OK, most of you know my little Dodge daily driver got whacked by a deer last week and is not only undrivable, but beyond economic repair (as in it makes no sense to spend the money to fix a car worth only about $400).

Car lot I trust here has a 97 Eighty Eight LSS with a shade over 100K. 3.8, optioned out pretty nice, clean inside and out, missing the Oldsmobile script on trunk. Asking $3800 but I could probably talk Susie down some as I've known her for years.

I know these were highly rated cars when they came out, but does anyone have experience with them down the road? As in fuel mileage, oddball issues, repair costs and frequency, stuff like that?

 

Crazy fuel gauge and torque converter lockup solenoid..If the converter doesn't lock, the transmission will overheat and cost big money to re-build. Otherwise, good power, great ride and mine got 32mpg driving to FL.

I think $3800 is too much. I paid $4500 for mine with 70k in 2005.

 

My wife has driven a '97 LSS for 10 years now and it's been good over all. Ask if the intake manifold has been replaced or resealed. It's a real trouble spot with the 3.8 V-6. Supercharged V-6's had a cast intake that's not prone to trouble... you just have to buy premium gas instead. Not a bad car otherwise, and has decent performance.