ok well i'm looking to buy a 4th or 3rd gen....i know the 4th gens are infamous for their radiator supports i already did my homework on them, but is there anything i should look for in a 3rd gen when looking to buy one? does it use a timing chain or timing belt?

thanks

 

The VG30 is the engine in the 89-94 GXE's and 89-91 SE's. The VE30 is in the 92-94 SE's. The VG uses a timing belt that requires changing every 60K miles, the VE uses a chain. Both engines have their pluses and minuses. The biggest thing to look for with a VG is transmission. The automatic is the biggest issue most 3rd gens face. The VE has VTC clack but is easily fixable.

If you can find a 92-94 VE 5-speed in good shape without too many miles on it, most here will say buy it.

 

The 89-91 se/gxe have 160hp a timing belted sohc v6 (VG30E) The 92-94 gxe continued on with the sohc VG series engine, while the SE edition got a timing chained 190hp dohc 24 valve engine(VE30DE)

You need to watch for rust issues around the rear driver wheel well area, rust is also an issue behind the rear doors on the bottom, along with the rear strut towers.

The biggest issue with the dohc VE30DE engine is VTC clack(look in the general maintenance sticky for info on this issue) The biggest issue with the sohc VG30E engine is injector failure, and a weak automatic transmission.

 

my car has lived in minnesota for its whole life and my rad supports are in good condition

Now the rest of the car yeah..................................

 

when you say weak automatic transmission, anything specifically? and how will i know if it's weak and how much does it cost to repair? estimated of course

 

By weak they mean that the transmissions don't always last too long. I've heard alot of stories of vg auto transmissions going at around 130,000 miles, although mine lasted just fine until it hit 225,000 and I know a couple people who aren't on the forums that have had over 200,000 on the transmission without any issues.

I just had mine rebuilt last year and it cost $2100 to have it done, the actual cost came out to $2500 because the torque converter also turned out to be bent and there was more wrong than they thought but they only charged me the cost from the original estimate.

I don't know if there is any way to tell if it's weak, my best advice would be to check the fluid, make sure it's a nice clear red with no metal in it, and make sure you can test drive it and it shifts well. My transmission had some slip while shifting for about a year before it went out.

If you get a maxima with a vg engine you should find out when the timing belt was last changed and if they can prove that it was done. The vg is an interference engine so if the timing belt goes your engine is toast.

 

hm seems the 3rd gen has more problems than the 4th gen but most 3rd gens i seen have well over 120,000 miles on them is it the majority of them with the auto tranny problem?

 

Well, the 3rd gen is older than the 4th gen, so simple odds state that at any given time a 3rd gen probably has more problems than a 4th gen simply due to age. Of course, vehicle history/maintenance/etc. dictates condition more than anything. It's all relative, the VE in my sig has nearly 200k miles and runs flawlessly and the valvetrain looks brand new (synthetic oil since about 30k miles on the car), whereas my coworkers recently purchased 4th gen has only 120k but is an absolute ragged dog crap pile of a car. It's all in the previous maintenance..

As far as autos, the 92-94 SE automatic transmission seems to have held up quite well compared to the GXE's. If it were me though, I'd avoid an automatic transmission in just about any car though

 

lol yeah that's true it all comes down to how the previous owner maintained the car, i would get a manual but i don't how to drive one....yet and really don't wanna practice on my first car...maybe i'll get a beater stickshift car later on plus i live in nyc so a lot of stop and go traffic but i'm still considering the 3rd gen..i like it's design..it's classic and you don't see too many of them on the road..plus the 4th gens here in nyc are getting stolen or broken into almost as much as civics these days

 

i think my biggest problem had to be the transmission, i had to get a new one. but what do you expect its an old car haha. but very reliable and takes care of you.

 

I can vouch that the VE-auto is, for the most part, a problem free transmission. My previous 3g, which was a VG-Auto had it's transmission rebuilt two times; once at 80k miles, and again at 120k; granted it was my parents car for the majority of that time, it wasn't beat on at all. I beat the **** out of my transmission and it doesn't miss a beat though. Other than general maintenance and the annoyance of the VTC's on my VE- it's been a more reliable car. That's not to say they're both not reliable, but it's just my experience.

