Reliabilty Issues

[BoundByBoost]

i really want a DSM, but im very concered with the reliablity issues i've been hearing about them lately, its kinda pushing me away from the whole situation. Is the reliablity really bad where i shoudln't consider the car at all? thanks alo

 

[97GS-TSpyder]

for the same subject that has been asked to death,

NO
find a DSM that hasnt been modded, has documented service records, and everyhting checks good.


you need to learn the search button

 

[BUCK]

If you need cheap & reliable Transportation get an old 1.8 w/ Manual Trans

 

[eclipseGSTud]

i really want a DSM, but im very concered with the reliablity issues i've been hearing about them lately, its kinda pushing me away from the whole situation. Is the reliablity really bad where i shoudln't consider the car at all? thanks alo

This question has been asked before many times. There are many factors you need to take into account for reliability. First off, which model are you looking for? Eclipse, Talon, Laser? Since I have an Eclipse I'll tell you my experience with it. I'm actually a pretty new DSM member because I bought my car a few months ago. I own a 98 Eclipse GST. The problems I've had with the car so far is a small oil leak and a boost leak. Both are easy and not expensive to fix. 1g and 2g cars are old. The last 2g Eclipse was produced in 1999 and those are now 6-years old vehicles. Expect some general wear and tear of parts which will need replacing (i.e., timing belts, hoses, filters, bolts, clutch, brakes). These parts are expected to be replaced in all cars eventually. Keep up with the maintenance/ tune-ups and you'll be fine.

Which generation do you want to buy? I'll just assume you want an eclipse if I'm wrong then please correct me. 1g or 2g? RS, GS, GST, or GSX? AT or MT? A big part of the car's reliability will be based on how well the previous owner(s) took care of the car. Find a seller who has records and receipts for maintenance and major parts replaced. Do a carfax report to make sure the car has a clean title, ask the seller why he/she is selling the car, etc. If you buy a GST or GSX then expect the car to be pushed more especially if it's a GSX. Those who say they've never raced in their car or pushed it are most likely liars. If you drive one then you'll know how difficult it is not to boost and test the car's abilities. A car with a lot of performance mods is another indicator of if the car was pushed. DSMs are generally reliable cars. You can easily find information on everything you want to know about the car online, in books, and from other DSM owners. Check out forums, get yourself a repair manual, go through vfaq, etc. Definitely consider buying an Eclipse, Talon, or Laser.

 

[marcmsj]

be good to your dsm, and your dsm will be good to you

 

[BoundByBoost]

im looking at a 1g eclispe no mods, manual gsx. but i plan to get it into atleast low 14s/high 13s

 

[02BLUR]

I've had my Talon five years and before I started F'ing with it, it never broke, EVER. The alternator pooped out a few months ago, big deal, all alternators do. You can read the entire history of my car here: www.zero2blur.com/dsm.htm ,everything that broke on it was MY fault...
In a 1G, you don't have crankwalk, and the only thing is fixing the ECU caps, which sounds HUGE to most people, but its really easy to get the ECU out and repair it. Make sure the xfer case recall was done, perform routine maintenance, and you will have no problems.

I'm a firm believer in if people take care of there cars, they stay running. Unfortunately, I think lots of DSM's were beat to death when they first came out, so lots of them broke and people think, "what the F? these cars are junk!"

 

[BoundByBoost]

tcase recall? explain

 

[02BLUR]

just do a search for transfer case recall. Basically, the seal to the t-case fails and leaks out all the fluid, and then it[the driveshafts] stop spinning, locking up the wheels. But its warranty and your local dealer has to do it. Most of us have done it. If you buy a 1G make sure they have done the recall, and check for oil on the rear driveshaft.

 

[Patterson]

from my experience, I feel that turbo DSM's are not reliable at all when compared to other auto's. a turbocharger produces a huge amount of stress of the internal engine components. Also, 1G and 2G cars are getting old. Parts wear out. But, with strict prevenative maintenance and generally not beating the $hit out of your ride, they will last. I bought a 96 from a dealer with 88k on it. This is all that i've replaced so far. And no, i don't beat my car. I drive it hard and replace the oil with castrol GTX every 3k.

