HELP! Found an new SRT10 to buy BUT....

[RonnieSRT10]

My big concern is reading posts here about problems. Loose Bolts, power steering fluid leakage, and so on. My car is a daily driver and I drive 20K per year. I love the looks of the Viper, but I am on my 5th Vette (02 Z06), and there are at least 50 C5 Vettes in my club and I am being honest when I say that almost none of us including myself have ever had a problem with a C5 Vette. But I want the Viper! Am I going to regret it because of the possibility of buying a car that dooes not have the reliability of a C5 Vette?
I really need some input! Thanks os much for your help and understanding.

 

[PRVT JET]

The things you're talking about are simple things to check on the car, any dealer will do it. Not all cars have these problems. If you get it, have it checked out before you start your every day driving.

isaac

 

[onerareviper]

I can only speak for the Viper Gen II (I've never owned a C5), but after 20,000 miles mine has been very reliable. No major issues. Minor things like AC, door rattle, window regulator, some sensor, and backup switch (reverse lights quit working) come to mind. If you drive it regularly, figure two service calls per year on simple things... At least that's been my experience. I would guess a C5 might be a little more reliable, but for an exotic car the Viper is extremely dependable.

 

[Janni]

Have everything checked - make sure it's not a recall car for the cam bolt, have them check the differential bolts. ESPECIALLY if its a 2004.

My 2003 has been rock solid - it wasn't a valve car and wasn't impacted by the headlight issue. Our 1996's were indestructible. My guess is that the Gen IIs were better sorted out both at the beginning and the end than the Gen IIIs (based solely on true RECALL campaigns) but will be reliable even after the warranty expires.

 

[YouWish]

Re: HELP! Found an new SRT10 to buy BUT....

You have got to be kidding me my C5 was a pos. Steering column locked up had to be towed(very embarrasing)went threw more oil than the Valdez tanker,power windows/mirrors quit working.

 

[unreelviper]

Re: HELP! Found an new SRT10 to buy BUT....

RonnieC5, I got rid of my 1999 C5 Corvette with a 383 stroker motor tuned by Doug Rippie Motorsports. True, the vette was very reliable and was a great/fun car. I personally think that the viper, I have a Gen II, is a great car period! I have 39,000 miles on my snake and besides the a/c compressor going bad and some minor bulbs having to be replaced, the car is very reliable. Easy choice, Get the Viper!!

 

[Casey]

Re: HELP! Found an new SRT10 to buy BUT....

I haven't had any issues with my GTS either. My C5 wasn't a POS, but it had more problems.

Drive a SRT-10 and then get back in your Vette, decision will come easily!

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Re: HELP! Found an new SRT10 to buy BUT....

I am going to copy this from a post I made previously, but I think it should address your concerns:

The SRT and Vipers in general are VERY reliable. Sure, there are a few duds in every year (and they post when they find them), but the Viper is a very dependable car. Interesting that you should mention the number of recalls and Technical Service Bulletins. Surprisingly, the Viper has VERY few - we just talk about them more. According to the Feds (NHTSA):

2004 Chevrolet Corvette Number of Service Bulletins: 38
2004 Dodge Viper Number of Service Bulletins: 1
2004 Chevrolet Corvette Number of Recalls: 2
2004 Dodge Viper Number of Recalls: 0

Bottom line, the 2004 Corvette has 40 documented problems vs. only 1 for the 2004 Viper (cam bolt, of course). Remember that people are 99% more likely to post a problem than comment on reliability. Try this analogy: You are walking along barefoot and you stub your toe. "Ow! I stubbed my toe!" you tell the people walking with you. Now do you walk along with those same people and say every few minutes, "Didn't stub my toe - everything is fine here." Of course not. The simple fact is that while the Viper has extraordinarily few problems overall, when it does the ownership group is very small and very vocal.

It is rare that any new car will be 100% problem-free. When you have a picky group of owners that just dropped $80K on a car, rest assured that they will look for the slightest problem - as well they should. Most are minor fit and finish problems, but a few end up being more serious such as loose bolts, steering system problems (two I have heard of, including today's). Does that mean the Viper line as a whole is problematic or that the folks at CAAP aren't doing a good job? Nope! The Viper is a machine like any other car. There will be instances of mechanical failures or assembly problems from time to time. Nonetheless, I would jump in a Viper and head cross-country in a heartbeat. I can't say I would be so comfortable in many other cars.

Go get that SRT!

 

[Viper X]

Re: HELP! Found an new SRT10 to buy BUT....

My 04 - SRT10 has been very reliable. At 6500 miles, the only problem was with the covertible top seal at the glass and this was taken care of several months ago by the dealer. No oil usage at all, very solid car. I too came out of an 02 vette and liked the car. Drive the Viper, your decision will be an easy one.

 

[Art 138]

I just sold my Ferrari 512 before buying the limited edition Mamba 04( not one problem on the Viper). I can tell the Ferrari (in most cases) is a maintainence hog. Drive in hard and you need to do a couple of hours of work the next day. Think of the Viper as a "kit car". As most postings state the problems you will encounter are "tweaking". Replacement parts are very reasonable compared to any high performance car( how about a 5 dollar oil filter at pep boys compared to 25 dollars for the Ferrari). Its a pretty simple sports car compared to other conventonal types with the same type of performance. The company I work for makes the engine and body modules in Deerfield, Ill. Look at the right side Engine Control module and it spells the U.S company name. With a new concept called "digital six sigma" the modules have excellent quality control. We also make the electric window controls(and for dozens of other foreign/US vehicles). Go for it! its a bargain. And just think,you do not have to pay Euro prices for parts!!!!

 

[quick2tr]

(First post from a fledgling 6 month Viper owner):

Three days after I picked up my Viper I find out that something deep inside that V10 was known to fail in a bad way. None of the dealers were ready to address it immediately, so the first 700 miles were fear? guilt? I was really wondering what the hell was wrong with me to get rid of that super reliable LS1 (30k=0 issues) for the expensive Viper. Good part was that it insured a nice gentle break in. Three weeks later the car goes in for three days to have the cam bolt fixed (more like checked) and fresh clean fluids replaced. What I got back was a car that everyone (dealership, friends, family, cops, anyone) expects me to drive hard. And for the next 5k the Viper was driven more like a GSXR750 (used to road race them) than a car. Rock hard suspension, hot and rough idling engine, summer heat, lots of redline, and lots of Brembo usually taxes a vehicle quickly. (Surprisingly?,) Viper is holding up fine. I mean nothing is engaging, fading, smelling, or sounding any different than the day it rolled off the showroom floor.

Interior/Exterior: I have noticed most of the “problems” that are published here. The headlights fog after a pressure washing (don't do that!). The windows with their “smart” sealing technology make mistakes, and when you slam that ultra-light door (which you have to) it can sound/feel like you almost busted your window. The weather sealant on the passenger door melted and started “stringing” all over around the paint. Wife puts hand/clothes on tar like mess, gets pissed. Wife notices a wormhole to hell like heat on passenger side foot well. Wife burns calves taking too long to get out of car (told her ya gota be quick!). Now some of those were not failures, but the end result: Wife hates the Viper, that's a problem.

Two trips to the dealership (sensor and oil) have taught me that the Viper techs don't work weekends or late. Two times a year I have to plan for half a day off to get my oil changed. I cannot imagine 20k miles a year in a daily driven Viper. But good for you or anyone else that can do it. I enjoy driving to much to ruin it with intentional overexposure. Despite problems posted on this board, I would NOT expect your Viper owning experience to be filled with FAILURES. The Viper is a solid high performance car. Problems . . . Not really a problem if you read/know about it first? More like a quirk . . .