I've never owned a GM vehicle that has had so many problems as the one I own now

[DietDrThunder]

Not counting hobby cars, I've never bought anything but GM vehicles. I buy them
new and usually drive them until they drop, and then some. My 2003 Chevy
Trailblazer (which we bought new) has really started to make me rethink
Chevrolet. I had a 1993 Buick Regal GS for 16 years and the only thing other
than routine maintenance I had to replace was the alternator.

6 months after buying the trailblazer, the A/C system failed - But it was under
warranty so no big deal.

In 2006 the radiator fan clutch failed, again, no big deal it was under warranty.

4 months later the water pump failed, again, no big deal since it was under
warranty.

In 2010, 5 months before the extended warranty expires, the water pump fails
again, $50 deductable and it is all fixed.

2 months before the warranty expires the alternator fails, still under warranty with a $50 deductable, no big deal.

3 months after the extended warranty expires, all the gauges in the instrument
cluster go bonkers. Bad stepper motors. The Dealership wants $550 to fix,
I find a repair shop that charges me $175 if I pull it and ship it to them.

Now 1 year after the extended warranty expires the transmission fails.
It will not drive in reverse, it will only shift out of first gear at 3,700 rpm and
shifts directly into 3rd, will not shift into 4th (overdrive).

I called around and the lowest non-dealership quote was $2,800 to rebuild with a
12 month, 12,000 mile warranty. I'm just lucky my Father-in-law works for GM.
He's having a new transmission shipped from Lancing Michigan (No one has them locally
since not many people bought the Trailblazer with the 5.3 liter V8 and the straight 6
version has a different transmission). The local dealership will install it and total out
of pocket will be around $2,100 and I get a 3 year, 100,000 mile warranty.

I'll have to wait a week for it to come in so it gives me an excuse to drive the
Corvair in 100+ degree temperatures (no A/C in the Corvair).

Anyway, what would you do? Keep it or sell it before it costs me any more money?

 

[Doppel]

Especially once you get the tranny in there you're good to go. It will keep breaking, but much cheaper than a new car, that is unless you can trade down to something newer and better on gas.

I considered one of these of that vintage a while back but the instrument cluster going is a common problem and I also did not trust the trannies, knowing either one could cost me a lot. But then, trannies always cost people, don't they? Especially if the wife finds out.

 

[PricklyPete]

I'm far from a GM fanboy, but IMHO that Trailblazer was remnants of GM's subpar building years. I really think cars developed in the last decade have improved significantly over their precursors.

 

[ayabe]

Hmm well from my perspective you're looking at around $3000 give or take for outside of the normal maintenance items over the course of ~8 years. Most of that is your new tranny which you have a warranty on for another 100K. That's not really bad at all.

If you planned on putting another 100,000 miles on it had the transmission not gone out then I say keep it. That's probably the single biggest expense outside of the motor totally grenading and you're covered for at least that long.

 

[exar333]

How many miles? Seriously, you have only been out $275 out of pocket in the last 5 years, thats pretty solid. Sure you had some warranty issues, but you were covered there. Those V8s are pretty reliable, and with a brand-new tranny you are probably in a great position.

Maybe get 1-2 years more out of it and still sell in the warranty period for the next buyer's piece of mind. I'll bet you get about as much in a few years anyway, plus you get some use out of your 2k investment in getting it fixed. If you sell now, you get nothing for the cost of the new transmission.

It doesn't sound from your posts that you dislike the car itself. Is it lacking in general, or are the repairs just the main issue? Keep in mind that a early/mid 90's GM that was worry-free for 16 years is not the norm....I know, I had a 92 GM myself and it was a lot more trouble than your current vehicle. Even considering a non truck-GM vehicle had not even crossed my mind until just a couple years ago when their quality improved a lot on new models.

 

[KentState]

Seems like typical stuff that happens in a car that is nearly 9 years old. I've seen similar stuff break on Hondas, Toyotas and pretty much any older car. When I think of shitty GM vehicles, I go back to my parent's '88 Buick Park Avenue which spent 1 out of every 4 weeks in the shop. It also had a ton of non-serious issues that never got fixed.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Typical GM quality.

 

[mmntech]

I'm far from a GM fanboy, but IMHO that Trailblazer was remnants of GM's subpar building years. I really think cars developed in the last decade have improved significantly over their precursors.

Not if you count the Cruze/Cobalt/Cavalier line. They all start going after 25,000km. Usually starts with the lower control arm bushings. Makes the suspension rattle. Then it escalates from there.

GM vehicles in general are notorious too for bad sensors.

Their trucks are far superior to their cars and SUVs IMO.

 

[VinylxScratches]

Typical GM quality, everyone knows this

....

 

[Vic Vega]

Once the transmission is squared away I think I would sell it.

I'm not opposed to driving older, paid for vehicles but ones that constantly break down aren't appealing, even if fixing them is cheaper than buying new, at least to me.

