Chevy Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6/Saturn Relay/Buick Terraza

danno · July 2006

If the rotors start vibrating again, I hope they will change them under warranty ( they hinted that would be the case ). The dealer is doing what GM tells them to do as rotor replacement is last ditch fix. Retail on the full set is $1,400 Cdn !!!! With labour and new pads and done at GM, easily over $2,000 . Wow!

gagre · July 2006

Ironically, I just returned from a trip to the Colorado mountains. When coming down into Denver on I-70 and coming down over some mountain passes, I noticed that the brakes made loud noises that only could be heard when the brakes got very hot. (I was also using the lower transmission gears to help.) Also, the steering wheel shook slightly when going down the passes at highway speeds and I tapped the brakes. It is going to the Chevrolet dealership to get the rotors and pads looked at! It is still under warranty. Anyone having similar difficulties in mountainous terrain? I did not have this type of difficulty on my 99 Montana.

3weddings · July 2006

I picked up the car two weeks ago and even the salesperson commented on the contacts in the door (both the door jams and the door itself) I do not have power doors, but could it be that this could added on now?? I regret not ordering it with them...three kids in and out is cumbersome.

TIA for any assistance. :P

genmtrfan · July 2006

We returned yesterday from a trip and had similar experiences coming off of a mountain in Tennessee. The van was heavily loaded on the trip. I noticed a roaring sound when I applied the brakes for long periods of time while coming down a mountain. I never felt the brakes were unsafe, but did back off for a while and tried to apply as needed instead of riding them constantly down the hill. Still, I had a Venture that didn't do that, no matter how heavy the load. Again, I never felt unsafe, but definitely noticed a roaring sound as I applied the brakes during certain circumstances. I believe it's probably the rotors and plan to get them checked.

Otherwise the van was great! The 17" wheels really help keep the vehicle in check at all speeds. I felt very comfortable pushing 75-80. On the 550 mile trip to the beach we averaged 24 mpg with a heavy load and the air on constantly. I was very happy with that. Without luggage and air it probably would have done 26-27. My kids also commented on how cold the rear air is. I agree that the front air needs to be turned on maximum if the outside temp is above 80, then it does cool sufficiently. We have 21,000 on the van now and it's performance on the trip really reminded me of why we bought it. The kids used the wireless headphones with the DVD on the trip which really helped pass the time for them. Overall, for the money, I think it's the best van on the market. It has served our family of 6 very well since we bought it on 05/31/05. By the way, we got new tires before the trip (Yokahama Avid TRZ's). They really improved the ride/noise/handling/rain handling. The engine, while not break-neck, is plenty powerful. I think it's actually gotten a little faster with age.

uplanderguy · August 2006

I have posted earlier about the roaring noise our Goodyear Integritys make on our '05 Uplander (18K miles and rotated religiously at 6,000 miles). Today I took it to the Goodyear store to see if they could adjust these tires to new ones. They told me the rear alignment was out-of-spec and that to correct it would require the use of shims and total cost would be in the $150 or so range. With a solid rear axle, I thought rear-wheel alignment was a "never need to do" item, unlike front-end alignment. They claimed that's what was causing my LF tire to cup on the inside, making most of the noise (LF since I have been faithful about rotation, but alignment issue is in rear). They printed me out the specs from their machine. Bottom line: They would not adjust any of the tires since they think it's an alignment issue.

I immediately contacted my local Chevrolet Service Manager (whom I like and respect). Of course, he immediately pooh-poohed Goodyear's analysis and said even if they are correct, alignment is not covered under GM's warranty after 12K miles. I said, "But the rears should never need alignment on this vehicle, right?" He said yes, then I said, "So it's not a maintenance issue, like a F/E alignment, but I think it's a defective installation/design issue." He said nothing, except let them look at it Monday.

So, I've got a twelve-month old van whose tires are driving me nuts, and neither the tire manufacturer nor the automaker appears to want to do a thing about it...sticking me (the owner) in the process. Tires should not wear to the point of sounding like a Monster Truck in 18K miles. And it appears that unless this rear alignment is fixed,I could have this problem with any tires, evermore.

