Hey all. I”m looking into the possibility of becoming a Crossfire owner. I just sold my 1999 Miata, and I have a pretty good amount that I can put down as a down payment on a reasonably used Crossfire.

I would like to get any input that I can from you Crossfire owners about any suggestions, tips, precautions I should know about before making the jump to owning one of these beautiful cars. In doing my research on the internet, I’ve found that some people have complained about many things with this vehicle while other’s can’t praise it enough. Everything from oil changes to tires. This being a German-built machine; should I be concerned about costs of repairs down the road?

Thank you in advance for whatever you can offer. I look forward to learning much from you all.

Crossfire Ninja

 

The Crossfire is built on the SLK320/SLK32 AMG platform which has been proven to be a very reliable platform. As with any car, there are isolated cases of issues, and some that tend to be more frequent than others. The most common problem on the Crossfire would probably be the crank position sensor, which is a $40 fix if you can do it yourself. There are very good tutorials on here for that, and most any other issue that you could encounter. Anyway, most all issues that can come up can be addressed by the knowledgeable members of this forum, and for the most part are sub $100 fixes. As far as oil changes, it takes 8.5 quarts of 0W40 Synthetic European blend oil, and a fleece filter. Once again, as a do it yourselfer, it will cost around $80 to do an oil change. The good news is you only need to change the oil every 7500 to 8000 miles. A dealership will charge about $120 for an oil change if you do not want to do it. Maintenance costs are relative, but you do not hear members of this forum complaining about the costs of maintenance on these cars. Owners are more consumed by the grin they can't wipe off their face from every time they drive these cars.

Good luck on your decision.

 

YA !!!! what he said ! , The Crossfire is a Great Car i have had my 2005 going on 6 yrs it still run great !only thing i can think of, is the Blue Crossfire;s seem to be a bit slower then the Black one ,

 

Thank for the input. I”ve been doing quite a bit of research on the internet, and this site DOES seem to be rather comprehensive. I know that the Miata forum was very helpful when dealing with questions I had with that vehicle. Glad to see the same level of posts here. I know this forum will be especially helpful should I decide to get myself a Crossfire. Of course, I AM HOPEFUL that I will have one very soon.

 

In the last 30 years I have owned about 50 cars. I am on my second Crossfire for many reasons!

 

I just test drove a 2004 with 64K miles on it. The car was just traded yesterday, and not inspected or detailed; I saw it in its worst form. Tell me what you think.

Tires were pretty much bald (DEF need replacing); It popped out of first gear TWICE during the drive (once with the salesman, and once with me); We could not get the cup holder to go down (minor in my book); carfax showed that it was in 2 accidents, but it is NOT a salvaged vehicle. OUtside of these complaints, the car had GREAT acceleration, drove straight, I saw no fluid leaks, body panels in good shape; just needed a good cleaning. OH, another thing, the salesman had to get the porter to start the car. It was as though the key wouldn’t turn. Not sure what the porter did to make it work, but it did...finally.

The salesman said they would put it on the rack; do the inspection, then get back with me with the results.

Following this test drive, I went down the road and test drove an ’08 with 21K miles on it (automatic). I can see the difference in the two cars, but there’s also 4 years difference and one an automatic and the other standard. Very nice rides, and I can see why people love these cars.

Here’s the bottom line. They are asking $10,999. It’s a 2004 with 64K miles on the clock.

Your feedback is MORE than welcome.

Thanks

 

I traded my 2004 SSB Limited on the 2008. I had them change the tires from my trade because of the date code. The 2004 sounds high as discribed to me. What are the details on the 2008? When I purchased mine I picked up 4 years and lost 60,000 miles. It worked for me.

 

Tim: on th e’08 it has 24K miles on it and drives like a dream. They are asking $20,000 for it which is out of my budget at this time. I also noticed oil weeping from the seals on the top of the engine. I saw a topic on the forum where this is a fairly easy DIY fix, but I wouldn’t want to have a project like that immediately after getting my new-to-me car. PLUS, I would probably not like having to do that job after paying for something outside of my budget either.

Also, I agree with you about the price of the ’04 being a bit high. I would think around the $8,500 range would be something I would consider. Esp. with the issues at hand. OH, I also took a look on the forum and noticed that some say that a Syncro Kit would fix the 1st gear pop out thing. Not sure what that would cost without warranty, but it is a suggestion I could make to the dealer to check into before the sale.

Thanks for your input.

 

With out a doubt, repairs can be expensive on these dandy little rides .-. probably half again what you might expect for another 'domestic' car. So be sure to purchase an expended warranty with your financing, bumper to bumper if you can swing it. One day you will be extremely glad that you did. The warranty could pay for itself on the first major repair.

 

Be aware that an '04 at 64,000 miles some of the bolt-on stuff is likely to start going bad. Just like on any other car, you could expect alternators, water piumps, etc. to go. And then at 64K you are probably due for the first brake job, alignment and the like.

Not trying to scare you off, just being realistic.

But good luck. The Crossfire is an exceptional automobile for the money. You won't be disappointed.

 

There are a lot of 2004 cars out there in the 30Kto 45K mile range with a clean history. TAKE YOUR TIME! It is not uncommon to find the "right" car in another market and ask a forum member to check it out that lives in the area. I flew to Baltimore to buy the car my wife wanted. Always get a round trip ticket just in case...

 

Crossfire Ninja: Stay far away from that '04.. popping out of gear would be enough for me to say no.. unless you got a great deal. I bought my Crossfire last month in Texas for $11k. It's an '05 and had 22,500 miles, one owner, and no damage or problems of any kind.

 

Again, thanks for all the valuable input everyone. Chris: I’ve read where the popping out of 1st on the ’04’s was an issue. I kind of feel like you though; I wouldn’t want to START with my new car having a serious problem like that.

I’ve also seen another ’04 in town at 50K miles that they are asking $8,500. I looked at the car, and it’s not perfect inside or out, but I can kind of expect some minor appearance flaws. I didn’t drive it, but this seems like a better deal. At least bottom line dollar amount.

 

I had to drive about 6 hours to get mine.. but keep looking.. and not just in your area.

Here's an album of pictures of mine: 2005 Chrysler Crossfire AKA Midnight | Facebook

If you're looking at the 11k range, you should get something in excellent condition with <30k mileage

 

Chris: your MIDNIGHT looks AWESOME. Beautiful car bud. You should be very proud.

Here’s a listing I found on Craigslist locally. I saw the car in person; gave it a quick look over. Seems to be kind of worn esp on interior cosmetic parts. Didn’t drive it, but the small lot dealer said he got if from an auction. Looks like Honda of Abilene put it to auction. My question is why do dealerships put their cars to auction? Is there something really wrong with it? Not sure because I didn’t drive it, nor did i see a carfax report on it.

Here’s the link.
2004 CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE COUPE ONLY 50K MILES LOWEST $$$ IN TOWN LOOK!!

Will be interesting to hear what you think. Great price though.