Anyone else worried about ... the big "R"?

[Angrybird 12]

My definition of reliability is, does it get you where you are going without breaking down? period. Things like rattles, flimsy plastic panels, paint peeling are not really reliability issues but cosmetic issues (rustthrough can be a reliability issue depending on where it occurs). Mechanical reliability of GM cars have, in my opinion been on par with anyone.

On a side note, My In-Laws had Toyotas, and Nissans (Datsuns) back in the 70's and 80's, and after a couple years they had many problems with both. None ever went over 80K miles without major problems. including one of each rusted completely through in several places, their 76 Toyota Corolla, the driver's seat fell out on the ground....to me that is a Safety and Reliability problem...

[Crowley]

I have owned Ford or GM products as well as Mazda and now a BMW ...

I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Build quality and reliablity are on part with them .. (actually I would say the BMW has given me the most problems ... )

Crowley

[LadiesMan217]

I have owned 3 GM Vehicles (All Chevy).

1. 1996 Beretta (Not purple...hehe).

I bought it used with 70,000 miles on it. I had ZERO problems and I loved the car. I dumped it 30,000 miles later because I wanted a Jeep Wrangler. (I didn't lose a penny on that car...I sold it for more than I bought it for.)

(Had no problems with the Jeep...but gas mileage stunk...so I bought a New Beetle...had NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS (2 rebuilt engines)...then traded that in for a Mercury Cougar (Again, nothing but problems...and traded that in for a...)

2. 2000 Chevy Silverado Z-71

The only problem I had with this truck was that annoying thing that a lot of Chevy pickups have...one of the DRL's blew out. I had the truck for three years and traded her in for a 350Z (Don't shoot me!)

No problems with the 350Z whatsoever...but I needed a truck...so I bought a...

3. 2007 Chevy Avalanche (current vehicle)

Zero problems. Nothing but quality here. (This time I'm sticking with GM!!!)

[Bone'Maro]

Reliability issues are almost a thing of the past. If you change your oil, and don't beat the crap out of it, I say there won't be any reliability issues.

[LadiesMan217]

Originally Posted by Bone'Maro

Reliability issues are almost a thing of the past. If you change your oil, and don't beat the crap out of it, I say there won't be any reliability issues.

How does that help electrical problems?

VW, for instance, has been plagued with electrical problems...and things like this can be anything from a blown headlight to the car not starting... If the computer chip goes...nowadays, it means EVERYTHING is shot.

I'd lump this into reliability also.

[speedbroker]

I mostly just lurk here but felt I had more to type this go around.

I owned a 1980 Chevy Citation as my first car. It was a hand me down through 2 generations so reliability was as expected- average at best because of rough handling (it was called the s**t bomber due to the not so attractive brown color).

I then owned 2 Fords (94 Ranger XLT and 2000 Explorer XLS). I can say the quality of my Fords was sub par. I will not buy another Ford (Found On/Off Road Dead) due to the extremely bad experiences I had with both. The transmissions were crap and shared by Mitsubishi and Mazda manufacturers at different times. The wiring was also bad in both. The interior was also very cheap plastic IMHO. I know I may have gotten lemons, but 2 in a row was enough for me.

Now for the current. I love my Acura TSX and have never had a problem with it since 2004. It is a great car and I do not regret buying it at all. I know many are not fans of the Japanese cars on this site but try to look at it with an open mind. All car companies are pretty much global now. GM's biggest market happens to be China. All in all we should be looking at GLOBAL quality versus an us against them policy. It is outdated and everything is connected. This is obvious if we look at recent economic events across the globe. Plus a myriad of foreign countries own large vested stakes in the US and all of our auto companies. INCLUDING GM..

Now the positive news. I had been looking at Corvettes for 2 years and when I saw the new Camaro styling I changed my mind. Unless something unforeseen comes up I am going to go with the Camaro. I have always been a fan of the first generation verts and this retro mod look won me over. The attention to quality that you all voice about current GM cars was a MAJOR part of my decision making process to consider this car. Reading this thread just helps keep my outlook positive to wait for the SS RS vert.

