Steven Meillier

I have a 1985 C4 and want to upgrade to a C5 at a moderate cost. What is the best year to consider for reliability.

bravo29

I say 2001 and up.

Steven Meillier

Thanks, I see you have a 2000?

~Josh

Not so much reliability, but parts availability and cost.

Lots of stuff you can't get new for pre-01 and some of it costs more. There were a lot of improvements that happened in 01.

The stickys at the top of this page are good reading. Good luck on your search!

WoodyJohnson

Double dittos on 2001 and up. 2002 Z06 gets a lot of mentions as the top performer in the series, so I've been keeping my eye out for one. 2003 some models have Magnetic Selective Ride Control, which is supposed to be da bomb, I don't know if it came standard after that. It's been my experience, not only because I own one but from the experiences of friends and forum postings, that the 2001-04 base models are just down right reliable cars for a well priced daily driver, it seems to be the model years where they finally got most of the kinks out. It's not unusual seeing them on Craigslist with 150k miles or more, and you can still find low mileage cream puffs from between 16 to 22 grand. I bought my 2001 base vert with 17k miles for 20 grand last year, the thing lived most of its life parked in a garage. It's beautiful and mint. I love it. Find one like that. Considering that new vettes are heading towards a hundred grand a copy, a like new C5 is a sweet bargain, a nice z06 must be even sweeter. Get em while they last.

Slo Yelo C5

Other than the EBCM and SWPS, which parts aren't available new for pre-'01 C5s?

donald4972

Some 2004's had a fuel tank issue. If it was not repaired by the recall, then it is VERY expensive to now, if you have to. You can google search for serial VIN numbers involved.

~Josh

I don't have a pre -01 so I haven't cared to find out.

glbeauchamp

Sometime in the past month or so someone started a post asking the same thing more or less but of course I can't find it. Maybe someone else can locate it? Last I looked there were about 10 or so items on it.

SG Lou

2001-2004

Steven Meillier

Thanks Good information

Lexybird

A subjective question .. all years of a c5 are good . Granted Some years had recall issues and all are prone to some quirks that come along on any year . The reality is If you found a great low mile car for a fair price I would not be scared of a discontinued part when they made 200,000 of these c5 cars .theres part outs everyday on here and on eBay if you should need anything. You'd think by reading on here that you should only get a 2001 and up model when they fail to see those had issues too . Harmonic balancer replace , Magnetic ride control fails are not cheap neither is the gas tank fix replace . Listen Find a low mile cherry with a clean car fax and take good care of it

jackjohnson_218

Something to do with paint blistering on the trunks on 99 - 04 that appears to come back even after you repaint it.

Vetteman Jack

All model years of the C5 can share in some of the same problems. Not saying they all will, but the potential is there.

The '01 model year had a lot of upgrades made to the platform, plus a 5 bhp bump in performance (base model, not the Z06). Each year thereafter got a few more improvements. And the Z06, which came out in '01, went from 385 hp in its initial year to 405 hp from '02-04. And while there may be used parts available for the '00 and earlier cars, you may find that the prices being asked for such parts are getting very expensive.

Choreo

Late 2001 or 2002.

rrwirsi

The 2004 fuel tank issue concerns VIN's 45110258 to 45125500. If a car VIN is within the range, check with GM Dealer to see if the tank was repaired under Warrantee. If not, you are rolling the dice that it will not fail and cost in thousands to repair.

Vette Flashbacks

Here are two that might interest you, Steven........A 2003 convertible and a 2004 coupe.

http://www.thevettenet.com/listing_d...04_Black_Coupe

http://www.thevettenet.com/listing_d...04_Black_Coupe

Tsumi

If it is going to be a DD car, I would definitely consider a 2003 or 2004 with magnetic ride. Soft while cruising to work, yet can instantly stiffen up when you get the urge to throw it around a corner. I can definitely feel a small difference in my 2001 with selective ride, and I plan to upgrade it to the magnetic ride at some point in the future (most likely when the shocks fail).

ArtClassShank

The ride control options seem neat, but don't get too attached. Replacing is prohibitively expensive.

grampi50

I feel the same way. If I found a pre-'01 model with low miles, in cherry condition, that had been well cared for, and was the right price, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. Even the parts that you can still buy new for the newer ones that are no longer available for the older ones will soon also be discontinued, so buying a newer one is really just pushing back the inevitable a little bit....for example, last I heard, new ECBMs are no longer available for any of the C5s, only difference is the '01 and newer ones can still be repaired. Yes, there were some upgrades and improvements made to the '01 and newer models, but there were also some drawbacks like the ones you mentioned. Buying an older one is no guarantee that you will have more problems with it, just as buying a newer one is no guarantee that you won't. I think how the car was maintained, and finding one with low miles is far more important than whether it's a pre or post '01 model...