# Considering Purchasing 2004 GTO, Want Reliability Info



## big_mack (Sep 30, 2011)

Hey guys,

I’m new to the forum :cheers. I’ve been trolling here occasionally for a few months now, as I’ve been considering purchasing a car for a while and the GTO has been on my radar the whole time. I’ve found a seemingly mostly stock 2004 GTO that I’m considering purchasing. I checked it out in person and was impressed by it, but sadly no test drive yet for me. Here are some details on the car:

-2004 GTO, LS1, M6, silver, 96k miles
-Fairly clean body, a few small nicks and scratches from use, gas tank door had flaking paint
-Very clean interior, black leather/red gauges, stock Blaupunkt stereo head
-Aftermarket wheels which I liked and would keep
-BFGoodrich g-Force tires, ~30% life left
-Clean CarFax 
- two owners
- purchased April ’04 in Michigan, relocated to Texas within 4 months, been a Texas car since (no MI winters)
- around 50k miles (if I remember right), the suspension and brakes had been serviced, not sure how comprehensive it was
- no wrecks or other damage reported
-Sounded like it had an aftermarket muffler/exhaust, but I only heard the car idle around the showroom
-Asking price of $10,995, may be able to go $10,500 or less


How reliable are these cars? I’ve been searching for threads about high-mileage GTOs and I’ve found a few about people who racked up serious mileage in the first few years, but nothing about cars that have been driven 15-20k per year since being purchased and are now near or above 100k miles. I intend to go back to the dealership next week and hopefully test drive the car – is there anything in particular I should be on the lookout for? Also, would anyone recommend hiring a third party mechanic to inspect the car?

This car would be a daily driver (20-30 miles/day) so I need it to be dependable. I don’t plan on doing any modifications besides possibly installing aftermarket headers and exhaust components and getting it tuned. Other cars I’ve looked at are a 2000 Trans Am, as well as a 2004 Saturn Ion Redline. At 6’4” & 260 lbs, I wasn’t expecting many sports cars to fit me, but the GTO and these others were actually pretty comfortable.

I’m pretty comfortable with the deal given the price and apparent condition of the car, I just don’t want to buy something that’s going to be a nightmare and a financial drain to keep running. This is my first car buying experience, and I want it to be a good one. 

Thanks in advance for any advice or help, and I look forward to hearing your opinions. If you need any more info, ask and I'll see if I know.

David


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## 6speedlover (Aug 10, 2011)

Hello David, The only advice i can give you is that the LS1 motor is Fantastic (built to last) I do recommend a third Party Technician to look the car over before buying. Even if you dont know one, head to a nice local garage and throw a $20.00 at the guy looking at it, and tell him to be honest with you. As for the asking price, if you really like the car, and it checks out nice and all, tell them for mid 9's you will sign today (never hurts to lowball) Sorry David, thats pretty much the extent of my knowledge with the 04 Goat. Good Luck to you, and let us know how it drives 

Jason


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## LS2 MN6 (Jul 14, 2010)

I'd say the only thing on the car that will consistently fail prematurely is the suspension parts.

Check to see how old the current parts are (and if they are aftermarket).


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## Seed65 (Sep 30, 2011)

big_mack said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I’m new to the forum :cheers. I’ve been trolling here occasionally for a few months now, as I’ve been considering purchasing a car for a while and the GTO has been on my radar the whole time. I’ve found a seemingly mostly stock 2004 GTO that I’m considering purchasing. I checked it out in person and was impressed by it, but sadly no test drive yet for me. Here are some details on the car:
> 
> ...


Hey there! I am in the market for a 05/06 GTO and I used to lease an 04 GTO when I lived in Michigan. The one thing that I know people have issues with is the suspension. There is a real good write up in the suspension area that details all the issues, and some deal with the way the vehicle was shipped from Australia. Most people.. it seems have replaced, or will be replacing their suspension. It seems that most packages are around 2K and that is not including the install. I am not sure about the powertrain and that reliability. I am also curious about body part availability.....cause it is a long way from Oz! 

I am still learning too, but hope this helps.


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## big_mack (Sep 30, 2011)

Thanks for the input guys. I'll try to figure out more about the suspension on this car. The carfax did say that it had suspension service done well into this GTO's life, but I don't remember if it was just an inspection or if replacement OEM parts were installed or what. I don't think the dealer knows much about the car, so I may be on my own to find out.

I'm glad to hear the LS1 is reliable. One of the things that scares me is that this is an uncommon car made by a now deceased brand, but at least the engine and transmission components are pretty common among GM vehicles and there's still an aftermarket for some of the other stuff that could go wrong, like the suspension.

What's the best way to have a mechanic inspect the car? Do I convince the dealer to let me take it to a mechanic?


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## d50h (May 31, 2009)

where in tx? I know a good mech in houston area.


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## big_mack (Sep 30, 2011)

I'm in the DFW area. The car's on the west side of Dallas, near Northwest highway and I-35. I found a car shop that has some pretty good reviews online and is only 1-2 miles from the dealer, I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what they can do.


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## 6speedlover (Aug 10, 2011)

big_mack said:


> I'm in the DFW area. The car's on the west side of Dallas, near Northwest highway and I-35. I found a car shop that has some pretty good reviews online and is only 1-2 miles from the dealer, I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what they can do.


^^^^ Awesome :cheers


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## big_mack (Sep 30, 2011)

Sad day - it's been sold to someone else. 

Thanks for the advice, and I'll be on the lookout for GTOs in the future.


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## gclcpa (Jan 9, 2005)

I have put 143,500 miles on mine and the only problem I've experienced was a leaking power steering hose.


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## 87GN06GTO07IRL (Aug 10, 2009)

big_mack said:


> Other cars I’ve looked at are a 2004 Saturn Ion Redline.


Killer car at a great prices! I own an 07 with a tvs 1320 that puts out 330whp and 300 lbsft of torque. With 4.05 gears at under 3k lbs. it doesn't even get traction until third gear. Way more fun to drive than my GTO. Put on the 08-10 Cobalt ss suspention and this thing kills the auto x competition too. Their are many turbo swap dd's out there that put down over 500whp too. Take this car into consideration too. Great bang for the buck, cheap and easy to mod, and it's not an over weight porker. I do love my heavy ass gto though don't get me wrong.


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## LS2 MN6 (Jul 14, 2010)

What I'll never understand is how anyone can drive a car with a center mounted cluster. It's so WRONG.

Saturn ION, Toyota Yaris.. I'm looking at YOU.


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