1995 Oldsmobile Aurora

First the good: The car handles wonderfully for a full size. The magna-steer makes the steering feel the same at any speed. Very little sway or roll on corners or clover leafs. Excellent acceleration and braking. The throaty growl of the 4.0 Northstar motor is exhilarating. The interior is quiet even at highway speeds. At night the cockpit is surrounded with soft aqua backlighting, making the gauges, command center, Steering wheel and door mounted controls very easy on the eyes. The gas mileage is surprisingly good for a V-8 in a vehicle this size. You can get 27 to 30 at 60 mph. With its 20 gallon tank, I drove from VA Beach to FL and didn't have to stop for gas until almost Savannah. The design of the AC system with the blower away from the cabin makes the circulation of air much quieter than most cars, even on high. There were only 5 options available: heated seats, sunroof, chrome wheels, BOSE stereo, and what they called Autobahn Package which was a different geared transmission paired with Michelin speed rated tires. EVERYTHING else possible was already standard equipment. It has ABS and stainless exhaust neither of which I have had to service since I've had the car (7 yrs and 45k miles). The body is galvanized steel and the hood, aluminum. You will never see rust on an Aurora. The visual design, with its ray-like nose, sweeping roof-line and accentuated wheel stance was ahead of its time. There was nothing remotely like it on the road when it came out. Considering the pittance you can buy one of these for nowadays, almost any Aurora is a bargain.
Now the bad news. As with any new design, certain flaws arise, some of which were never corrected. The engine has poor oil seal design and its main upper/rear seal was already leaking when I bought it with 77k miles. The dealer quoted me $2300 to fix it. "Um... no." The plastic air dam intended to draw air up through the radiator can come loose in front, catching the wind and essentially blanketing the radiator, causing the car to overheat. This cause often goes undetected, as it its only happens while the car is at speed. MANY overheating problems are due to this easily repairable problem. Note: Auroras normally run a little hotter as they age. I've never found an explanation for this. There is a FUEL RAIL RECALL (fire hazard) for model years '95 through(?) I finally had mine replaced early this year at NO COST.
The rest of these items are of less importance. Because of a tight engine compartment, Old's got creative with placement of: the Starter (under the intake manifold, essentially INSIDE the engine) and the Battery (under the back seat). The gas gauge is deceptive, barely moving from FULL the first 100 miles, and dropping faster as you approach 1/4, at which point you may have 3 gallons left. The rear window has a tendency to distort the appearance of anything in the central horizontal line. While the interior is roomy and durable, you will eventually hit the protruding lip of the dash cover (where it meets the door panel) with your knee, while entering, and crack it. The "innovative" fold-away cup holder on the front console is essentially useless for any container, and there is no suitable alternative surface. If you replace the stereo with an aftermarket model you CANNOT retain use of the steering mounted radio and climate controls.
I have heard of a myriad of other varied issues with Auroras, but none seem to be chronic to the model.

BEFORE WE GAVE THE SELLER THE MONEY FOR THIS ITEM, WE DROVE IT AROUND TOWN AND IT SEEMED FINE. WE CHECKED FOR LEAKS WITH THE ENGINE AND FOUND NOTHING. WE PAID THEM FOR THE CAR AND AS SOON AS WE TOOK IT ON THE INTERSTATE IT STARTED ACTING UP. I COULDN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE MORE THAN 35MPH AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. IT APPEARS THAT WE PURCHASED A LEMON. MY WIFE CONTACTED THE SELLER THE NEXT DAY, BUT THEY TOLD HER AS FAR AS THEY KNEW THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND BASICALLY... WE ARE STUCK WITH IT. I UNDERSTAND ABOUT SIGNING A CONTRACT TO SELL AS IS, BUT THIS AUTO WAS LISTED ON EBAY AS "MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION IN GOOD WORKING ORDER" AND IT ALSO SAID "THIS CAR IS READY TO GO". YEAH, IT WAS READY TO GO ALRIGHT. READY TO GO TO THE AUTO SHOP FOR MAJOR REPAIR. WHEN MY WIFE SPOKE TO THE SELLER THEY TOLD HER THAT THEY DON'T DO A LOT OF TESTING ON THE VEHICLES THEY SELL. THEY DRIVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK AND IF IT SEEMS OK THEY LIST IT ON EBAY. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A MECHANIC WORKING ON THIS VEHICLE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, AND HE IS HAVING PROBLEMS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT AS WELL. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BUYING FROM THIS PARTICULAR SELLER. WE GAVE THEM CASH, AND THEY GAVE US A CAR THAT WE CAN'T DRIVE!

i love the aurora and plan to restore this one i have a parts car that i already have so restoration should not cost as much as without a parts car

Well let's just say I love this car. I purchased it new and I have not had any major problems with the car. There are a few problems that may come up. One is the the front seal on the engine may start to leak oil, mine did start to leak and GM took care of it as it was under warrenty. The window seals were the worst design of all time, they will start to shrink in the top corners of front and back window. Yes all Aurora's run hot I have found that a good flush of anti freeze and thermastat change will fix the problem. The Big other bad design was the cup holders don't put a drink in them and go around a corner fast as it will tip over and make a mess. The bottem line is if you don't take care of this car and beat it up it will it will cost you big $ to fix. This car was made to be treated with care !!!
This car turns heads and is FUN to drive and for a V8 great on gas !!!!!

