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Pontiac GTO Strut Problems

wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
edited July 2014 in Pontiac
I have owned my 06 for a month now and it is in the shop for the second time waiting for parts. The first instance was that with under 100 miles the serpentine belt came apart. Bad enough, but the dealer did not have another.

I would guess that the second problem also started at the onset. I had been noticing some noise coming from the front end when going slow over bumps. I attributed this noise to the stiffer suspension and let it go. This was a bad idea because the problem turns out to be the front struts. The left side completely lost it's charge and has also affected the stabalizer end on that side. Again, the parts are not available and with the 4th of July holiday I might get the car back on the 6th or 7th.

I am cusious if others are having any problems that stop you from enjoying the car and if so, are you finding parts only in Michigan.

I am really enjoying everything at this point except for these setbacks. The ride is comfortable and for me at 6'-3" and 275 pounds the car fits very well. I can drive all day and feel rested at the end of the trip.

Thanks for your input.
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Comments

  • beachguybeachguy Member Posts: 10
    I have my o6 for approx. 6 mths. and the only problem was the power seat which was easily repaired. Regarding the strut problem I read on another forum that there was a shipment of 06's that had strut problems due to the car being overly tied down for the boat ride putting continued stress on the struts causing failure. Makes sense I guess. Hope this helps.
  • wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the reply. I was thinking transit damage also but had not heard of it happening on board ship. It is still kind of hard to imagine a GTO coming in on from overseas.

    Other than the two problems, I love the car. Excellent power plus drives and handles very well. I am still looking for excuses to drive somewhere just for the fun of driving. Do you still get a thril driving?
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    There are many recent reports of strut failure. Most seem to be associated with cars built in February 2006. It looks as though they just got a bad batch.
  • wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
    My dealer is replacing both just to be safe. Even in a failure, this is a positive experience as the dealer has provided an 05 Denali as a loaner. Thanks for the reply.
  • emd567emd567 Member Posts: 15
    The only problem I have had with my Goat was the locking bar for the trunk. It worked loose, and the trunk wouldn't latch. 30 seconds with a 13mm socket, and the problem was solved.
    I just changed the oil at 6700, and checked out the front end for strut rub. No rub, no problems, so I am a happy camper.
    Car was built in Aug 05, as a 2006.
  • wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
    I do not know my build date but assume the car came in early this year as I bought it immediately after delivery to the dealer. I am not a happy camper yet as it has now been a week and parts are still not in. I am very disappointed in GM and there spares support on this. I find it incredible that parts for an 06 Pontiac are more than two days away. While I do love the car, I am having some very serious second thoughts on the whole GM support issue.

    Thanks for the reply.
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    In my experience, GM parts have always been rather slow. Factor in the Australian origin of the GTO (and the relatively small number sold in the U.S.) and it's safe to assume that such waits will be the norm.
  • impulse1impulse1 Member Posts: 2
    Wow! What a bummer, Just purchased a 2006 GTO with 6 speed manual and 18 inch wheels impulse blue on 7/03/2006. vehicle was manufactured on 03/2006. after driving for 4 days both front struts blew throwing oil and grease all over undercarriage and wheel wells, immediattely took to the purchasing dealer who inspected and told me parts would be a week to get,i have parked my car until parts arrive even though dealer states its still ok to drive while waiting for parts. dealer states has never seen this yet, i took a copy of this forum to him (JIM) he tried to pull up any issues from pontiac and nothing is showing for strut problems. the entire bottom of vehicle must be steam cleand now and have parked vehicle until parts arrive. i suggest to all gto owners to have struts checked immediattely as this is becoming a big issue. I believe that a bad batch of struts is to blame and pontiac must be aware of this but not informing dealers, As they are probably trying to sell remaining GTO's before making this public, as 2006 is the last year for the GTO in the US. The dealers are not even telling customers yet that this is last year. I love everthing about this vehicle and hope this was just a fluke and not a sign of future issues. If you read about the austrailian Holden manaro aka GTO it is described as very dependable. The manaro has been in production for many years in australia, even though it has only been here since 2004 as the GTO. Holden the company that makes the manaro slash GTO is a subsidiary of general motors. Again please have your GTO's struts immediattely checked as this can become a serious handling/fire hazard.
  • jrk06jrk06 Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2006 GTO. I believe it was manufactured in February so I am concerned about the strut problem. I am not too car savvy, so how do you tell if you need new struts? Are there things to look/ listen for? Also has anyone talked to pontiac about the time it takes to fix these cars. As I follow some of these discussions, I am concerned about the quality of the GTO. I have only had the vehicle for a couple of months, however I had a annoying rattle noise which was fixed, and now the cloth in the inside of the car has pulled away a little. I am not sure how they'll fix that. These are small items, however, I expect a little more for a vehicle that is over 30,000. But I guess nothing is perfect. In the plus column, it is VERY FUN TO DRIVE!!
  • wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
    There are many of these failures that I have found. Check out the following and you will see many more plus it is a good GTO site.

