Looking for a used car

[Lamar]

Fellow C&Gers,

I'm looking for a used car to replace my Pathfinder in this era of Iraqi involvement and crappy gas prices.

Two of the cars I've found in this area via AutoTrader are an 01 and 02 Oldsmobile Aurora V6. Both have a reasonable amount of miles (69k for the 01, 70k for the 02).and the pictures show very intact interiors.

I'm asking if there are any potential problems with the Auroras that I should watch out for.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Lamar

[vonVeezelsnider]

The 3.5L had some issues in its infancy in 1999 where something like 1 in 12 engines were terminally ill but those issues were resolved pretty quick... Just treat it as well as you'd treat a Northstar engine, because that's what it is essentially. Reliability otherwise is very good, and the 3.5L is a nice strong motor- silky smooth and not as masculine as the 3800 but with plenty of Gusto. I say go for it. Otherwise, it's a G-Body, so watch for wear on the brakes. They wear out a little quick.

[intrigued]

my folks gad a 2000 intrigue with the 3.5 and it was a gem for us. Pulls hard all the way to the 6500 rpm redline and is still going strong. We sold ours to a friend after 90k and my friend, neglecting the 100k tune up is still driving it with only regular oil changes at 130k miles. i yelled at him to give that baby some TLC ASAP.

[Lamar]

my folks gad a 2000 intrigue with the 3.5 and it was a gem for us. Pulls hard all the way to the 6500 rpm redline and is still going strong. We sold ours to a friend after 90k and my friend, neglecting the 100k tune up is still driving it with only regular oil changes at 130k miles. i yelled at him to give that baby some TLC ASAP.

I had an Intrigue on my list as well. '00, 65k, under $6000.

Any problems with the Intrigue?

[Brougham-Holiday]

I have an 01 Aurora 3.5, its a very nice car and has standard leather/auto climate/cd cass/ etc. Ive had 2 problems with my Aurora , the intermediate steering shaft (Im told this is very common, it cost $322 at the dealership) and the leaky trunk (another very common issue). If you want to read up on Aurora specs etc I recommend the Aurora Club of North America (ACNA) its a free online group like this one. Most important, remember that Oldsmobile is always a step ahead.

[gm4life]

My Bonneville has "bad" steering shaft.

[A Horse With No Name]

Ditto on the brake thing, otherwise pretty bulletproof.

Chris