which was removed at 382,000 miles and is now in my garage awaiting rebuild. My brother-in-law ported and polished a head on a 1.0 in California and it made a huge difference on torque on the hills. I am considering being buried in this car!
I own a 92 metro Lsi Convertible, and I love my little gas sipping go cart. I did just have to replace an alternator at 99k miles, but I still love to drive it, especially on summer nights out in the country withe the top down.
Write Suzuki a letter since they built it!!!
I bought a used '92 Geo LSI in '96. It had 30000 miles on it. I just stored it for the winter and it has 103K miles. The only maintenance it has needed is a clutch at 100K and a new top at 80K. It is a 5 speed and I push it down the hiway at about 70 mph. I make a trip to St. Louis MO. from the Minneapolis MN a couple times a year. I just love it. No rust and is clean as a whistle. I may have to replace the drivers seat, (webbing is worn slightly)
CR-
612-791-0299.
I have owned bought my 92 geo brand new and I have not had any problems with it. Its getting kinda rusty, but its old. The only thing about it is you need to keep up the mantiance on them or you might run into problems. I love the suzuki moters that are in them they are so good on gas and suzuki knows how to bild a good small moter.
I've gone too many websites and found out that there are several options to fix that little car. One; try a Suzuki motorcycle engine. The Hiabusa 1300cc engine is enough to turn your wife's little car into a micro pocket rocket. A more realistic approach though is to upgrade to the new motor used in the 96 model.
As far as the Beetle goes, my wife owns a Beetle Turbo S and we have had many problems with it. Within 37,000 miles an exhaust valve in cyl 3 locked open and cost a total of $800 to fix with almost five days of down time (weekend, more like 3 business days). The electrical system has a twitch that nobody can understand let alone find, and it causes the headlights to dim almost completely out, the motor to slow, and basically anything electrical to fade. That's even at 65mph+. Duration is usually >1sec. The brake light switch was faulty and shorted several tail light bulbs, but a recall brought that back to rights. What else... Oh, the stock wheels had to be replaced with aftermarket versions because their wheels cost $450 apiece and getting run off the road is enough to bend the wheels severely. Long live Wheelmax.com. I hope you have good luck with your Beetle, and by all means, find a junkyard that has one unless you can really afford the bill. German engineering must come at a price!
DAS
Upstate, SC
inertiadriftfrom86@yahoo.com