    http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87755
  • impulse1impulse1 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for the info. They never even offered a rental to me, I dont want to leave it at dealer anyway, as that just gives the crew a chance to drive and beat my new car. I have it specifically stated on dealers computer that my vehicle is never to leave lot without my permission. i purchased mine at ferguson pontiac in broken arrow, oklahoma.
  • gpr1200rgpr1200r Member Posts: 1
    Count me in as another strut failure. Build date 02/06. Here is another good GTO site http://www.gtoforum.com/showthread.php?t=8230
    Also to file a formal complaint you can visit
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/">link title
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    i have a 2006, and i have not yet checked the build date. so far no apparant leaks in the bushings. anyway, i was told by the shop manager that there are few bad bushings in the 2006 (however, that is before the bad batch started to allegedly show up), but of course there are solid not liquid filed aftermarket busings that can be installed. given the overall vehicle, this is a relatively small and easlity repairable problem. rr70
  • dms4dms4 Member Posts: 1
    I also had a strut blow out. Build date was also 2/06. Service from dealer was great. Love this car.
  • terriedterried Member Posts: 1
    I to have a 2006 pontiac GTO not sure of the manufactured date but after having it for 2 days the struts blew. I was told it may be 2 days to 2 weeks before they could get parts.

    I've very disappointed and of course didn't expect this out of a new car.. yes its covered under the warranty but now it makes me wonder if the car is going to be dependable. with all the problems I have read on different fourms about the struts I think there should be a recall.

    I'm just sick over this.
  • zrokewl299zrokewl299 Member Posts: 4
    I just dropped my GOAT off yesterday... I do not have a full diagnosis yet but I suspect it is a strut problem... Does anyone elses GTO bounce around on the highway like a boat?
  • wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone received an explanation from their dealer as to Pontiac acknowledging that they have a problem? As of Friday my dealer could find nothing on it other than the many hits on the internet from owners looking for help.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    mike, thanks for the updated information. my main concern, if i have leaking strut bushings, which at the moment i do not, is that even if i don't mind putting in aftermarket strut bushings, if this occurs during the warranty period, why should i have to pay for the labor. if gm can't supply the replacement parts, then they should step up on this. willthey?? thanks. rr70
  • dmsdesigndmsdesign Member Posts: 18
    GM will pay to replace the leaking sturts. The issue is how long do you want to wait for them. If they are leaking you shlould nto drive the vehicle. the strutsleakage is progeressive and wil get on your brakes and suspension components

