[Peter land]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the market for a used car and I came across a 1999 Infiniti G20 that I'm interested in. The car has a salvage title and is being sold for $3,450. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this car or any advice on whether or not it's a good purchase.

Here are the details I have on the car:

• Year: 1999
• Make: Infiniti
• Model: G20
• Engine: 2.0L L4 DOHC 16V
• Title status: Salvage
• Price: $3,450

The car looks to be in decent condition from the pictures, but I know that a salvage title can be a red flag. I'm not sure what caused the car to have a salvage title, but I'm assuming it was in an accident. The engine has a 2.0L L4 DOHC 16V, which seems like it could be a decent engine, but I'm not sure how reliable it is.

Overall, I'm just looking for some advice on whether or not this is a good purchase. I don't want to spend money on a car that's going to give me problems down the road, but at the same time, I don't want to miss out on a good deal if this car is worth it. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[trbobrk]

Are G20s generally reliable? Yeah.
Is that G20 reliable? I have no idea.

Salvage title means it was written off by insurance and rebuilt. Since the car has had very little value for 10+ years, any accident would salvage the car. If it was fixed, then presumably it wasn't something major, but you'll need to inspect the car for signs of prior damage.

Go look at the car. If it looks alright, I'd probably just buy it. You aren't gonna get something cheaper.

 

[manjuice]

Just a small thing that i'd chime in on. I like to always see what the goals are for buying a car like this. Is it just a daily driver and you'd like to just spend the time and money on maintenance ? Are you looking to do some light modding and updating the car? or full blown project?

That's where I would start if i was looking at a car like this. These cars are reliable but a 99 is already 24 years old and would need some attention to items to maintain that comfortable ride.

 

[brett]

I bought an automatic 99 G20 with 55k miles like a year ago now. The prior post about salvage titles is good info - I worked in auto claims for 5 or so years. One other thing with older cars in general is rust. Mine is basically rust-free aside from the bottom of the driver door which has developed some surface rust where the paint has peeled off. Probably from slamming the door edge on something. Definitely have it inspected by a mechanic you know/trust. The engine is very reliable if it’s been taken care of. I get 26mpg on the highway and it handles great at high speeds. Very stable when cornering kinda like a German car in that sense. Reminds me of my Golf in some ways. The auto transmissions in these things have probably average reliability. The guy I bought it from did the plugs, downstream o2 sensor, rear brakes and I did the front brakes, put in a new starter after the car died in a parking lot and just threw on some new tires. Just an example of what I’ve had to do with mine so far. Going to do the trans fluid in a couple thousand miles and probably the brake fluid and coolant and then it should be good for a couple years. Aside from typical around town city driving I’ve driven it on a couple 250-mile trips on the freeway and a few 80-mile drives. No issues - it’s very pleasing to drive even being 24 years old.

 

[p10forthewin]

My take is, there are plenty of clean title G20 P11's available out there, so why buy one that's rebuilt? Not as many as there used to be, but you're in southern Cali bro. Just wait a week and you'll find another one. The West coast is Mecca for G20's. Unless you are in a huge hurry for wheels, let it pass and be patient. I just saw a P11 here locally for sale that had under 100k miles for less money than what you said. I didn't last long on Craigslist - but it was there. Be patient, and don't buy somebody else's problem (which is what most salvage cars are in my opinion).

But overall, yes you want a G20 P11. Don't get too worried about part availability. Parts are out there. Don't worry too much about mileage. It's condition that's important.

 

[ds3dt3]

Unless you're getting a huge deal I'd pass on the salvage car. There are plenty of cars out there in that price range. Yep, maybe it's minor damage and it'll be ok, but you will still need to get a phenomenal deal which $3450 is not. Remember it will still be a salvage car when you go to sell it.