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List your lemon trucks here: 1980-2002

amoralesamorales Member Posts: 196
edited March 2014 in GMC
Owned the following LEMONS:

1980 GMC Heavy Half w/350-4V 3:08 long bed, torque lockout auto tranny, it was painted metallic blue, should have been yellow. Horrendous defects, too many to list

1991 GMC S10 Blazer TAhoe 4x4 4-door 4.3L Defective ABS system, brakes, worn out valve guides at 79,000 mi resulting in blue smoke at start-up, 20,000 mi brake pads, and numerous electrical problems

2000 S10 Xtreme, 2.2L manual tranny reg cab black mini (for commute purposes) :
Horrific stalling at 20K, dealer unable to fix after 4 tries. Possible defect, Engine management computer.

RE: Ford pickups: of the three owned, '83 F150, '94 F150, '95 Ranger XLT =0 DEFECTS, flawless operation...
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    modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    1987 GMC 3/4 Ton, 454 TBI, 400 Auto. In 60,000 miles; 1 trans, 1 brake booster, rear howling, constant cracked exhaust manifolds, TBI linkage seals.......

    1985 Ford F250, 460 C6...Flawless

    1989 Ford F-350 460 5speed EFI...Flawless

    1996 Ford F-150 5.8 4x4. beat the crap out of it!!
    wheel bearing seals under warranty(might be because of the high speed mud crossings) and steering box after stuffing right front tire into ditch at 50mph @ 3am!! Also covered under warranty!!!

    '00 Super Duty...flawless

    '01 Super Duty.....may need to get cab/bed mounts tightened. Hear some popping over bumps occasionally.

    Oby, don't bother, there's not enough server space for your lemon.LOL!!!
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    ricschricsch Member Posts: 540
    Had the front end/steering vibration problem, had the rack & pinion tsb performed(little change) and went through the BBB and received a replacement '01 with no problems so far (4500 miles) I understand the lemon is in Oklahoma somewhere now.
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    nerdnerd Member Posts: 203
    May turn out to be the worst vehicle I ever bought. So far for 16,000 miles:
    - A/C blower replaced
    - throttle body replaced
    - steering rack replaced
    - the infamous 5.3L piston slap - knocks like mad when started cold (new pistons on the way, says GM)
    - front springs noise (dealer can't find)
    - door hinge covers loose (two tries - no luck)
    - driver seat back moves when starting from a stop(dealer can't find problem)
    - clunking underneath (dealer can't find)
    - pinging at highway speed (reprogramming computer helped)
    - coastdown vibration at 700rpm (dealer hung weights on the exhaust system...helped some)
    - harsh transmission shifts when cold (dealer said all OK - ha!)
    - bumping in steering at slow speed (dealer will attempt fix this week)

    Wish I had kept my '95 F150 Supercab...no major problems for 100K miles.
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    obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    it's your lame dealer. There are fixes for everything you posted. Just guess your dealer doesn't want or don't know how to read.
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    mrurlmrurl Member Posts: 116
    Re: transmission shifting when cold. The tranny is set to shift at higher RPM when cold to warm the engine up faster. Because the shift is at higher RPM, it feels a little harsher. This is normal.

    Peter
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    jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    1982 Datsun/Nissan King Cab. Blocked catalytic converter, multiple brake overhauls due to brakes locking up and not unlocking until the vehicle slid to a stop and was backed up, blown head gasket, fuel delivery problems, electrical problems. And all within 16K miles and 18 months. Invested over 11K and sold for 6K. Never again.
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    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Like MRURL stated

    "harsh transmission shifts when cold (dealer said all OK - ha!)"

    That is normal read your manual (i believe it states this fact in there).

    Ryan
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    ricschricsch Member Posts: 540
    must have left the forum?
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    txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    already in the various GM forums!
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    frey44frey44 Member Posts: 230
    XLT, 4x4, 5 speed auto, 4.0 pushrod V6. i CANNOT get the floorboard vibration out of it. new tires, drive-shaft, checked rotors, bearings, exhaust piping, and engine mounts. i have given up. TUNDRA here i come.
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    erikheikererikheiker Member Posts: 230
    Only lemon I've ever owned was a 77 Dodge D100. No problems with all my GM trucks or the one import I ever owned (Mazda B2000). Latest JD Power puts GM at 4, DC at 5 and Ford at 7. Obviously Ford is making a lot more customers unhappy than GM or even DC.
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    steven426steven426 Member Posts: 1
    9 trips to the dealer for Fuel Gauge not working. I'm one step away from going after GM for my 2001 S-10 LS Crew cab. Damn nice truck, but I can't live with a feul gauge that won't tell me how much gas I have.
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    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING

    Have they replaced the instrument cluster? Only thing that fixed my dads (92 S-10). His stopped working and only worked after 1/4 tank
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    smith53smith53 Member Posts: 72
    89 s-10...after two weeks ownership i realized every body panel was different shade,repainted truck.. electronic ignition goes out while riding down road,coasted to dealership..while going over speed hump at 10 mph glove box not only opens but falls in floor.. all in 14months of ownership
    96 silverado...after two months discovered overspray on frame rail, some body damage had been repaired..replaced fuel pump,stopped at dealership to complain about hard starting and the truck refused to start..anti-freeze leak at rear of engine, replaced intake gasket..anti-freeze leak at front of engine, replaced intake gasket..replaced alternator..had severe engine knock when totaled in auto accident.
    since i have had such good luck with my chevies i now own a 2000 silverado(my wifes comment:why another chevy?....good thing i never told her about my experience with my 78 olds cutlass).
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    smith53smith53 Member Posts: 72
    all of the above vehicles were bought new
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    lad10derlad10der Member Posts: 9
    11,000 miles THREE engines, front axle seal, and intake manifold plenum gasket. First engine knocked like a diesel, told it was spark knock. Engine threw a rod at 7,000 miles. Dealership pieced engine back together (short block). Second engine siezed 4,000 miles later. Dealership repeated same repair as first. Now afraid to drive the truck, don't won't to be stranded on the side of the road a third time.
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    amoralesamorales Member Posts: 196
    left Front inside brake pad on my 2000 C2500 (90% freeway commute miles) wore out totally. I replaced all front pads. Paid $34.00 for lifetime semi-metallic pads for 8750# GVW truck. Took all of 45 mins to install and road test. I don't know if this qualifies as a lemon defect. I will monitor wearing of the pads. My old '83 Ford F150 long bed went 70,000 mi before front pad replacement and that was living in hilly San Francisco.
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    loyalgmcguyloyalgmcguy Member Posts: 64
    Worst lemon was a 1988 Ford F-150. This was the first extended cab truck with a short wheel base. Two-tone red with a 302, 5-speed manual. Georgous truck. It used a quart of oil every 500 miles, had a loud clunk in drive train when the cluch was let out. The paint flaked off and could be scratched with a fingernail. My dealer said all issues noted above were within Ford's acceptable limits. Clearly the worst vehicle I ever owned. Traded for a 90 GMC and have four new trucks since.....but no Fords.
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    knock1knock1 Member Posts: 3
    My gmc also knocks like a diesel,dash board rattles,back doors rattle when cold,truck skips at high speeds,all 4 tires are wearing uneven.gmc says this is all normal.They say Im not use to driving a truck. I paid 30000 for this garbage truck.I can not believe the total disrespect i got from gmc.AM I really that dumb to think my engine pistons rapping is a design built into the engine.I cannot believe how many people are falling for an extended warranty.Dont they know that after it expires they still have a vehicle worth less cause of a bad engine.Iam going to bbb on 10 19 ,what ever the out come i will refuse the offer and go right to lemon law with my lawyer.Gmc is nothing but GARBAGE MOTOR CORP.
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    googs3googs3 Member Posts: 2
    2001 2500 2wh dr had the tranny slipping so badly at every stop light that it looked like I wasn't going to make it home.New converter.1500 miles rebuild tranny.Has refused to budge at times on start up and then shifts ok after it stalls out and re-started.Dealer can never get it to do this?Has 11000 and still the same.
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    hutch7hutch7 Member Posts: 88
    '97 F-150 Flareside at 49K have had the following:

    1.Both doors replaced due to cracked sheet metal (cracked again!)

    2.Roof rails redone...cracking again!

    3. Pitman arm replaced, due to creaking and excess play

    4. O/D button no-workee

    5. Pass. side window barely goes down(dealer can't fix)

    6.Coolant leak from timing chain cover.

