10 Cars That [really,really] Damaged GM's Reputation (With Video)

Popular Mechanics ^ | November 25, 2008 | John Pearley Huffman

[hunter112]

#2 on the list did it for me, my 82 Pontiac Phoenix was a dog. What was worse was the way GM treated my letters of complaint, firing back some "sorry, not our problem" form letter.

Everybody makes mistakes, it's how you deal with them that separates the folks you continue to trust from those you'll never do business with again.

[woodbutcher1963]

I still think the AMC Pacer is the ugliest car ever.

[Magic Fingers]

“have you driven the new Malibu?”

My next company car (arriving in late Dec.) will be an ‘09 Malibu. I drive through some desolate areas, so I’m cautiously optimistic that it won’t leave me stranded (and that it’ll be reasonably enjoyable to drive).

[KarlInOhio]

Meaning if the thermostat isn’t working (or isn’t there) the engine will overheat, not run cooler.

If the thermostat wasn't there, the coolant would flow all the time. When most thermostats fail they open up so the engine is protected (although your heater won't work and your mileage will stink). Occasionally they freeze closed in which case you need to stop the car before it overheats. All the ones I've had to replace have failed in the open position which required a very cold drive to the parts store (why do they always fail in the winter?).

[Pelagius of Asturias]

“I owned a Mercury and the alternator went out. The Ford dealer wanted $1000 for a new one.”

The dealer replaced the starter on my 04 Taurus last month for $375 (parts and labor)in the Knoxville, Tenn. area. You need to move south. It was a rebuilt starter, but I expect it to be better than the original.

Did an American made starter fail after 34K miles? Nope, it was made in Japan!!!!!

[radar101]

BTT

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

GM makes very good trucks. I'm still driving my 1990 half ton. Very reliable.

[OBXWanderer]

From the late 1970s and into the early '80s, Oldsmobile sold the most popular car in America: the Cutlass. Olds was on a sales roll; it seemed nothing would be able to stop the division. Then came the Oldsmobile diesels, and stopping is exactly what they did best.

Yeh, I had one of these, 81 Cutlass diesel. I was in the charter boat business at the time...diesel was pretty easy to get, and before all the dyed diesel, etc. People would ask, how can you stand all that noise....just turn up the $1000 stereo. What about all that black smoke?. Works great for that impatient a$$ who is on his horn the instant the light turns green. Just black smoke him. Got almost 200k miles out of it, but down side, probably 40 fan belts. Thing could not keep a fan belt on.

[driftdiver]

‘Did an American made starter fail after 34K miles? Nope, it was made in Japan!!!!!”

Made in Japan? Thought they manufactured all of their stuff outside their country like US companies do.

[Vaquero]

The H2 gets crummy fuel mileage, its looks come straight out of the military at a time while the military is fighting an unpopular war, and it's freaking huge.

editorializing at its worst from PM.

[JenB987]

That a Duramax, Jeff?

You do the same thing we do in our household, only we’re a Chrysler family. My hubby has a Dodge Ram Cummins. It’s his work horse and his hobby. He’s obsessed with diesel engines. He has a 1994 Mecury Topaz we pawned off his parents that’s his run around vehicle.

I have a Dodge Avenger and love it.

[antiRepublicrat]

Go look at any economy Toyota or Honda from 1971-1977. They are even UGLIER than the Vega... Except the Honda Civic was actually a good, reliable car.

[Terry Mross]

In the days of full service you’d pull up to the pump and say “Fill ‘er up with oil and check the gas.”

[Doc Savage]

How could forget the CORVAIR, the car that MADE Ralph Nadar what he is today!

[Terry Mross]

One other thing...had a friend years ago who’s ‘57 Chevy blew so much smoke it looked like a fog machine. One day another friend pulled up beside him and said, “Jim, your car’s not smoking.”

He said, “Oh, sh$t! I’m out of oil!”

[Pelagius of Asturias]

Oops, I have to admit that the service manager said the starter was Japanese made; I never looked at it except to see it smoke when it siezed up. Ten years ago I woud have replaced it myself, but I’m getting old and lazy.

[Petronski]

I have/had one of those X cars. POS, engine and transmission where JUNK!!

♫ It's the first Chevy of the Eighties!
It's a new Chevy kind of compact,
This could be the car you had in mind!

[Vaquero]

around our house we call the Aztec the "Homer"

[TheGeezer]

I had a 1975 Buick Skyhawk, and every 15,000 miles or so I had to have the input bearing of the transmission replaced. The engine was sitting too high and when the transmission was inserted into the engine, the input shaft was being forced upward.

Buick treated me with, "So sorry. No can help or fix."

I got rid of it and bought a Ford Tempo. Woof, what a maintenance nightmare! I've been buying Hondas and Hyundais ever since.

[Petronski]

I submit that “dealer maintenance” is part of the problem. If the brakes keep going bad, try non-dealer parts.