 

I have VE AUTO since three years and i was 18 wen i got this car i didnt use to care about it much and beat the crap outta dis car all the time till i started to care about this wen i was leaving the teen age behind lol to be honest wit ya VE Autos r the most reliable trannies i have seen. Just take care of it and it wont give u any probs for sucha long time and DUH manuals r better but VE autos r not bad at all either

and for engines, VE hands down no injectors Probs or distributer headech and i should say no need to worry about changing timing chains anytime sooner

 

I think overall these are very reliable cars, I bought mine with 131,000 on I've put 100,000 on it myself over the last seven years. The only repairs that I've had to do is replace the timing belt twice (when I first bought it and again a couple years ago), replace the pads and rotors (twice again), replace the struts (twice) and front control arms, and have the transmission rebuilt. Pads and rotors aren't going to last forever no matter what, The timing belts are recommended to change every 60,000 miles (I think, may be 80k) so that had to be done, and I had to replace the struts twice because the first time I had a shop do it and they used lousy struts.

I did the second round of brakes and suspension after I had the transmission rebuilt so until last year I had gone almost 100,000 miles on a car that cost me $5,000 used and all I ever had to replace were struts, pads, rotors, and timing belts. I even drove 2,000 miles from Washington to Indiana with the original engine and transmision at 215,000 miles. Most of my family's and friends cars have been looking at major engine or transmission work at between 100k and 150k so I think I got a pretty reliable car, I can't speak for the 4th gen though, I've never had one.

 

Having owned a 4th gen, and still owning a 5.5gen in the family. I can say, that the 3rd gen...was the better built car. The 4th gen was nice, the VQ motor is the strongest point of the 4th gen. The 5.5 gen 3.5 VQ is the strong point once again.

I bought a 3rd gen 91 se VG 5 with 243k miles for 900 dollars. I have no interior squeeks, and the suspension feels better balanced then both of my other max's, I believe this is due to the independant suspension.
If I were you go drive a 4th gen, then drive a 3rd gen. It all comes down to what your priorities are. For me I cant stand dash rattles, and crappy ride quality. My wifes 5.5gen suspension is crap, its only got 120k on the odo and has more rattle's, and noises..then my 243k 3rd gen. I was at the junk yard yesterday and out of the 15 or so VG's I looked at I dont think one of them had under 200k miles...

VE 5's are hard to find at least around me...I think its because no one wants to sell them.....

 

yeah the 3rd gen seems like the more reliable car i mean i wouldn't wanna purchase one then have the tranny go out on me right now i can't afford how much it will cost to re-build one...i'm only 19 lol but 3rd gens are going for so cheap it's sometimes hard to pass up a good deal, has anyone never had the auto tranny not crap out on them?

 

As with any other car, check the body to make sure it is clean and straight, try and obtain maintenance records, check for things that are visibly worn (tires, etc.) and take the car to a trusted mechanic for an inspection. 3rd gens are great cars if they have been maintained properly and if you don't mind getting your hands dirty when they do need to be fixed. Good luck in your search!

As far as transmissions go, try and find a stick shift or a VE twin cam automatic, or plan on going the 5-speed swap route eventually!

 

my .02
I've had 4 VEs and 4 VQs.
The 3rd gen has better overall build quality than the 4th gen. The only real exception I've had was my 98 I30t it was great other than the dam belt squeak and 1 other issue. I still see 3rd gens asking as much as 4th gens around here, and if I could find an affordable 3rd gen VE I'd buy it.

 

Then turn around and sell it 2 months later...

 

I'm sure there are people that have never had the auto tranny go out on them, if you had asked me last year I would have been one of them. I got 225,000 out of mine before it went so I was happy with it, so it really depends on the condition of the transmission when you get it and how long you want to keep the car. I had mine for seven years/100,00 miles before I had a problem.

The auto transmission only seems to be an issue on the vg engine cars, so if you decide you really want to avoid this transmission you can get an 89-91 SE with a manual (still has VG engine) or you can get a 92-94 SE auto or manual (has VE engine, stronger auto transmission).

 

The main problems I have had with my 93 GXE are the auto transmission, fuel injectors and power window regulators. Other than those items, at 168K it just keeps on going.

 

nah, I don't think that will happen. My VEs i have kept until I got a better one.
VE1 was 2+ yrs until the city took it
VE5 was a few months until we realized it needed frame pulls
VE3 was going to be redone, but it was rusty as hell and I found VE4
VE4 was for a year and then I stupidly sold it to buy the STS.
haven't had a VE since.

VQs on the other hand...
10 hrs I kept the last one...

 

Can't say we didn't tell you that you were making a mistake...You just had to have a car to go with your pinkie ring...

 

295 hp and full power everything + heated seats was nothing to laugh at.
it was the dam body seam leak that ticked me off so it got sold.