Just venting, but I'm very disappointed.

Bill P.
Kent, OH

genmtrfan · August 2006

We had the same issue with the cupping tires. I recently purchased new ones in a different brand. When I had the vehicle alligned, they also said that the back tires were out of allignment, especially the right one. They were able to correct it without using anything special. At least I'm assuming they corrected it. I now think, as you, that the allignment issue cause my integrity's to wear. But, I was glad to get rid of those tires, they were bad in the rain anyway.

Keep us posted on what happens.

morewasabi · August 2006

Heres a good tip. You dont have to take your Goodyear tires back to Goodyear to have the tire warranty honored. You just need to go to a tire store that honors all tire warranties. A good example is American Tire Stores. They will prorate your Goodyear tires based on the warranty and apply the credit towards a new set of tires. I have done this in Oregon with Goodyears, Michelins, as well as Pirellis too.

Go to this web site to find a store

http://dt.know-where.com/DiscountTire//region/US/OH.html

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do

uplanderguy · August 2006

Thanks for the advice. However, there isn't one of those stores within one-hundred miles of our home.

Bill P.
Kent, OH

ericzoom · August 2006

I have the same 05' Terraza CXL, and have had the van in the dealer numerous times for the A/C. They replaced the compressor, assorted electrical parts, and checked for leaks in the system. Finally after a year and half and 3 different service depts., they found a small leak in one of the the pressure hoses. The air seems to work pretty good now, especially being in the florida heat. :surprise:

uplanderguy · August 2006

Follow-up on my Goodyear vs. GM tire noise issue:

After hearing that Goodyear wouldn't do anything about my cupping tire(s), I had my Chevy dealer rotate the tires and also they did an alignment...but said it had been within tolerance or specs. They also told me that the specs Goodyear printed out, that said "98-04 Chevrolet Venture" at the top, were not the same specs as for Uplander. (Goodyear told me they didn't have Uplander in their computer yet but it would be the same as Venture.) I told them I had two Ventures before, neither with Goodyear tires, and neither made the noise these ones did.

Well, when I found out Goodyear was not using the right specs (at least according to my Chevy Service Manager), I called their 800 Customer Service line. The next day or so they told me they would replace from one to four tires, my discretion, at $39 and change, mounted and balanced...less than one-half normal retail. I told them I would. They had to order the tires from the York, PA Goodyear warehouse. I know I'll have the problem again, but I "bit" anyway.

One interesting sideline: I had assumed my Chevy dealer was rotating as per the owner's manual, which includes side-to-side rotating. My Service Manager, when I asked, said they only rotate front-to-back. When I asked why when GM suggested otherwise, he basically said he didn't think it would make a difference. Tell you what, from now on, I am rotating religiously at 5K miles, and I'm specifically asking they rotate as per the owner's manual...I'll mark the tires to make sure!

Bill P.
Kent, OH

jerrywimer · August 2006

Lots of places are guilty of the rotation thing. We paid the local Wal-mart auto center $6 (cheap!) to rotate the tires on the Terraza last weekend. I specifically informed them that it needed the crossover pattern for two of the tires with the other two moving to the other end (I believe the manual says rear cross to the front, fronts go straight to the back, but I didn't memorize it). The mechanic I talked to said he was writing it down so that it was done right. Then I watched from the viewing area as *he* started the work and proceeded to begin installing the rear directly on the same side of the front. It took me about ten seconds to get his attention and correct him again (letting him know I was watching). After that all four were rotated properly.

I have a feeling consistently using the same (and the right) rotation pattern in a timely manner will make these quick wearing tires last quite a bit longer.

uplanderguy · August 2006

Today when backing out of our driveway, I stopped, moved the selector from R to D, hit the gas and there was a good two-second lapse and racing engine before drive engaged. This is only the second time this ever happened to me in the Uplander, although my wife (principal driver) said, "Oh, that's happened to me before." (sigh)

Geez, this is getting to be the most frustrating new Chevy I've had since my '85 Celebrity Eurosport (and I've had six since then not counting the '85 or the Uplander).

Bill P.
Kent, OH

jeremy67212 · August 2006

I have had the same problem with my Uplander. Unfortunately, it never seems to do it at the dealership. I've had it in twice and each time they tell me they cannot duplicate the problem and everything looks OK. My Uplander is a 2005.

jeremy67212 · August 2006

My 2005 Uplander has 43,000 miles on it and thus out of warranty. When a TSB is issued, does the service dept fix it for free? My a/c is cool at best on Max.

morewasabi · August 2006

There is a thing called a hidden warranty. If your vehicle is not that far over its warranty they will honor the warranty out of good will. Your vehicle is just over its mileage warranty and well under the 36 month time coverage period. Just because there is a TSB does not mean that it is covered under warranty. But it helps. Had a friend that was a manager at SITEL a call center firm that handled many of the GMs complaint calls. They authorized hidden warranties all the time based on good will. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

tkeller · August 2006

I have an 05' Montana that has done this alot. My van is actually going into the shop tomorrow so they can look at this problem as well as a list of others.

My lights flicker at night. If you are listening to the radio or especially the dvd player is on and you accelerate the front speakers become staticy. I am only guessing that these have to do with the alternator being too small.

The door molding on one of the passenger doors is coming loose. A seat belt comfort strap is broken. The handle on the back hatch is loose (had this problem many times with the 97' Montana we had before this one).

There is a train whistle noise that appears around 65-70 mph that will make you insane (heard it most of the way back from Florida - we live in Indiana!)

They are suppose to check on the rotors/brakes as they are very choppy when breaking from 45-60 mph. And it sounds like I am driving a monster truck with big tires.

All this and we have already had the steering shaft replaced and the steering gear box (rack) in front. We only have 23,000 miles on it. I don't have a really warm fuzzy feeling about this van. Am I getting close to the lemon law yet?

TK in Indiana

uplanderguy · August 2006

Let us know what the dealer tells you about these items. I'm especially interested in what they will suggest about the time-lag between R and D (intermittent anough that it probably won't happen at the dealership!), and what they'll do about your brake rotors.

Bill P.
Kent, OH

danno · August 2006

Same here with the lag on engaging D. Very intermittent and happens only on a cold start where the van has been sitting overnight and R then D engaged.

fredo9000 · August 2006

:mad: My wife's '05 Montana SV6 has the overhead storage system with the dual rails running along the headliner. It squeaks almost constantly. The dealer has failed to remedy this problem. We're taking a 4 hour drive to upstate New York next weekend and I don't think we're going to have a chance to give the dealer another crack at it before then.

You can quiet the squeak by putting the slightest bit of upward pressure on the storage bin, or one of the rails, but I don't see myself doing that for 4 hours straight.

Originally, I thought the squeak was due to the storage bin that sits between the front map lights and the dvd player, but when I remove that bin, the squeak is louder. Turns out the bin was helping keep things quieter.

Has anyone here had this problem and, if it's been corrected, what was the solution?

Thanks

genmtrfan · August 2006

I just dropped our Uplander off to get the new voltage regulator put on it to remedy the light filcker. A TSB was issue on this in July. I'm not hopeful, but I am going to give it a try. Our van's problem is more annoying than anything else, it's not bad enough as of yet to call it a safety concern. Our radio has not been affected. However, we've already had a new alternator installed. The original TSB called for this remedy (February '05).

We too had the side moldings replaced. So far the second set has stayed "stuck."

We've had no issues with the seat belt straps or the rear latch handle, nor have I heard of anyone else having these issues.

The train whistle is due to a faulty seal in the windshield. Our whistle was from the right side. Our dealer called GM support and they told them to re-seal the window using a different kind of sealant. That fixed the problem the first time and it has not returned.

We replaced our Goodyear Integrity tires at 15K because of a roaring noise. I think that one or more tires wore unevenly, probably the result of poor allignment.

