Is a Used Lumina a good buy?

I am looking into buying a used Lumina, (I only have between $3,000 and 4,000 to spend). I would love some feedback from people who own these cars. Are they reliable? What years are good?, & which ones should I stay away from?
What common problems are there with these cars?
Is a Lumina a good buy?
I really appreciate any help!
Thanks so much:)

I bought a used 93 Lumina with 147k on it. It has the 3.1L v6. It has been a depoendable car for me, and when I need to replace things that wear out, (e.g., struts, brakes, waterpump) working on the car has been pretty easy.

Thank you for the information!:)

i have a 97 3.1 and the car runs GREAT! have no problems with it, good dependable car to have:)

I am looking into buying a used Lumina, (I only have between $3,000 and 4,000 to spend). I would love some feedback from people who own these cars. Are they reliable? What years are good?, & which ones should I stay away from?
What common problems are there with these cars?
Is a Lumina a good buy?
I really appreciate any help!
Thanks so much:)

I have a 91 4 dr. It has 214,000 miles on it. I know the whole history of the car, and besides mantainance parts, these are the major things that have been replaced
both rear calipers
all 4 rotors
One front axle
muffler
Ign. control modual and both coils
rack and pinion.
struts
none of these parts are really expensive nor hard to replace if you have mech. knowlege, and most were after 150.000 miles.

As for engine:
timing chain and gear set at approx 212,000 miles. Other than timing set, engine has never been apart, never needed a gasket put on. BUT! this is the all iron 2.5 four cylinder engine... Tho not as much power as a 3.1 or 3.4 in my opinion way more trouble free. And oh so easy to work on too! 214K and still doesnt smoke or use more than a quart a month.and i drive 500 miles a week.

thank you for all your information, it is good to know! Please send me more, Luminas are sounding like a good buy for sure!

One more question, how did the body of your cars hold up?

And another question I just thought of, what is the last year theymade the Lumina? It became Monte Carlo after that, is that right?

yea my lumina has 276k miles on it and still strong

the last year they made the lumina was 1999

like most used cars, you want to make sure it is kept up well, do you homework. try to get one the has less than 100K. That way you are less likely to have to worry about anything soon.
I use to have a 94 Lumina Z34 w/ manual tranny. very rare, only 500 made. nothing ever went wrong with the engine. main thing to have checked out is the wiring. They tend to go bad.

Good luck

Good to know about the wiring, we have had a lot of trouble with our Ford recently because of wiring. I will remember to check that out when looking into them.
Thanks for the info!

One more question, how did the body of your cars hold up?

body on my 91 isnt rusted at all, and has been in Maryland, outside, all its life.
And i cant say as to why, but its the only GM i have had that still has original headliner in place and in perfect condition, along with those rubber strips along outside bottom of windows, they are still soft and pliable.
Only thing i never did figure out, and believe me i have tried, is why i always get water in the trunk wehn it rains, stripping is good,window seals, even removed tail lights and resealed those, still leaks. So if you look at a Lumi, make sure the spare tire isnt ready to fall thru the trunk bottom, mine isnt, but i caught it early, cleaned and used spray can truck bed liner in the trunk.

Good to know about the water leak in the trunk. Usually when looking at a used car, we aren't always concerned with what the trunk is like. I will be sure to check that out! Thanks for the advice!!

There are two generations of Lumina. 1990-1994 which could be had as a coupe or sedan, and 1995-2001 which was sedan only. Luminas were produced as fleet only in 2001 and possibly 2000. Most all models have a 3.1 liter Chevrolet-based 60-degree V6. Some 1990-1993 models have the 2.5 liter Iron Duke 4-cylinder. 1991 and later models could have the 3.4L V6, mostly on Euros (94-down) or LS (95-up). You could also have a 3.8L Buick-based V6 on the police and LTZ models.

For $3,000 you shouldn't have trouble finding either a VERY nice 1st gen model with low miles and perfect cosmetics and mechanicals, or a decent 2nd gen model with maybe more miles and not-so-perfect cosmetics. If you want as new as possible, the fleet models from 2000 and 2001 are easy to find, generally are under 100K, and can be bought for $3-$4K.

Personally I'd recommend a 1996-1999 LS sedan with the 3.1L engine. It'll have better options (electric trunk release, tachometer, dual zone climate control, cassette or CD, power seats) and the interior fabric is much more durable and stays cleaner longer. It should also have alloy wheels which IMO look much better than the plastic hubcaps.

$4,000 might even be enough to get you an LTZ in decent shape.

Hi,

i have buy an used Lumina 98 with 3,8 L Engine...

I have an good car, i just must change the Oil an thats was it, now its an good nice car in good condition...

thanks for al the good and helpful info about Luminas, I really appreciate it!!

yea my lumina has 276k miles on it and still strong

the last year they made the lumina was 1999

are you sure that was the last year the lumina was made?

