To buy or not to buy?

I have been looking at LS's for a few weeks now. After reading on all of the common problems, coil and tranny issues etc... I am second guessing buying one. I have wanted one for a long time but basically I'd be buying used and not sure if I want to dump money into something that I just bought. I found a good deal on 2002 with 70k miles and it has had at least one coil replaced already. Is it true that more are bound to go? I wouldn't be buying anything older than 2002 and it looks like some of the issues were resolved by this year, but still not sure. And at this point I may rule out a private seller purchase and go to a dealer where I can get a warranty just in case. Any advice would be great. Thanks

You're right, many of the common issues were remedied for the 2002 model year. It's unclear exactly when in the 2002 model year the valve cover gasket issues were worked out though.

The best bet would be to find one that has maintenance records for the appropriate maintenance items and spend some money having it checked over by a competant technician. It's not a sure thing that more coils will go out, but if it's the V-8, it's not too difficult to check the coils for signs of oil in the plug wells. The task is not so easy on a V-6. Three are easy to get to, but the remaining three require pulling the upper intake manifold. Probably not something you'd be allowed to do on a pre-purchase checkout.

My wife has a 2002 V-6 and has not had any issues with hers. No coil failures yet, no tranny issues, etc. She did experience the clockspring failure, but that was repaired under manufacturer warranty by the dealership. Also, a power window regulator failed but that only took me about 45 minutes to replace myself.

I used to have a 2004 LS V-8 and didn't have any major problems with the car. The one problem I did have frustrated me enough that I traded the car off. The problem I had though was not a common problem and no one seemed to know how to fix, so I don't think you need to worry about having a similar experience. Even with my less than pleasurable experience with my LS, I still like the cars and do not discourage others from purchasing an LS. My wife still has hers and we both still enjoy it.

Keep in mind when reading this, or any forum. Typically you get the people who are having problems with the car posting. Rarely does someone post how much they enjoy their car and smile everytime they drive it.

-Rod

Forgot to mention the airbag light is on too.... seems like same old stuff I've been reading. I know usually this isnt a big deal... but the last thing I would need is a $3000 transmission rebuild I've been readin about.

Certainly can understand that, and I wish there was a tell-tale way to suggest you check it out, but I'm not aware of one. Like so many used cars, it's a bit of a gamble. Unfortunately with the LS, the car and running gear is pretty unique and therefore there is not a large parts base around for it. However, there is a good chance that if you get a decent LS, you'll never (or at least rarely) regret the purchase.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

-Rod