Faults:

- All four McP suspensions were replaced at 130,000 km.

- Fuel sending unit sensor has been replaced twice in the last 40k.

- Replaced lower control arm on both driver and passenger side.

- Front bearings have been replaced 3 times - both driver and passenger.

- Driver's side heated seat stopped working.

- Windows are slow to go up and down.

- Rear view mirror auto dim went bad at around 130k. The 7-pin connector doesn't seem to be manufactured well.

- Steering wheel mounted controls worn out and is difficult to depress at times.

- Odometer light went dim after 190k. Typical with the W-body car.

- Catalytic converter had to be replaced at 90k, and is still a problem.

- TRANSMISSION is horrible. Every now and then the transmission will jerk. Expensive to fix as any transmission would be. Apparently typical for the 465T transmission, but of course GM doesn't want to fix it for free, especially when it started around 150k.

- Wire connecting the back light assembly (that goes through the trunk hinge) will wear out and eventually break the wire, causing the back up light and brake lights to not come on

- Hub cap centre on the 5/6 spoke wheel will come off every now and then. I have had to replace 3 of them before I gave up.

- The Dexcool coolant will eat up the lower and upper manifold gasket.

- EGR valve is made out of plastic, and will actually burn and fuse to the steel port.

General Comments:

I understand that cars breakdown due to normal wear and tear, but when there are common issues, GM should honor their product, regardless of KM or age.

For example, the catalytic converter issue above is well known for this particular model. It is under extended GM warranty until 190000 km or 8 years (I think, it might be 10 years). I didn't know this until 200000 km, at which point they said no. The cost to replace the catalytic converter is in the $1000+. And guess what? My car will no longer pass emissions anymore because of this.

In the performance category, I agree that this car is excellent. It is a sleeper at 220hp and 200 torque.

Overall, I think this is an excellent car. Just not after the warranty period.

Faults:

Catalytic converter was plugged at 94k miles.

Headlights shut off and turn on randomly.

Power steering squeals when the outside temp is below freezing.

Temperature sensor went out 3 times before 100k miles.

Odometer went out at 140k miles.

Ignition safety switch needed replacing (wouldn't release the key when the ignition was shut off).

Window lock button broke.

Driver's side rear window quit working.

General Comments:

Even with the long list of problems I've had with this car, it has never not started until last week when it was 5 below. When I finally got the battery out, I found it was the original battery, so it was 8 years old. Other than that, it has always started, even down to 35-40 below.

It handles snow amazingly. I tend to run the tires down till they're almost unsafe, and I have never been stuck; goes through 15 inches of snow without flinching!

Now for the bad, I've replaced so much on the car, and not just normal maintenance. The engine is hard for a DIY type person to work on. This is the first car I've had to take to a mechanic for almost everything. I even had a hard time changing the battery; I had to take the car half apart to get the old one out.

All of the frame of the car is rusting, the only spots that aren't rusting are the body, which I believe most of which is plastic or fiberglass.

There is an excellent amount of leg room in the front, but the back seat is very crowded. It is impossible to get heat to the back seat (I had an 86 Suburban without rear heat, and that heated better in the back than the Buick). The front seats are comfortable for short distances, but without adjustable lumbar supports, long distances can really mess your back up.

This is a good car for granny to drive to church and bingo, or a good first car for a teen; definitely dependable, it'll always start, but plan on putting money into it. Not the quality that I thought Buick was supposed to be known for.