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Comments
. ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE GLADLY RECEIVED Barb
I assure you that I'm not taking sides in your confrontation, but I can easily see why people wish to take out their frustration on engineers. I am a retired aircraft mechanic that has often wanted to meet the engineer who made certain parts so unaccessible.
As far as Pontiac's recent track record goes, I would have to say that someone is dropping the ball. Whoever approved the production of the Aztek should be tested for eyesight deficiency .....it's downright ugly! And the Solstice.......that sure seems rushed off the drawing board. The top is a wrinkled mess and why bother even having a trunk lid, there's no space there at all.
Stopping the Pontiac brand certainly makes me lose confidence in GM. I own ONLY General Motors cars and I can't believe that Buick is still going strong. Did you ever notice who drives a Buick Century? Strictly senior citizens!!! Maybe they have the money to buy whereas Pontiac people can only dream.
The G6 HTC does have it's drawbacks. As others have pointed out, it apparently can be a nightmare. Mine is my first convertible (age= a very youthful 63) and I really love it. Since I have nothing to compare it to, I can merely read these posts and just be thankful that mine isn't terrible. I would be willing to bet that other brands of HTC's have their fair share of problems too. After all, GM didn't build or design the roof mechanisms.
Having worked on planes and helicopters for 45 years, I can tell you that multi-million dollar aircraft are often a POS too!!!
To those of you who have a "lemon", you have my sympathy. To those who have a good one, .....enjoy!!!
Respectfully,
Steve
people actually own. If you got rid of yours, great, start a former unhappy
owners post. I like my G6 and plan to keep it in the best possible shape for
a long time. I don't expect it to fall apart, rust away, or eat transmissions,
and, if it does, I will expect the manufacturer to stand behind the product.
So far, the car is good and so is my dealer.
I would buy GM again, or Ford, or whatever if I have a good experience with
their product and service. Broad statements that a particular car make is
a POS may feel good to the writer, but are not based on empirical evidence and have little to no value for the reader. I take exception when someone puporting to
represent inside knowledge does this, and that is ther reason for my posts.
BTW, my profession is accountant, not government employee.
I am going to use a highly known lease transfer site to get the process started. I am wanting to like the car, but 13mths into my lease, these issues should not even be happening, its not like their recalls, and GM should have the G6 down pat on design and build by now. I would honestly say that I have given the car plenty of chances to like it. I actually do like it alot! You cannot get the features for the price. But, not being able to roll my windows down for the 2nd time? What if they were stuck open? Catylic Converter replaced?? This is beginning to get real silly. Is this a joke? I see a pattern. I will not tolerate this. Not on my money.
Any way, I am looking into a getting a VW or Honda product. I am done!
Has anyone else had a bad battery in a GM car?
Steve
If you traded in your G6 HTC to buy a more "conventional" family sedan, SUV, pick-up, etc, .........then perhaps you should have bought that vehicle in the first place!!!
A convertible is a convertible .......It is not the same as other vehicles any more than a motorcycle can replace a station wagon.
I really enjoy my G6 HTC.....with its good points AND its bad points. We don't live in a perfect world.
I just hit the three year mark with my HTC. I have had numerous issues with my car and yes, I have complained about it on this board.
Through complaining and talking about the problems I have also been able to tell my dealer how to fix my issues (top rattles, airbag sensors, etc).
My car has been "problem" free for about a year and 4 months now and I still get looks and questions about the car.
It's ashame the car did not catch on..
Kevin
It is probably best anyway that Pontiac dies. The brand was old and stale. Which is all the more reason they should have lower amount of issues. I have an 08 G6 and you would have thought that it was the first car model out. Having silly parts replaced already. However, it does run better, but it still has 1 gear in the transmission that loves to show off a bit. I am not even going to worry about it. I cannot expect perfection at this point. Luckily I lease the car, and can walk away. Pontiac service was nice, but only after some force.
Getting the car you "want" from the very start is always wise. "within reason" of course. You'll keep it longer and be much happier. Do your research first on any car.
I never knew my car had a problem, never driven a GM car before, I was used to Hondas and the G6 had a problem at brand new!! Test drive your cars too! before signing.
When the windows are down and the sunroof open, music playing, I love the car.
Just be careful. I took a chance and well...I got my answer. I am not the only one...lol. I can live with it now.
