Buying a used car can be a challenge, buying a neglected 20 year old used car even more so. Like any car, Fiero's have specific quirks that should be checked for whenever you are considering purchasing one. For the most part, they are simply negotiating points with regard to the asking price. There are few issues that make a Fiero comlpetely worthless, provided it is complete.

Body/Frame:

1. Collision Damage:  The body panels of the Fiero are very good at surviving minor direct impacts with very little visible damage. However there may be damage to the structure beneath. Check the body for any rub marks or tears that may indicate in impact. For example, a frontal impact may cause the sides of the bumper to tear slightly as it was pushed inwards. Also check for any misaligned panels. The body should flow smoothly from one panel to the next. Check to see if the doors line up with the fenders and quarter panels. Misalignment may simply indicate a bad door hinge or perhaps a minor side impact.

2. Rust: While the panels of the Fiero are made from various materials impervious to rust, the structure of the Fiero is not. Lift up the trunk carpet along the sides to see if it is rotten:

Also check along the lower edges to ensure the rails are not rotten:

Another good place to check is underneath the battery. Rust from the fender wells will often spread into the battery tray area where it is easily visible. If there is still some insulation material, simply pull it back and look at the metal underneath.

Engine:

1. Recall: Various recalls were performed with regard to the Fiero engines. If you have a 2.5L 4 cylinder, it is important to ensure that the engine went through the recall, which involved replacing defective rods inside the engine, a main cause of the infamous fires. If the owner is not aware, one way to check is by looking for the decklid seal, which was orignally a rubber strip mounted along the decklid where it met with the rear window. It was removed due to concerns over engine bay heat-retention. If it is there, ask if the owner re-installed it themselves. If not its possible the engine was not through the recall. If you have the 2.8L V6, You should see a hose running along the firewall which has been cut on both ends, it originally attached to the air canister. The reason it was cut and not completely removed is there is a smaller line connected to it that must be retained. Also, the hose connecting the air cleaner to the throttle body should be almost S shaped. Click Here For Pictures. The decklid seal along the edge that meets the rear window should also be non-existant, though it is not uncommon for owners to reinstall the seal.

3. Fluid Levels: Check to ensure that the engine has the proper level of oil, especially if the car is listed as running or is being driven. Especially on the 4cyl models, if the oil falls below the low level on the dipstick engine damage may already have occured. This is due to the reduced oil capacity of the Fiero 2.5 when compared to the 2.5 installed in other vehicles. If its an auto, check the tranny fluid with the engine running to ensure that it is at the proper level. Both too high and too low levels can cause transmission damage, and indicate improper/unknowledgable maintenance of the vehicle.

3. Oil Leaks: You can expect any high-mileage Fiero to be wet or drip some oil, but you want to make sure it is not spilling or blowing out. Good way to check is take the car for a test drive and get it good and warm. Then find a spot of clean pavement, such as a parking lot and shut it off. Wait for a little while to see if any spots appear under the car. A fairly common leak is the rear main seal, which is on the left side of the engine. Another leak could occur on the front seal where the timing cover is. A leak there will cause oil to be thrown all over the bottom of the engine and cradle. This will usually result in a line of oil right below the right side of the cradle. Its also good to check for signs of recent cleaning, sometimes  sellers will have an engine washed to cover up large leaks or general wetness. Also be wary of a car parked on the grass as opposed to the driveway, it may simply be due to lack of space but may be to cover up oil leaks. Another common oil leak is the distributor O- Ring. It is a easy fix but requires removing the distributor.

4. Coolant Leaks: Same as with checking for oil, best thing is to get the car up to full operating temperature then find a clean spot and park it. Small leaks become most evident after the system has been pressurized then shut down. Due to the mid-engine design of the Fiero, the coolant system has many points to check. On the engine itself you will see the thermostat housing, usually black and protruding out of the engine. Connected to it are a hot heater hose and hot coolant hose. The coolant hoses connects to hard coolant lines underneath the car.  The main coolant lines run all the way to the radiator in front, where they are connected to the radiator with hoses. The heater lines run down the middle of the car, to underneath the heater core in the firewall, also connected with hoses. The heater core itself is also a common leak. Signs of a leaky heater core inlclude: windows fogging with heat on, dampness on passenger side floor, as well as a coolant smell.

5. Tranny Fluid Leaks: If the Fiero has an automatic transmission, there are cooling lines that run from the rear of the car to the radiator in front, underneath the left side. These lines are susceptible to rust and rot, and should be checked. If you look in the engine bay, you should see two rubber hoses connecting the auto tranny too two hard lines on the left side of the bay. Those are the coolant lines. Check for dark stains all along that side of the car, as well as in the radiator area.

6. Overheating: Fiero's are commonly plagued with overheating issues, mainly due to improper filling of the coolant system by owners who don't realize there is a specific procedure. Take the car for a test drive to make sure it doesn't overheat. If it seems to overheat then suddenly drops back down to normal temperature, odds are there is an air bubble in the cooling system, which can be corrected by properly "burping" the system. However there is always the risk that the previous owner overheated the engine which may cause failures down the road. the 2.5l 4cyl is especially susceptible to overheating, commonly resulting in warped heads. If the car has an overheating issue where it will not drop back down to temp, its possible the water pump has failed. This is common with water pumps using plastic impellers. It can be caused simply from age or previous overheating. A metal-impeller pump should be used whenever possible.

Interior:

Like any car, Fiero interiors range from mint to utterly destroyed. There are several common areas of wear that will often appear on an otherwise mint Fiero. The edges of the seats, primarily on the drivers side, tend to be torn. The seats can be recovered, but it is an expensive option. Most of the vinyl interior pieces; dash, center console, glovebox, etc. suffer from warping and pulling. This is extremely common and hard to find a Fiero without. The panels can be repaired with some ingenuity. Also typical are cracked dash corners by the left and right heater vents. This is probably caused by  the dash getting bumped by people's knees as they climb in and out. If equipped with a sunroof, don't be surprised if it leaks slightly. The gaskets can all be replaced and a slight modification can be done to the roof to solve that problem. The guide for replacing the gasket is in the "Articles" section of this site. T-Tops are a rare option, and as a result somewhat difficult/expensive to find parts for. They are a desirable item from a collectible point of view however.

 Suspension:

Fiero's will often suffer from suspension issues, if only due to their age. The 84-87 Fieros use a suspension design recycled from other GM vehicles and are somewhat poor, yet easier to find parts for. The 88 Fieros feature a completely redesigned suspension that performs better, but due to being available for only one year the parts are more difficult to come by. When test driving a Fiero it is also important to remember that there is no power steering, which will change the feel of the car significantly if you are only used to power steering vehicles. It is a common issues for old Fiero's to feel "wobbly," and somewhat difficult to keep straight. Replacing bushings, shocks, tie rod ends, and ball joints usually resolves any problems. As with any used car, a complete brake job is recommended before putting it on the road.

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