We've had no steering issues. However, we have had a passenger airbag rattle (commonly discussed in this forum) and the acceleration whistle fixed (TSB on this). We also have had the horn springs replaced under a TSB. They were so stiff that it was difficult to blow the horn.

We just dropped it off this evening for an a/c TSB(to correct poor performance when not on max), check the brake rotors, and to install the new voltage regulator. I'm hoping that this is the last trip for a while. I really feel like it's going to be a solid vehicle once the kinks are worked out. Functionally, we love it, but it does serve me right for buying a first year model.

The only nagging concern I have is that the middle seats became dislodged during a test side impact crash. Does anyone know if GM is working on a fix?

jerrywimer · August 2006

This "problem" isn't limited to the GM vans. I've experienced this with almost every GM vehicle that's had either the 4T60E or the 4L60E transmission (so front drive cars and SUVs/trucks). I think it has something to do with the transmission itself being cold (the fluid). Since fluid pressure has a lot to do with the workings of an automatic transmission, cold, thick fluid could very well make it sluggish between forward and reverse, or even between forward gears as it warms up. I just know to be a bit more patient when switching between forward and reverse, especially when it's cold. You can easily feel the transmission as it actually engages in the other direction while your foot is on the brake.

(Haven't had any other issues with my transmissions on the GM products though- so it doesn't appear to affect longevity and durability)

danno · August 2006

I had a 1997 Venture LS with 320,000 kms before I traded it in on the Uplander. The tranny was perfect in every way during those kms.

genmtrfan · August 2006

I had a Venture too. The transmission failed at 70K miles due to a faulty valve.

genmtrfan · August 2006

I'm replying to my own post, so we must need more participation in this forum!

I just picked up the Uplander from the dealer and I'm cautiously optimistic about the lights. I drove home (about 25 minutes) in the dark and did not see the slightest hint of a flicker. Could it be true, is the July '06 TSB really "the fix?" Time will tell, but it's the first time I've driven it with no flicker. The TSB called for replacing the voltage regulator inside the alternator.

The dealership also turned the rotors which seemed to eliminate the vibration. Hopefully it will stay gone.

Finally, the dealership updated the A/C software via June TSB. It seemed cold enough, but it was night so I'll have to wait for a hot day to know for sure.

Let's here some other before and after stories. Far too often, people post issues on the site without following up when they get (or don't get) a resolution. :surprise:

tmcgee06 · August 2006

genmtrfan,

I have the nightmare 06 Uplander, I have been playing phone tag with my dealer; and finally they are requesting my van in for more repairs on my Light flickering problem. I posted on this site that I have had the voltage regulator per the TSB replaced; but all that did was made the lights flicker faster. I can make this happen at 50/55 mph with my rpms at 3 without any hesitation. They are going to check all the grounds to make sure there is no voltage leaks. I have told them that I want this van replaced, due to the dealership hit the front of my van, then repainted the bumper only to not match the rest of the van, water leaks, radio problems, and ofcourse the lighting issue. I really wish I would have waiting on buying another GM until I totally checked out what kind of problems were with these vans. After all of this GM is doing away with all mini vans by 2009... So I doubt they even care about all of the problems they have created.

Still an unhappy uplander owner. :mad:

uplanderguy · August 2006

I've had two Ventures before this Uplander. First one turned in at end of lease with 33K miles; second one traded on the Uplander at 60K miles. Neither of these hesitated once between R and D, for either my wife or me, as this Uplander has, even though infrequently. It does make one wonder about the Uplander's trans durability after the warranty.

Bill P.
Kent, OH

uplanderguy · August 2006

Genmtrfan,

Did the dealer cut the rotors under warranty, and how many miles does the vehicle have? Had they been cut before?

Bill P.
Kent, OH

genmtrfan · August 2006

They did cut the rotors under warranty, no questions asked. It has 22K.

tkeller · August 2006

Good question, I was wondering the same thing. I have 23,500 miles on my SV6 and my dealer tells me they are not covered under warranty, something about this is from GM. I nor my salesman could find anything in the warranty that says it's not covered. I told my service guy that I was not paying to have the rotors turned because this should not be happening at 23K miles. My van goes back in on Tuesday and I am hoping for some progress this time!