1990 Lumina purchased in spite of stalling problem since car started right back up during test and it'd sat for 2 yrs. Now car wont start at all! I say NO older model used Lumina not good buy!!

They were making Monte's in 99. 97 was the last year for the Lumina.

I now own my second Lumina. First was a '91 4dr that I adored! Drove like I stole it, never had an issue beyond basic maintenance and an alternator. Drove over 2000 miles in 5 days through the hot South and never an issue. Some idiot drove through a redlight at 55 mph and straight into my right front tire. Totaled out my car and his Chevy pickup. But mine just looked a little like a baseball bat got it, and his was literally a twisted pile of metal. I managed to not end up with much other than a few bruises and a scar, and was on the hunt for another Lumina. Anything that runs that well, and wrecks so safely i will definitely continue to own. The second one has been almost as good, no major problems, just oil changes and brakes. I like the fact that it rides like a grandma car, drives like a sports car...and some mods can be done to make it what I want. Plus I can do some of the work on it myself. Also used to own a Z34, wouldn't give up my sedan for the Z ever!!

They were making Monte's in 99. 97 was the last year for the Lumina.

Wrong. I guess you missed that he's driving a 2001...:lol:

Wrong. I guess you missed that he's driving a 2001...:lol:

OK to end this one....the sedan and minivan were intro'd in '89 for the '90 sales year. The APV became the Venture in '97. In '95 the were redesigned, the Monte came back and replaced Lumina 2dr, and the Euro was dropped for the LS. In '00 The Impala replaced the Lumina. Luminas were available only for fleet after the '00 year. The final date of production was April 26, 2001.
Unless.......In Australia you could buy a 2002 Lumina, in the US it was called a Pontiac GTO.

NO. It is not a good buy. My uncle gave me a 1991 Chevy Lumina Z34 back in July 05. In October the alternator went out on it. It costed $600 to replace by the shop. A week after getting it out of the shop, one of the fuel injectors got clogged/went out. That cost me $65 to replace. This past december the timing belt went out. The shop estimated $500 to $1000 to replace. Now the damn car sits in my garage with a layer of dirt on it. Instead of getting it fixed I went out and bought a 1998 Dodge Ram. I have had 0 problems with the new car.

OK to end this one....the sedan and minivan were intro'd in '89 for the '90 sales year. The APV became the Venture in '97. In '95 the were redesigned, the Monte came back and replaced Lumina 2dr, and the Euro was dropped for the LS. In '00 The Impala replaced the Lumina. Luminas were available only for fleet after the '00 year. The final date of production was April 26, 2001.
Unless.......In Australia you could buy a 2002 Lumina, in the US it was called a Pontiac GTO.

The Impala did not replace the lumina.. it was the Monte that replaced the Lumina.
The GTO was not brought back until 04 I think? The lumina is Chevy the GTO is pontiac. GTO is a different animal and not be compared to the lumina.

NO. It is not a good buy. My uncle gave me a 1991 Chevy Lumina Z34 back in July 05. In October the alternator went out on it. It costed $600 to replace by the shop. A week after getting it out of the shop, one of the fuel injectors got clogged/went out. That cost me $65 to replace. This past december the timing belt went out. The shop estimated $500 to $1000 to replace. Now the damn car sits in my garage with a layer of dirt on it. Instead of getting it fixed I went out and bought a 1998 Dodge Ram. I have had 0 problems with the new car.


:nono: ummm... I'd have to disagree with you there. Everything you listed except for the alternator is due to a lack of maintenance. If you tool around, $150.00 and 45 min. with a wrench in your hand would have taken care of your alternator. The timing belt isn't much harder, and costs about the same for the timing kit ($150.00 - two idler pulleys, tensioner pulley, actuator, and timing belt) The service manual recommends changing your timing belt every 60,000 mi. not because it looks pretty in print, but because it will shred and leave you stranded - like any car with a timing belt.

I'm gonna ride mine 'till the wheels fall off...

...and then I'll buy another.

First of all, my uncle gave me this car with 175,000 miles on it because the car dealer wouldn't give him squat for it. I wasn't just going to keep sinking money into it for it just to break again. This "45" minute install is if you are a mechanic. It's not like all you have to do is take it off and put the new one on. You have to take a whole bunch of shit off to get to it. Same thing with belt. It's just not that simple. This car is not even worth the time and money. This spring I will break it down and fix the belt myself, just to sell it for $750 to another sucker. Besides, I am a million times happier with my truck. If you want to take a look, here it is http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2113403

I own a 97 and a 98 and they have both been dependable for me. I have owned both of them for about 3 years and have not had any problems. They are good on gas and run smooth. I would stay away from the z34 because they have issues with timing. My uncle owns one and he has changed 3 timing chains and has tried to figure out what the problem since he bought it.

I had 1991 Lumina chevy Lumina Z34, except it was a stick. sweet car, and plenty quick. I never had anything go wrong with it.. just the general maintenance upkeep