I hate my car!!!!!

[08fz6]

2008 Scion Xb for me, had a 98 new beetle before that had a 5 speed in it. I beat the living heck out of that car it ate rear brakes and spark plug wires... Replaced the front wheel bearings at 105,000 miles and that was it... Great car! my Xb have only replaced tires and changed the oil...... it has 62,000 on it, have had it since it had 25 miles on it... leased new. Going to figure out how to lease another without getting killed on miles... I am a foreign car person! Honda makes great cars, however other than the s2000 and the acura nsx, i have no interest in them......

 

[Andz]

I've never had an American car so I can't comment, but I am a die hard BMW fan. I am in my 4th Beemer, a 2006 320d manual and in the 14 years I have been driving them I have had zero problems, and, apart from tyres, zero outlay.

 

[RJ2112]

And GM wonders why we buy Toyota.

I'll second that...... went 100% Toyota about 15 years ago. I have not had a serious issue with any of them, having owned 2 well past 100K miles.

My 2000 Echo has 153K on the clock, and still returns near 40 MPG.

 

[dako81]

Maybe you should get a second estimate. The dealer has been hurting over the past year, might see you as an easy target.

Have you been underneath your grand prix? The entire front clip is a sub-frame, which is rubber mounted. I reallllly doubt that you bent it, at 5mph.

I've got an '07 gp gt supercharged I bought a year and 13 days ago and it had 39k miles. I have 62k miles on it now, and have only replaced the tires, and hose clamped on the middle muffler's heat sheild because the spot welds broke and it was rattling. Brakes are fine, everything else is fine. I foresee tie-rod ends closer to 100k but those are relatively cheap.

I hope you get another quote and have better luck! Oh and a body shop could send your rim to keystone and get it redone as good as new for half what the dealer wants for a new rim. If not, if you have the 16" aluminums you can buy a refinished wheel cheaper, keystone guarantees them for life and you cannot tell the difference between a brand new one and a refinished one from them. That rim is just the first red flag I see...

 

[dako81]

Once fixed it will be traded off for something that is made with a little quality.

On a side note my American made truck is a freaking tank!(08 chevy 1500). I can beat on it and it begs for more. Maybe another is in order.

Re-reading, I really think your viewpoint is skewed because of the high price at the dealer. I really think it would have been ~$1k or less at a certified shop.

Also, the quality differences between your gp, and any american truck are nill. There isn't any. Same quality. In fact, much is the same quality of many foreign models. They just have a "higher grade" (better looking) interior. Trust me, I work at a place and see parts made for trucks, exactly the same way they are made for cars. Same quality standards too. I think the real difference you see and are misidentifying is that a truck is built to be abused and taken off the roadway, while a car is meant to be driven on the road, and handle 99% of what the road is going to throw at it.

Hope it all works out for you!

 

[RedFZ6]

I couldn't agree more. When I was driving back from my vacation in Florida to Missouri 10 days ago, which was a 1200 miles trip. My 06 explorer with less than 45k miles suddenly blown the radiator and started to overheat, smoke was coming from the engine like a train. In addition to that, it was 3 am, snowing, I was driving continuously for 18 hrs and my 3yrs old son was sleeping in the back, so I decided to not stop until I reach home, luckily, it was about 5 miles away.
This is my first and last American car

 

[ant_mb]

I called BS on the bent sub frame as well. The guy showed me where it was and it's quite visible. It bent where the A-arm connects to the frame at the rear location. I couldn't see a bend in the A-arm, but they say it's there.

As far as the rim goes, I'm sure there are cheaper options(ebay for $125), but since the insurance is paying then so be it.

I can only speak for my car and my truck. The car is nothing but problems and I've yet to have one out of my truck.

 

[dako81]

I called BS on the bent sub frame as well. The guy showed me where it was and it's quite visible. It bent where the A-arm connects to the frame at the rear location. I couldn't see a bend in the A-arm, but they say it's there.

As far as the rim goes, I'm sure there are cheaper options(ebay for $125), but since the insurance is paying then so be it.

I can only speak for my car and my truck. The car is nothing but problems and I've yet to have one out of my truck.

Crazy S has been known to happen. Sorry it's been a bummer for you. Good luck in the future, and with the truck (knock on wood)!

 

[wrightme43]

GM can make trucks. (Decent anyway as long as its full size) Thier cars suck. Super extra ultra suck.

Sorry that happened Anthony.

Honda man. Or Toyota, or Nissan, or if you really really really want to be happy forever and ever amen. Subaru.
Three year old Legacy Outback or Imprezza and you are golden.

Honda sends back whole truck loads of parts if they find just a few out of spec. Just says nope we dont want em, try again. They are serious about quality.

Its a shame that GM didnt decide to be the best they could of been the best cars in the world. All they make now is shoddy crap.

May the best car win! LOL LOL LOL every time I hear that I laugh. The best cars did win, then the wonderful govercon said well no that not right lets give them more money to continue making shoddy crap. Thatill fix it. LOL

 

[CCHOUSEKY]

I'll second that...... went 100% Toyota about 15 years ago. I have not had a serious issue with any of them, having owned 2 well past 100K miles.

My 2000 Echo has 153K on the clock, and still returns near 40 MPG.

I'll third it! I've owned 5 cars in my life, 4 Toyota Corollas and now a '05 Echo. Man, I love that little car. I've got almost 90k miles on it and I, too, get nearly 40 MPG.

In fact, my entire family is a Toyota family. Heck, we should be in one of those commercials...lol. My parents have 3 Toyotas between the 2 of them, '01 Tacoma, '04 Camry, and '08 Prius. They, and I, have never had a single issue with any of our Toyotas. Change the oil, put new tires on and you're good to go.

