Currently Looking For A Voyager - What To Be Wary Of/check For?

[ak3dgfx]

As the title says we are currently looking to purchase a 2008/2009 Grand Voyager.

 

What we have decided so far....

 

It must be a Limited model/auto/diesel - preferably black or white, maybe dark blue but definitely not gold or light blue (personal preference)

 

Side steps/running boards would be a bonus

 

Mileage - as low as possible - we've seen them from 50k to 250k

 

First question..

 

In our earlier model (1997) space in the driver's footwell was very limited with nowhere to rest my left foot whilst driving - where a foot rest would normally be was a sloping bit of floor which made long journeys uncomfortable - I kinda fixed it by modifying the brake pedal and welding a foot rest in - am I going to be doing the same again?

 

More questions....

 

At what interval does the cam belt/water pump need changing? I've seen recommendations from 60k right up to 160k - they can't all be right  

 

Brakes - are they as heavy on brakes as the early models? What's the average life of disks/pads?

 

I've seen a few that have had new shocks, top mounts and steering racks - all below 150k. Is that the norm?

 

What are they like for rusting? A few seem to have front wings that are rotting out like the old Mercedes W124 model - forward of the wheels. Is that a design fault?

 

What are they like to 'live with'?  General driving/road manners as well as running costs etc. Our old one was as reliable as clockwork but it frank fuel and it's handling was 'interesting'.

 

What's the deal with the satnav? I read that it's on a subscription system - a couple we have seen advertised say 'needs nav update' but no more details.

 

Anything else we should consider?

 

I know there's loads of questions which could easily be answered with a road test but none of them seem to be available around here (East Sussex) so anything we do go and look at will almost inevitably involve a long journey.

 

Cheers folks

 

 

[ak3dgfx]

following a test drive, we've decided this is not the car for us - consider the thread closed 

[Chryslerpilot]

following a test drive, we've decided this is not the car for us - consider the thread closed 

Hi,what did put you off after test drive,would be great to know your thoughts,i own one 2008 rt for past 5 years and i doing on it min 40 to 300 miles a day 7x days a week for past 3 years and i can tell you a lot about it as i am mechanic and servicing it my self,but i was out of options on gearbox failure  

 

Regards 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Chryslerpilot

[ak3dgfx]

Hi,what did put you off after test drive,would be great to know your thoughts,i own one 2008 rt for past 5 years and i doing on it min 40 to 300 miles a day 7x days a week for past 3 years and i can tell you a lot about it as i am mechanic and servicing it my self,but i was out of options on gearbox failure

 

Regards 

 

Driving comfort, seating position were a major downer for me - the foot well seemed claustrophobic with almost no room to move about.

 

The very American road manners - 90% of my driving is done on A and B roads - we don't have motorways or dual carriageways down here (nearest dual carriageway is about 12 miles away). I found it too soft and prone to understeer particularly on roundabouts and twisty roads.

 

Most we saw for sale in our price bracket seemed to be heading for large bills - cam belts to name one and it was amazing how many seemed to have had most of the front suspension and brakes replaced at or around £100k - it scares me to death when I see ads saying stuff like 'thousands spent'. With a couple that had had gearbox replacements at below 120k - Our nearest dealer/specialist would be at least 30 miles away.

 

Finally, the interior just felt 'cheap'. Every one we looked at had a knackered driver's seat bolster - even at 50k miles. The plastics. switches and veneers looked and felt like they had come out of a '90's Daewoo

 

We decided they just weren't enough car to justify the risk of spending a wad of cash on

 

So, thanks for your input - enjoy yours. we are staying with the Previa  

[karmannski]

I got one for sale.

Mint condition