The 2006 G6's can be recognized by the side body molding. 2006's came in two models......the GT and the GTP. The GT was the cheaper of the two. Since the major portions of the options are basically the Premium Package and the Sport Package, the GTP had them both.
My 2007 has the both packages, the adjustable pedals, and the side airbags. The only thing that I know for sure that would be missing is the engine block heater.
Also, I mentioned Pontiac.com so you could find the phone number to contact them. They will even tell you on what date is what built.
Their repair dept was great.
I purchased my G6 convertible in 06/06 and have to replace my exhaust three times due to the whistling sound. The dealership has also replaced the catalytic converter but the whistling sound has come back. You mentioned that the dealership said that there was a recall do you have any further information or a bulletin on this as both my dealership and GM Pontiac say that they have never heard of such a problem and can't figure out why this will be my fourth stainless steel exhaust?
Thanks would welcome any information to get this problem resolved.
Julie
My CD player doesn't always want to eject my cd correctly. These may seem quite small issues, except for the transmission or engine, which I believe is almost lemon! Been like this since new, been in the shop several times. GM sent me a survey, and it was honest and truthful. Not too pretty.
But, this is on a car that should have all kinks out by now, since its been out a long time. Luckily, I lease, I hope to try to get out next spring.
If I were you, I would get out soon at some point.
Good Luck!
All I can say is what a cool and functional car. :shades:
I for one am very satisfied!
Why all the concern? If you love your car with all its top and door rattles, poor gas mileage, lousy transmission, ridiculous handling, then fine. But why do you have to criticize those who write about their issues?
Because you know the resale on these loads is sinking far faster than the value of your loans. You want to keep the spin on the internet good for your car so you wont get hurt so bad when you unload it as upside down as you already are.
Its too late for that. I took my pain a year ago and couldnt be happer. Drove off the dealers lot right by my Blue beauty G6 and never looked back. Although I dont get all the complements in the gas station or the ooosss and ahhas from people seeing the roof in action anymore, that kind of attention getting is for morons.
As a former GM engineer I can tell you with 100% certinity that the Plant and GM knew about all these problems with these vehicles and shipped them anyway. Too bad that I found out after I purchased mine.
Maybe someone can read ALL the viewpoints in this forum, decide for themselves and hopfully not make a major mistake!
This is a great forum BTW, I enjoy all the comments
I stopped by my local Pontiac dealer a few weeks ago to question them about my exhaust. I have the 3.9 engine with the dual exhaust tips from the single muffler. It has a very "throaty" sound, and I was wondering if it was normal. They said it was normal and then I mentioned that I see several complaints on Edmunds about exhaust issues. The mechanic said the complaints deal with the whistling sound due to the water vent hole in the muffler. He said that even if they replace the exhaust, the same sound will eventually return. It seems that it is a design problem that is just an annoyance to some owners.
I'm happy to hear that you are very satisfied with your car. I have a fully equipped 2007 that I am very happy with too. I guess we're among the lucky ones.
As an aircraft mechanic/inspector for the past 46 years, I assure you that I can be very critical about the shortcomings of any mechanical device. Although the G6 may never win any awards as the "greatest thing since sliced bread", it certainly makes my day whenever I get to drive it with the top down. This is my first convertible, and I can truly say that any minor imperfections are easily forgotten during a scenic drive on a beautiful day.
I am going to be completely honest, if it wasn't for my lousy engine, I would might at some point in my life, get another GM car. But, I am more than likely never going to take that kind of risk again. I am so frustrated when it comes to the engine. I plan to really look and investigate the engine in my lease.
I will definitely slow down when it comes to signing anything.
"If you love your car with all its top and door rattles, poor gas mileage, lousy transmission, ridiculous handling, then fine. But why do you have to criticize those who write about their issues? "
That is a very untrue statement.
