What should I look out for in buying a 2001 neon with 140,000 miles ? Car has been well maintained.
Do you have a mechanic you trust? Have them check it.
I don’t know for sure if that neon has a timing belt, but if it does (I believe it does) find out when (if) it was changed. If they don’t know, add the cost of a new timing belt job. Get the water pump etc done at the same time.
Good Luck
Please explain if the term “well maintained” is more than regular oil changes. As other say, have acompetent mechanic check it out. Don’t pay too much; these cars depreciate like a stone.
The owner is a mechanic, and always fussing over it. He’s asking $ 2000.
For that money it would have to be perfect. One problem with these cars was head gaskets; check the history if it has ever blown and overheated.
Is the mechanic the original owner?
Often mechanics buy a troublesome car from a frustrated owner and on their own time fix it properly. It could also have been in an accident. Check that out as well.
The principle problem is that it’s a Dodge Neon. Neon’s are remarkably likeable little cars, but they are not terribly reliable. Had a 95. Lots of problems – water pump seized at 40K. Head Gasket blew at 60K. Rear main seal failed at 70K. Gas and brake lines rusted out. Wiring was a constant problem. Had to track down, clean and reseat a corroded connector every three or four months. Many repair jobs (e.g. alternator replacement) were inordinately time consuming because of bizarre parts placement and use of odd sized fasteners (15mm bolt heads? Why? – 14mm and 17mm are what are normally used on metric cars).
It’s gone to the great junkyard in the sky now. Don’t miss it.
I always thought that had Chrysler built a little more quality into the Neon, they would have had a winner. With its rather unique appearance, it could have been the VW Beetle of the 1990’s and beyond. It would have been a great car for young families just starting out and for students had it been priced right.
The car designers took more shortcuts than a Hong Kong taxi driver. I have rented new ones, and yes, they are reasonable pleasant cars when new. However, everything breathes mediocrity and quality shortcuts.
A friend of my wife, who previously put a zillion miles on a 1982 Nissan Sentra, could not believe that with all the tender loving care the thing still broke down.