So, the time is coming for me to buy a car in about a month or so, and I’m looking at all these s13 and one question bothers me: it is a 20ish year old car, how reliable is it gonna be?
Now, I’ve heard 240s are pretty resilient to abuse. but I want some feedback from you, the owners.
So I’d just like to know what 240 you drive, how many km’s what went wrong, how much it money it cost you and downtime. Thanks in advance guys, I really hope you do help 
2 door, RWD and light…IMO not your ideal DD.
Reliability wise I had no serious issue’s with my S14.
Honestly, it all varies. But think of it like this;
It’s a car. If you do all the necessary things to insure that it runs smoothly, then for sure its reliable.
Things like rust removal, engine maintenance, brakes, tires, replacing old and worn out parts [such as altenators, batteries, belts, heater cores, water pumps] the list can go on.
Just make sure that you grab an S13 that is in good shape.
Don’t be a hero, and take on a task that you aren’t capable of.
However, if you happen to get one already in good condition, I would say anywhere from 70-120$ to spend on stuff to insure reliability.
But thats just me.
0.04$
I personally like 1 owner cars if possible,you get 1st hand history on the life of the car up to date,2 owners at the most if its clean. remember a car is as reliable as it was maintained…
also you get what you pay for.if you buy a $500 s13 the straps for the gas tank might be history lol or if you see 1 for $3500 investigate whats so special about it and it might still be worth it.
if ur planning on buying a 20 year old car i just hope ur a little mechanically inclined… you should know at least the bare essentials of regular maintainance,especially if its been modified! thats my advice to you
well assuming u have everything that these guys mentioned covered, i beat the shit outta my car, track abuse, street abuse, everything. Never breaks down, the only problem in my experience I’ve come across is the headlight motors burn out. That is about it. Oh yeah, and the rust. Ideally look for a car that hasn’t seen to many winters and was regurally oil sprayed, serviced and maintained.
If you’re buying an S13 hatch check the following: keys work on everything, hatch release, rust, gas tank straps, rear defroster, rear wiper, high beams, low beams, indicators, reverse lights, engine idling characteristics, power windows, sunroof leak on the highway (whistle), driver seat wear on the bolster, seatbelt retracts, brake hard and check for stability (TC rod bushings), take hard corners, HICAS light, clutch biting point, clutch engagement smoothness, transmission grinding, being able to shift fast without serious resistance…the list goes on.
But in general, my car has never left me stranded. It has little problems here and there that need hunting down, but its always able to get me from point A to B.
As long as its got a well-maintained KA and you leave it fairly stock (wiring-wise and force induction-wise, with the exception of stereo equipment), the S13’s are pretty solid. The only thing from experience that I’ve ever come to being stranded was one of my heater hoses coming off due to improper installation (my fault). My first engine in my first 240 had some massive rod knock after a few weeks of owning it, but even while knocking, take it slow and she got me home.
My coupe was reliable even with the jarring coilovers… The only thing that went on me was my A/C and power antennae.
Because I bought the car with 144000KM and sold it with ~250,000KM I had to do a lot of regular maintenance, more so then a newer car with less KM’s.
if ur using it all year round, make sure u store it everytime, my locks during the winter time tend to freeze so i cant open any doors,or if i open it, it wont close cause its frozen. most 240’s also have a problem with seals,like mine…i had a car wash one time and fuckin water started drippin from my sunroof… lol and from the windows…
http://www.son240sx.org/forums/showthread.php?t=322
typically they are a good car, they seem to be over engineered for a 150hp 4 cylinder.
I would highly recommend spending the $100 to have a Nissan Service deptartment look over the car you decide you want in the end, they’ve got nothing to gain but your dealership loyalty, and they will give you a very clear idea of condition of the car you select
My honest opinion…an S13 is VERY RELIABLE!!
my 240 for the almost 2yrs I’ve owned it, since July 07’ has never given me problems other than a dead battery lol. I bought it from an accountant guy, for an 89’ which is the oldest year for the 240sx, had 143,000km.
frame rails are very important to check for, anything to do with passing safety that would be costly…body rust is nothing, I had some rust on common places like the rear wheel wells but I immediately fixed it alongside the really good deal I got for it, it was $2500 OBO and dropped it to $1900.
Afterwards, u can tell I got a crazy deal for all the 240 friends that have seen it, be patient and do a thorough look through. Don’t always assume with the age it’s bound to be trouble, all depends what it’s been through all those year and the km’s on the engine can be important as well but if maintained then it’s okay.
Overall, I’ve been impressed by the reliability! just make sure the person or place you buy it from isn’t selling you a bad one! but thats what a good inspection and drive is all about! good luck bro
Bought my S14 with ~110,000km…I’m at about 122,000 now with almost no maintenance other than oil changes, brakes, etc…
s13 coupe 200*** on body 90,000 on engine sway bar end links went and a starter came to like $220 plus labour nothing serious
as long as you take your time while choosing an s chassis things should work out good. investigate what your getting into and spend the few extra dollars for something with less owners, cleaner, rustless, etc.
because these cars have been used (some abused) they do need a fair amount of maintenance. thats where most of your money will go, and because its an older car and you’ll like it, you’ll tend to do maintenance a little early just to insure its reliability (and for peace of mind).
don’t be one of those guys with $1000 looking to get a daily driver going. not a good idea. im sure many people on the forums have already made that mistake.
oh and on a side note, took me three chassis before i found a clean reliable s13.
second one was average, first was a pos.
usdm s13 for the win.
s13’s are extremely reliable but it’s important to get a clean chassis
my 89 beater hatch has needed ZERO maintenance (aside from oil changes) in the last 3 years and 30,000km.
i bought it with 145,000km and it’s at 175,000 now.
only now things are starting to come up-- and they’re all rust related. broken sway bar end links, busted washer motor (from debris and corrosion and the lack of a front fender), wiring harness corrosion. all easy fixes but if you find a clean car you won’t have to deal with any of that shit.
but, mind you, the first thing I did when I got it was change change oil, change filters, change all the bulbs out. also did the brakes this year. i should do a coolant change soon and replace the water pump.
the summary is: yes, they’re reliable but they’re only as good as you treat them.
find a clean car, TAKE CARE OF IT and it will serve you reliably for many years.
That starter came off a 220,000 km motor :o
pretty much what everyone else has mentioned ^^^. Check for rust outside and underneath as that is notorious.
240sx most reliable car around town if its good to begin with and cheapest to fix since parts cars are everywhere…almsot no real maintenance needed but to have OIL in ur engine… dont buy a crapbox rustmobile.
if you drive it liek a granny its gonna break down but if you drive hard as you should it will last forever