    Some deaelrs out there will allow Pedders struts to be installed but you have to pay the difference. l. I wuld strongly recommend this if
    your dealerhsip allows it. the GM struts are crap, even if they do not leak

    mike
    dms
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Compressor went out in my '04 and there are none in Detroit.
    Called fred beans pontiac just to make sure my dealer was on the up and up and they said there are only about 30 in the whole country.
    Let's see, 40,000 GTOs produced and only 38 compressors at dealerships throughout the country.
    That can't be right.
  • coyle311coyle311 Member Posts: 1
    I also had both struts blow. Purchased on 6-30-06. Noticed puddle on 7-1-06. Still waiting for repairs as of 8-8-06. Called Pontiac several times and asked to have my warranty extended as I have not driven car except to dealership since 7-2-06. They state that this is not possible. They offered me oil changes, but I declined. Has anyone contacted an attorny about this? This is a huge safety issue, and Pontiac is acting like it's not happening, still selling faulty GTO's.
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    I spent two hours speaking to my local dealer and GM today. My call reached "escalated status" in call center lingo and I was able to talk to a mid level supervisor. If I understood correctly, the supervisor said that ~300 sets of struts are on back order. I've been waiting two weeks for my struts and they said that I will have to wait 2-3 additional weeks for parts. I demanded a rental and they agreed to pay $42 a day for a rental provided it was a GM vehicle.

    When I asked why a dealership would allow me to leave with a hazardous vehicle, they did not have an answer. Likewise, GM was also unable to explain why there has not been a recall, or why my dealership which had at least two other GTOs come in before mine with the same problem did not phone me to suggest I come in to have the struts inspected.

    As for the nature of the problem GM stated "the wrong fluid" was used to fill the strut.

    If you have defective struts GM owes you a rental until the car is fixed. As for the 2-3 week delivery, my guess is that they are having to manufacture new struts. It takes 18 hours for a plane to fly from Australia to the US, not 2-3 weeks. As for the GTOs in dealership lots, my guess is that they will get any available struts first since they can not be sold in good faith with potentially defective struts.

    I have also been reviewing state statutes regarding lemons. In my state, GM has 30 working days to repair the car or they will have to enter arbitration. At that point I will ask for a full refund. Given the unprofessional behavior of GM up to this point, an arbitrator might agree with my request.

    I am exceptionally disappointed in GM. Last year I bought a Bonneville GXP and in the first two months, it need to have the transmission rebuilt because it failed the second day I had the car; And two weeks later, due to heat, the rear edge of the fender and the front edge of the front door expanded a sufficient amount so that the front door edge jammed against the fender. It spent ~10 days in the body shop while this problem was being addressed.

    Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

    I'll keep you posted.
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    Just found this discussion.

    The problem was that Monroe Australia changed strut oil from Shell to something else. Factor in the GTO being built in Australia, and taking upwards of 3 months from assembly to arrive at dealerships, and this problem did not become known. GM did not see the pattern of failures because dealerships were not filling our repair reports correctly - DMSdesign here on this site was instrumental in getting this problem recognized by GM.

    Replacement parts have been manufactured and are in transit. Unfortunately, I believe this "in transit" may be by boat - not sure if gas-charged struts are allowed to travel by airplane, especially in the current terror-concern climate.

    GM has sent a bulletin to dealers regarding this issue. It is NOT safe to drive the car - in addition to control/accident avoidance issues, the strut oil also eats bushings and removes undercoating... continuing to drive the car would be very bad. Dealerships should be, at a minimum, putting you in a rental car. If not, call Pontiac CAC.

    I suspect that GM will do a full recall once they have parts. Of course, we'll see if dealerships will then actually replace the affected parts (cars built mid-January until May 5, 2006) on unsold cars sitting on the lot.

    If you've been waiting awhile, you might push your dealership/GM to put aftermarket parts on your vehicle. Pedders (http://www.peddersusa.com) sells such parts. Some folks have paid the difference between the GM price and the Pedders price, others have been successful in getting their dealers/GM to put the Pedders on at no upcharge...