I have no rattles, poor gas mileage, lousy trans., or ridiculous handling .... and I might add, I never once criticized you. You seem to have some kind of vendetta against either the car, or the company. Everyone of your posts is bashing someone or some aspect of the car
"I have no rattles, poor gas mileage, lousy trans., or ridiculous handling .... and I might add, I never once criticized you. You seem to have some kind of vendetta against either the car, or the company. Everyone of your posts is bashing someone or some aspect of the car As far as I am concerned, take your BS somewhere else! "
Those are all very untrue statements , I mean . ..You do own a G6 Convertible right? I never said that you criticized me, and BTW I am happy that you are happy with your car. However all owners and former owners can have their say on this forum unless I am missing something in the rules. This is Edmunds....not an enthuasists site. Criticisms of the vehicles which are not personal in nature are very welcome here, No one should try to suppress an owners verbatims of their experiences
So as far as I am concerned please ignore my posts. perhaps you should follow the advice Karen the moderator gave you when you made a personal attack on me in January" Ohhhkay.... by KarenS HOST Jan 09, 2009 (3:06 pm) Save | Reply
Let's drop the personal insults and sarcasm. If you don't care for someone's comments, just scroll past them. Thanks from me.
Now back to real information about real cars!
To perspective buyers of the G6 Convertible just recognize that with all the issues that you can read about here and the poor auto reviews (and really what else can you find on the internet in Drivers reviews of the G6 Convertible but NEGATIVE reviews) you need to recognize that when those 3/36 warrantys end LOOK OUT
Cha Ching!$$$$$ :lemon:
Perspective buyers do your homework you will see that this car may not be a good long timer purchase. Anyone who knows convertibles knows that they all have their issues, but one with as many issues that are structural like G6 will head the other way fast.
Want a great Made in USA Pontiac convertible? - go with the Solstice. (I owned one b4 this G6 thing) Solstice / Sky Holds excellent resale value. The chassis is made for driving (unlike the G6 which is a poor excuse for engineering) Looks, simplicity and most of all it does not spend most of its time in a repair bay.
Some will say that the G6 fits kids in the back or lil adults that a two seater wont do. A joke. My kids were always annoyed in the rear seat of this car with the excess wind. I was cramped and uncomfortable in the back seat. My 1990 Lebaron convertible was at least a little comfortable for me in the back, and the kids had no problem.
Just my opinion, I am part of the Edmunds forum family - community of loyal members!
Thanks .
Since you praised the Solstice, I'm rather confused as to why you don't still have it. There are tons of two-seater convertibles out there, and I don't think Solstice ranks among the "pick of the litter". I spoke with several sales people about the Solstice, and they were all anxiously waiting its arrival into showrooms. They soon realized the convertible top was designed by some engineer apparently on a bad LSD trip! And what excuse is there for not having a useful trunk? For a loaded Solstice, the price tag is about 30K........not much car for that amount of money!!!!
So basically, the way you're bashing the G6, that's what I think about your choice of vehicles.
Bottom line.......EACH TO HIS OWN ! ! ! ! ! !
When I traded in the Solstice I was looking for a great AMERICAN HT convertible. I worked on the SSR at GM and always lusted after a HTC. I wont recap my disappointments with the car, you have heard it, and so many others on this forum have had the same experiences, its not just me. My G6 was in the dealer the day after I took delivery on it for "Roof Rattles" Never could fix it to the day I disposed of it, (Known defect that GM continued to ship for several months)
IMO the Solstice is worlds above the G6 in design. It was designed as a convertible not a cobbling of a coupe with a HT. The modals on this vehicle are awful, quite frankly it performed so poorly I really didnt even enjoy driving it in the country. Not so with the Solstice.
My mistake trading it, but at least I didnt lose on it like I did when I traded in the G6
Love the G6 for what it is, A for effort, F for falling short. Best of luck GM.
I certainly have to agree with you about the topic of dissatisfaction. All it takes is one bad experience to make an unhappy customer. I had nothing but trouble with the only Chrysler product I ever owned, and it surely won't happen again. I can readily sympathize with the complaining G6 owners.
Ironically speaking, I'm at the age (63) where I can still relate to the knowledge of relatives that fought in World War 2. The thought of owning a "foreign car" (produced by a former enemy) was considered taboo in my family, and to this day, I have never owned one.
I have been mainly loyal to GM, but over the years, they sure have dropped the ball. They can produce bad vehicles for just so long before the word spreads....and then they're on their own. At this point in time, GM is no longer "king of the mountain" and I strongly doubt they ever will be again.
Unfortunately, cars are very expensive these days, and it's no picnic to get stuck with a bad one. So to everyone out there......best of luck with whatever you're driving!