 

[PricklyPete]

Not if you count the Cruze/Cobalt/Cavalier line. They all start going after 25,000km. Usually starts with the lower control arm bushings. Makes the suspension rattle. Then it escalates from there.

GM vehicles in general are notorious too for bad sensors.

Their trucks are far superior to their cars and SUVs IMO.

The Cruze starts falling apart at 25,000km? You might want to tell those 25K people who bought them last month.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/05/cruze-knocks-camry-out-of-best-selling-car-spot-for-june/

If the Cruze does turn out to be a dud, I don't see GM reprising this feat very often.

 

[Rifter]

GM Trucks and full size SUV = Good
GM cars and compact SUV = Bad

The cavalier especially bad.

 

[Eli]

3 year, 100,000 mile warranty?

Is that some kind of joke? lol

 

[Zargon]

Not if you count the Cruze/Cobalt/Cavalier line. They all start going after 25,000km. Usually starts with the lower control arm bushings. Makes the suspension rattle. Then it escalates from there.

GM vehicles in general are notorious too for bad sensors.

Their trucks are far superior to their cars and SUVs IMO.

really? my dad has 45K on his delta chasis(ion/cobalt) and a fair amount of autocrosses on it and zero suspension issues, zero issues at all really


oh yeah except after about a thousand miles first gear exploded and he got a new transmission, likey a manufacturing defect(free under warranty)

 

[alphatarget1]

How many miles? Seriously, you have only been out $275 out of pocket in the last 5 years, thats pretty solid.

No it's not. None of our cars have had that many problems. In OP's case, crap fails over and over again in some instances.

I'd sell it and get a more reliable car, but that's just me.

 

[DietDrThunder]

I guess what I don't understand is why Chevrolet puts so many different
transmissions in simular vehicles. From what I've found out from my father-in-law,
that even though my Trailblazer Ext (seats 7 and almost as long as the Suburban but
about 6 inches narrower) has the same 5.3 liter V8 as the Suburban
and Tahoe, the transmission is different. The transmission is also different
than the 4.2 liter straight 6 that most people bought with their trailblazers.
I called several wrecking yards and I only found 2 that even have them. They
cost around $700 used with around 134K miles on them, 1 month warranty. Plus I'd
still have to install it. I think that would be pissing $700 down the toilet.
What kills me is that I had the 60K maintenance (trans fluid changed) done on
the trans at the dealership in 2009, and today I only have 78K miles on it.

I probably shouldn't say this, but I guess there isn't too much more that can go
wrong, so I'll probably keep it for another two years to get my money's worth
out of the trans swap.

 

[Meghan54]

3 year, 100,000 mile warranty?

Is that some kind of joke? lol

Ummmm.....no. That is the warranty for GM replacement auto transmissions.

http://www.mycertifiedservice.com/PartsAccessories/Transmissions.jsp

That's GM's certified service website. Under automatic transmissions, this is written:

NATIONWIDE 3-YEAR OR 100,000-MILE LIMITED WARRANTY:

You can be confident that the Genuine GM Parts Automatic Transmission or Transfer Case built for your vehicle will function as originally designed and engineered. That reliability is backed by a fully transferable Limited Warranty on parts and labor for 3 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

Now, I'm sure you were laughing at the 100K miles vs. the 3 years, thinking 36K would have been good enough. Who'd need a 100K miles warranty on an item that's only got a warranty for 3 years, right?

In our case, we'd be one that would benefit greatly. 245K miles on our '02 Blazer, for an average of 27K per year. So over 3 years, we'd put almost 82K on the tranny......so we'd really get the three years out of it instead of running out of warranty in 15 months.







Our '02 Blazer has had quite a few problems, too.....

In its 245K miles, we've had to replace:

Alternator at 150K.....$285 (Died on wife while she was driving to Mass. from GA. She was alone so was forced to have it replaced at a ripoff repair.)

Radiator (plastic tank on driver's side cracked) at 170K.....$180 (includes new rad. hoses)

Fuel pump at 180K......$450

Catalytic converter at 192K......$550

Water pump and fan clutch at 239K....$65

Lower intake manifold last week at 245K.....$338

(This doesn't include the normal maintenance stuff, like on its third set of tires, brake pads, rotors, and calipers, etc., etc.)


But, engine still only burns through less than 1 quart of oil in 6-7K miles, starts every time asked to, and tows our boats/trailers without issue. Been paid for since 2006, so I think we're pretty far ahead of the curve so far. (Even if we'd "only" been paying $200/mo. payments over the last 5 years, that'd total $12K, and our repair costs so far have totaled $2K, a far cry from the making payments total. This doesn't include the difference in the ins. payments between a new car and our 9 y.o. Blazer, which is running under $700/yr.)