    Good luck to those of you who have this problem. I agree that GM should have stepped up to the plate more on this (everything seems to be on a case-by-case basis). And, it would be nice if dealers would read their bulletins, and understand that this problem is serious and that customers should not be driving their cars...
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    i have an o\06 with a small clunk from the right front end when turning into a driveway. so far no leakage seen.

    i want to clarify which bushings are leaking. mu understanding from looking at photos on another message board is that the positioning struts which go through the front crossmember under the radiator are the ones with the blown bushings. that is what the photos showed.

    now, if people are saying the struts are leaking, i assume that they are referring tothe mcpherson struts. but that is not what was originally reported as the problem. therefore, if there are readers with mcpherson struts leaking or bushings on the mcpherson struts, let us know asap thanks. rr70
  • jjsams21jjsams21 Member Posts: 3
    My 06 has been at the dealer for almost a month. Summer is winding down here in Rochester, NY and no fun car to drive. I just spoke with a GM rep from Pontiac and he told me that GM is aware of the problem, and the struts have been ordered, but they are on backorder, but he didn't think that it would be too much longer. When I asked him what that meant, there was silence on the phone. He just wanted to let me know that GM is aware of the problem, the same thing that everyone else has already told me. What do I do next? I really want the car, but there must be some sort of compensation. The more I think about it the more pissed off I get. I just want my car back!
  • uniondrivuniondriv Member Posts: 1
    Yes, I have talked to a lemon law attorney. First off call GM customer care phone number and get the ball rolling. The number is 1-800-762-2737. Also go to lemonlaw.com . I am also waiting for parts for over 2 weeks. In my eyes the car is ruined. I have oil all over the brakes and the under carriage. If GM can`t find parts for this in 30 days it is considered a lemon by Illinois Law. I told GM rep I want a buyback, period. Makes you wonder with all the problems GM has and this was my 3rd new GM purchase that they would TRY to make a customer happy. Not a chance in hell.
  • gtookcgtookc Member Posts: 1
    Purchased an '06 GTO in June of '06 and both struts were leaking and useless within a few weeks. The dealership replaced them within a week and I was back on the road. Then some sort of bushing came loose on the front suspesion and had to be replaced. Well, here I am again with two struts needing to be replaced in August. The dealership was boogled and stated that they did not about any problems with the GTO.

    The lemon law is dependent upon which state you live in but normally if the car is in the shop for more than 30-45 days, those do not have to be consecutative days, and or three to five times in the shop within a year usually means you should seek an attorney to relieve you of the lemon.

    The dealership did not give me a rental, did not offer me any option but to wait till the struts come in. Now I just have to wait to lose control, roll the car a few times and volia, instant millionaire!
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    Today marks 1 month 2 days that I have been waiting for parts to repair my GTO. When I last spoke to GM customer assistance August 11, I was told that they would contact me weekly to update me as to the status of the parts delivery. No updates from GM despite the fact I have phoned GM on three separate occasions and left a voice mail for the very same customer service rep who promised to phone me weekly. I'm begining to see a pattern at GM. They simply don't care.

    I called my dealership, the largest Pontiac dealer in the world, and the service dept told me that the parts would be in next week. So my guess is if all goes well and my dealer is correct, it will be at least two weeks before they will attempt to repair the struts.