Did someone forget that the G6 was designed to replace the Grand Am, which was highly regarded by many of us prior owners? Seems like the “old GM” did quite a good job doing what it intended to do. And it even added a high-tech, low-cost, high-value convertible to the mix. It was never designed to compete with a Mercedes convertible, even though Karmann engineered and manufactured both folding hardtops.
My 2008 G6 HTC continues to bring a smile to my face, and when our grown children return home, their grins are even wider. They remember the lesser convertibles of their childhoods.
Yeah, I had one set of cold-weather roof rattles, which was fixed in a half-hour by my nearby, reliable dealer. Now, it’s been rattle-free going on a year. Passenger seat cushion’s leather cover developed a tiny tear, which was replaced under warranty; apparently, the perforated leather, my first experience with this product, was a bit thin in that area, or the original hide had a defect. (Perforated leather is certainly much more comfortable in both summer and winter than my previous vehicles, which had smooth, solid leather, and only time will tell if it wears as well.)
Anybody see the reviews of the new Infiniti and Lexus convertibles? Gee, the same basic “fatal flaws” as the G6, and at only twice the price! Rattles, no trunk space, less rear seat room than the G6, and more. (The Infiniti has the identical 2-piece roof design as the G6, which is naturally made by Karmann.)
Due to the crappy weather in upstate NY during the past two summers, my car has not seen as much open-air driving time as I would have liked, and so it may be headed towards low-mileage classic status sooner than expected if the direction of the Jet Stream doesn’t change soon. Rest assured, however, that I will be purchasing a long-term GMAC extended warranty once the basic 3/36 warranty expires to insure myself against potentially disastrous costs if the top malfunctions as the complicated mechanism ages.
Hey, naysayer’s, this is the type of car that in fifteen, twenty or thirty years, you’ll be mumbling to yourself, “I had one of those. What was I thinking about when I decided to dump it?”
Frankly, I hope that Chevy or Buick incorporates the Pontiac’s HTC concepts into one of their midsize vehicles, so that others may enjoy their rides as much as I enjoy mine.
I certainly have to agree with you about the topic of dissatisfaction. All it takes is one bad experience to make an unhappy customer. I had nothing but trouble with the only Chrysler product I ever owned, and it surely won't happen again. I can readily sympathize with the complaining G6 owners.
Ironically speaking, I'm at the age (63) where I can still relate to the knowledge of relatives that fought in World War 2. The thought of owning a "foreign car" (produced by a former enemy) was considered taboo in my family, and to this day, I have never owned one.
I have been mainly loyal to GM, but over the years, they sure have dropped the ball. They can produce bad vehicles for just so long before the word spreads....and then they're on their own. At this point in time, GM is no longer "king of the mountain" and I strongly doubt they ever will be again.
Unfortunately, cars are very expensive these days, and it's no picnic to get stuck with a bad one. So to everyone out there......best of luck with whatever you're driving!
The nuts that retain the spoiler to the trunk lid keep backing off. The nuts get lost in the area between the inner and outer skins of the trunk lid, so I have to replace one or two each time. I have even used lock washers to no avail. This time, after I replaced them, I coated the protruding threads with a heavy-duty caulking. ( I didn't want to use "Loctite" in case the spoiler ever needed to be removed)
I imagine that if the spoiler is loose on the trunk lid, water can get into the trunk during rain or a carwash......or even get that black trunk lid liner moldy.
Whatever the reason, here in N.J. the weather is getting colder and with few exceptions, the convertible days have ended for now. I, for one, am sure going to miss the weekend drives that my wife and I took this summer and fall.
Best wishes to all of you for the upcoming holiday season.
I found that the wind swirling around from the back, in between the front seats, caused a draft on the driver and passenger's necks. I built my own deflector from aluminum tubing and ordinary window screening. (I'm an aircraft & sheetmetal mechanic by profession). It resembles a "rollbar". The results were absolutely amazing! No more drafts and the car is extremely quiet. I highly recommend a wind deflector.
Pontiac charges $420, but perhaps you can locate one on Ebay for less.
Happy Holidays,
Steve
I do not know of any recalls regarding the convertible top. Which cable are you speaking about? There is only 2 cables regarding the top, they drive what is called the flipper door. This closes out the hole the top leaves when it goes into the trunk. The topstack is hydraulically driven, and typically if the top is not moving, it is an electrical (switches, cable lead not plugged in) not a mechanical issue.
Please describe the issue your having... Does the latch by the windshield actuate? If so, it is typically a switch issue in the receiver (2 switches on the driver side, pop the header trim and check the connectors and the switches) or what is called a hall sensor attached to the hydraulic cylinder that drives the latch at the windshield. This can be checked by popping off the headliner (be careful not to damage it as you remove)
If the latch at the windshield actuates, is the pump trying to actuate the top (is the pump motor whining)?
These are the type of questions that if you can answer we can probably get to the bottom of your issue.
I also modded the headlights with a row of bright white LED's across the bottom like the new Audi's have and I get other G6 owners offering to buy them from me. I can honestly say this is the must fun car I have ever owned and I dont understand the complaints about the Monsoon system, I used to design and install custom car audio systems and I have never heard a better sounding stock stereo on any other car. Be sure to keep the treble and bass at center level and raise the mid level to about halfway, it sounds great with almost any music.
I solved the iPod problem with a factory direct interface that lets you control it from the radio and also puts up song info on the DIC, and it also lets you navigate the menus right from the 6 buttons used for disc selection and FM presets. It works with or without the optional XM tuner from the dealer.
I only had one concern about a week ago on a bitter cold day, the passenger window would not roll back up under the seal after closing for a couple hours and then the problem fixed itself later that night. I cant say enough about how much I enjoy this car and it's minor issues are well worth the purchase, at least for me. I have kept the body and interior flawless and it still looks like it just rolled out of the dealership.
I realize the top is very complicated and some of you have horror stories about the hard top but I came to find out my car was built and assembled on a Wednesday, they say the ones finished on Friday have the most problems on any vehicle assembly line, I wonder if this is actually true?
Anyways, I just wanted to spread some good word about this car as I think it it one of the most unique that GM has produced in a long time and I absolutely look for any excuse to go driving in it.....
Anyway, glad you are happy with it!
And speaking of Solstice..... the top is manual......and they all get that strange bunching of material in the same place where the cloth top has those severe creases they designed in near the rear window. That alone turned me off to both the Sky and the Soltice. Brand new and the tops get all wavy in that same area, every one I have ever seen....
I'm sure they are fun to drive but having a top that looks worn & stretched before driving it off the lot is very poor workmanship in my opinion.
Sorry, but I love my G6........ I was reading more about the hard tops last night, GM rejected the first ones because they failed to go past 10,000 up and down cycles without a problem, so they re-worked some of the parts and finally surpassed the 12,000 mark, so GM signed off on them and let them bring the modules to Lake Orion, MI for assembly to be mated with a bunch of first run G6's for real world testing. It seems like the people who had problems were right out of the gate, I saw a few people who had thier G6 for only a couple days and the tops failed. I think once you get past 20-30 cycles with no issues, you seem to be OK, unless you get a hydraulic hose leak or something physical that causes the top to fail.
It's nice to see another owner who enjoys his G6. As an aircraft mechanic for more years than I wish to admit to, I have been called a "negative person" because I always point out the flaws in an aircraft's design to owners and potential buyers. The reasons should be obvious......safety, reliability, & cost to operate or maintain.
Many of the people posting on this site have legitimate complaints about their cars. However, all of us are talking about the G6 convertible. So my basic question is.....What did you really expect???
You can include me in the list of people who would have made many changes in the design of the G6, but none of us were asked to. Therefore, all of us bought our cars the way Pontiac built them.
I consider myself fortunate enough not to need my G6 as a daily driver. So during the harsh winter we're having in N.J., I only drive the car about twice a month to keep the battery charged. Yes.... it rattles, and rides like a truck, but I'm sure other convertibles have their downsides too. The car was made for "top down" enjoyment, and as far as I'm concerned, the car is a pleasure to own. I truly look forward to the first opportunity to go "topless" again.
As always, happy motoring to all of you!
After a long, cold, snowy winter here in New Jersey.......it managed to reach temperatures just above 60 degrees yesterday. Perhaps a little cooler than ideal convertible weather, but who cares!!!!! I drove my 12 mile trip smiling all the way, and even saw a few other daring souls doing the same.
So G6 owners, it looks like the beginning of another season to enjoy open air driving. Have fun!!!
Steve