Hyundai: My son is thinking about buying..., technical service bulletins, hyundai elantra

Question
My son is thinking about buying a `94 hyundai elantra with 40k miles for $3000. Do you know anything about these cars? Is that a good deal assuming the car is in good conditions? What should he be looking for as far as defects, etc.
Anything you can tell me will be much appreciated since I`m pretty much car illiterate.  

Answer
The 94 and up Hyundai's are pretty good cars.  My friend owns a 95 Accent and other than minor problems hasn't had much trouble with it.

As far as defects go, I'd check to see if the timing belt has been changed.  Also, note any body damage.  Excessive body damage usually indicates a driver who doesn't care about their vehicle.  Which could also mean skipped oil changes, etc.

Take it for a test drive and see how it reacts.

I'd suggest finding out which engine is in the car and visiting this site.
http://www.alldata.tsb.com/consumer/TSB/942504_en.html

It will show you a listing of recalls and technical service bulletins that have been issued for that car.  Keep in mind though that not all of the lisitngs are due to defective parts.  Most are just procedure updates in how the mechanics service the vehicle.

I'd also recommend taking it to a mechanic you trust.  Hand them the TSB sheet and ask them to look over the affected parts (if any) to see f they have been replaced or serviced.