Ok, I'm posting this in C4 and C5 forums. Hopefully will not get biased answers. As a previous owner of 2 C4 vettes I have learned that these vehicles can are unreliable at best. I love the look and drive of these cars when they are operating how they should, but as we all know, these times are few and far between. My current 93 has some many problems at the moment that it has been sitting in the garage for the last 2 weeks. I just discovered a high mileage C5 for sale, and I'm wondering if these vehicles are more durable and reliable, and if they are easier to wrench on. Can I expect the same money pit the C4 offers? Any feedback is welcome, but pls keep in mind that I am a corvette guy and I love all vettes... Just looking for unbiased answers. Thanks

 

Ill take some heat for this but all gens of vettes are high maintenance
LSx motor is easier to work on for sure but the C5s got their issues too.
Browse C7 gen sometime.

Get a low miler, save a little longer imo.

Thinks to like and dislike on both.Personally I like the C5 interior way better more roomy and simpler layout

 

Just sold my C5 (to get another C4) bought new in 04 put 160K miles on it with just normal maintenance was the best beater I ever had used it for work. only had two issues rear side seal at 25k common on C5, AC compressor at 95K.

 

Just absorb this and report back
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1249213

 

Any vehicle over 10 years old is subject to needing TLC. Yes, some have been better taken care of than others and some are just dead reliable. But to say that all C4s are money pits or unreliable at best is misleading "at best" and just plain wrong at worst. My '96 needed some neglected maintenance, repair of a few issues that the prior owner did not take care, and tires when I first bought it. I have taken it for week long trips over the last two years and have gotten home both times in one piece. Since then the only major problem has been with the Opti. I hope to have that sorted out for a long time in the next few weeks. For the most part the rest of what I have done I consider maintenance on an older vehicle. If you think that in moving up to a C5 it will be "more reliable" then I think you going to be sadly mistaken. The last one was built in MY 2004 - going on 11 years now. You will be probably facing issues and problems with them as well. But that wouldn't stop me if I wanted a C5 at this time. I would still buy it and do all the necessary work.

If you want guaranteed reliability then only a new car can give that to you. In that case buy a C7 in the second year of production. By then most of the first year bugs should be worked out.

 

I bought a used 1987 accord and drove it for nine years without ever getting stranded, sold it at 150000 miles and bought an 89 Corolla with 70000 miles on it. I drove it daily for another 7 years and only needed to replace the ac compressor. The car only stranded me once due to a flat tire. (My 93 used only as a weekend car) has been towed home twice this past year and countless times before. I had to leave it in a parking garage the other day because the vats system went nutty. I troubleshot and fixed it with the bypass method in the parking garage to get it home. My 88 left me stranded so many times that I had to get AAA just for the tow benefits. Both of these cars are maintained properly (service at recommended miles and regular oil changes, fluid flushes, etc).. And both cars have just over 100000 on the clock.... Both of these cars had broken radiators, water pumps, fuel pumps, you name it.... They both leaked oil and other fluids too. Still have many unresolved issues on the 1993 that makes it undrive able at the moment... Luckily, I have my 2000 ranger on the side (which by the way only left me stranded twice - 1 dead battery and 1 fuel pump issue..... So yah, I'd say the vettes are fairly unreliable. My dad has a Tacoma that has 165000 on the clock, and only got stranded once due to a dead battery. Still going strong. I maintain all my vehicles properly. Reliability to me just means not worrying about being stranded. I cannot say that I have that confidence with the vettes as I have been stranded on so many occasions.

 

Also like to add that I never had any other vehicle that had issues with the dashboard and instruments.... Both of my C4 dashes were unreadable at one point in time

 

So you have had two unreliable used c4 vettes - that's your experience. It doesn't make all of them unreliable. Just as my experience with one doesn't make all of them reliable.

 

And that was my point.

 

Your dad's tacoma is probably a hell of a lot newer than the c4's you are having trouble with...but ,yes, you need to keep up with these cars or they will never be right.

 

Keep reading the forum... You'll see a lot of unreliable vettes
As stated above, looking for unbiased posts... I love the Vette too... but just trying to be honest here.

 

I am also just trying to be honest - you and I don't see eye to eye. That's ok. You don't like my opinion so be it. But don't think I have a bias because you don't agree with me and don't imply I am being dishonest. I never said that all C4s are reliable. There are too many variables. Some years are better than others. Some have had better maintenance and repair. And some have just been plain beat on. And I love my wife but have never "loved" any vehicle or any inanimate object for that matter.

I have read the forum. In fact before I bought mine, I read just about every thread going back to page one of this forum to help me make a decision. I also read other forums. There are unreliable vettes. If I had listened to some of the posters I would have run screaming from any vette much less a C4. If you believe some of what is posted on the Internet, the Opti is the biggest piece of crap ever made. But it seems my problem was the prior owner got scared about reliability and had an early run MSD replace a working factory opti. The early MSD optis had problems and MSD has replaced it for me with a current model.

Go to a Honda, Mazda, Toyota forum - guess what you'll find lots of unreliable cars there too. People have a tendency to post about their problems. Far fewer post about their problem free vehicles.

The most reliable vehicle I have ever owned has been a '94 F150. I still have it at about 130K. Never has stranded me. But go to an F150 forum and with the amount of posts and problems you'd think it was an unreliable piece of crap. And I never started a "group hug" thread about how it's such a great truck.

I stand by what I originally posted - you want guaranteed reliability buy a new car. Buh-bye.

 

People who have cars that are perfect don't have a reason to post here.

My '86 was great for the first 15 or so years. Then things started breaking...

I had a 2003 for 11 years that never ever broke. Nothing ever went wrong on that car. That is a sample size of 1 -- not statistically valid as representative of all C5s.

 

Have to agree with Silver96ce and Cliff, the whole reason for forums like this is to try to iron out problems with your car, (same as any other car forum) C4s have to be seen as elderly cars these days, of course their gonna have issues,any similar aged car with probably many miles under its belt will be far from perfect, so unless your handy with the tool's or happy to pay for the work to be done then maybe a new car is the way to go...

 

Lol... It's only a car forum. Easy now. No need to be so passionate about inanimate objects.. Peace..

 

Awesome. Thanks for your reply. Gen 5 motors do look a lot easier to work with compared to the cramped up LT1. They also look more simplified... Not as much clutter! I really like the drive and looks of the C4, but I feel they are very poorly designed and cheaply constructed - especially the interior.... a friend of mine couldn't believe me when I told him you actually need to remove a car panel just to change the battery. Spark plugs and wires are another nightmare too... (I know I'll take some heat for my comments, but I am a current C4 owner. Just pointing out honest flaws imho).. Thanks again for the feedback. What's your opinion on the C5 design and construction? Do you think it's more solidly built?

 

I agree with age... But with all due respect, the C4 is poorly constructed imho, no offense to any other owners as I own one myself. Just pointing out the obvious here. The interior falls apart fairly easily and a lot components are plasticky and weak feeling compared to.... say a Lexus or mercedes.. I started this thread to find out how the C4 compared to the C5 in durability, reliability, quality and design. I guess I should've been more clear. But I'll ask again, what's your opinion on the construction and materials, etc... I mean, do you feel that the C5 is leaps and bounds ahead in that regard? Does the interior fall apart just as easily? Is the motor prone to oil leaks like the LT1 (RVT issue) etc... Do you need a cherry picker to change plugs and wires? Does the car panels need to be removed to get to the battery? Jus kidding of course, but u get my point...Just trying to get an honest opinion as I am seriously looking into parting out the C4 and rolling C5... Thanks in advance.

 

Sorry you think so poorly of your cars.

I have had 6 C4's and 2 C5's.

I have never been stranded by any of the C4's. They have been very reliable for me. Yes I have had some problems, but nothing that was unusual for the age and mileage of the cars. I have driven them a several hundred thousand miles. You mentioned a few times that you need to remove a body panel to change the battery. So what. That is easy to do an makes it easier to change than my buick under the back seat or my charger in the trunk.

I have never been stranded by my C5's either, although I did stop driving one until I replaced the wobbling harmonic balancer (a common C5 & C6 problem). I also did a column lock bypass to prevent being stranded by another common C5 problem for which there were several recalls and still didn't fix the problem.

In short, both the C4's and C5's have been relatively good form me. Yes there can be some problems, but they are just cars that age and wear so they need some common maintenance.

On other cars I have had a lot of problems. My Buick had a transmission failure not going into overdrive (a common problem) and my Cadillac had a head gasket problem (a common problem). Both of these have been major issues.

 

Ryan, No one here can tell you how reliable any mechanical device will be, than add the variables of time ware and who knows who may have worked on it in the past. I've seen posts of nightmare brand new cars.

The Corvette is not your everyday car it is and always will be a sports car with that you get many things that accelerate ware in an effort to promote performance. Are the built they best? is any car? For a manufacture it comes down to profit vs build quality vs sale price.

No one can make the decision as to what you will enjoy driving or what you are willing to put up with to drive it but you. If you want a mundane driving can full of sound deadening to fool you into thinking it has build quality go join the masses and drive a can that was built for that.

Maybe I have been lucky but in over 35 years 20 Corvettes and 1 million Corvette driving miles I can count on one hand the number of times one let me down.

Good luck in your search to find what you want.

 

First off, good luck finding a Running Lexus or Mercedes that's 25 years old.

Second, ALL plastic at 20+ years old is brittle. It doesn't matter who makes it. The C4 was Old by the time you got it. And likely had one or two owners that didn't give two **** about it's condition.

Comparing a C4 to a New Car is just..retarded.
Even the best maintained C4 on the planet is 18+ years old.

As far as leaving you stranded goes.... I've never had mine leave me stranded. Ever, and it was 23 years old, and had 142,000 when I got it.