Well, I'm a college student who currently drives a 95 Ford Explorer. I do pretty well when it comes to doing my own auto repairs, as a matter of fact I've only ever taken a vehicle to a mechanic once and it was when a brake line blew and I didn't have time to fix it.

As some of you probably know, an old Ford Explorer in northern Michigan automatically means severe rust So, I've been looking into F250's and Jeeps since I wanted to get something with a solid front axle that would be easy to lift and better off road. Well, reality set in and I realized that I could save about a thousand a year on gas if I buy a decent car and waited on the trail rig for a few years.

So, thats when I decided that a Monte Carlo fits pretty much everything that I would want in a car when it comes to economy, space, ride, etc. But, I wanted to know what problem areas to look out for when purchasing a 6th gen Monte Carlo. Are there any common problems that I'll end up dealing with (head gaskets, cam position sensors, etc)? What kind of mileage can I expect? (Anything seems great since I only get 19 right now which I know is extremely good considering what I drive now is still a 4x4 suv).

Thanks

 

Welcome to the Forum .., I drive a 2005 Monte Carlo SS Supercharged 3.8
an I avg. 20.5 highway & city..But I was told my tires smoke all the time..

 

Transmission and Lower Intake Manifold problems are the big ones on these cars.

Highway with the L36, I get around 30mpg, city I only get around 18-19. It's a heavy car, so getting it going can take some gas :P

 

Welcome to the forum, the transmissions are weak on the 6th gens, the intake manifold gaskets need replaced also unless they were replaced with the updated aluminum ones. I have an 04 ss and love it, have had it over a year. The fenders are wanting to rust on mine, which I have to deal with asap.

 

It' hard to go wrong I have a 2003 Monte Carlo LS got her in 2006 had 68,000 miles and now has 155,000 change oil at 3000 miles gas every so often get 30-32 hwy it get a little better long a long trip with premium gas been as high as 35 mpg living in the northwest. It likes high highway speed 70-75 but still gets good mpg. Hope this helps a little.

 

The 6th gen montes are a little quirky but they are an all around good vehicle. You may experience wheel hub issues and like others have said lower intake gasket failure but those are both pretty simple fixes. Depending on your price range I would look for an 04 or 05 supercharged ss. You should be able to find a nice one for around 5 to 8 grand. Maybe less from a private owner or if you find one that needs a little work. If you are looking on the lower end of the price range you could look for a 00 to 02 ss. They can be found in various conditions for anywhere around 1000 to 3000 dollars. If it were me tho I would definitely get one with the 3800 motor. They are very solid and have a lot of modding potential.