I have been looking at an 04 Crossfire for my son. I am somewhat familiar with these cars and have read throug the forums to learn more. Are there any 04 model specific issues I need to be aware of? The car has ~27k miles has the two tone red / grey leasther interior and a 6 speed. I ran a carfax and it looks good. It is at a dealership (not Chrysler) so I do not think I will get much in the way of maintenance records. My local dealership willnot give me any information as (in service date etc.) as I am not the current owner.

I saw a few references about a trunk latch but I could not find more on it. I know the rear tires are expensive and not many options. How long dies the clutch normally last ( I know driving habits have a HUGE effect just looking for the norm) and how costly is that?

Anything else I should look at on the vehicle?
Thanks in Advance Frank

 

Hi Frank. I have the same car you are looking for: 04’ , 6spd , red interior, with 33k miles on it. I’m very happy with it. Things to consider:

Maintenance:

-Oil: Chrysler charges 160+ for an oil change, avoid dealers. You can cut in half at any other place (80 $ aprox). Just don’t accept cheap oil filters (made of paper) that can disintegrate easily…
-Tires: They’re expensive. Is the way it is. Rear ones worn out faster than fronts. Run at +900 $, anything less is dubious.

Car:

-Transmission: Check shifts to 2nd gear. Too noisy or clunky and better run for the hills. Put the car on a ramp stopped and in 1st gear play with the clutch…too much travel or jumpy start bad indicator on wear.
-Rust. Worth a look under the peripheral seal at the bottom of both doors….that means remove a portion of the seal and looking underneath….most XFires are rusty there.
-Door glass. Doors don’t have b=pillar, so glass runs free…some units present problems of glass pinching the upper seal when closing door and leaving gap…if car has tinted windows check for that, somebody disassemble it before.
-Cup holder: Broken, no worries, you can replace it by storage bin replacement.

Notes: Buying a non-too-perfect X=-Fire can leave you with budget to add some features…more power can be an option. TVT, Needwings and LET are very good options.



Welcome to the club and smart decision to ask before buying.

Sorry, didn't notice you are talking about a roadster, mine is a coupe....

 

DeepSurge,
Thanks for the info. BTW it is a coupe - did the trunk latch thing throw you off? Is that a roadster issue only?

Rust under the door seams? Yuk. The car has been in TX its whole life, rust is never a problem here. I will look to be sure. I called Chrysler - they said 130 for an oil change, if there is nothing fancy about it, I can handle it myself although I have been getting lazy about doing oil changes (except on my 1970 z28 I dont let anyone near that one!) I also called the place I have my SRT8 done at, they said ~90 dollars. I will look at the things you mentioned and hopefully its a go otherwise I keep looking. Seems to me an 04 is a good idea as they are all "limiteds" so to speak. Leather and a manul are the pre reqs. They are still pricey around here despite KBB and NADA having a <30k mile one at ~12k for an 04 . Id like to stay around the 12k figure if I can. Most are in the high 13s and up

Thanks again!

 

The killer part of the oil change is 8.5 qts of Mobil1 0W-40. If you buy it yourself, you can usually find a garage or oil change place that will do the work for a reasonable price.

These are pretty solid cars if properly cared for. I looked at quite a few manual roadsters before buying the 2007 for my son. One 2005 had a clunk whenever I put it into reverse that scared me off. Another 2004 had low mileages but more valve tapping noise than I cared for. The 2007 was low mileage, under warranty, and an acceptable color that was worth the few $000 more than an older, higher mileage car.

Check every control, and esp the heated seats. Have then run it up on a lift and check for any damage underneath -- like bent suspension. Have them prove they changed the oil with synthetic -- both my used cars were non-Chrysler dealerships and both had used regular 0W-30. I made them replace with synthetic as a condition of sale.

Expect the shift from 1st to 2nd to be glitchy. Both of mine stick a little, but after 33k miles on the 2005 I can find 2nd the first time most of the time. All other gears should be smooth. At a stop, it helps to slide into 2nd and then into first.

Take it out on a flat, straight road and accelerate briskly, then take your hands off the wheel and brake. It should slow down in a straight line. Ditto for highway driving -- it should not pull and with hands off go in a straight line for quite a while.