TKeller
Indiana

genmtrfan · August 2006

My dealer has been great. I bought from a small-town dealer after getting the run-around from some dealers in the city. Their service department has never given me the usual "blow-off" responses such as "the problem is within tolerances" or "I didn't hear any vibration." They should have covered the rotors because it's actually not a new problem, just one that I haven't addressed until recently. I should have known the day I bought the van I'd have issues with them. They had a thin coating of rust on them at the time. The rust goes away with use, but comes back if it sits in the rain for long periods of time. I hate to think of what it will cost to replace all four when these are finally thinned-out. But, I can guarantee you I'll make sure I buy quality, pehaps some of those drilled ones. Wouldn't that look cool on an Uplander?

tjhsmith · September 2006

I have had problems with the rotors on my uplander too. The front rotors needed to be turned at only 12000 miles. Then just nine months later, the front and rear rotors needed to be turned at 21000 miles. The first time the repairs were covered under warranty. However, this time the dealer said it was due to "normal wear" and not covered. No way is this normal wear. I am currently dealing directly with Chevrolet customer service to try to get them to pay for the repairs. I don't have their final decision yet (they're still "investigating"), but the Chevrolet customer service rep has indicated they they will likely cover most of the costs. I'm not happy that my dealer wouldn't go to bat for me with Chevrolet and that I was forced to pursue this on my own.

kcorey · September 2006

I've mentioned this before...the dealer can make you or break you. I bought my Terraza from a small dealer, but have always had my car serviced at a local dealer...a very large, Brooklyn, N.Y., truck dealer. While he sells GMC, Buick & Pontiac, his primary business is trucks; large trucks. Yet, when I bring my car in for service, there is no bull about service writers (who get 10% of what they write) or they can't do it or it's not under warrantee. My car runs great, they have found and corrected items I was not aware of, and have always been friendly and professional to deal with. You bet that I'll buy my next Buick from them. Remember, it's the DEALER who is servicing your car that is supposed to be helping you. If you still have a problem, switch dealers!

educote · September 2006

I have a 2005 Uplander and have had starter problems since day one. Engine will turn over then you hear a clicking noise. Does it randomly and of course the dealership cannot duplicate. Service Stability System light comes on at random. And most recently the Traction Control System engages..the brakes and steering lock up and you have no control over the vehicle. This has happened when backing out of my driveway, making a u-turn (slowly) and turning in a parking lot. Dealership gets "no codes" and cannot duplicate any of these. I bought the car new a year ago and it has been in the shop (where it is now) three times. Got Chevrolet involved this time, but at this time I still have no resolution. The service manager at the dealership was going to take it home over the weekend to see if the problems would present themselves. We'll see...Anyone have any of these problems?

VERY FRUSTRATED!

stobar · September 2006

Well, it's good that I haven't had the opportunity to take my '05 Terraza (w/ the 3.5 engine) in for the Light Flickering and A/C problem, because in the last week, I started getting "Service Traction Control System" and "Service Stability System" messages. Has anyone had this problem with the '05 models, and is there a TSB on this as well? (kcorey & genmtrfan, thanks for your reply posts). I'm curious as to what's up with these message.

educote · September 2006

Yes, I had the Service Stability System message and the Traction Control began engaging without cause. After a week at the dealership and discussion with Chevrolet, they replaced a sensor in the steering wheel. I have had the car back for 6 days with no problem...maybe that did the trick. Hope this helps.

kcorey · September 2006

I had this "problem" several months ago. When I brought the car in for routine service, the Service Manager checked, "did an adjustment", and it's never happened since. He said it was nothing to worry about, and I haven't since it hasn't happened again.
I just had the front-end aligned, as I noticed some heavy wear starting on one side of the front tires after a recent tire rotation. (New York City potholes will do this). The mechanic informed me that there is only a "toe" adjustment on the Terraza's, no caster or camber. It really wasn't out by much, but the small adjustment really seemed to "tighten" up the front-end nicely.
After 21,000 miles, everything else seems good.

