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2004 Pontiac Vibe 150000 miles. $3500
1. Whether it is a good buy or not depends on the condition of the vehicle, especially the mechanical condition. Mechanical condition varies tremendously. 150000 miles is high so there will be a lot of wear in all mechanical components. If the mechanical condition is poor you could easily wind up spending thousands of dollars fixing items up to keep it running well and roadworthy. If there are no service records with the car to demonstrate how it has been maintained then that is a red flag. You also do not want be buying any vehicle that has had other than superficial accident repair work done on it.
2. If considering a car like this (or any used car) pay to have a professional mechanical inspection done on it. (Yes I know this will cost you money and they might find so many faults you end up not buying the car.) This inspection is going to show up faults unless the vehicle has been meticulously maintained and most are not and you can assess if you want to buy it with those faults. I wish I had a dollar for every story I have read of people who have bought used cars without a professional check only to find out weeks later that there are major expensive problems to fix including in some cases badly repaired accident damage that has to be redone.
3. If you find faults, as an inspection will, you will have some improved leverage to negotiate on price.
4. Go to the Kelly Blue Book site and get an idea of the car’s valuation…….here……..
http://www.kbb.com/pontiac/vibe/2004/styles/?intent=trade-in-sell&mileage=1500005.. There are numerous reviews on line on many models of cars through various web sites (such as the web site below) so you can get an idea of the issues other owners have had with their cars. Some of course are just normal wear and tear.
Have a look at reviews on web sites such as this one but there are many others………..
http://www.edmunds.com/pontiac/vibe/2004/wagon/review/Just because some other people have had good experiences with their cars is not an indication that the car you are considering is a good buy. That example may turn out to be a complete lemon mechanically so you need to check it carefully.
cam0888 is right, and heed all that advice. That being said, I had an 05′ Toyota Matrix that my dad bought new and maintained meticulously. He have it to me at 80K and I maintained it well, but rode it hard as a teenager. Still, it ran like a top till 194K. Then it got rolled and totaled. It was an auto, btw.
I was looking more for a “whatever you do, don’t get a ….” – which I don’t seem to be finding. a good thing.
Getting it looked at is difficult – it’s a private sale and the car isn’t tagged or insured anymore – so aside from mechanic costs, also involves towing costs.
This is a referral from a friend, who has respect for the seller as far as honesty – and the only thing he has had to do in the 4 years he has owned it was
replace an O2 sensor – as well as regular maintenance. Of course the previous owner we know nothing about. It was last driven last month, the registration expired at the end of February, and they didn’t want to renew it if they were selling it – so at least it wasn’t a vehicle that has sat for the last 3 or 6 months and was a frequently driven car as well.It sounds good, drives good – a couple minor issues (I’m told it has that fan clicking in the dash issue) – I’ll be taking it to my mechanic after the sale to give it a once over, with fingers crossed and breath held. We did get a slightly lowered price – but price wasn’t so much the issue – it was more vehicle reputation I was after – and like I said, I haven’t known anyone who has owned a vibe (or matrix) to ask how their was.
One thing we were surprised at, was the headroom inside – it’s a lot bigger than it looks.
Here hoping for the best….
carcomplaints.com didn’t seem to have many complaints listed for the 2004 Vibe. The 2003 had a lot of transmission problems but the 04 had only a few problems reported here and there. ALL cars have SOME issues
If you have already bought it, you probably did alright.
For towing, no need for that, When you buy it, just put it on your insurance before you drive it home. Even if you get pulled over, I think all states have a grace period to register vehicles so not like you would get ticketed. Check your own state’s laws of course.As far as “Whatever you do, don’t get a…”
Ok then here is one –
Whatever you do, don’t get a chrysler with a 2.7 engine. Anti-freeze leaks into the oil and causes the engine to “go to a better place where it no longer suffers”So if you bought it, what do you think so far?
We did purchase it – even with the check engine code (used that to drop the price a couple hundred). Took it to the mechanic today.
He thinks it’s a solid drivetrain – and that the CEL is just the sensor (thinks the previous owner replaced it before with the wrong one).It’s a great little car – UNTIL you need to change a fuse (we blew out the cigarette lighter fuse) – Well, I’m not 4’5″ and 100# so
my body in no way was able to fit upside down with my head by the break pedal – just so I could change a fuse. Since it was
at the shop for evaluation, we are having them change the fuse. I seriously thought I was going to get wedged in place between
the steering wheel and the seat, and have to lay on the horn to get someone to help pry me out of there. Thank god my kids
weren’t looking – or that would have been the next viral youtube video!!!I might have been able to work with a mirror to visualize while working blind (except for the mirror).
The only thing I really don’t like, is that the power outlets (12v) aren’t active when the key is out – so you can’t charge a phone
unless the key in place. it’s cool it has a built in 100W inverter and lots of little storage areas – great headroom for taller people,
just those people can’t change the fuses.
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