Vert Top Failure Rate

[Nutbutt]

No buy back for me either. I have a lot invested in lighting and bolt on engine and drive train improvements. I really love my camaro and wouldn't want to start from scratch again as I did when I traded my coupe for the vert.

[Shooting Star]

This top fix just can not be rocket science. Either the entire frame is fractionally too wide for the body or convertible top well. The back bow (5th) probably should be attached to the main frame with plus or minus pivot points on it to allow the pinching pressure when top is going down to be relieved as well as a horizontal pocket sewn underneath the top to allow for this movement. Don't own one of these verts yet-weather is sure getting nice in the Midwest, but way past time to order a 12, 13's around the corner-don't want to buy a model year old car with these problems not even apparently close to a remedy. Somebody needs to take the damn thing back to the factory and get their vendor in there and disassemble them piece by piece and see where the design flaw is. Sending factory techs out to work on this mis-engineered abomination ( something of great dislike), is ludicrous. It is 3 months away from 2013 start date-my question is-can somebody tell us if the current models being produced have the correct tops on them, and if not, how much longer? If ever???

[blgl1800]

my GM warrenty paperwork says "6 years / 60,000 miles" - exteded coverage equal to the 3 year - 36,000 mile coverage. thats "bumper to bumper".
Unless GM only covers everything at bumper height?

[Andrew6]

This is a bit of a fix

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198154

[ZZTop-leSS]

Picked mine up in December. I live in Michigan, but with the extremely mild winter we've had, there was one day in January that was in the mid to upper 50s, so I pulled the car out of the garage just to admire it a little. I put the top down and POP - there goes the 5th bow! Haven't even driven it yet and it broke the very first time I put it down. Not cool at all.

[k1deg0]

Originally Posted by ZZTop-leSS

Picked mine up in December. I live in Michigan, but with the extremely mild winter we've had, there was one day in January that was in the mid to upper 50s, so I pulled the car out of the garage just to admire it a little. I put the top down and POP - there goes the 5th bow! Haven't even driven it yet and it broke the very first time I put it down. Not cool at all.

A story like this is exactly why I can't get myself to drive down to my dealer and pull the trigger on the RY vert I want. I mean how frickin' sad is it that I can't buy the car I truly want because I'm afraid it'll have to spend the summer in the shop dealing with issues that...well...shouldn't be issues.

Sorry to hear your story and can't imagine what I'd do if this happened to me.

C'mon Chevy, I want to buy a vert not a coupe, but you're making it hard for me to want to bother dropping my $45k on anything in the near-term. I just come back to these forums daily hoping to see something to the equivelant of a "problem solved" thread. :(

[Andrew6]

You can get it now and get it fixed before summer time

[RollaMo]

Originally Posted by k1deg0

A story like this is exactly why I can't get myself to drive down to my dealer and pull the trigger on the RY vert I want. I mean how frickin' sad is it that I can't buy the car I truly want because I'm afraid it'll have to spend the summer in the shop dealing with issues that...well...shouldn't be issues.

Sorry to hear your story and can't imagine what I'd do if this happened to me.

C'mon Chevy, I want to buy a vert not a coupe, but you're making it hard for me to want to bother dropping my $45k on anything in the near-term. I just come back to these forums daily hoping to see something to the equivelant of a "problem solved" thread. :(

I think most of us can understand your hesitation.
But one thing to keep in mind, no mater what kind of car you buy or when you buy it, there will be problems about it being discussed on a forum somewhere.

I will not dispute the fact that some people have had issues with their tops.
But there have been many, many more without issues.
Bottom line is, on any forum your only going to read about the "problems".
So, your not hearing stories from people without issues.
Not every vert is having these issues.

[Baba]

Originally Posted by Nutbutt

Recent problem with my top have lead to some long discussion with the Chevy higher ups. They are now saying that this is a problem effecting a small but significant number of verts. The GM rep who was flown in yesterday to work on my top did say he is booked every day this month with fixes just on the verts.

