29th Aug 2010, 13:03

Yes, but after 5 years your GM will still be running, won't be on 20 recall lists, and won't be rusted into a pile of dust.

30th Aug 2010, 13:54

Not in my experience. I can't get 5 years out of a GM without putting $thousands into it, so why bother? As far as rusting... I haven't seen much more than very minor surface rust on exposed suspension parts of anything foreign or domestic that is 5 years old. Even exhaust systems have a high degree of stainless parts, and last much longer than they used to.

30th Aug 2010, 20:13

I agree with the poster above me, I own a 2004 Malibu. The only things other than regular maintenance in the past 6 going on 7 years are:

1 tie rod.

A loose shifter (loose set screw).

A new front chevy bowtie emblem (water damaged).

That's it folks!

31st Aug 2010, 19:56

Our GM SUV hit 8 years and 90,000 miles this year. The only things done to it have been one battery, one set of tires and cleaning the K&N million-mile air filter every 6 months. No repairs (not even a brake job). Everything looks, feels and works like brand new.

1st Sep 2010, 10:41

Good for you. That doesn't make GM the best cars in the world though. I can find you many people that have spent $1,000's in ridiculous repairs just to make it through their loan to pay the car off. I have done it on three different cars, and anyone in my family has had pretty bad luck with their GM cars as well. No one in my family has GM products anymore other than a few Cadillac owners. They have lots of money though, and don't seem to mind that 60% drop in value in the first couple of years.

I am sure there are at least 10 import owners per every GM owner that have flawless cars too.

1st Sep 2010, 21:12

GM vehicles have been by far the worst vehicles our family has ever owned. We've never had one make more than 50,000 miles. A good friend of mine just had to scrap his 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The truck only had 30,000 miles on it and he had already put in THREE transmissions. He got the 3rd transmission put in and the engine died. He then had the engine replaced, and when he went to get the truck's inspection sticker, he was told his truck was completely unsafe to drive because the frame was rotted almost completely through.

1st Sep 2010, 21:29

"I am sure there are at least 10 import owners per every GM owner that have flawless cars too."

Not according to statistics. Even BEFORE Honda and Toyota imploded due to poor build quality, the difference in number of required between them and top U.S. vehicles was measured in HUNDREDTHS of a percent. The latest reliability data clearly indicates that both Ford and GM are now ahead of all Japanese manufacturers in build quality and reliability (especially 21st place Toyota).

2nd Sep 2010, 12:47

Well I have at least half of that 10 flawless imports myself, since every one I have had has been trouble free for the entire time I had it. GM?? NO WAY!! Ford? Not so much either.

And all of this talk of "imploding" car companies. Funny how that keeps being said, yet none of the import companies are nearly as bad off as any of the domestics are. Even with major recalls, Toyota has never been close to extinction like GM, and yes even Ford was... remember the fire sale on their stock?? Darn close to crash and burn there!! NEVER happened to any import company. And they didn't beg their governments for all kinds of bailout cash either. Yes, Ford didn't take any money, they got a lucky break, but they were there right along side GM and Chrysler, securing the loan just in case!

Please stop quoting ratings and such, as I will never believe in them. The timing of the crash and the speed of the trip to the top of the ratings just reeks of dishonesty. Sorry, but the way business is conducted in our country, coupled with how our government operates, makes me pretty cynical against high ratings for dying companies. Seriously, if they built such great cars all along, they really wouldn't have ever been in trouble financially, now would they? Suddenly, after the crash and burn, the same basic cars they built before with marginal quality ratings were skyrocketing to #1 in the world. Yeah, that's reality!!

In my ACTUAL personal experience, imports far outshine anything domestic. That's not to say I don't love the Mustang and Challenger, and cool American cars like that. I really do love them. Imports are just better overall. I have had no problems ever with any import, other than maintenance, and every GM I've had, has had so many repairs it was ridiculous. Ford was a bit better, but not trouble free for me. Sorry, but I go by what I have spent too much money on in repairs as the worst car. Ratings, as of late, have contradicted that for me, so why would I buy into them?

2nd Sep 2010, 21:55

The latest sales figures for August came out today. Toyota dropped by the largest amount of ANY car maker, still trailing Ford and GM in sales. In spite of massive incentives, people apparently are no longer convinced that imports are better.

3rd Sep 2010, 12:23

Back to the post here... It is too bad that the Chevy Malibu is so poorly built. I have read many poor reviews about them. They are pretty typical of GM though, and not much has changed or improved over the past decade or so. Hope this poster has better luck with their next purchase.

3rd Sep 2010, 21:36

"And they didn't beg their governments for all kinds of bailout cash either."

Actually Toyota did receive bail out money from Japan. I personally agree with you though on imports still being better than domestics. My American vehicles cost me thousands to keep running, and only one of them even made 100,000 miles. My imports were flawless.

4th Sep 2010, 17:25

I keep reading such statements and wondering where all these horrible domestics and wonderful imports are hiding. None of our domestics has ever cost us a penny in 100,000 miles for any repairs. None of our imports even SURVIVED for 100,000 miles.

I read a road test on the new Honda Accord yesterday. The tester made the statement that anyone who regards the Accord as a top-notch sedan is either living in the past or extremely biased toward Honda. It was unfavorably compared to the far more reliable and sophisticated Ford Fusion. Having driven both a Honda and a Fusion, I totally agree. The Honda is an outdated dinosaur in comparison.

5th Sep 2010, 20:12

Actually, Toyota DID ask a Japanese bank for a emergency loan. Just look it up on Wikipedia, type in Toyota Motor Co. and the page will come up, and just look on the page. It's there. So, even Toyota asked for a loan, so you can't say that any Japanese companies didn't...

6th Sep 2010, 18:03

Ford has never asked for a government loan.

6th Sep 2010, 19:51

Big difference between asking a bank for a loan, and your government to hand over tax payers money to help you. I am sure they weren't asking their bank for $700 billion...