I've been researching Evolutions for about a month and, thus far, the only things I'm really watching out for (beyond typical used car trouble spots) are:

* condition of the exterior paint
* AWD pump failures
* ECU failures

If I purchase an Evolution anywhere else other than a Mitsubishi dealership, will they be able to read the car's ECU and determine if there are error codes? I almost bought a bad Evo (bad AWD pump) at a small dealership (not Misubishi), but had it taken in to a Mitsubishi dealership to get inspected before the purchase. The guy swore the car was fine because it passed emissions, but I was highly dubious that an emissions inspection was as comprehensive as a dealership inspection. I don't want to run the same risk of purchasing an Evo with outstanding internal errors somewhere else that doesn't have a Mitsubishi dealership close.

Thanks!

 

I would look out to see if it had been modded then put back to stock. Any signs of aftermarket parts. Check the fuel relays to be sure they are updated ones too.