    Does anyone from GM read these posts to get a feel for what the customers are saying? Judging about all that I have read about the strut problem here and at other web sites it appears not. GMs mishandeling of the situation would make for a great case study for a business school. Let's look at the facts; knowingly sell a defective product, put peoples lives at risk, deny responsibility and not be willing to repair the problem in a timely manner. Did I forget to mention we lost 3 billion dollars this quarter?
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    I received a phone call earlier today from the GM customer service rep. The rep indicated that the struts would arrive at the warehouse in the next couple days. With the long weekend my guess is that the end of next week (Sept 7 or 8) the dealership may have a chance to repair my car.
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    My dealer called, the struts are in. But they won't be able to work on my car until next Wednesday. Oh well.
  • rag67rag67 Member Posts: 1
    I took delivery of mine August 3rd, 2006. I beleive it was delivered with bad struts as I noticed the front end bounced a great deal. I assumed GM had softened up the suspension or something. I called the service department of my dealer and was told that they had not had any previous complaints. It was only when I took my 67 GTO to the Pontiac dealer for PA State Inspection that I discovered that I had a problem. I pushed down on a GTO on the lot and it was like pushing down on a rock. Mine bounced all over the place. The wind up of this story is that the dealer installed aftermarket struts on it since factory replacements were not available and said they would put on factory struts when they are available. All of a sudden, now I am on a list, a list that apparently did not exist a day before. I hate car dealers!!! They must go to school to learn how to look at you with a straight face and lie.
  • jjsams21jjsams21 Member Posts: 3
    Picked up my car today. New struts and all. Not a bad deal for over a months time. At least I had a rental car, even though it was a Grand Prix. I'm just happy to get the car back. I was so excited to get it back, I couldn't wait any longer to put the Borla exhaust on (came UPS while the car was at the dealer), really sounds Great! Alot deeper of a rumble. I took the long way home from work just to drive it again.
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    I picked up my GTO Thursday AM. Not driving the GTO for 6 weeks, I had forgotten the sound of the engine and the power. It's good to have my GTO back in service. The front end has no bounce, but it still has a knocking when my wheels are turned and I drive off of the edge of my driveway onto the street. I wonder if the knocking reflects a different front end problem.

    There were at least 6 other GTOs in the service center parking lot. My guess is that they were there to have struts installed.
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    Did you drive your car much with the blown struts?

    Have them check any/all suspension components (i.e. endlinks) for swelling/damage, along with the brakes and the undercoating. The strut oil is damaging to all of these components...
  • nomoregmjunknomoregmjunk Member Posts: 3
    I bought an 06 GTO on July 5 in Mobile, AL. Struts blew out shortly after delivery. Car was stuck at the dealer for 31 days before they finally repaired it. I am convinced GM knew the car was defective when I bought it. Noone with GM, or the dealer, has even tried to allay my concerns regarding the reliability of the vehicle, or assure me that GM will coninue to support the vehicle. My expectations, to be dealt with honestly and fairly, were apparently too high. I conducted my own research on the defective strut issue - GM and the dealer told me nothing but lies. I researched the Lemon Law statutes and filed the documents necessary to protect my rights (you don't need a lawyer). I am currently making GM repurchase the vehicle - the GM internal paperwork takes ~3 weeks. The car is currently collecting dust in my garage. The sad thing is, I still like the GTO, but forcing repurchase appears to be the only viable recourse to protect my interests. I too was intrigued by the GTO performance, room and comfort, but GM simply cannot deliver adequate quality and support. What happens when something else fails, say in several years? Will replacement parts have to come on a slow boat from Autrailia? I love vehicles. I am constantly evaluating and ranking vehicles to determine what I may buy next. Obviously, the GTO was a bad selection. I have removed all GM products from my vehicle database. I will never consider purchasing another GM vehicle. I will relay my experience to all friends and colleagues. I understand now why GM is failing. 0% financing and 100,000 mile warrantees mean nothing if the vehicles are junk and the service and support lacks basic integrity and competancy.
  • dlydrvrdlydrvr Member Posts: 18
    Another strut failure here, I thought I was alone. I actually had a good dealership experience, one week and a rental. I hope nothing else fails.
  • corduroygtcorduroygt Member Posts: 19
    Bought my GTO on July 5. Strut problem surfaced towards the end of the month. Went to the dealer, ordered parts, they said it was ok to drive in the mean time, but with a clunk every time I hit a pothole because the rubber bushing soaked oil and wouldnt stay in place. The parts arrive August 25, the day I am going on vacation abroad. I wait 2 more weeks to come back and get it fixed. Since then, the car developed a small creak/rattle coming from somewhere between the a pillar and dashboard, but will get that fixed for first service. Still enjoy the car every day, and I got up to 23 mpg on long trips at 75 mph.
  • cbrooks2cbrooks2 Member Posts: 1
    Well I do agree with everything you are saying. I am having the same problem with my 2006 GTO. I am trying to find out more information about all of this so could you tell me what your sources are?
  • yuba4yuba4 Member Posts: 3
    I had the same problem - suspect struts were over-compressed during transport. They both gave out completely in the first 2000 miles and many foul words were uttered. Shop screwed up the repair, had to go in again, and again, but all is good now with 4000 miles on the new struts.

    yuba4
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    Nope, it was NOT a transport issue (Since GM-Holden has years of experience not only shipping GTO's to the States but also Commodores/Statesmen et. al. to the Middle East). Rather, Monroe Australia, in a supplier cost-saving measure, changed the brand of strut oil from Shell to something else, and the "something else" didn't work. This was all documented on a thread on LS1GTO, until GM got P/O'd and leaned on the dealer who started the thread, who subsequently deleted it (it had been in excess of 600 posts thorougly discussing the issue and GM's lame response to it).
  • yuba4yuba4 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info hammen2. You know, after paying someone thirty thousand dollars, it would be nice if they would just talk straight with you about the known problems. The one dealer was a joke and incompetent but the other one, I'm going to have to give the benefit of the doubt as I suspect the rep didn't know some of the nitty-gritty details. I'm not going to have a seizure if they tell me about an engineering mistake. There's millions of engineering details in these things and they're bound to get a few of them wrong. Just don't waste my time and talk to me like I'm an idiot. Ok, feeling better now...

    yuba4
  • lenorelenore Member Posts: 3
    I bought my 2006 GTO in August within 1 week one of the front struts blew out, the car was bouncing, bouncing, bouncing. I took it into the dealership, they said they are having that problem with ALL the GTO's the parts are on back order. They tried to put me back in the car I said no way, they finally gave me a rental. Then they said they were only going to replace one side, I called Pontiac and and told them both struts needed to be replaced. Then I was told I had an oil leak(rear main seal) so they had to replace that!! Then I told them of a clicking noise coming from the AC. Their response was that they tested other GTO's and found that they also had that same noise, it was the AC line rubbing on the fuel line and they did not know how to fix it "it is a common characteristic of this vehicle" Now almost 2 months later I am hearing a grinding noise take it back to the dealer I am thinking a wheel bearing, but no my tires are coupled. I explain to them that coupling is caused by bad struts, bad alignment etc.. They need to replace my tires!! Note: I only have 5000 miles on the car!!!!!!! Has anyone been able to do anything about these LEMONS??
  • lenorelenore Member Posts: 3
    I was told by the dealership when I brought my GTO in for strut problems that the oil in the struts was too thin and blowing out the seals. They are going back to last years struts!!! And it was on just about all the new GTO's.
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    I had my struts repaired in early/mid-September and I filed a claim with GM for reimbursement of the ~$1000 I spent on a rental car while my GTO was inoperable. Unfortunately, I am still playing phone tag trying to get my money from GM. I am not sure if they are just so busy that they don't have time for me or if they have simply given up on me ever buying another GM product. The funny thing is that I was contemplating buying a second GTO for my wife even as recently as a month back. At that time I thought that the strut problem was an exception to otherwise minimally acceptable customer service. I guess not.