    Trading truck this week, NEVER BUY A FORD!!!!
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    mudcreekmudcreek Member Posts: 1
    Our truck hasn't quite reached lemon stage but...
    We have had the bushings replaced on the sway bar links because of constant squeaking. They were replaced about 2400 miles ago and there getting replaced again. There was a rattle underneath and we found out that the converter needs to be replaced. We've had the same problem as googs3...tranny slips or hesitates, truck stalls and then its ok after truck is restarted. Dealer says this will happen when the engine isn't warm...believe me, it happens warm or cold. Has anyone else had these problems and what did you do?
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    tomj5tomj5 Member Posts: 209
    The dash instruments fell apart. Engine would suddenly quit. Wipers sometimes work mostly not.
    Dealer got to hate the sight of me. I sold the pig at a loss but got rid of it. (No more Fords!)
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    mullins87mullins87 Member Posts: 959
    I have learned my lesson - NEVER BUY A FIRST MODEL YEAR TRUCK!!! That was the biggest P.O.S. I've ever had the unfortunate experience of owning. The paint, typical GM - eventhough it was garaged, the paint flaked right off. The brakes - they were so stiff, you almost had to stand on the pedal to bring it to a stop, and that was without a trailer behind me. The power steering - next to nonexistant. The transmission - it was so weak that I almost burnt it up pulling a 4,000lb trailer, at 45 mph on fairly flat roads!!!!! The cooling system - too small for the truck. The capacity was just enough to keep up, if you put the engine or tranny in any strain at all, such as pulling a trailer or in light city traffic, it would overheat. The rear window - constantly leaked. The climate/radio controls - didn't work half the time.

    In short, it is my opinion that GM does not build their trucks strong enough to do the job they are supposed to do. I guess the days of a "real man's truck" - all metal, built like a tank, couldn't kill it if you wanted to, go absolutely anywhere, ride like a log wagon, scares women and small children kind of truck - are gone now that the manufacturers are catering to soccer moms and limp wristed real man wannabees.
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    mlempiremlempire Member Posts: 34
    Where do i start ??? 30 days 800 miles vehicle control module died,battery died. 60 days 854 miles transmission control module,powertrain control module, coil pack all died.4 months 3600miles rear door glass fell out on road.5 months 5559miles engine stalls with out warning at any speed,will restart after 30 minute cool down. dealer finds no problem.5600 miles stalls again while i have a load of lumber on rack , wood slides off front of rack and smashes hood,
    crank sensor,elec body control module now found bad .5609 miles ,stalls again same symptoms dealer has truck for 2 weeks, finds bad power train control module,2nd crank sensor,cam sensor all bad. when i picked it up i warned about lemon law possiblity here.. they said all fixed now... mechanic drove the shi* out of it and its all peachy now.....5 days later guess what? STALLS
    I call detriot to register a complaint and register it as the boat anchor that it should have been from the start... LOL GM Begs me to give them 1 last chance to fix truck before i do the lemon thing, they replace ign switch,throttle body,gas pedal and accel pedal assembly, 3rd crank sensor...oh did i tell you that i had to repair the hood with my pennies... 3 months of wonderful driving then it hits the fan.....steering shaft rattles loose at steering box,coolant leak on head,transmission shifts and slamms, shifting onto overdrive sounds like you are driving over a cattle crossing.... i call detriot to tell them the games are over, lemon law time.. they say they promised to buy back only if stall problem repeats not other issues, so sorry for me.. they replace transmission control module, steering shaft, reseal plug on head and tell me all is well!! 3 MILES LATER transmission control module trips 5 trouble codes and shift like shi*******... I Went to Dealer GM where i bought the truck and told him make GM BUY BACK THIS TRUCK OR THE PICKET SIGNS AND LEMONS GET PAINTED ON TRUCK AND I PARK IT ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF HIS DEALERSHIP FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES

    After 1 VCM,BATTERY,3 TCMS,2 PCMS,COIL PACK ,3 CRANK SENSORS,ELEC BODY CONTROL MODULE,CAM SENSOR,IGN SWITCH,GAS PEDAL AND ACC SENSOR ASSEMBLY,THROTTLE BODY,STEERING SHAFT, HEAD COOLANT LEAK ...GM is
    Repurchasing my truck . I hope the buy back goes as fast as they took my 14000 down payment....i will keep all posted....
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    jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Re: your truck. Either you have a dealer who is clueless on truck repair, or you have a truck that took a major electrical hit at some point. Something along the lines of a bad voltage regulator allowing high output. GM (and Ford and Dodge,for that matter) use the same modules and control systems across literally tens of thousands of vehicles PER MONTH. Because of my background (product development in electronics) I view with great interest problems such as what you have encountered. While I know you have had lots of problems here, I would guess that your dealer is at least a good portion of the problem. Having one crank sensor go bad is possible, two unlikely, three and you have what we call "shot-gunning". This is what happens when the repairman hasn't a clue to what is wrong. I had a GMC van that would stumble and stall when coming off idle. The tech replaced the throttle position sensor because that was the code that was stored. A week later, problem came back, same code stored. Only this time, a different tech looked at the previous repair and found a bad connection in the wiring harness. He repaired the connector and the van has run for the last 6 years and 65K miles without ever having that problem again.

