Clutch failure (twice).
Transmission repair (cracked ring - engine must be pulled to make repair).
Alternator (twice).
Radiator.
Throttle position sensor.
Brake work (rotors and pads).
Wheel bearing.
Battery (twice).
Radio/Cassette.
Fun to drive. Nice power from 2.8 litre six. Responsive engine. Excellent air conditioning, heating, window clearing. Power assisted steering is a nice compromise. Purchased for under $3,000 (in 1993). Good instrumentation with optional displays (RPM, etc.) Fairly quiet for highway cruising. Okay gas mileage.
Lots of leg room. Almost no room for luggage. Two seats is a big drawback. Trunk compartment (a slot) too close to engine and tiny. Sun roof can be removed, but not easy to get out or store.
Many reliability issues (see above) -- apparently parts are hard to find, now. Those of the most concern were the transmission, clutch and battery (air vent lets rain through onto the battery; issue can be resolved by installing a battery with side rather than top posts). When battery posts corrode you will be left in a no start situation (this happened three times to me in three years). Alternator also failed at a most inopportune time.
Engine runs hot and it is important to keep an eye on cooling system.
I miss this car, but not the cost of repairs. It is probably best for someone who can make some of his/her own repairs or who has a reasonable mechanic.
Yeah it may be fun to drive, but there's a reason you never see these things on the road anymore. One of my neighbors at one time had 3 or 4 of these things in his yard, not a single one of 'em ran.
I remember these cars, they were cool and all but in reality they were freaking death on wheels. I mean it was so small and built so flimsy that if you hit a VW Bug, you'd go underneath it!! And if you were unfortunate enough to hit a real nicely sized car, it would resemble the Delorian Time Machine hitting the train in Back to the Future Part III. That's the real reason why you don't see them on the road.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site