Looking to buy 2002 LX auto with 160k miles

[SKM348]

Hi all. A couple of questions please. How reliable are the auto trannys? I had a 2002 ES with the 5sp stick and loved it. Sold it with 80k on it with no trouble. Am now looking for the same car for my daughter but with an auto. I've found a 2 owner LX with 160k. Owner sounds responsible and says car runs great. Will drive it this weekend. I've heard that these cars can run forever but I'd like some input from current owners with high miles. I've seen the high mileage thread but most don't say if it's auto or stick.

Also, he has not changed the timing belt in the ~70k that he's owned it and does not know if previous owner had it changed. I've called a local dealer and he says with TB kit, water pump, and labor it's about $500-$600. I don't mind buying car as long as he'll come off his price. Per this forum it looks it's a non-interference engine which is good.

The Protege is a first choice for me due to my great experience with it. Daughter hates the looks but I'm all about the reliability since I'm buying it!

Please let me know of any trouble areas I need to look out for. All feedback is appreciated!
Thanks

 

[Hsnberg]

Hi all. A couple of questions please. How reliable are the auto trannys? I had a 2002 ES with the 5sp stick and loved it. Sold it with 80k on it with no trouble. Am now looking for the same car for my daughter but with an auto. I've found a 2 owner LX with 160k. Owner sounds responsible and says car runs great. Will drive it this weekend. I've heard that these cars can run forever but I'd like some input from current owners with high miles. I've seen the high mileage thread but most don't say if it's auto or stick.

Also, he has not changed the timing belt in the ~70k that he's owned it and does not know if previous owner had it changed. I've called a local dealer and he says with TB kit, water pump, and labor it's about $500-$600. I don't mind buying car as long as he'll come off his price. Per this forum it looks it's a non-interference engine which is good.

The Protege is a first choice for me due to my great experience with it. Daughter hates the looks but I'm all about the reliability since I'm buying it!

Please let me know of any trouble areas I need to look out for. All feedback is appreciated!
Thanks

I just bought a 1995 Protege DX manual transmission as a winter beater about a month ago, so I just went through what you are now. Let me give you some perspectives.

Definitely have the car checked by a mechanic. I had to have both the front and rear brakes updated, to the tune of about $400. And that was with going to Autozone, buying all the parts, and hustling for a cheap labor shop. I am now going to get the timing and drive belts changed for $500. I had it checked by my mechanic buddy first, so I could work these repairs into the negotiation.

160k for a 12 year old car seems like a bit much. Mine is 19 years old and has 158k. Its been well used, so you can't assume that it is in "good" shape. Just because the owner didn't abuse it and changed the oil regularly, doesn't mean that he did all the maintenence work, which you will have to do all at once.

Pay close attention to how the auto trans shifts. They are much higher maintenence than manual shifters. And changing the ATF just makes things worse. Few people maintain their auto trans, so they are basically sealed for life, and driven until they die. If it slips gears at all or makes funny noises, run.

 

[SKM348]

Thanks HSN. Yes, the tranny will be my main focus. The miles don't concern me as it's an average of about 13k/yr, which is normal. A clean interior says a lot to me and if it has even a hint of cigarette smell we won't drive it. It's an older couple which also gives me a little peace of mind but I'll certainly be able to tell more from the test drive.

I also agree that some folks change tranny fluid too soon which can lead to problems. I'll be looking for maintenance records as well. The TB probably has not been done so that will be a negotiating point. Brakes/Plugs and misc I can do for much less than $400. I knew someone that owned an 1996 LX w/auto tranny that had 330k miles and still ran strong by just doing maintenance on wear and tear items. This, combined with my previous experience with the Protege, is why I'm considering it. Price is in the low $2k range so I don't mind putting a little into it.

I'm hoping for more feedback on this thread.

 

[concept]

The bottom line with auto trannies that the owner should follow the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual. The worse thing you can do is say, "Well, the fluid hasn't been changed in 50,000 miles, so what the heck, I'll see if it can last 100,000 miles." By that time, there would be irreparable damage. I changed my MX6's fluid every 2 years, regardless of mileage and it now has over 162,000 miles on it. Our Protg's auto tranny fluid gets changed every 2 years as well. I bought the car when it had 88,000 miles on it and immediately had the fluid flushed at that time.

Do NOT buy any car with over 100,000 miles if the fluid was never changed. Well-maintained transmissions can last over 200,000 miles. Neglected ones have a slim-to-no chance of reaching this mileage.