    I detail this for you and others who think they have a complete lemon when the problem is a dealer whose techs cannot find the root cause of a failure. I do know that lemons exist. You cannot mass produce anything without getting a dog every once and a while. Even something as simple as lightbulbs sometimes burn out the first time you apply power. Just try to find a dealer with a good service reputation no matter what brand you buy. Good luck,

    Jim
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    rayt2rayt2 Member Posts: 1,208
    My 86 Chevy 1/2 ton long box w/4.3 was my first brand new truck that turned into a lemon. I had buy back done under New York State Lemon Law w/18,500 miles on it.
    BUT, I did not give up on GM and ordered the first year run of the 88 Ext Cab w/4.3, that turned out to last me 12 years before I sold it w/126000 miles and ordered the 2000 Silverado I have now. As JLFlemmons writes there are some bad runs in a production line and it must have taken a major electrical hit at one point to cause those electrical problems.
    Good Luck on your next truck no matter what brand it be!

    Ray T.
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    oldcarnut1oldcarnut1 Member Posts: 1
    i have all the common problems that the silverado owners have, like brake fade and shutter on bumpy roads,engine clatters like mad after sitting a day,stiff acc pedal,clunking noise in rear end,third door rattles,clunking noise under dash,weird tire wear especially on the left front, trans feels like it shudders on take off,wind noise around back windows(pop out kind),strange noise coming from the steering column under dash,various vibrations at various speeds ect.. i went to the dealer on a couple of these but was told that was normal for this model.went back after the warranty was up 38,700 mi on the trans and throttle sticking. I was told sorry you're warranty is out.i think because I bought a program truck instead of new I was somehow a sub standard customer.
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    obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    "program" truck?
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    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    just curious how come you didnt take it back in while it was under 36K?
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    amoralesamorales Member Posts: 196
    Enough already with the many troublesome SILVERADOS!! Have two neighbors with 2000 Silverado extended cabs. One with 4.3, the other 5.3. No problems that i know of. If anyone out there is have a Silverado that is turning into lemonaide with Dealer rebuttals, GO TO YOUR LAWYER. The Lawyers need money too.

    Regards and happy holidays to all truck loving people, etc
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    bamatundrabamatundra Member Posts: 1,583
    It is too bad that Silverado owners have to post here. Please try to be compassionate. The owners did not know what they were getting in to!
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    amoralesamorales Member Posts: 196
    I meant otherwise. I feel carnut1 should be given a new vehicle by manufacturer immediately. If some Robotic arm failed to torque down a fastener properly causing severe piston slap or any malfunction to a run of 8,000 trucks and then reprogram itself and run diagnostic check on remainder of trucks (JUST LIKE SOME TOYOTA ENGINES A FEW YEAR BACK), the manufacturer should be held liable for those 8000 screwed up trucks. They would harldy feel the financial backlash of a few cents on a 10 dollar bill is all. 38,000 miles and your truck breaks down?? And because of a factory 36,000 mi warranty, they spit on the consumer??

    Lee Iaccoa, I want my money back on the 1982 K-car Dodge Aires cream colored wagon i bought for my wife back in 1982!!! Shucks, the warranty expired, FORGET IT LEE!! Oh i loved your book.
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    rayt2rayt2 Member Posts: 1,208
    and was turned in when lease expired. Program vehicles offer the buyer a fairly new vehicle at substantially lower price.

    Old Carnut, With all those problems you noted you should have brought it to another dealer or contacted GM since the warranty still applied and all the TSB's that were issued for the majority of these problems.
    It sounds like you relied on only one dealer and didn't follow through when turned away, I feel for ya but in this day & age you have to be proactive with dealers to get what's yours. I was always taught to stick to my guns when I'm right about something & be willing to compromise when necessary, it's been good advice to date.

    Ray T.
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Bought new. Traded in 1989 @ 76K miles.

    2 heater cores (17K and 66K)
    1 steering gear box @ 18K
    Seized #3 connecting rod bearing @ 21K
    Idler arm, tie-rod ends @ 23K
    Driver's window regulator @ 24K
    New transmission @ 28K
    Windshield wiper motor @ 30K
    starter @ 31K
    Lower ball joints and right fronr lower A-arm @ 33K
    Master cylinder @ 40K
    Speedometer replaced @ 42K
    Left rear outer axle bearing @ 50K
    Alternator @ 55K
    Idler arm, pitman arm, Upper ball joints @ 60K
    Began fouling #4 & #7 spark plugs. Oil consumption at 60K was 1 quart every 450 miles.
    Timing chain, valve guide seals & recondition cylinder heads, 5 new vavles, all new lifters and camshaft @ 65K
    Transmission @ 71K

    Total out-of-pocket expenses for 76,000 miles = $4313.00.

