10th Sep 2012, 16:26

I wonder if GM has a department solely dedicated to finding online forums and spamming posts with how great their cars are.

The so-called "great" 3.8 L engine had a very serious issue with the intake manifold. In Canada, at least, it resulted in a class action lawsuit against GM -- which GM lost.

For more fantastic GM quality, check out LeSabre reviews on here from the early 2000's, where pretty much every owner talks about power window motor failures.

11th Sep 2012, 08:40

It wasn't the 3.8; it likely was the 3.1. I also had the same engine in my boat. I had 2 Pontiacs with this engine; no issues. They were company cars. That being the case, I do not praise unless it's actual experience. My comments are one driver only since they were acquired new.

My overall best company cars were new Acura Legends and later new Crown Vics, and the latest was a Ford Edge SEL. It is a great crossover and I have 70000 miles on it already. Just tires and monthly oil changes with the excessive driving I do at work. If any of us have a really lousy car, it's off the new list next time.

We can buy our company cars at our company. My 90 Bonneville is still being driven. Other than some clear coat loss on the hood, it still is going very strong.

I think someone asked yet again what an import is. I think it's been answered 20 times; it's the country where corporate is based. So if you buy a new Toyota, it is a Japan owned corporation where the bulk of each sale goes. My new Ford is not a Japan owned vehicle; it is a domestic.

11th Sep 2012, 08:42

Where I work, we have used Ford, Dodge, and Chevy fleet vehicles forever, replacing them when they reach about 80,000 miles.

Of the minivans, the Dodge Caravans were the best, much better than the Chevy Ventures and a bit better than the Chevy Uplander for comfort, power, and gas mileage. The Caravans never went to the shop for any reason with minimal maintenance.

Of the 4x4's, the Explorers have been the best since 2005; far better and more reliable than the Chevy counterparts (Trailblazers, Jimmies, the Tahoes haven't been bad) or the uncomfortable, troublesome Jeep Liberties of the mid-2000s (the ones that look like bugs).

But, it has always been the Chevies with bad ball joints, bad transfer cases, windows that get stuck in the up position or fall down in the track, doors that won't fit right or won't close, locks that fail, bearings shot in the transaxles. Oh yes, the power is great, the engines run great, but everything else on them is made cheap and ready-to-break before 40,000 miles.

I hope they really are doing a better job, because I have as much patriotism as the next person, and hate to see our American companies turn out junk products that the rest of the world laughs at. Ford seemed to have got the message in the late '90s, and Dodge/Chrysler has been making great cars for the last few years, while Chevy continued cutting corners, counting on people buying their products based on traditional loyalty. I really, truly, hope they are serious about making a good product after coming out of bankruptcy.

11th Sep 2012, 16:02

For fantastic Toyota quality, check out the 2006 Camry, or better yet, the 2011 Corolla reviews on here.

11th Sep 2012, 19:02

Ranging from the years 1989-2003, we have owned a combined 10 GM cars with the 3800 V6 (6 with the Series II). Three of them went over 200,000, and only one, that's right, one, had the intake problem at 125,000. This took me an hour to replace, and here it is almost 4 years later, and the car is still on the road, where it belongs.

GM corrected this problem in 2003 model cars, and the replacement manifold is also updated, so the problem won't surface again.

12th Sep 2012, 11:16

Unless you are hitting potholes or run on unpaved roads, I am not seeing front end issues on new domestics. I have an Edge that's under 2 years old with 70000 miles on it already. I do rotate my tires; I am on set 2. I also do not run aftermarket huge rims and tires. I drive a lot; mostly all business.

My tip is whatever you own, change the oil and filter every 5000 at the most, rotate tires, change other filters etc. twice as often as the book says. It's cheaper than a new block. If I get overheating or low oil pressure ever, my engine is off immediately. Snap a cheap plastic filler neck or warp an aluminum head; it costs far more.

12th Sep 2012, 12:16

The question about "imports" wasn't answered. The reason the question was asked is because repeatedly the blanket statement about the inferiority of imports is mentioned over and over again. To extrapolate on this further, it's totally impractical and inaccurate to make such a statement. There are literally 100's of car companies making cars all over the world, and to state that ALL of them are inferior just for the sake of them being made somewhere else, other than the US of A, isn't really making any sort of point. Especially when it's clear that no - in fact there are numerous "Import" brands that are not only rated higher in long-term quality, but overall reliability, than the current offerings from the Big 3.

13th Sep 2012, 09:28

You asked what an import was. Now it's a quality comment. We could say a import such as a Rolls Royce is better. I feel exact import model vs exact domestic model gives a better closer examination. I could be driving a 2012 Corvette and you a 2012 Corolla, and say your car is sluggish. Be more specific, and we can give a real comparison, apples to apples.

14th Sep 2012, 01:43

I've never had any front end issues with our domestics. I am aware of problems with suspensions sagging on Japanese cars, and we had this problem with one of ours. I was told it is due to weaker materials being used in suspension parts.

14th Sep 2012, 17:18

I enjoy reading these statements about supposed "weaker materials" or whatnot being used in on "Japanese cars"... whatever that's supposed to mean, as if somehow in between the factory and delivery, magic steel gremlins must chew holes in the steel, and they only like Japanese cars. Uh-huh...

If that was really the case, then how come some of the most popular competition off-roading trucks out there are Toyota trucks?

Also not sure what a Corvette has to do with a Corolla. One is a econocar. The other is an expensive sports car. I mean - seriously? One costs almost $50,000!

15th Sep 2012, 21:27

Funny, I just read an article that stated that the Toyota Camry has replaced the Ford F-150 as the best selling vehicle in the US.

Regardless of all of this anti-import rhetoric, it appears that knowledgeable people have the ability to separate facts from fiction, and new car sales figures bear this out.

17th Sep 2012, 07:22

So what you are saying is that for over 20 years previous, the Ford F Series was consistently the best annual seller, so it was superior for over 20 years vs a Camry. I remember last year the Silverado on some months (not annually) was the best seller. With all that in mind, why isn't the Tundra or Tacoma a best seller, since they are trucks?

Also, I wonder if it's the sluggish economy and 4 dollar a gallon gas cost as a factor. Or is it quality that made the figures rise? If it was quality, wouldn't you think that Camry would have hit it at least once in all the years previously?