I want to get 300K out of it before we replace it. Having trouble finding a new vehicle with the same setup as the Blazer, which has 4 wheel ABS discs, locking rear diff. and a 5200# tow rating. Outside of pickup trucks, which we really don't want to buy (need enclosed back end for our 4 dogs, so a pickup just won't cut it), we've been stuck looking at much larger SUVs like Tahoes, Suburbans......the smaller ones like the Edge and their ilk are now car based SUVs (basically just tall station wagons) and have dramatically lower tow ratings.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I guess what I don't understand is why Chevrolet puts so many different
transmissions in simular vehicles. From what I've found out from my father-in-law,
that even though my Trailblazer Ext (seats 7 and almost as long as the Suburban but
about 6 inches narrower) has the same 5.3 liter V8 as the Suburban
and Tahoe, the transmission is different. The transmission is also different
than the 4.2 liter straight 6 that most people bought with their trailblazers.
I called several wrecking yards and I only found 2 that even have them. They
cost around $700 used with around 134K miles on them, 1 month warranty. Plus I'd
still have to install it. I think that would be pissing $700 down the toilet.
What kills me is that I had the 60K maintenance (trans fluid changed) done on
the trans at the dealership in 2009, and today I only have 78K miles on it.

I probably shouldn't say this, but I guess there isn't too much more that can go
wrong, so I'll probably keep it for another two years to get my money's worth
out of the trans swap.

That's what I would do. I bought my last GM vehicle in '08. A chevy Colorado. It will be my last GM vehicle period. I should of knew better.

 

[Zargon]

Our '02 Blazer has had quite a few problems, too.....

In its 245K miles, we've had to replace:

Alternator at 150K.....$285 (Died on wife while she was driving to Mass. from GA. She was alone so was forced to have it replaced at a ripoff repair.)

Radiator (plastic tank on driver's side cracked) at 170K.....$180 (includes new rad. hoses)

Fuel pump at 180K......$450

Catalytic converter at 192K......$550

Water pump and fan clutch at 239K....$65

Lower intake manifold last week at 245K.....$338

(This doesn't include the normal maintenance stuff, like on its third set of tires, brake pads, rotors, and calipers, etc., etc.)


But, engine still only burns through less than 1 quart of oil in 6-7K miles, starts every time asked to, and tows our boats/trailers without issue. Been paid for since 2006, so I think we're pretty far ahead of the curve so far. (Even if we'd "only" been paying $200/mo. payments over the last 5 years, that'd total $12K, and our repair costs so far have totaled $2K, a far cry from the making payments total. This doesn't include the difference in the ins. payments between a new car and our 9 y.o. Blazer, which is running under $700/yr.)

I would not call that a long list of issues for 250K at all. zero failures till 150K is pretty much great.

the only 'surprise' is the radiator end tank and that you actually replaced the cat :awe:

 

[Zivic]

really? my dad has 45K on his delta chasis(ion/cobalt) and a fair amount of autocrosses on it and zero suspension issues, zero issues at all really


oh yeah except after about a thousand miles first gear exploded and he got a new transmission, likey a manufacturing defect(free under warranty)

so, besides a failed tranny the car has been great??????

 

[DietDrThunder]

Ummmm.....no. That is the warranty for GM replacement auto transmissions.

http://www.mycertifiedservice.com/PartsAccessories/Transmissions.jsp

That's GM's certified service website. Under automatic transmissions, this is written:





Now, I'm sure you were laughing at the 100K miles vs. the 3 years, thinking 36K would have been good enough. Who'd need a 100K miles warranty on an item that's only got a warranty for 3 years, right?

In our case, we'd be one that would benefit greatly. 245K miles on our '02 Blazer, for an average of 27K per year. So over 3 years, we'd put almost 82K on the tranny......so we'd really get the three years out of it instead of running out of warranty in 15 months.





.

Thanks for the link. I found a $200 rebate on the trans.
http://www.mycertifiedservicerebates.com/pdf/GMI.pdf

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I have a 2003 chevy truck. There is a problem (common) with the AC system. it's a cheap simple fix usually. The AC will keep turning on/off when it should be on. Some sort of pressure sensor.

I've had that AC problem and a few others. For heating/cooling, fan settings 1,2 don't work but 3,4,5 speeds do which kinda sucks.

Both power windows have needed a new motor.

Can't remember what else. 155K miles in 8 years. Hope to keep it 2 more years.

 

[joutlaw]

4L60E common problems:

1st and 3rd only, no 2,4 or R; sunshell is fractured or splines are sheared off. R&R. Try not to run or drive the car or further damage could result

Make sure you get a better sunshell on your rebuild.

 

[Zargon]

so, besides a failed tranny the car has been great??????

yup

whoever made the gears probably fucked it up in the hardening process making it really weak

 

[Kroze]

Who would buy a car from a company with a history of making subpar and unreliable products? They love to cheap out on workmanship, material, and quality in search for pure profits.

Oops, did I summarized all of the American car companies? Most of which are now bankrupted?

They're pretty good at making patriotic and "American" "nationalist" commercials though. Which is their core buyer's market, people who don't know any better and can't put 2 & 2 together..