The Comfort/Styling of a car this age, is ageless. Sporty yet comfortable, a real road car, A real Drivers Automobile.

Even with 99,330 miles on it, the seats were still in great condition. Only had 1 magor problem, the radiator had a leak in it, fixed by replacing the radiator for less than $250. And had a couple of minor problems, cracked dash, where a Tall, Tall Driver hits a knee getting in and out of the Car, and the Cruise Control not working, blown fuse - fixed.
Transmision shifts as smooth as if new. Starts right up even in the cold (10 deg F) of Northern IL (probably becuase it has been treated well with Synthetic Oil). Mileage is about 20 mpg city and 28 mpg on the Highway.

First the good: The car handles wonderfully for a full size. The magna-steer makes the steering feel the same at any speed. Very little sway or roll on corners or clover leafs. Excellent acceleration and braking. The throaty growl of the 4.0 Northstar motor is exhilarating. The interior is quiet even at highway speeds. At night the cockpit is surrounded with soft aqua backlighting, making the gauges, command center, Steering wheel and door mounted controls very easy on the eyes. The gas mileage is surprisingly good for a V-8 in a vehicle this size. You can get 27 to 30 at 60 mph. With its 20 gallon tank, I drove from VA Beach to FL and didn't have to stop for gas until almost Savannah. The design of the AC system with the blower away from the cabin makes the circulation of air much quieter than most cars, even on high. There were only 5 options available: heated seats, sunroof, chrome wheels, BOSE stereo, and what they called Autobahn Package which was a different geared transmission paired with Michelin speed rated tires. EVERYTHING else possible was already standard equipment. It has ABS and stainless exhaust neither of which I have had to service since I've had the car (7 yrs and 45k miles). The body is galvanized steel and the hood, aluminum. You will never see rust on an Aurora. The visual design, with its ray-like nose, sweeping roof-line and accentuated wheel stance was ahead of its time. There was nothing remotely like it on the road when it came out. Considering the pittance you can buy one of these for nowadays, almost any Aurora is a bargain.
Now the bad news. As with any new design, certain flaws arise, some of which were never corrected. The engine has poor oil seal design and its main upper/rear seal was already leaking when I bought it with 77k miles. The dealer quoted me $2300 to fix it. "Um... no." The plastic air dam intended to draw air up through the radiator can come loose in front, catching the wind and essentially blanketing the radiator, causing the car to overheat. This cause often goes undetected, as it its only happens while the car is at speed. MANY overheating problems are due to this easily repairable problem. Note: Auroras normally run a little hotter as they age. I've never found an explanation for this. There is a FUEL RAIL RECALL (fire hazard) for model years '95 through(?) I finally had mine replaced early this year at NO COST.
The rest of these items are of less importance. Because of a tight engine compartment, Old's got creative with placement of: the Starter (under the intake manifold, essentially INSIDE the engine) and the Battery (under the back seat). The gas gauge is deceptive, barely moving from FULL the first 100 miles, and dropping faster as you approach 1/4, at which point you may have 3 gallons left. The rear window has a tendency to distort the appearance of anything in the central horizontal line. While the interior is roomy and durable, you will eventually hit the protruding lip of the dash cover (where it meets the door panel) with your knee, while entering, and crack it. The "innovative" fold-away cup holder on the front console is essentially useless for any container, and there is no suitable alternative surface. If you replace the stereo with an aftermarket model you CANNOT retain use of the steering mounted radio and climate controls.
I have heard of a myriad of other varied issues with Auroras, but none seem to be chronic to the model.

I drove this car from California to Chicago, thru sand (the desert), stone (Rocky Mountains) and corn (Midwestern cornfields), and believe me, I just set the cruise control and this car practically drove itself. Very roomy and extremely comfortable (leather interior as well as every possible option available thru GM). I feel really happy about purchasing, and now owning this car. Equipped with a "small" 4.0L V8 engine, delivers great power while not drinking up gasoline. Surprisingly sporty, yet very luxurious (think "Cadillaction"). Handles like a dream-very smooth operation. A whole lot of car for the money spent (great value). Gerry, Nick and everyone else that I encountered at OCPABI are great people to conduct business with. Car was thoroughly checked and offered ready to hit the road. I would not hesitate to purchase another trouble free and outrageously clean (like new) car from them in the future! Thanx guys! Good to know that there are trustworthy and caring persons such as them still in this world!

He fulsified the auction and the discription did not match what was bought.

Seller was a scammer not the cars falt.

SOME MECHANICS WILL TRY TO PERSUADE YOU NOT TO BUY THE AURORA , I HAVE OWNED MY 1995 FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS AND HAVE ENJOYED IT GREATLY. FUEL MILEAGE IS 22 TO 25 COMFORT IS GREAT THE ENGINE IS FLAWLESS , GREAT POWER ( 250 HP ) IS THERE WHEN YOU NEED IT. I THINK SOME MECHANICS DONT LIKE THE CAR IS BECAUSE THEY ARE BEHIND THE TIMES IN TRAINING OR DONT HAVE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO PROPERLY SERVICE THEM. IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO BUY A PROPERLY SERVICED AURORA GO FOR IT.