Faults:

Wheel bearing, Minor repairs.

General Comments:

This car is basically reliable, very comfortable. Could be more maneuverable for its size.

It is a disaster to work on. The engineers seem to have deliberately placed every conceivable impediment to everyday maintenance.

I have done regular and serious repairs on every car I've driven since 1990. This one takes the cake. Checking the transmission fluid requires jacking it up and crawling under it with the engine running. You have to take a transmission mount off to get to the thermostat. Bleeding the brake system at the anti-lock modulator requires removing the battery and the driver's side wheel.

Conclusion? It's a fine car if you are going to have it serviced by someone else. Not a do-it-yourself vehicle.

Faults:

2 days after purchase, it stalled on level ground while in motion. <about 40km/hr> (It is auto transmission!!)

Less than a week after I bought it, wheel bearings went, trac light and engine light came on & was stranded on the highway. Had it towed to closest dealership, luckily I had a bumper-to-bumper warranty.

10-12 months post-purchase I tried to start it via (after-market) remote starter, horn, lights & locks went crazy and it wouldn't start. Called for a tow, had it jumped at it was fine. Apparently this was due to improper installation of my remote starter. (So not necessarily a GM problem)

EVERY time it went in for regular scheduled maintenance (which I was always adamant about being on time for) it had something major wrong with it. Some covered by warranty, some paid for out-of-pocket. (Intake manifold gasket, front brakes & rotors off the top of my head...)

Just as my warranty is coming to an end, I took it to a GM Goodwrench today for a check-up only to hear that my (after-market) K & N air filter oil "leaked onto my mass airflow sensor," gunking it up and possibly causing damage to my transmission. Discussions with K & N customer service confirm my suspicions about this diagnosis, K & N have tested again and again and NEVER has their filter oil caused damage to a vehicle. Also, GM Goodwrench told me that the K & N air filter voids my warranty, which is also NOT TRUE. My air flow sensor isn't covered under warranty regardless, but K & N has agreed to take in the faulty sensor and test it to find out what REALLY happened.

Not sure whether GM Goodwrench has been screwing me or whether the car is a bit of a lemon, but either way I am getting frustrated.

General Comments:

Despite my problems with it, I do love this car. With the exception of the first couple weeks, the car has never left me stranded, it seems to only have anything wrong with it when it goes in for service (a little fishy, don't you think?)

The car has a gorgeous little body, good get-up-and-go and very decent fuel efficiency for a 6-cyl.

I put Toyo Proxes all-season radials on her, and she turns on a dime.

I've had 3 people hit my bumpers, both front and rear, and never had to do more than buff out scuff marks.

My brother and his wife bought the same car, only with a sunroof and leather interior and have has problems with the locks, but nothing else so far. Perhaps it's because they don't go to GM Goodwrench.