1999 Mitsubishi Galant with 128,000 miles but check engine light ON for 2000$? Yes or No?

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Mr. America is right, as too many things can cause the light to come on, from loose gas cap, broken vacuum line, temporary engine miss, or many other minor things, but also some may be serious, so take it in for a reading of the trouble code and possible cause, then check the condition of the rest of the car before making the final decision.
One word of caution though, if the car has the 2.7 engine, have it checked very carefully, as these engine have had a bad rep for blowing up due to sludge in the oil, plugging the return drain into the pan, and also the chain tensioner runs off of oil pressure, so a plugged line will kill the engine.
If you do buy it, change to a full synthetic oil, and it will prolong engine life.
I have a 2000 2.7 and it runs great since the oil change....Show more

It could also be a complete engine rebuild. Do you even know what error codes the system is showing? Is there just one, Is there ten? You know if you fix one you might make another appear.

PASS on this car. Especially for $2K. Even with a valid certificate I wouldn't give you $2000 for a 13 year old Mistusbishi with 128K miles.

If it was a simple O2 sensor don't you think the seller would replace the $12 part and sell the car with a valid emission certificate....Show more

I used to sell a lot of cars for $3000 and under and a good 20-30% had the check engine lights on.

My state didn't require inspections like some and my mechanic always said that chances are its something minor and that its not worth fixing.
So I sold them just like that.

One car, the prior owner fixed EVERYTHING it said to fix, which was a lot and the light never went off.

Its nowhere near as big a deal as some people make it.

Very few cars quit running overnight because the check engine light is one.

Now, the OIL light or temp. light, those are MUCH bigger concerns,...Show more

take it for a test drive over to an autoparts store, they will scan it for free and tell you why it's on....Show more

Yes!!!!...Show more