In the end I do feel that people like myself, the quality and style chasers, are going to go with the best products available no matter what the source (barring terrorist or communist countries). Luckily for all of us Chevy/GM has stepped up to the plate with an outstanding line of offerings currently.

End of rant.

[oldbowtie]

My everyday vehicles:

Sold my 1984 1/2 ton Chevy cargo van with 240,000...no leaks
Sold my 1989 Buick LeSabre with 134,000...no leaks
Sold my 1994 Blazer with 184,000...no leaks
I'm driving a 2004 Colorado with 84,000...no leaks

Now, I do normal maint. with oil changes ever 3000 miles

I swear by GM.

[CHVY4LF]

i drove a 1992 Grand prix until 2006 and it just kept running no matter how hard i beat on it, had its normal wear and tear but just kept running strong. As long as you mantain it any car will run. I know someone with a Mustang 5.0 with over 350,000 miles and it runs strong, also knew someone who blew up a toyota before 100,000 so it all depends on if you take car of it or not

[Ladyz28]

No concerns at all. I still have a 87 IROC and 92 RS. Both with over 100K.

[Speedy1975]

I have some concerns. I've not owned a GM product since my first truck (1992 GMC Sonoma SLT). It was an OK truck for a 16 year old kid and was cheap to buy ($9588). However the interior plastic and fit and finish were crap. That's what I remember most about that truck. I've owned only foreign cars since (Toyota and Honda) and they have all been very top notch especially my current 4Runner which hasn't given me a single problem ever in 6 years and I've even thrown a supercharger on it nearly doubling it's power output.

Now, if GM has upped it's materials used, then no worries. I love the looks, performance, and features of this new Camaro and truly hope the quality matches the specs. However, I won't buy sight unseen due to my previous experience.

I'm glad to hear the Canada plant has won several awards for quality.

[CamaroSSforme]

Ah I'd love to answer...

My list of new cars bought

1999 Buick Regal GS
2001 Chevy Tahoe LT
2002 Acura RSX type S
2003 BMW 325i
2004 Lexus GX470
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited
2007 Aura XR
2007 GMC Acadia Loaded

There were also some used cars in there, but we are talking buying new...

Want to know what I learned? There was no difference between the number of issues I had with the Acura/Lexus/Subaru/BMW than with the GM's. In fact, the GM's did better on the whole.

Wife's favorite car was that Buick.......Mine is the Camaro I just ordered lol

[lalometalik]

Originally Posted by littlecammi

You (and other people like you) are the problem. Do not buy a Camry or Accord - buy a Malibu instead. Do not buy a BMW 3-series coupe - buy a Camaro instead. Do not buy a Porsche Boxster - buy a Corvette instead.

okay, explain. in other words, whats your point?

im all about Chevy and dislike most imports, but making a brash statement like that, little helps this discussion.

if this pleases the all powerful modz, that is

[Tal]

From what I've seen GM's real problems were initial quality which was below par for a couple of decades. This doesn't seem to be the case today, and for actual long term reliability GM has been solid for quite awhile. Sure you can point to specific issues if you dig around, but that's true of any large manufacturer.

[nonsensez9]

Originally Posted by MB2010CC

Read my Sig... HAHA!!! Im not going to lie I have had a few problems with this car. But the fact that it is still running amazes me. Most of all because I drive like a bat out of hell!!!

My V6 Beretta is 18 years old. nearly 200,000 miles. a few things have had to be replaced like the head gaskets (once), clutch (once), shifter cables (once), heater core (once) ball joints (several times). And after 18 Canadian winters, the paint is shot. But all in all, the repairs have been less costly than a new car. Plus there are people that I work with that have had more trouble with their younger imports.... maybe I was lucky. It is now relegated to winter driving. I would like to drive it into 2010 before setting it out to stud.