Well after driving home yesterday from the dealership I put down the top and CLUNK the 5th bow went again this time taking the water management bag that was also new with it !
Guess the GM rep is flying back next week!

Sorry to hear you're once again experiencing the frustration of a broken top. It's absolutely incredible. I hope your next repair remedies all of your top problems once and for all. I know you'll keep us updated. Good luck.

[Lee123]

Originally Posted by RollaMo

I think most of us can understand your hesitation.
But one thing to keep in mind, no mater what kind of car you buy or when you buy it, there will be problems about it being discussed on a forum somewhere.

I will not dispute the fact that some people have had issues with their tops.
But there have been many, many more without issues.
Bottom line is, on any forum your only going to read about the "problems".
So, your not hearing stories from people without issues.
Not every vert is having these issues.

I don't think anyone will argue with the first half of your statement. That's normally the case with forums. What I think k1deg0, and myself, and others would like to see are some facts and statistics on the second half. I haven't had a problem, but I'd really like to know the odds that it will break next week or next month or not for 7 years. Are there really "many, many more without issues?" Or are there many, many more with "issues" that don't even know about this forum? This question has been asked more than once before, but I don't believe it has ever been answered.

[k1deg0]

Originally Posted by Lee123

I don't think anyone will argue with the first half of your statement. That's normally the care with forums. What I think k1deg0, and myself, and others would like to see are some facts and statistics on the second half. I haven't had a problem, but I'd really like to know the odds that it will break next week or next month or not for 7 years. Are there really "many, many more without issues?" Or are there many, many more with "issues" that don't even know about this forum? This question has been asked more than once before, but I don't believe it has ever been answered.

Well said, Lee!

While any vehicle can have problems, when it gets to the point that it seems to be a design flaw, I think it creates a much bigger problem that should be addressed much more aggressively by Chevy.

Obviously Chevy has done right to admit to the problem by replacing tops one after the other on people's cars, attempting to create fixes that can be performed by local dealers, and buying back cars when necessary.

But when I can walk into my local dealer and ask if they've had any problems with any verts they've sold (or have even heard of the problem) only to be told that they have never heard of this issue, it makes me think Chevy isn't doing a good enough job getting word out. And it makes me think they only want to admit it in instances when the problem is thrown into their face by an angry customer.

Sorry to keep hammering on this. I know there are "happy" vert owners who may have never experienced a problem, but like Lee said, I don't want to spend $45k on a car and be nervous each and every time I put the top up and down.

Chevy just needs to do a recall, do a better job getting the word out to all dealers, and fix "all" of them "before" the problem surfaces.

For God's sake...I don't want to have to buy a Mustang!

[tramtwo]

My top looks like shit but functions well... going to let dealer do the 'tape tsb' this week, just so I can say I cooperated with the process. I was aware of the top issues and upgraded to a SS Vert anyway... would do it again, this car rocks.

[Verbolten]

I am also playing the waiting game.. Will the Camaro vert top be redsigned? I am down to two cars.. The Camaro vert or the Mustang vert. Right now the Mustang is in the lead. I love the look of the camaro with it's top down. But all these issues with the top... I have been on some Mustang fourms, have not been able to find any threads talking about major top issues.

[Orange5thGen]

Originally Posted by blgl1800

my GM warranty paperwork says "6 years / 60,000 miles" - extended coverage equal to the 3 year - 36,000 mile coverage. thats "bumper to bumper".
Unless GM only covers everything at bumper height?

From what I was told by the GM rep my top warranty is gone at 36K miles or 3 yrs even with the extended warranty I purchased from GM.

My top has been replaced and now I have a component coverage letter from GM covering the entire top and associated parts.

I thought my bumper to bumper warranty covered everything on my Acaida too 0.00 deductible 6 yr 100K now they have replaced transmission, recall to fix leak in roof was not covered after 36K miles as Leaks are not covered! I called BS on that too because all seals and gaskets are covered. I read an exclusion that convertible tops are not covered though after the 36K runs out?????

Can someone else confirm?