The GM Experience...my car's wonderful life

[jandrews]

man i bet the dealer dreads seeing you walk in the door

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: jandrews
man i bet the dealer dreads seeing you walk in the door

That's the truth. I get pretty upset about the car, so I'm pretty abrasive when things aren't fixed.

 

[GoatMonkey]

What you've got there is a lemon. Not that any G5s are particularly good.

I have a few American cars that I like and I would defend them. However, the G5 is not one of them.

Get out of it now, because you will never be happy with it.

 

[altonb1]

Sounds like you are just having problems with this car, so you may indeed have a lemon. I have a 2004 Cavalier and I don't think it has been in the shop at all for warranty work. I have an '04 venture and it has had minor warranty work. My dad used to work for GM (retired in '06) so I have bough numerous GM vehicles since '95. I have had very few problems with them.

95 Corsica
96 Saturn SL2
97 Pontiac Grand Am GT
97 Pontiac Grand Am SE
98 GMC Jimmy
99 GMC Sonoma
99 Pontiac Montana
2000 GMC Sierra
... (a couple of used cars due to tight finances after 9/11)
2004 Chevy Cavalier
2004 Chevy Venture

Overall, I didn't have any real issues with any of the vehicles above.

(BTW...we had 2 vehicles at a time--1 was mine and 1 was my wife's car)

 

[lurk3r]

Originally posted by: Scouzer
2006 Pontiac Pursuit GT.

38,000km (23,500 miles)

5) 'All Season' Pirelli tires that came with the car cannot be used in the winter. I could not believe how little traction I got with them, it was ridiculous. Replaced for $1100 of my own money.

6) Loose plastic panels in the backseat means if someone rests their arm on the 'armrests' back there they rattle, squeak and you can feel them moving around. Dealer said it's a known issue from GM and there's no fix.
Total dealer visits - 10 (that I can find the receipts for)

Fuck you GM. Never again. You tricked me once, that's enough for me.

Moved from Off Topic
moderator allisolm

Stock tires are always shit, pull them off to sell when you dump the car and put tires you like on. My alitma came with Continentals that were unsafe when the road was wet, quick trip to Costco for some BFG's made it a whole new car. I've had serious issues with nearly every stock tire. Auto plants, especially GM only pay about $8 per tire, even on the big SUV's, worth every penny.

For point 6 I'd try to get em on the lemmon law, same fix 3 times and car's a lemmon, research the local legality on lemmon laws. Don't tell the dealer until they 'fix' the same thing for the 4th time.

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: intogamer
We send you teh lemons in Canada

:laugh:!

 

[AMCRambler]

Lmao. The dealer must be absolutely sick of seeing you in with that car! I have to give you credit for staying after them and making them fix the things wrong with your new ride. I think a lot of those wouldn't bother me enough to waste my time dragging the car to the dealership several times to get them to replicate the problem and fix it.

 

[DougK62]

Funny - my parents had a very similar experience with a Toyota Corolla. They got rid of it and are super happy with their Chevy Cobalt (twin to your Pursuit) and haven't had a single issue with it.

 

[LTC8K6]

1997 Cavalier Z24 bought new.

Early on had a recall that it had a bad water pump installed at the factory. Replaced at the dealer under warranty with a lifetime warranty on the repair.

Pretty much flawless ever since. Nothing but normal maintenance items.

Still has all of the original light bulbs in it.

Still idles so smoothly that I have to look at the tach to see if it's running.

Still moves out smartly when I kick it.

Traction control still great in the snow.

Fuel economy still great.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: lurk3r

Originally posted by: Scouzer
2006 Pontiac Pursuit GT.

38,000km (23,500 miles)

5) 'All Season' Pirelli tires that came with the car cannot be used in the winter. I could not believe how little traction I got with them, it was ridiculous. Replaced for $1100 of my own money.

6) Loose plastic panels in the backseat means if someone rests their arm on the 'armrests' back there they rattle, squeak and you can feel them moving around. Dealer said it's a known issue from GM and there's no fix.
Total dealer visits - 10 (that I can find the receipts for)

Fuck you GM. Never again. You tricked me once, that's enough for me.

Moved from Off Topic
moderator allisolm

Stock tires are always shit, pull them off to sell when you dump the car and put tires you like on. My alitma came with Continentals that were unsafe when the road was wet, quick trip to Costco for some BFG's made it a whole new car. I've had serious issues with nearly every stock tire. Auto plants, especially GM only pay about $8 per tire, even on the big SUV's, worth every penny.