Tires -- I'll face that next year. I drive them summer only so deep tread not so much an issue. I have 33k on the roadster and still have decent, but not snow tread, remaining.

Good luck and tell us what you do.

 

I went to see the car - it exceeded my expectations. Then I went to start it it. Uh oh the key wont turn. Salesmen wiggles it around for a few and then it turns. Car starts and drives great. I could not test the seat warmers, it was 108 degrees and the seats were very warm to start with. Now back to the ignition... We fittled around for a while, I knew this was not normal despite the claims. I came home and searched this forum - the notorious steering lock issue. I tried and tried to get them to come down on price for it (knowing I could fix it myself) but they would not budge another dollar from where we were at. I really like the car - is has the 2 tone cinnamon interior - really pretty. It is a coupe - Im sorry I put this is in the roadster forum

I have not decided if we will buy it or not. I have a few others options but not local. I really think a warranty is a great idea - so for now Im holding out unitl I can find exactly what we want (leather 6 speed warranty and now this interior). This one is it, sans the warranty - should I really care about the steering lock knowing I can fix it myself in an hour after I get it home? FWIW, They did come down 1600 from the asking price already. They offer an extended warranty for around 1400. Its not a Chrysler dealership...

 

I love my Crossfire, but consider looking at the Nissan 350Z.

 

Not telling you to buy it. But...when I was looking at them for my son last summer, I found a blaze red in Ohio and the metallic gray in Chicago. Chicago was a two hour drive and they came down in price from $17988 to $16700. The Ohio car started around $19 and the salesman was making noises about going to $16. Seven hundred dollar difference, but I already had a 300 mile drive to Chicago invested and Ohio trip was a 600-700 RT. If the car did not pan out, it would be back to Chicago. So I paid a little more to get what we wanted (bird in hand). If you are not in a rush, you can probably find what you want at a better price, but you may have to travel. PS - If you decide to buy it, demand the seller fix the ignition. Print out the appropriate thread from this forum (not this one, where you say you can fix it) and point out that the "sticking" is not correct.

 

*Hint: Florida cars are cheaper!

Paid $14,500 for my 05' base Convertible with 33k miles (in MPLS, Minnesota).

 

First off, welcome to the forum Frank. You've come to the right place for the answer to everything that is Crossfire.
The Cedar/Slate interior is absolutely the best choice for the interior imo.
Our 04 just turned up 45k last night, and the only warranty problem we ever experienced was the rear hatch vacuum leak. (There is a detailed explaination on how to fix it yourself if neccessary, here on the forum). Oh, and the dealer replaced our 4 year old battery under warranty as well.
As mentioned, the 6spd. can be "notchy" between 1st. & 2nd. gears, and is very common, and as long as it doesn't "pop" out of gear, or is hard to get into reverse, you should be OK. Many owners mention it feels as though it gets better with more miles.
The clutch question is impossible to answer since every driver determines how long it will last. But unless you "side-step" it on a regular basis, it seems to hold up well.
The door rust problem is universal, (even if you live in the dessert) as long as the car has ever been washed, or in the rain. It really is a very simple repair to do at home (as long as it hasn't gone on for a long time). But it could work in your favor if you pull out the rubber seal at the bottom of the door and show it to the sales manager at the dealer where you're trying to buy the car. Pretty hard not to discount the price of a car (with rust) in Texas.
I'd make the "sticky" ignition key repair the deal breaker. I understand it can be an expensive fix at the dealer. But there is also a detailed explaination (here on the forum) on how to repair it also.
Your Son is a very lucky young man to have a Dad like you. Even though the Crossfire offers enough performance to get anybody in trouble very quickly, it is one of the best handling, fastest stopping 2 seat cars out there. Being a 2 seater is a + when it comes to teenagers (less distractions) and the car seems to withstand crushing accidents quite well.
Here on the forum there has only been two incidents resulting in fatalities in a Crossfire being reported. One in Russia "being T-Boned" at an intersection, and the other was when a fellow decided to drive his roadster off the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Good Luck

 

Amazing looking hood scoop. What can you tell me about it? Thx

 

This post is from 2009, you might try a PM.

 

Thanks and noted date. Appreciate it.