Hey, So I'm considering buying a 2003 Protege 5, but it has 180,000 miles on it, and that is a bit high. I wanting to know if there are any issues, or problems or just anything I should know before I check the car out on Saturday? Only information I have on it at the moment is, the guy who owns it is a mechanic at a Hyundai dealership and is a father to two little kids and as such keeps it in tip top shape, or so he says. He also said there are no rust issues. And thats where I'm at. Help me out. Thanks.

Here is the ad;
03 mazda protege 5

Here are the pictures he sent me;


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They average miles driven per day over the last 12 yrs is 41 miles.
Average service every 146 days.

That is quite high mileage. Be prepared to do alot of maintenance. & be prepared for things to wear out & require replacing.

 

Thats where I'm riding the fence. I don't mind maintenance, but if these cars are not very reliable and they cost a lot to repair, thats not a good combination.

 

Take advantage of the cold weather right now. Start the engine and open your ears. Watch what comes out of the tailpipe too. Protégé's are not known to be problematic. Find out when timing belt was changed last. Check the shifter. Should not feel loose or sloppy. Shift linkage issues could be costly. If it runs out and drives as good as it looks, you should be happy with it. And as always, have your tech check it out before you buy.

 

chris: like grim said it is high mileage, but I think for the price it is a good buy. It is unusual to see a Protege 5 in road salt country without a rust problem. I would ask him how he kept it from rusting. Also ask if the timing belt has been changed and when, how often he changed the oil and what oil he used, and ask him if he flushed the cooling system.
I would not be too worried about the clutch because he used it for long distances. Of course things can go wrong: AC may fail on you, struts could go out, anything. Rubber parts age out or wear out. That means leaks could spring. but hey if it lasts you 2 1/2 years you would be alright anything beyond that will be your savings.

I normally don't put a positive opinion out on a CL ad without seeing a car in person. But this one looks taken care of in extraordinary ways.