
I would be concerned about how the car was driven and how well it was
maintained.  I own a turbocharged one, and I would never buy a
turbocharged vehicle unless I knew the owner and his/her
driving/maintenance habits.


I have been wondering about that myself.  The '90 AWD models and the
'91s were identical (except for the ABS option).  


Yes.  Some owners had problems with the transaxles.  Using
synthetic lubricants in the transaxles solved the problem in most
cases.  The problem was not unique to the AWDs, however.  It was
common to all models.  The Galant VR4 and GSX had the same transaxle,
but I didn't see those listed in CR.


I don't know of any major complaints in this area, except that the
battery that was installed at the factory had a low current rating. 


The first FWD models (those built before May 1989) were recalled for
brake upgrades.  Some FWD and AWD owners had problems with warped
rotors.  Those of us who insist on using manual torque wrenches every
time the lug nuts are tightened have never had a problem.


I can refer you to someone who has gone through a set of pads in one
day!  It all depends on how you drive.  It seems that most owners have
been getting between 40-70k on a set of pads.


First time I hear about a problem with the valve train on these cars,
other than timing belt failures.


If your friend "beats" on the car, then his unit is not a
representative sample of the car's reliability.

My suggestion is instead of listening to the useless Consumer Reports,
talk to several owners (the mailing list may be the best way to reach
a few of them).


#if (humor_impaired) skip_to TheEnd
No matter how much you pay, you won't get all three.  Examples:

NSX:       reliability and looks.
Ferrari:   reliability ^H^H^H^H^H^H (yeah, right!) speed and looks

TheEnd
--
The opinions stated above are not necessarily my employer's.