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Exactly. It's a question of risk assessment, which most people (including me) often assess risk as much worse than it actually is. Also, ownership loyalty colors people's perceptions. If they really like a certain make, or have had good luck with that make in the past, they will forgive all kinds of things that we might find intolerable. (and vice-versa, a prior bad experience will sour someone on a make of car, and it cannot redeem itself in their eyes).
I prefer to get my reliability information from the numerous repair shop relationships I've built up over the years and also from sales figures year to year. If a car has been a best seller for 5 years in a row, chances are it's pretty good.
DETROIT — General Motors is recalling 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. because the electronic power-steering assist can suddenly stop working.
Included in the recall are the Chevrolet Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Chevrolet HHR, Saturn Aura, Saturn Ion and Pontiac G6. Model years vary, but all of the vehicles are from the 2010 model year or earlier.
Like I said, this may be an opportunity for GM. Deservedly or not, they seem to have a reputation for unresolved problems on some of their vehicles. Stepping out and standing up to this, combined with some decent new product, may just be what GM needs to reenergize itself in the marketplace. A lot of potential consumers lack confidence and trust in GM. Taking aggressive, positive initiative may turn some of that around and bring some former customers back down the road. Let's hope it's not just PR lip service this time again!
So far, I think Mary Barra has done as good a job as could be done, considering the circumstances.
Whatever the outcome, it's her personal reputation on the line now.
Let's just hope the rest of GM doesn't decide to throw her under the bus...
Yes, I see Mary as perhaps the biggest hope that a new attitude can prevail at GM. Bad news these days, but some leadership will go a long way, and things look hopeful. I don't think the current problems will hurt that much if GM is up front and handles things smoothly.
This isn't new .. I had a recall notice for my ION on this a couple years ago and had it fixed by the dealer.
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"Whatever mistakes were made in the past, we will not shirk from our responsibilities now and in the future," she said. "Today's GM will do the right thing."
But despite that statement, GM has argued in court that it is not liable for any deaths that occurred before its 2009 bankruptcy, a process that shielded it from lawsuits against the old version of the company.
Were the company's financial troubles in the years before the bankruptcy a factor in its decision not order a recall?
GM documents submitted to House investigators show that its engineers came up with a possible fix for the cars as early as March 2005. But the automaker failed to order a recall to put it in place because "tooling cost and piece price are too high," and "none of the solutions represents an acceptable business case," according to the documents.
Why hasn't the company released the list of serious accidents and deaths that GM believes were tied to the ignition problems?
GM says that at least 13 deaths have been tied to the ignition problem. But Barra admitted two weeks ago that GM has not told the families of the deceased that their family member's fatal crash is tied to the problem.
Cobalts Were Seen as Lemons From Start, State Data Shows
Long before the Chevrolet Cobalt became known for having a deadly ignition defect, it was already seen as a lemon. Owners complained about power steering failures, locks inexplicably opening and closing, doors jamming shut in the rain — even windows falling out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/business/cobalts-were-seen-as-lemons-from-start-state-data-shows.html?hp&_r=0
Wow, the bad news just keeps piling on.
Sounds like another "Road to Redemption" apology campaign is in order...
Cobalts Were Seen as Lemons From Start, State Data Shows
Long before the Chevrolet Cobalt became known for having a deadly ignition defect, it was already seen as a lemon. Owners complained about power steering failures, locks inexplicably opening and closing, doors jamming shut in the rain — even windows falling out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/business/cobalts-were-seen-as-lemons-from-start-state-data-shows.html?hp&_r=0
In advance of its debut, these pictures from a Chinese website purport to show the Chevrolet Cruze, sans camouflage.
The updated Cruze, which may see a debut as early as the New York Auto Show, gets an updated nose that aligns closer with Chevrolet’s new corporate styling, along with a revamped interior. Power should come from GM’s new modular engine family.
Boy, same or higher reliability per "The Bible" than the current-iteration Optima Turbo and Sonata Turbo, and better than last year's model Accords and a Subaru model. Mine has been absolutely bulletproof.
I post this here because, just a guess, I wouldn't see it posted here otherwise. Correct me if I'm wrong.
In my local paper today, AP: "Complaint tally for the top-selling small cars in the 2005-2007 model years was: Corolla, 228: Cobalt 164; Civic 60; Focus 25; Mazda 3, 19.
I can't find in the article from what website they are getting the complaint totals...I would assume NHTSA, but there is a mention of Edmunds in the article.
Trust me, I am a notorious cheapskate. My Cobalts have been reliable; I wouldn't have bought a second after 5 1/2 years with a new one had I not felt so.
The article also mentions that many victims were young drivers, which makes sense. There are three Cobalts in our driveway at any given time; mine, my daughter's, and her boyfriend's.
CR, for at least two years in a row, has shown the very-first-model-year Cobalt as 'average'--same reliability performance as the same-year Audi A6, BMW 330i, Honda Odyssey, Infiniti G sedan, Mazda 3, M-B C class, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Sequoia, Volvo S80, and better than more than I could list here...including Japanese, Korean, and German models.
Yes, I goof on inconsistencies there, but I've often been told on Edmunds' forums how CR's the best and how they've been quite accurate.
BTW, anybody notice how their charts no longer list individual areas for a model; only the 'sum total'?
Derivative is an understatement...
Hate the ugly, overly-Asian sweptback headlights. You heard it here.
If you believe the source, here is some news that will give indigestion to one or two folks on this board:
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/automobiles/10-most-dependable-cars-on-the-road.html/10/?ref=OB
Boy, for Mini to make this list, they've made some improvement.
I am now just seeing that this list is from March 2, 2014 so it may have been discussed here, but I can't remember.
I don't think you'll like the front end of the refreshed Cruze
g
That's what I was talking about, above.
Looks like the other rides in the category were even worse! Love to have one, but a Miata would be much easier to live with. Although I've been having a great run of luck finding honest (and reasonably priced mechanics) lately.
That Cruze update doesn't seem bad to me. I don't like the overly swept-back headlight look either, but where it bothers me is on cars like the old Lexus ES330, where it was just really overdone. I think most stylists have scaled back a bit, these days.
That Cruze makes me think of an evolution of the Mitsubishi Lancer's front-end. Or the new Dart, which I also find a bit Mitsubishi-esque.
My daughter has a MINI - going on 4 years old now but only has just over 30K on it. Regular maintenance is all that it's asked for. Oh, and tires.
She's thinking about trading it in for another MINI - a Countryman S ALL4.
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The first time I saw the pic of the new Cruze I really didn't like it, but the initial "yuck" is already wearing off.
I find the Corolla styling to be decent (don't know about the rest of the car, but I generally don't care for how Toyota's drive), but the Civic is ugly to me.
@Michaell@Edmunds, you know that Karen's kiddo got an '08 MINI recently? So far so good, and he's loving the ride. Karen hasn't gotten to borrow it yet!
I don't like the 'big mouth bass' look of that lower grille. It reminds me of the ugly current Toyota Avalon.
I had a bit of a bad reaction to the Corolla's style at first, but it wore off pretty quickly. However, sitting in one at the auto show, I was not impressed. In some ways it felt like a return to the way cars were in the late 60's and early 70's...were they'd come out with a new model, but find a way to make it bigger on the outside, yet feel smaller on the inside at the same time.
However, the EPA classifies it as a midsized car, with 98 cubic feet of passenger volume and a 13 cubic foot trunk. The previous model was rated at 92/12. And my uncle's old '03 was rated at 90/14. I dunno where all that extra interior room is going, though...headroom, maybe? It also felt like it had more legroom up front than the old ones, but once I got the seat all the way back the rear was horribly cramped.
I have been window shopping new cars to replace my trusty Subaru Impreza and was looking at the Countryman. One thing that stood out to me is how much "toe-out" the tires have. It probably helps the handling but I imagine it also wears the insides of the tires out quickly.
I did talk with an owner last fall who getting in to a Countryman at a coffee shop I visit and he had good things to say about it. Said it was very quick (his was an S) and had about 30k miles on it with no problems. Traded in an 04 Cooper S for it...
I actually like the 2 door version, but I rarely see them.
I think people's rate of claims is in direct relationship to their expectations. A first-time BMW owner, coming from a Ford, expects perfection----surprise, surprise. And he's going to howl about it, too.
That former Ford owner would have been primed from hearing and reading, to expect perfection...;)
Wasn't aware of that. My daughter loves "Westen", and, should she get the Countryman, she's already got a name picked out for it as well!
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I see a lot of Countrymans here in Colorado - usually the "S" version with ALL4
Are you referring to the Paceman? That is the 2 door built on the Countryman's chassis. I've not seen one on the road yet, either.
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Maybe if he was 17 years old, yeah.
@uplanderguy said:
Yes, the Paceman. That's the one. I like the uniqueness of a coupe/hatch with AWD.
It is unique .... looking. Actually, given how rare I use the back seat, I could make a case for it myself.
The daughter likes the looks of the Countryman and could probably use the 4 doors more now.
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MINI's are cute little cars, but they are also performance oriented, and just like any other performance-oriented car, they have increased maintenance requirements.
Negative camber adjustments are one such example. To give that extra feeling of road "grip", it comes at the expense of increased tire wear. And, that holds true whether one drives it daily like its a track car or like they're grandma driving to church on Sunday.
IMO, lots of folks buy cars like BMW's and MINI's for aesthetic (and other non-performance) reasons, without giving a second thought to what the true nature of the car is oriented towards. Of course, the dealerships like to sell cars, so they don't say anything to discourage a sale, and even tout the "ultimate driving machine" without ever referring to the financial downside of the bargain...
And, that's a trait of most European cars... That "enhanced driving dynamic" that is part of the make's heritage. It's no accident that a 7-series BMW doesn't drive or ride anything like a Lincoln Towncar or a Caddie ElDorado...
American makes seem to do a more specific job of differentiating between performance-oriented vehicles and other styles, such as luxury or economy. Whether it's better or not I guess is in the eye of the beholder.
When you look at a Corvette, Camaro, Mustang or Challenger, there's no doubt in your mind you're looking at performance-oriented rides. Cars like a BMW 3-series can send mixed signals to a potential buyer that hasn't educated themselves on the brand, or what the brand's driving orientations are aimed at.
That's evolving, though, and I think more and more US models are aiming at that enhanced driving "experience".
I don't think many people would buy a new Cadillac ATS thinking it would have the old Caddie-style "land-yacht" driving feel to it.
We certainly did.
Yes, I'm able to admit there's something I hate about a GM product.
http://www.aol.com/article/2014/04/02/chrysler-recalling-870-000-suvs-for-brake-defect/20861401/
Ironically, my daughter's '08 PT Cruiser needed a brake booster late last year--first booster I've replaced in sixteen cars and 33 years of ownership. I complained hard and loud and the dealer replaced it for free, even though I bought the car used and on eBay over three years earlier. In the cold mornings, backing down our driveway, the car had no power assist whatsoever. By the end of the driveway and putting it in 'drive', the assist was back.
Delayed response here, but my '08 Cobalt has had one recall prior to the latest one. The latest one only applies to my car since they can't be 100% sure that the replacement switch parts were from the corrected part. I'm OK with that recall.
This all reminds me--my daughter with the PT drives with her headlights on all the time and I like that. All of my Chevys, starting with I think the '02, maybe even earlier--had automatic headlights. I can't understand why every car doesn't have those, especially when daily I see people driving in the dark without headlights/taillights.
Elsewhere, the Ram pickup truck saw its sales rise 26 percent year over year, representing its best March sales in ten years. Of interest, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck began arriving at Ram Truck dealerships in March for the first time. The truck has a certified 28 MPG and is armed with 420 pounds per foot of torque and 9,200 lbs of towing capacity.
Sales of Ford F-series trucks surpassed the 70,000-vehicle sales mark with 70,940 trucks sold in the month, representing an increase of 5.1 percent year over year. This marks only the fifth time in history that monthly sales volume of the F-series surpassed the 70,000 truck mark.
In terms of trucks, The GMC Sierra recorded a 23 percent gain in units sold while deliveries of the Chevrolet Silverado, the 2014 North American Truck of the Year rose 14 percent from last year. In fact, The Chevrolet Silverado brand was named as the cheapest vehicle in terms of fuel, insurance, maintenance and repair costs in its class, according to Vincentric.
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler is recalling nearly 870,000 SUVs because corrosion may make the vehicles' brakes harder to use.
Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs from the 2011 through 2014 model years are involved.
Chrysler says crimp joints in the brake boosters can corrode if they're exposed to water. If the water freezes, the boosters won't aid braking as they usually do.
Despite the firestorm over recalls involving deadly ignition switches, GM saw sales rise 4.1%,from a year ago, according to Autodata. It did even better in retail sales to individuals, up 7%.
GM's increase beat Detroit rival, Ford Motor, which had a 3.3% gain but fell short of Chrysler Group's impressive 13% boost.
I posted that Chrysler recall already.
The compensation issue was one of many dramatic moments in the two hours of testimony by Ms. Barra, who took over as G.M.’s chief in January — just as an engineering panel was about to recommend a recall of defective Chevrolet Cobalts and other compact cars.
Speaking in measured tones and resting her hands on the table, Ms. Barra often condemned G.M.’s actions, calling them at times “unacceptable” and “disturbing.”
But she offered scant new information about the central reason for the hearing: How and why did G.M. repeatedly fail to fix faulty ignition switches on Cobalts and other compact cars, despite conducting multiple internal studies of the problem since 2001.
“I cannot tell you why it took years for a safety defect to be announced in that program, but I can tell you that we will find out,” she said. “I am deeply sorry.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/business/gm-chief-expresses-remorse-at-house-hearing.html?hp&_r=0
Cost to fix faulty General Motors ignition switch behind 13 deaths was 57 cents: congress
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/cost-fix-faulty-gm-ignition-switch-57-cents-congress-article-1.1742342
Doesn't pay to be THAT cheap, now, does it?
Terrible, no excuses, but the number of cars still falls short of Toyota's recalls of a few years back.
Some surprises this month, RAM trucks outsold the Chevy Silvy and Toyota was the #2 selling nameplate eeking out a victory over Chevy...
Jeep and Subaru continue to be the hottest growing brands out there although Mitsubishi saw something like 70% gains YoY.
I saw that Ram outsold Silverado by a couple hundred or so units in March. I think that hadn't happened since 1999 I read somewhere. Still, since GM sells the same truck under two nameplates--and I think that's dumb--a more reasonable comparison would be Ford versus GM versus Ram pickups. I think Ford still beats Chevy and GMC combined though.
Luxury Leader swap, looks like Mercedes lost it's top spot this month...
BMW up 19% to 32,107
Mercedes-Benz up 12% to 29,316
And a close race for 2nd place with Lexus up 23% to 28,593...
And as much flack as Acura gets, they still managed to pull ahead of rivals Audi and Infiniti for another month.
Source: http://www.leftlanenews.com/march-sales-spring-thaw-drives-gains.html#ixzz2xjwCPRLx
Acura must thank heaven every day that it has the MDX.
7er down 32%, I wonder why...
That and the RDX which continues to climb since it's release.
The next stepping stone is the TLX which I am anxiously looking forward to checking out at NY. Based on the pics it looks like a significant improvement over the current one.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class up 89% to 2,299. The new S is tough to beat.