    Above figure includes other repairs (brakes, exhaust, etc.) and does not include warranty repairs.
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    wheeldogwheeldog Member Posts: 39
    My first new vehicle purchase. Rode and drove pretty well, looked good too. Problems started at around 38k miles. I traded it in with about 64k miles. (2.9 L V6)

    - Fan clutch failed
    - Brake master cylinder failed
    - Blown intake gasket
    - Cat-back exhaust replaced (hole in muffler)
    - Cracked cylinder head
    - Paint in roof gutters and on hood cracked and peeled off

    Intake gasket and cylinder head fixed under warranty, with $100 deductible.
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Bought new in 1989. Still curently owned.

    Coolant leak at 1K
    Poor door alignment @1K
    Accelerator pedal falls apart @2K
    Squeek noise from rear @2K (not resolved)
    Air conditioning fails @ 5K
    Mildew odor @ 6K (not resolved)
    Air condioning fails. Replaced low pressure switch @ 7.5K
    Brake vibration. Replaced left front rotor @ 10K
    Replaced idler arm @ 12K
    First complaint about peeling paint. This issue never resolved correctly. Vehicle repainted four times by GM.
    Rough idle, idles too fast. Replaced carburetor base gasket @ 14K
    Oil leak. Replaced rear seal @ 15K
    Drive line clunk. Replaced U-joints @ 16K
    Oil leak. Replaced front timing case gaskets @ 17K
    Brake vibration. Replaced left caliper and rotor @ 19K
    No start. Replaced engine compartment wiring harness @ 21K
    Starter fails. Replaced @ 23K
    Noise and vibration. Replaced torque converter @ 27K
    Steering column breaks. Replace complete assembly @ 28K
    Starter fails (continues to crank engine) @ 33K
    Starter fails. Replaced starter ring gear and starter @ 35K
    Replace idler arm @ 36K
    Replaced heater core @ 39K
    Replaced driver's power window regulator @ 40K
    Rear axle side gears explode. Replace complete rear axle assembly @ 44K
    Air condition fails. Replace pump and condenser @ 45K
    Starter fails, melts cable from battery @ 48K
    Replace battery @ 49K
    Replace windshield wiper motor, arms and pivots @ 50K
    Replace speedometer @ 50K

    Replace alternator @ 50K
    Replace drivers door hinges @ 50K
    Starter fails at 52K (Vehicle begins eating batteries at one per 6 months)
    Engine seizes. Replace oil pump @ 58K
    Replace idler arm @ 60K
    Lights are uneven density. Install ground wire retrofit @ 60K
    Starter fails @ 62K
    Idles too high. Replace carburetor base gasket, intake manifold gaskets @ 63K
    Steering column breaks. Replaced with used assembly @ 63K
    Replace drivers door power window regulator @ 63K
    Replace fuel tank @ 64K
    Replace heater core and fan motor @ 65K
    Replace alternator with 100 amp unit @ 65K
    Oil leak, replace rear main seal, oil pan gaskets @ 66K
    Oil leak. Replace oil pan (rusted) @ 67K
    Replace torque converter @ 67K
    Upper & lower ball joints, A-arm bushings, inner and outer tie-rods, both front springs, wheel bearings @ 68K

    Total out-of-pocket expenses $7165.00. Includes tires, batteries, exhaust, etc. Does not include warranty repairs.
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    yellowdryellowdr Member Posts: 41
    Thanks to those who listed the problem on the board.

    I park the truck in the drive with 1/4 tank of gas and come out in the morning reading "below" empty.

    After checking all of Edmund comments I have found, like so many others, that GM admits to the problem. Now what? When the tank gets to 1/4 get gas? It still has between 2-4 gallons remaining depending upon driving conditions. Not the best way to know.
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    bskohlerbskohler Member Posts: 53
    Spent more time at the dealership then in my driveway. Took Ford to arbitration and won. They were forced to buy it back from me. I would waste too much bandwith listing all the problems it had in the first 3 months. It basically fell to pieces. Last Ford I will ever own.
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    western6western6 Member Posts: 11
    two injectors, bad 4X4 switch, adjust torsion bar for ride height, replace front shocks, dash board rises with defrosters on, new drive shaft, leaking clearance lights, oil burning engine (that knocks), sagging springs.
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    glenn2glenn2 Member Posts: 39
    Bought the truck new and it was a nightmare, but Ford finally made it right and took it back. Ordered a 93 and am still driving it. Its been a really good truck.
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