For point 6 I'd try to get em on the lemmon law, same fix 3 times and car's a lemmon, research the local legality on lemmon laws. Don't tell the dealer until they 'fix' the same thing for the 4th time.

Lemon laws don't exist in Canada. I have no recourse.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: DarkThinker

Originally posted by: intogamer
We send you teh lemons in Canada

:laugh:!

"This is for Mariah Carrie, bastards."

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Ive got the twin to the OP a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, and aside from a couple warranty problems I had when I first got it (Noted by the VIN as one of the first 500 produced in its first model year) its been a great little car, even more so now that I realized how safe it is. It was in an accident a week or so a ago with the whole front end smashed in about half way, I walked away with out a scratch.

 

[bruceb]

I personally like the GM line. All the vehicles in my home are Chevy or Pontiac.
Myself, I have a 1999 Grand Prix 3800 Normally Aspirated with 166K on it.
Just installed a tranny 1 month ago after it lost 4th (overdrive), GM rebuilt with
a 3 year / 100K warranty. It does need new shocks and mounts, but the ones
in there are the Originals .. and it needs some body repair due to being rear ended
while at a Stop Light .. car in front stops, I stop, car behind me (lexus suv) stopped,
car behind him Did Not stop ... so it will run me about $3900 for the body work.
Insurance co is totalling it for $5500 and I will get my $500 deductible back at
some point. So I will keep it for another 2-4 years or so. Engine is still excellent
and no issues inside the car. I have redid the front end with all new Tie Rods,
Sway Bar front and Rear, Rear Trailiing Arms, Sway Bar End Links, Lower
Control Arms with Ball Joints .. all this to find a Clunk which has now been
proved to be bad shock mounts. But now the steering is like new again.

 

[alkemyst]

$5500 for totally a 99 Grand Prix seems pretty generous.

 

[bruceb]

That is because I was able to show the rebuilt tranny bill
which was only 3 weeks before the accident. Otherwise
it would have been about $4300 .. And it is really $6000
because I will get my $500 deductible back later on
when they settle with the idiot who caused the crash

 

[alkemyst]

That's excellent they did that. My wife was involved in a not-at-fault that totalled our honda and broke her neck. It was an 1987 DX hatch and this was about 1995, it had low low miles, I think 50k and was perfect..it was our sole car for commuting from University of Florida and home about 4.5 hours each way. Right before the accident I had some extra cash and decided to put it back into the car on having the brakes and struts all redone and a couple minor items, along with tires. Tires were really the only real need (they were the originals with tread still but getting cracks in them from age). This was about 3 months prior...the insurance company ruled those things as maintenance and would not cover them. They ended up totalling the vehicle for less than those parts were worth. I had a lot of stuff going on with the wife in the hospital so buying back a car to part out was not in the cards. I think the pay out was $2600 for it as there were none with that low mileage on the market or in that shape. The mileage was out of range for any adjustments out there...it was a bad deal for us. A comparable and newer car was at least twice that at the time

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Nice to know that nothing has changed at GM since I worked in the rental car industry in the early 1990s. Your experience pretty much sums up every fucking GM I've ever driven...including recent rental cars.

My job now has me renting cars every week and of the cars I've had, I've been very impressed with GM's quality these days. Buick Enclave, Chevy Tahoe, Pontiac G6, Chevy Impala, etc...all have been fine. I have a Nissan Xterra this week...the interior is so poorly made I feel like I'm driving a fischer price car when shifting transmission lever.

I'm not some big GM fan (I own a Toyota Tacoma and Honda civic), but I think people give them a lot of shit that they really don't deserve anymore.

 

[lurk3r]

Originally posted by: bruceb
That is because I was able to show the rebuilt tranny bill
which was only 3 weeks before the accident. Otherwise
it would have been about $4300 .. And it is really $6000
because I will get my $500 deductible back later on
when they settle with the idiot who caused the crash

Deductible is not supposed to apply on a total, insurance companies always try to get away with removing it though, seach a bit on the net, CIBC got hit hard with a class action suit for doing just this.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: Scouzer
2006 Pontiac Pursuit GT.
4) Insane brake squeal in cold temperatures. Rear brake pads replaced after 4 dealer visits complaining about the same thing. They still squeal, but it's not nearly as bad. I just ignore it now, because it's clearly unfixable.
Any car can have that. You know how many hondas, toyotas, fords, chryslers, lexus, etc. I hear that have brake squeal?