 

[Hsnberg]

Thanks HSN. Yes, the tranny will be my main focus. The miles don't concern me as it's an average of about 13k/yr, which is normal. A clean interior says a lot to me and if it has even a hint of cigarette smell we won't drive it. It's an older couple which also gives me a little peace of mind but I'll certainly be able to tell more from the test drive.

I also agree that some folks change tranny fluid too soon which can lead to problems. I'll be looking for maintenance records as well. The TB probably has not been done so that will be a negotiating point. Brakes/Plugs and misc I can do for much less than $400. I knew someone that owned an 1996 LX w/auto tranny that had 330k miles and still ran strong by just doing maintenance on wear and tear items. This, combined with my previous experience with the Protege, is why I'm considering it. Price is in the low $2k range so I don't mind putting a little into it.

I'm hoping for more feedback on this thread.

Its not a matter of changing the fluid too soon. That's a good thing. Its waiting too long.

And the mileage should be a concern if the ATF has never been changed. The most important reason WHY high mileage is a problem is because of auto transmissions that die.

I would a agree with the other poster in that if the ATF has never been changed, to look for something else. Unless you are looking for a winter beater to chuck in April, it WILL go out. Then you'll be left with a $500 parts car that needs to be towed to the junkyard.

 

[03protolx]

There is absolutely no guarantee the transmission will go out. The autos in these things aren't too bad when cared for but again I've seen trans fluid in these things that were completely black and drove fine. the kicker in these transmissions are transmission flushes. that will kill them the quickest, as doing a drain/fill is the best alternative as it only replaces 60% of the fluid but will definitely prolong the life of the transmission.


Edit: I have the crappy F4a-EL in my 97 protege I own and at 293k miles and the transmission never been replaced, and after I acquired it from my sister in 2010 it had 255k with the trans fluid never changed. i just drove it 550 miles around thanksgiving time and shifted fine with half way new fluid.

 

[03protolx]

Hi all. A couple of questions please. How reliable are the auto trannys? I had a 2002 ES with the 5sp stick and loved it. Sold it with 80k on it with no trouble. Am now looking for the same car for my daughter but with an auto. I've found a 2 owner LX with 160k. Owner sounds responsible and says car runs great. Will drive it this weekend. I've heard that these cars can run forever but I'd like some input from current owners with high miles. I've seen the high mileage thread but most don't say if it's auto or stick.

Also, he has not changed the timing belt in the ~70k that he's owned it and does not know if previous owner had it changed. I've called a local dealer and he says with TB kit, water pump, and labor it's about $500-$600. I don't mind buying car as long as he'll come off his price. Per this forum it looks it's a non-interference engine which is good.

The Protege is a first choice for me due to my great experience with it. Daughter hates the looks but I'm all about the reliability since I'm buying it!

Please let me know of any trouble areas I need to look out for. All feedback is appreciated!
Thanks

If the price is good, I say do it. the auto's in the protege aren't that bad anymore as most of the common ford-escort-transmission problems were fixed by 2001-2002.

i've owned many cars some being honda, dodge, jeep, chevrolet, nissan, acura. You dont get as much bang for your buck with other cars as you do for the mazda protege.

I don't know why your daughter doesn't like the looks of the newer proteges, as many think it looks much nicer than most cars of it's time. lol

get the timing belt and water pump replaced...make sure the battery tests good..and the car should last a good while.

 

[concept]

There is absolutely no guarantee the transmission will go out. The autos in these things aren't too bad when cared for but again I've seen trans fluid in these things that were completely black and drove fine. the kicker in these transmissions are transmission flushes. that will kill them the quickest, as doing a drain/fill is the best alternative as it only replaces 60% of the fluid but will definitely prolong the life of the transmission.


Edit: I have the crappy F4a-EL in my 97 protege I own and at 293k miles and the transmission never been replaced, and after I acquired it from my sister in 2010 it had 255k with the trans fluid never changed. i just drove it 550 miles around thanksgiving time and shifted fine with half way new fluid.

My mother smoked for more than 50 years and never got cancer. Does this mean that because she never did that smoking should not be considered hazardous to your health? Of course not. There will always be stories of people not changing their engine oil for 30,000 miles without issues, but don't let one-in-a-million stories convince you that changing auto tranny oil is optional.

Again, the bottom line is to follow your owner's manual. The engineers who designed your car know far more than any of us do, regarding maintenance intervals. Just keep that in mind. Trying to get tranny fluid to last 10X longer than what is recommended by the manufacturer is asking for costly trouble.