1. 1Check whether the Comfort Group was optioned. An ACR with A/C and a stereo is a different car to live with, and going without is the point, not a fault.
2. 2Inspect the differential harder than on any other SR II. An ACR is the car most likely to have been launched and tracked, and the rear diff is the generation's known weak point.
3. 3Ask for track history and check the brakes, tires and suspension bushings. A club-raced ACR is not automatically a bad buy, but it should be priced as one.
4. 42001–2002 ACRs get ABS but also sit in the higher water-pump failure window. A billet impeller is worth fitting.
5. 5This is the car most likely to have been tracked, so heat soak matters. Sustained track heat cooks plug wires, brake lines and the power-steering reservoir; look for aftermarket heat shielding and heat-damaged components.
6. 6Chrysler switched to a multi-layer steel gasket for 1996, which resolved the paper-gasket failures that plague 1992–1995 cars. This is a genuine reason to prefer an SR II.
7. 7Inspect the rear differential. Premature diff failure remains a documented risk across the first three Viper generations, especially on cars that have been launched hard. Listen for clunking, grinding, wheel hop and vibration; a rebuild is several thousand dollars. NHTSA recall 01V312000 covers a related failure on track-used cars, cracking of the rear differential mounting bracket welds, remedied by frame reinforcement; confirm it was done.
8. 8Check the water pump — this is the SR II's signature failure. The pump uses a plastic impeller that can separate from its shaft and stop coolant flow entirely. 2001–2002 cars reportedly fail at a higher rate. A rebuilt pump is around $1,000; many owners fit an aftermarket billet impeller preventively.
9. 9Watch for idle hang, another second-generation-specific complaint: revs stick at 1,200–1,500 rpm after you lift off, sometimes for several seconds. Usually throttle-body synchronization or an IAC/TPS/PCM issue.
10. 10Check that reverse engages cleanly. Hard-to-select reverse is a well-known first-through-third-generation quirk and can mean a worn clutch or a faulty reverse lockout solenoid.
11. 11Look at the power-steering pump mounting bracket. These break, which throws the serpentine belt — sudden loss of power steering assist and, if the driver does not notice, overheating. Parts are cheap (~$100+).
12. 12A car that needs several cranks to start cold usually has a failing fuel pressure regulator that will not hold rail pressure.
13. 13Listen for an exhaust-leak tick. The V10's cast manifolds and headers crack, commonly at the welded brace where it meets the tubes. Cheap to spot, more to fix if a manifold is replaced.
14. 14Expect some oil use from the big V10. Heavy consumption with no external leak on an early car points to worn piston rings.
15. 15If you plan to add boost, buy a 1996–1999 car. The lighter hypereutectic (cast) pistons fitted from 2000 tolerate forced induction less well than the earlier forged pistons — hence the "creampuff" nickname for 2000–2002 engines. It is irrelevant to stock ownership.
16. 16Two NHTSA recalls matter on a track-used car, both from frame-bracket cracking and both fixed by frame reinforcement: 01V312000 (rear differential mounting bracket) and 01V313000 (steering rack mounting bracket, which can cause sudden steering looseness). Confirm both were done. Recall coverage is otherwise VIN-specific, so run the VIN through nhtsa.gov rather than trusting a summary.
17. 17Check the bonded rear glass hatch. On the GTS coupe body it can delaminate and come unglued, and the factory adhesive is reportedly discontinued; some glass shops decline the repair over liability at speed. Look for movement, rattle or a lifting edge.
18. 18Look for water intrusion. GTS coupes can leak at gaps under the rear-hatch weatherstrip, leaving wet floorboards after hard rain. It varies car to car, so check the carpets and lift them.

• 01V3120001996-1999
  Rear differential mounting bracket welds can crack on track-abused cars, risking loss of control; remedied by frame reinforcement (DaimlerChrysler 998).
• 01V3130001996-2000
  Steering rack mounting bracket can crack and separate from the frame, causing sudden steering looseness; remedied by frame reinforcement (DaimlerChrysler 999).

US NHTSA campaigns for this model. A listed campaign may not apply to a particular car, and may already have been remedied — check a specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.