Kirstie_H · September 2006

A reporter from a large local newspaper seeks speak to new Saturn buyers and why they purchased the Saturn vehicle. Please provide your daytime contact info to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Thursday, September 28, 2006.

stobar · September 2006

I dropped the van off at the shop today to get my issues fixed, but one thing I forgot to ask about, so I figured I would throw it out for a response is regarding the gas line? When you remove the gas cap, do you see a plate that keeps foreign objects from entering the gas tank or is there a hole, meaning you can see straight down through? This is one thing I have been wondering about for months. When I remove the gas cap to get gas, I'm used to seeing a silver plate that the gas pump pushes through when filling up, but what I have is a straight open hole with no plate there, meaning, I can see straight down through. It seems like the plate that moves aside is missing. Hopefully you can comprehend what I am saying. I remove the gas cap, and there is no plate to keep debris from falling through. I'm not sure if this is a discrepancy, or if the plate is stuck open? Hope you can assist. Thanks!

uplanderguy · September 2006

I looked at mine last night, and there is no plate covering the hole, but there is a little metal tab at the top of the opening. I never noticed the lack of a plate before.

Bill P.
Kent, OH

stobar · October 2006

I brought this up to the dealership and they are going to look into it. While my Terraza is in the shop, they gave me an '05 Pontiac G6 to drive. I took off the gas cap and checked the car, and sure enough, there is a plate covering the hole. Same with the other two GM vehicles I own. Makes me wonder if they forgot about this when building them? I forgot to mention the Saturn Relay, but bet same holds true for all four models.

tonheib · October 2006

Our montana has a recent problem with the TCM/Check engine/Brake lights coming on and flickering when the key was inserted in the driverside door and ignition switch. Can anyone help with this problem?

incommunicado · October 2006

I have a 2005 Uplander I bought new with a lot of the same issues listed. I went to the dealer where purchased right after I bought, but they were no use. Time has passed I have found this web sight. Thank God!!!

One of the problems I have which I haven't been able to see on this sight, but found on another web sight is my van squawks intermittently like a harmonica when driving at interstate speeds, (e.g. 70ish m.p.h.). The noise seems to come from the drivers side windshield area, but not sure. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. When I took to the dealer last year they adjusted some cowling, but didn't help.

vtaylor · November 2006

My wife and I are considering buying a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander LT 4D Pass Ext Van from a local carmax dealership here in Utah ,and would love some feedback (pro and con) on the reliability and safety of this vehicle. also what is "TSB"

uplanderguy · November 2006

Here's what I like about our '05 Uplander (built late in the '05 run):

1) Styling
2) Good price/value
3) Availability of parts and service (most every little 'burg has a Chevy dealer)
4) Solid construction feel
5) Good gas mileage

What I, and others on this site, don't like too much:

1) Body side moldings that curl away at the edges (check one you are looking at for this)--although I believe this was corrected sometime during the '06 model year run
2) Brake rotors seem to be undersized as far as quickly needing "turned" due to pulsation...a pricey prospect once the dealer won't do this under the 3/36 factory warranty anymore (there has been some discussion on how long resurfacing or replacing brake rotors is covered for. My review of the warranty booklet and Brake Rotor TSB ["Technical Service Bulletin", which is what GM sends the dealer for tips to address customer complaints on an issue] seems to indicate they are covered for the full 3years/36K miles.)
3) Some have complained that the A/C is not up to snuff as far as keeping the cabin cool. I have not experienced this as a problem.
4) Many have complainted about headlights that dim/blink somewhat at night. I have not experienced this.
5) One thing I REALLY wish I'd had thought about more, was that ours is the LS model and only has two smallish "jump"-type bucket seats in the second row. They have no armrests at all, on either side of each seat. Even kids complain about being in these seats on a trip. Look for the LT model with Captain's Chairs in the second row.
6) Mine has had a couple minor annoyances that seem to happen fairly randomly: a) Two-second delay in going from R to D and b) Starter which continues to engage for a second or two after the engine has already started. These are somewhat embarrassing more than anything else.

