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thestealth -> Buying a Stealth (5/4/2006 12:38:10 PM)
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Buying a used car is always a tricky proposition, Stealths are no different.
First off, I'll list some of the common issues prevelant to all the models.
1. Capacitors. Mitsubishi used subpar capacitors in the control boards. These capacitors will start leaking, damaging the circuit board they are on causing all sorts of malfunctions or board failure. They can be replaced for a minimal cost in comparison to the price of a new unit.
These capacitors are in the ECU (engine controller), TCU (Auto tranny controller), ECS (Electronic Controlled Suspension), and the Digital Climate Control. When I had them replaced on my car, I used ECM to go. They had a fair price and a car on site to test their work.
Edit: Upon further research, this is only an issue with the 1st gen cars, 91-93.
2. Cracked dash vents. Purely a cosmetic problem, but very common. To replace them requires the removal of the dash. I personally am just living with it.
3. Bubbling of the interior door panels. The outer "skin" of the door panel becomes seperated, making bubbles appear in the door panels. Another cosmetic issue, no known cure other than to replace the entire door panel.
4. Worn seat bolster on drivers seat.
5. Lifter tick. Very common among the DOHC engines, I'm not sure if the SOHC has this problem or not. More of an annoyance than anything, as it is not detrimental to the engine. Keeping the oil changed with Synthetic oil will lesson the ticking, but even then it will happen. I change the oil on my Stealths around 3000 miles and both of them have very minimal lifter tick.
Those are the main problem areas of all the models, base, ES, RT, RT/TT. When looking at used cars (any used car), always check the fluid levels and conditions and ask for maintenance records. This is a good indicator of how well the previous owner cared for the vehicle. Kick all the tires, don't be afraid to crawl all over and under the vehicle looking for rust, overspray from a repaint, missing nuts/bolts, hidden damage, etc. Run a carfax report. Not all accidents will show on a carfax, but it will at the minimum give you an idea of how many owners the car had and whether of not the mileage on the odometer is correct. Don't be afraid to ask the owner questions; Why are you selling it? How long have you had it? Any known problems? Etc. Test drive it. Don't turn on the radio while test driving, listen for any unusual clunks or sounds. Drive on varied pavements to listen for any suspension issues. Punch it a time or too (I am not advocating ragging out someones car) to make sure it runs like it should.
The truth is, these cars are starting to get old(er). There will be things that will break or just plain wear out. Struts, seals, hoses, belts, misc. electronic items, chassis and suspension bushings. This is common on all vehicle when they age.
Maintenance
The DOHC and TT engines require a little more thorough maintenance than their SOCH brethren. Every 60K miles the timing belt, water pump, pullies and tensioners, spark plugs should be changed. At 180K miles, the oil pump should be changed, it is not a bad idea to have the mechanic check the bearings while he is there.
That is all I can think of at the moment. Please feel free to add anything I might have missed, or correct anything in error.
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