97 Malibu - should I keep it?

My daughter has a 97 Malibu with 136000 miles. Kept up the maintenance pretty good - I'm weighing getting rid of a paid off car versus payments?! It has 3 new tires on it, new brake pads & rotors 6 months ago, and the intake manifold gasket was repaired at 110,000 miles. now the bad - it's getting some serious rust issues, the rear defroster doesn't work, the headliner is falling down, the brake pedal makes that weird clicking sound someone else asked about, AND the ABS light is on. The brakes seemed to want to lock up this past winter before the light was even on - so don't know if that was due to the clicking? With a teenage driver, I'm just thinking it may not be safe for her anymore? But it starts and runs good all the time - any weather. Any thoughts?

Based on its condition as you describe it, you will not get much $$ for it. But perhaps a '97 isn't worth much more than a couple thousand anyway. My '99 has 172,000 kim (107,000 miles) and runs great, after all the $$ I invested in the earlier years just after the warranty ran out: ABS brakes/front hubs, coi springs, head gasket of course, heater motor.

My daughter has a 97 Malibu with 136000 miles. Kept up the maintenance pretty good - I'm weighing getting rid of a paid off car versus payments?! It has 3 new tires on it, new brake pads & rotors 6 months ago, and the intake manifold gasket was repaired at 110,000 miles. now the bad - it's getting some serious rust issues, the rear defroster doesn't work, the headliner is falling down, the brake pedal makes that weird clicking sound someone else asked about, AND the ABS light is on. The brakes seemed to want to lock up this past winter before the light was even on - so don't know if that was due to the clicking? With a teenage driver, I'm just thinking it may not be safe for her anymore? But it starts and runs good all the time - any weather. Any thoughts?

Being that the intake gasket has been done, the worse is behind you....drive it till the floor boards rot out :). Check the defroster plug in the back and make sure it's getting good contact. Not sure about the brake click. The ABS is probably sensor related which means you need a new hub. You'll eventually have to change both of them like most other BU owners. My 1999 is at 150,000 miles and still kicking

Get rid of it. My 97 had the gasket failure and also had the AC evaporator core fail and the head unit for the AC controls seized. They are just poorly put together cars. I know several other owners and they are not all junk but three out of 4 of us have had a parade of problems. By 2000 they seem to be a little better but that doesn't help you. There is other stuff that can happen including the tranny and a second go round with the manifold gasket which, depending on the leak, will also take out your injectors. Watch the condition of the rear struts. My were noisy so i bought another set but sold the car before installing them. The guy was a bit slow replacing them and either the strut or where it ties in rotted through and just dropped.

Well... you could just give the car to me. :biggrin: