Pontiac GTO Strut Problems
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.
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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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?
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.
Thanks for the reply.
http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87755
Also to file a formal complaint you can visit
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/">link title
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.
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
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.
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.
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...
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
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!
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?
There were at least 6 other GTOs in the service center parking lot. My guess is that they were there to have struts installed.
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...
yuba4
yuba4
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?
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.
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?
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.
-mike
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!