All Problems with car to Date
-On third engine (current is Japanese Spec 4G63T)
-Turbo -(on second)
-Transmission (expensive bastard!!!)
-All Seals Replaced Twice(Including Rear Seal)
-Power steering pump
-Alternator
-MAF
-Starter
-Clutch
-Clutch Master Cylinder
-Clutch Slave Cylinder
-Belts Replaced
-Head Gasket
-Transfer Case (Factory Recall)
-Spark Plugs
-Spark Plug Wires
-Bad Coil
-Timing Belt (both internal and external)

 

[fishtank]

A car is only as reliable as the way you treat it. Dont expect to go out and beat the hell out of it day after day and not have something break on ya. Take care of it and it will take care of you, treat it like shit and it will return the favor. Too many people on here complain on how their car is always broke down but never take any of the blame for it whether it be neglect for regular maintenance or ignorance of what the car can take before failing.

 

[ragnarok]

hey guys, first off im sure this has ben asked before, and im sorry for not being able to find those threads (still new to this) but i have a fairly newbish question to ask. how reliable are the 2g AWD cars? im moving to austin texas from indiana and definitely need a car thats gonna be reliable for that. (i know i know, if i want a reliable grocery getter get a honda, but ive been in love with DSM's for about 5 years now) thanks in advance everyone

 

[Bigglesworth87]

They (like every other car out there) require maintenance. If you do not keep them maintained properly then they will bite you in the butt when you least expect it.

 

[ragnarok]

ah so it should be about as reliable as any other car as long as i keep it maintained?

 

[Bigglesworth87]

Yeah, just perform all the maintanence on it when you get it and then keep it up and it will last you a long time. Its when you start upgrading turbos and other major upgrades is when the reliablity goes down. Then again that is like every other car. I hope this helps you a little bit.

 

[paranoidTSi]

If you can find one that was driven by a grandma then go for it, but MOST likely ones that you pick up driven by kids are already going to be beat to hell. Its hard to find a reliable DSM because they are so beaten on already.

 

[AWDrift]

If you can find one that was driven by a grandma then go for it, but MOST likely ones that you pick up driven by kids are already going to be beat to hell. Its hard to find a reliable DSM because they are so beaten on already.

Yeah, I'm 17 and have had my car for a year and a half now...it is in much better shape than when I bought it...BUT, 95% of people my age beat on their cars without mercy, so you definitely need to be careful and look at who the owner was.

On the reliability issue, my car hasn't ever failed me. (Preventive maintenence goes a long way, as does being poor and having to leave the engine almost stock )

 

[c5chris]

Yeah, just perform all the maintanence on it when you get it and then keep it up and it will last you a long time. Its when you start upgrading turbos and other major upgrades is when the reliablity goes down. Then again that is like every other car. I hope this helps you a little bit.

IMO, it generally depends on 3 things:

Maintenance
How you drive it
Design of motor

The 2G has an interference engine so timing belt jobs are very critical. Add to the mix that it is forced induction and you got a lot more to worry about. The GSX has 8 CV joints and they are one of the "little things" that go first so gotta keep your eye on them.

Bigglesworth is right that when you start modding, reliability goes down really quick. Not because of the parts, but how you change your driving habits after adding the mods. SBR, FP, AGP makes better turbos than the stock T25 but if you drive it like you stole it, things go wrong alot quicker. Adding more boost = alot of heat. Keep the heat down and you add more life to your engine.

 

[Defiant]

how reliable are the 2g AWD cars?

In an inverse proportion to how hard they're beaten. They're adequately-powerful sports tourers. Treated as such, they're the bargain of the automotive world, particularly now that most of the depreciation's been dealt out. For drag racing, they're heavy and fragile, and become very expensive in very little distance. For road racing, despite the AWD, they're still mostly a FWD chassis with too much weight in the nose, and generally just pudgy, stumbling, clumsy hippopotami in ballet tutus.

Do not try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and annoys the pig.

 

[spoolin92AWd]

Good car for the money. As most said depends on it's history and how you treat it. If it is a 1g you most likely will have to replace alot, but it is worth it. You learn your car and you know what you did. Good car to buy and can be reliable if you have enough money. Compared to my daily driver Audi much easier to work on, but thats because germans are weird.