Good luck.

Bill P.

kcorey · November 2006

I own a 2005 Buick Terraza CXL. It now has 24,000 miles on it. I paid (actually leased it)for about $28,000. I think it's the best car I've ever owned...I'm 68, my 1st car was a '40 DeSoto...so there's a lot of cars in between. Any "problems" that I've had have been taken care, cheerfully, by my dealer. If it wasn't a good car I wouldn't keep it...especially with my wife and 7 grandchildren in it. Good luck, I hope this helps.

evetsofmi · November 2006

We have the same problem on our 2006 Relay and I know I guy with an 05 that it happens to as well. I did an experiment and it seems to pause when the wipers are vertical so I'm considering a bug deflector to change the air flow.

evetsofmi · November 2006

On our 06 Relay 2 at highway speed we get the same sound described elsewhere in these posts as train whistle and harmonica like. Anyone successfully found a solution? We have the falling off weatherstripping as well but no electrical or start issues to date. Do they just make drawing s and build these without anyone ever testing them?

Reading these posts I'm scared to buy GM after this one goes!

pei_boy · November 2006

We have an '06 SV6 and have had a irritating issue with the DVD player since we purchased the van (new). It will skip and pause randomly on bought/prerecorded DVD's and will implode on itself if you try and play MOST burnt/backed up DVD's (in our old Caravan, we kept backup copies of our kids DVD collection in the van so the good ones would not get wrecked).

Anyways, I can ~understand~ the copied ones having issues, tho I am not happy about it... but the continuing issue with the originals is frustrating. I've done my own trouble shooting and the problem does not involve: the vehicle moving (or not), excessive heat (or cold), particular movie houses (Disney, etc...), damage to the discs.

We have had the van into 2 local dealers here in the city 2x for the problem, but have had no luck getting it resolved for 2 reasons (I think): 1. the problem is sporatic so they have a hard time pinpointing it and 2. the a/v functions repairs of the van are outsourced to a 3rd party shop in the city.

IS there any outstanding DVD issues we should be aware of that I can discuss with the dealer to this end?

Thanks in advance!

Greg
Calgary

ajmlang · December 2006

I have a 2005 Uplander LT AWD and I recently had to have the transmission replaced at 11000 miles (under warranty). I wasn't very happy about this and when I called customer relations at Chevrolet, they were not very helpful. I do have other problems with the van: delay from R to D, starter keeps going after I let go of the key, and my passenger automatic door sometimes doesn't shut and latch. Good luck.

genmtrfan · December 2006

I just read that GM will not re-design the current vans in 2009 as planned. I'm really disappointed. Given the much-improved vehicles it has been turning out lately, I think it could have been a great vehicle. Perhaps market pressures are just too great with the tide turning toward SUV's.

While the current generation has had its issues, I don't think they're bad vehicles. They are significantly improved over the last generation. Great new interior, good looks (subjective), new engine choices, nice electronics, and a comparatively low price.

Despite having a few things repaired under warranty, I really like our Uplander LT after 1.5 years and 27,000 miles. It's perfect for our family of 6. On a recent trip across the state, we achieved 25 mpg. I'll never understand why these vans haven't sold better, especially now that the 3.9 is standard equipment. No, they aren't class leading in every category, but they're not far off and GM has adjusted the price accordingly. Besides that, the styling is unique and I like the looks of the models with the silver roof rails. Safety is the one black mark. while they get great front crash scores, I don't think that these vans offer full side curtain airbags in all rows. Perhaps this is a bigger selling point than I think.

In several years we'll probably replace our Uplander with one of the new lambda vehicles (Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave). They're almost as spacious, although they don't have the sliding doors. Perhaps given GM's current financial situation, they made the right decision, but I just hate to see them admit defeat, which is essentially what they're doing.

Chevy Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6/Saturn Relay/Buick Terraza

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