Topic: Reliable/Safe car under $4K - Candidates please!

[wing122]

I took in some of your suggestions and started looking at Toyota Echo on the market.

A few of them meet the price criteria, but with one caveat.
Do these cars lose A/C freon or compressor die after 10 years or so of ownership?

Seems like a few of the ones I called all don't have good working condition A/C.
One says his is not working, replaced the compressor but only worked for a few days so now he thinks it's a leak.
Another says his is working, but low on freon because it works for the first bit and doesn't last.

[Railton]

2000 and up Ford Taurus.  Cheap to insure, cheap to buy, reliable as a piece of rock, newer versions have more airbags (I think?), ABS, nice roomy basic car...a car you won't care about but it'll go forever.  So long in fact you'll hate it but love it because it just keeps on keepin' on.  I know...I'm 800k short of 400,000 and part of me cries every time I realize I'll be driving it for a few more years. 500 and beyond isn't unfathomable, and that's just with basic maintenance and oil changes every 5-8000 (I've been getting lazy - and it hardly drops 1/2 a liter in 8000 km too...).
That's my suggestion.

Thanks for the suggestion.
A little on the large size and gas mileage isn't that good.

Keep the suggestions coming.

Hey, you;re looking for cheap (under $4k) reliable transportation. Beggars can't be choosers.
Railton

[safristi]

Oh NO  .they told me it was a $3 Smirnoff mickey...WELL AGED............ ..........."Buckfist of Champions"    and all that..........

[mmorriso]

Mazda Protege

+1

www.toprotege.com

[Ontariodriver]

I took in some of your suggestions and started looking at Toyota Echo on the market.

A few of them meet the price criteria, but with one caveat.

Not that I know of...