5) 'All Season' Pirelli tires that came with the car cannot be used in the winter. I could not believe how little traction I got with them, it was ridiculous. Replaced for $1100 of my own money.
Stock tires are typically not all that great. The ones that came with my dad's toyota where just 'ok' but nothing to write home about. I'm sure you didn't need to spend over $1k on new tires though, that's a little extreme but hey it's your money.

6) Loose plastic panels in the backseat means if someone rests their arm on the 'armrests' back there they rattle, squeak and you can feel them moving around. Dealer said it's a known issue from GM and there's no fix.
Never heard of this one... but every mfr has their quirks that you wonder wth they were thinking.

8) The plastic trim by the deadman pedal sticks out so when you get out of the car you can catch your foot on the plastic and break the plastic off. Unfixable.
It is too fixable - trim the plastic But yeah, that's most certainly an oversight there.

10) Horrible sunroof groaning and squeaking noises in the winter. Unfixable.
You'll find a lot of mechanical stuff moves stiffly and squeaks and such in the winter. But why you opening the sunroof in the winter

11) Passenger door rattle. Unable to replicate.
If you haven't been able to replicate it, maybe the door wasn't closed all the way

My responses to select comments in bold above. But yeah in general it sounds like you just got a dud. GM cars in general don't have issues like that.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: Scouzer
2006 Pontiac Pursuit GT.
4) Insane brake squeal in cold temperatures. Rear brake pads replaced after 4 dealer visits complaining about the same thing. They still squeal, but it's not nearly as bad. I just ignore it now, because it's clearly unfixable.
Any car can have that. You know how many hondas, toyotas, fords, chryslers, lexus, etc. I hear that have brake squeal?

5) 'All Season' Pirelli tires that came with the car cannot be used in the winter. I could not believe how little traction I got with them, it was ridiculous. Replaced for $1100 of my own money.
Stock tires are typically not all that great. The ones that came with my dad's toyota where just 'ok' but nothing to write home about. I'm sure you didn't need to spend over $1k on new tires though, that's a little extreme but hey it's your money.

6) Loose plastic panels in the backseat means if someone rests their arm on the 'armrests' back there they rattle, squeak and you can feel them moving around. Dealer said it's a known issue from GM and there's no fix.
Never heard of this one... but every mfr has their quirks that you wonder wth they were thinking.

8) The plastic trim by the deadman pedal sticks out so when you get out of the car you can catch your foot on the plastic and break the plastic off. Unfixable.
It is too fixable - trim the plastic But yeah, that's most certainly an oversight there.

10) Horrible sunroof groaning and squeaking noises in the winter. Unfixable.
You'll find a lot of mechanical stuff moves stiffly and squeaks and such in the winter. But why you opening the sunroof in the winter

11) Passenger door rattle. Unable to replicate.
If you haven't been able to replicate it, maybe the door wasn't closed all the way

My responses to select comments in bold above. But yeah in general it sounds like you just got a dud. GM cars in general don't have issues like that.

The sunroof makes those noises without opening it in the winter.

 

[beat mania]

7) Passenger side door was assembled poorly and would get 'caught' against the body of the car resulting in a loud popping noise everytime it was opened or closed. Fixed by dealer, still happens occasionally.

This should've been caught before you even signed any papers.
Looks like you didn't really inspect the car beforehand. All I can say is be more careful buying your next car.

 

[bruceb]

Well I will get it back after they settle with the insurance company
of the car that caused it. I have State Farm for the car.

 

[Obsoleet]

This is not something to get angry at GM about, there are lemon laws for this that apply to all manufacturers, and people who have bought every brand have had to use them.

So as annoying as it might be, your anger needs to be directed in a positive fashion, utilizing your states lemon laws. If you don't want GM again, fine. But it's ignorant to assume that if you bought or got a different one that it would do the same thing to you.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: beat mania

7) Passenger side door was assembled poorly and would get 'caught' against the body of the car resulting in a loud popping noise everytime it was opened or closed. Fixed by dealer, still happens occasionally.

This should've been caught before you even signed any papers.
Looks like you didn't really inspect the car beforehand. All I can say is be more careful buying your next car.

Excuse me? This issue turned up 6 months after I bought it.

This is not something to get angry at GM about, there are lemon laws for this that apply to all manufacturers, and people who have bought every brand have had to use them.

So as annoying as it might be, your anger needs to be directed in a positive fashion, utilizing your states lemon laws. If you don't want GM again, fine. But it's ignorant to assume that if you bought or got a different one that it would do the same thing to you.

I LIVE IN CANADA. THERE ARE NO LEMON LAWS. I AM FUCKED.

 

[alkemyst]

IMHO be canandien you were already fucked