:thumbup:

 

[krid80]

We were a Saturn (R.I.P.) family for quite a while. I had an older sedan, my wife had both a SC2 3 door coupe and a VUE, my brother had a tricked out 3 door coupe SC2. But alas, GM decided they would keep Buick and kill Saturn :ban::spank:

So we have moved to VW. I have an old S10 Blazer with a Vortec 4.3L that just keeps running. It has 216k miles on it and still will get 18mpg highway. Crazy! And it consumes no oil between (infrequent....no abusively long) oil change intervals.

It has been in the family since it had 50k miles and we have only changed the oil every 7-10k miles! LOL I do not condone this behavior.

 

[Mexi-can't]

I'm not a fan of american vehicles in general either. Most of the cars I've owned were Honda, Toyota and had over 200k miles and no problems. My current main daily driver is a Jeep Cherokee 4x4 with over 300k miles, gets 20+ MPG and serves as my work runner, toy hauler etc.

 

[sjryser]

I have a 98 Honda Accord and have had some problems with it...tranny, gear shifter, front axles and cv boots, stalling, faulty ignition, third taillight broke loose, ac blower motor, 2 catalytic converter, o2 sensors, muffler, water pump, ac motor, alternator, hoses, new radiator and so many window motors i should of bought stock in them. She has 147k miles and i have been the only owner. The only thing original on her is the peeling paint job and the block.
ps- I hate my car, too.

 

[Speedygonzales]

See Jemery Clarkson's vision about american cars .
He has a good point on the build quality.

But you can buy a car from every continent you wish, and still have a ****pile cager ... some cars are better then others.

I wouldn't mind driving a corvette ... if I could afford the taxes and fuel.

 

[Scorphonic]

I'll just say it once!

You cant beat a German or Japanese made car.

They're fuel efficient and don't break down as often!

Take Toyota and VW as prime examples!

If Insurance don't cover it, trade it in for scrap and get yourself a stronger car. To tell you the truth, i've never even heard of that make of car, stick to one of the faithful american brands or go european...any is good! (am i being biast!!! haha)

 

[FZ1inNH]

I've been a Toyota owner since 1983. I have zero complaints about any of those. My wife and I have strayed a couple times during those years and gotten bit each time we tried to "do the American thing" with very poor performing vehicles. Each time, we went back to Toyota. For the last 8 years, it has been nothing but and we don't even consider any other brand.

All those Toyota vehicles and outside of regular maintenance I have only ever been stranded once. That was on my 1986 Toyota Mini truck when the fuel pump broke. Less than $30.00 and 10 minutes to swap in the new one and I was back on the road.

In 1997, in my Toyota Tercel Blackhawk, I t-boned a Ford F350 4WD who decided to do a U-Turn without looking for oncoming traffic and was in front of me as I was doing 52 mph. In less than two seconds it was over. Thank GOD for seatbelts and airbags! The Tercel was absolutely totaled but I was unhurt and after getting the passenger door to pop open, was out and walking. It crumpled everywhere it was supposed to.

If American cars would build reliable and dependable vehicles, I'd buy them. Because they don't, I put my money where I know I can depend on it, my family is safe and I have great resale value should I want to buy a new model. Toyota happens to be my choice but I'd also take a Honda, Subaru or Nissan if Toyota wasn't there.

 

[Hellgate]

Knock on wood-grain-plastic, but my '09 Chevy Malibu has been a great car so far. 31,000 miles and not a single problem. The build quality is actually very good. Older GMs, meh...

I'm usually a VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes guy. Of the four the VWs and BWMs have been the best cars. I really miss my '99 BMW 528i. It was crushed by a full size truck loaded with dry wall. I walked away with only a slightly sore neck.

 

[krid80]

Knock on wood-grain-plastic, but my '09 Chevy Malibu has been a great car so far. 31,000 miles and not a single problem. The build quality is actually very good. Older GMs, meh...

I'm usually a VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes guy. Of the four the VWs and BWMs have been the best cars. I really miss my '99 BMW 528i. It was crushed by a full size truck loaded with dry wall. I walked away with only a slightly sore neck.

I have heard the new Malibus are quite good. It is hard to turn over that new leaf with one model year, though. For example, the new Hyundai's are supposedly pretty good but it is hard think of this:

when all you remember is this:

 

[jerdman89]

I have a '94 ford tempo with 104k on it and the only problem I've had was a broken motor mount and a dead window motor and I drive the hell out of it. So american made cars aren't all bad.

 

[wolfc70]

I feel your GM pain! I have about had it with GM using cheap parts on their cars. Their designs are fine, it is just out sourced parts that are garbage, made to last through the warranty and that is it.

Current GM issues I am having!

Noisy power steering pump. Silent one day, noisy the next, changed fluid and it is a little better

Multiple failing relays, known issue.

Leaky oil cooler return lines, GM factory over torqued Banjo bolts, stripping them, PITA to replace.

Bad CPS sensor.

Flaky PCS in 4t45e tranny, getting infamous P1811 "maximum adapt, long shift" code.

All of this on a GM car with 68K miles!! This does not include the other $1400 I have spent in the past year to fix stupid production issues. It took GM 12 production years to figure out how to get the oil cooler cover to seal. It turned out the robot let the gasket dry too long before putting the cover on. Something you think they would have fixed in the first year or two.
And GM wants me to trust their cars? They are crazy! Maybe in 10 years when I can see if the quality gets better, or they actually stop treating their customers like victims. Sorry for the :rant: