Pat, the MR2 Spyder is a great car. The motor is the same one used in the
Corolla, so it's pretty low maintenance but the one thing to watch out for
is a notable percentage of Spyder owners have trouble with oil consumption
and the ULEV precats Toyota added to the exhaust manifold. In some cases
there seems to be possibly oil getting past the rings into the precats
where they cause damage and ultimately the precats and the main cat may get
clogged, decreasing power and ultimately killing the motor. Some of the
older Spyder owners have had as many as 2 or 3 motor replacements under
warranty. Especially watch out for this with 2000 and 2001 models, as
supposedly Toyota replaced the rings in the newer models to address this
problem. So either monitor oil level fastidiously or make sure you have a
newer car/motor. Pass on this link to your sister - www.spyderchat.com -
it has a ton of useful information and a chat forum all about the newest
MR2.
The only other thing to watch for is tires - you will go through them
quickly if you are an aggressive driver. The OEM tires are very soft
compound and last around 10K-20K at best.
-p.
> Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:45:15 -0700
> From: "Pat Kelly" <lollipop487@comcast.net>
> Subject: Need advice
>
> My sister in St. Louis wants to buy an MR2 Spyder. I know it's a neat
car,
> but are there some things she should look for. The one she's looking at
is
> used, one-owner. She doesn't autocross, but is an aggressive driver (runs
in
> the family). Any maintenance problems? Expense on repair?
> - --Pat Kelly
< END >
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