I am looking at an 02 Deville. It is a one owner car with 40,000 miles. Well maintained car. Is there anything I need to be aware of on this car, problems, reliability etc.? Is there anything I need to look at during an inspection?

Thank you guys.
John
Montana

My '02 just ticked over 101K. Bought it with 80K 6 months ago. Runs like a top.

With only 40K, there's not too much that would have had to be done so far on the car - maybe brake pads and tires, but thats probably about all.

I believe the cooling system was factory filled with DexCool - which, so long as it hasn't been polluted with anything else, should be good for a while yet. Search and read the threads here about DexCool / coolant maintenance / etc. You'll find a lot, most of which will probably scare the bejeezus out of you, but don't worry.

Maintenance of the cooling system is the single most important part of a N* longevity crusade. That and the weekly Wide Open Throttle run to keep the rings exercised and carbon from building up in the cylinder heads.

The unconventional wisdom hereabouts seems to be that the Northstar is dam' near a 'racing' engine, and the best way to keep it healthy and long-lived is to give it a good run on a regular basis. The worst thing you can do is putter around town at 35MPG with it. Take it out and "drive it like ya stole it" is the rallying cry....

Make sure all the electrical and electronic stuff works - there's still 10K left on the factory warranty, I think, so if you get it, don't be afraid to push it hard and see if anything breaks.