    As an aside, I took my 2005 Bonneville GXP to the dealer for servicing this past Thursday. The dealer reminded me that I really needed an appointment for service, but since they were slow that day they could fit me in. I mentioned that when I turned the steering wheel I would get loud knocks coming through the steering column. They said they would investigate. Anyway, to make a long story short, the intermediate steering column had failed and had to be replaced. I'm not sure what an intermediate steering column is, but I assume that it is important for safety. It occurred to me that as with the GTO, a safety related issue had the potential of harming me could have taken a back seat to the number of oil changes they had to perform. I'm sure had their service calendar been full, they would have sent me away, in a dangerous vehicle. Is this the way all dealers behave?
  • 06gto06gto Member Posts: 4
    Your comments about the loud knocks coming through the steering wheel on your Bonneville. In addition to my '06 GTO I have an '04 Grand Prix GTP. I am getting loud noises when turning and the feeling of cracking knuckles when turning the steering wheel. I now wonder if my GTP has a similar problem as your Bonneville. And I'll be pickled, the warranty just expired at 36K miles, I have 36,579 on the odometer.
    It must be Pontiac dealers in general. I stopped by for a non-appointment oil change on my GTO, was at the dealer bright and early. I was the only customer at the counter and I got this rash of crap that "I had two guys call out today, another guy on vacation" and yadda yadda yadda. Oh well their loss oil changed and on the road in 45 minutes at the local ExpressLube. Had a tire issue on the GTP, where do I go? To the dealer, car under warranty. Couldn't help, wouldn't help and couldn't be bothered to call a tire dealer or anything. Took the GTO in for an oil leak, replace the oil sending switch. Had a meeting I needed to be at asked the dealer for a loaner or a ride to my office, 3 miles away. Couldn't help. I called the local Enterprise joint, cost me $34.95 for two hours for the rental! Soooooo. It seems to be Pontiac Service at it's best.
  • wswonewswone Member Posts: 7
    I started this thread 47 messages ago looking for similar problems with the 06. My car was repaired within a week and there have been no problems since. I am very satisfied with the car and would not have given it back if they had offered. It is just too much fun to drive and at 10,000+ miles in six months we do a lot of that.

    On dealer experience I think those of you with problems have purchased from the wrong one. I have been doing business with the same dealer since we moved to this area and would not go anywhere else. The extra service they offer is more valuable than a lower price on purchase. They will bring us home, pick us up when ready, arrange rentals, work us in if we have no appointment, etc. This to me is all part of the sale and why I bought my Goat from them. Mine came right off the truck and I have heard of better deals but, from the experience I had compared with others, it was well worth a few extra bucks for piece of mind.

    All in all I hope this thing lasts until the next ones are out as I cannot imagine driving anything else. I could be an advertisement for them because at 60, I just love it. After all, what is not to love about 400 horses?
  • silvanovsilvanov Member Posts: 8
    I'm pleased to hear that some GM dealership somewhere is behaving in an acceptable manner. My complaint is with GM more than the dealer since GM will ultimately drive the behavior of the dealer. I have to think that at the time I had taken in my GTO, it was already know that parts would be unavailable for 6 weeks and GM really did not want to pay for a rental. So instead of honoring the warranty and providing courtesy transportation, they chose to put my life at risk. If GM were to offer a refund GTO, I would take the money and run. I would do this because I have no faith whatsoever in GM. In a 12 month period I spent ~$65,000 on GM vehicles and while most of my interactions with them have been acceptable, the strut fiasco showed GM's true colors.

    I'm 45 and unless something drastic happens at GM, it is unlikely that I will ever purchase another GM vehicle. Given how poorly GM has done this year, I have to think I am not alone.
  • plistplist Member Posts: 19
    OK so far I have found out I've paid too much for my GTO from other forum,(Mick) now by this forum I find I may be driving a vehicle that will break down while I drive 500 miles during Holiday visits? I have no issues yet, but should I bring car in and demand my dealer replace struts,or at least tell me this car has been dealt with as far as Strut issues?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Even if they go during your trip its not going to leave you stranded.

    -mike
  • monarofanmonarofan Member Posts: 30
    plist

    From what I know the strut problem was on some early 06 GTO's due to a change in the supplier of oil for the struts. This was rectified. Other posts on this thread have the exact months this was an issue. If yours is a late model 06 I don't think this is an issue anymore.

    I am glad you like the car. I have a red 05 GTO and love it. I like your attitude - keep enjoying it!
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