Snow Belt Owners !!!

[nonstop]

My truck is showing it's age. I have more cheaply/rusted crap'ola parts, I could puke. (Ah, hell why not? ) Anyways, I've had Blah, Blah, Blah, you know?

 

Knock/Tick, (more on the Knock side.)

Rear End Rebuild. (Bearing failure)

 

Sorry for the rant.

 

Right, and left window cable regulators. (cheaply/rusted crap'ola parts)

4x4 Selector Switch. (cheaply crap'ola part)

Heater control regulator. (cheaply/rusted crap'ola part)

Rear tailgate cables. (cheaply/rusted crap'ola parts)

 

Where is all this crap built, and is it ever tested in the snow belt?

 

I say China, and no to the testing.

 

Oh, the ABS sensor problem has come to a head tonight, almost smoked a Blazer.

My foot doing the funky chicken on the brake pedal, all the while I can see a plowed in frontend surely happening, I take the sidewalk,and curb, and finally the GD truck stops to the right of the Blazer. whoooooo!!! That was close. My front side window was beside his right rear door. I would have really plowed him.

 

So, back to my rant.

 

I watch CNN (Canada gets it too, lol), and this guy Lou Dobbs has a show on "Exporting America". All you left wing, right wing guys, hold up, this ain't about politics, I think. He goes on about all the lost jobs America is losing to China. Inda, and other places, yes Canada too, ( but hey we're neigbours, right?)

 

Soooo, Does GM buy American made parts? Or, Canadain Parts? ,Or does GM export American jobs/parts, hence all my cheaply/rusted crap'ola parts.

 

This is a 4 year old truck with about 62000 miles. Ah not again.

and it's cheaply/rusted crap'ola parts, almost cause a major accedent tonight. Sure I may have been going alittle fast, but I seen the the truck in front of me in plenty of time to stop with NON cheaply/rusted crap'ola parts.

 

What's next?

 

Ok, I've tooooo had many beers.

 

Rant over.

[Red2500HD]

I suggest you buy a ricer and REALY have something to gripe about.

[Mega Dogmeat]

I will agree with him to a certain extend, i haven't been very happy with the build quality of my 2000 silverado at all.

 

I'm sorry, but I have a stack of warranty receipts for this truck about an inch and a half thick.

 

d**n near every TSB ever announced on these things I had fixed under warranty, but what really pisses me off is that now that i'm outta warranty, a few TSB's still popped up....like the defective gas gage, etc.

 

And what really bugs me about the whole thing is it's not like I'm the only one who had problems, yet it's very strange.....My dad bought a 2000 GMC that is for all purposes *IDENTICAL* to mine (even made at the same plant) the only exception being that his wasn't a G80 truck....his truck is used even harder than my truck in the oil fields, as a part-time work truck, and he has had his truck back to get things fixed at MOST 3 times.

 

I don't know the explanation for all this, but the trucks were built within 4 months of each other too....

 

Either way, it really bugs the hell out of me....I didn't pay $26,500 for a truck to have it go south on my in 100,000 miles (has 63,500 on it right now). I'm sorry, but I and most people expect a vehicle to last a lot longer than that these days.

[TROYROBO]

i ve got 80000 plus miles on mine without any problems yet-guess i got the only good one--oops messed up by saying that---now all hell will break loose with it

[sjspor]

Sorry, and I know this is a pro-Chevy board, but my 2001 has been nothing but heartache and problems.

 

In 25 years of driving, I have never had a car towed, until this one. The Third time it droped dead I had a distribtor cap and rotor in the car. It's gone through 4 of them now. Not bad for 47,000 miles.

 

I've also had the drive shaft replaced, then later the center carrier bearing, the resistor on the heater/ac fan, the EVAP purge canister, the radio bugs out from time to time.

 

Now in terms of other issues, the tail gate has to be slammed to latch, the cables need to be replaced, has anyone looked at the hold down for the hood? Mines all rusted where it is attached to the hood.

 

Sorry, but the reality is, this is an appliance, and a poor one at that.

[ctoliver]

nonstop you are right about the trucks and by the way the piece o sh_t i got was built in canada! very poorly built wont buy another!

ct

[gmcjoe]

99K miles on my 2000 Sierra and I couldn't be happier with it

This is my 5th FS EC truck since 92 (I used to lease) and the current generation trucks are the best yet...

 

Every vehicle has a few bad seeds, doesn't matter if you buy a Tiburon or a BMW you can't avoid that.

[Butch 02 Denali]

I have a 2002 GMC, a 2002 Avalanche and a 1990 Chevy 3500. I also had a 1998 GMC and a 1993 Yukon and a 1992 GMC ext cab stepside with a Whipple on it. I think TOTAL all these trucks have been to the dealers maybe 10 times, mostly for minor repairs or tsb's. I have 135k miles on my 1990 and I have plowed with it with a 9' blade for 10 years now. It is still in very good shape with only minor rust, and that's from all the salt on the roads I plow. All the other trucks I've had or have are very well built and have no problems. I maintain my trucks myself and I take very good care of them. You guys complain about GM all the time, yes they have their share of problems, but far less than the other brands. If you guys had a Ford or Dodge or a ricer "truck" they would have fallen apart by now and just be a pile of rust on the ground! At least your GM is still running!

 

Butch 02 Sierra Denali

[c5vetteman]

I currently have 68,300 miles on my 2000 Chevy Z71 and I am on a first name basis with the service manager at my local dealership. Luckily, I have an extended warranty until 75K with $0 deductible so I haven't had to pay a cent for any of the work.

 

Things that have gone wrong:

 

1. Front differential seal leak.

2. 4x4 autotrac switch.

3. Driver side cable regulator

4. Fuel Pressure Regulator (twice)

5. Driver side heated mirror (twice)

6. Passenger side heated mirror

7. Burned out lights on the HVAC controls

8. Resistor for blower speed #1

9. Burned out lights on the radio

10. Fuel sensor unit (gas gauge reading empty when full)

 

Also, had the rear window leak water into the cab, but I fixed that myself with silicone. In addition the driver side weatherstripping came loose, but I reattached that with a sheetmetal screw to keep in place as adhesive wouldn't hold it in place.

One more thing, the tailgate needs to be slammed shut to latch.

 

I am definately not keeping the truck one mile past 75K. I plan to buy another Chevy or GMC with an extended warranty to 100K miles. I just can't bring myself to buy a Dodge or Ford.

[shelbyd]

So far my GM trucks have been good to me. I have had a

84 s-10 4 cyl

91 s-10 4x4 ext cab 4.3

95 Dodge ram reg cab 2 wd 318

83Nissan Sentra

and now a 90 Nissan Sentra

The Nissans by far have been the most reliable. had it 14

years and 120,000 miles and still going strong with nothing more

than regular maintenance.

The dodge was junk. 7 recalls, bad tranny at 79,000 miles

bad fuel pump at 82,000 miles. Could no longer keep it. It was sucking

me dry in parts and fuel.

GM's so far have never left me straned. had bad door latches in the s-10's

but never lost a tranny or fuel pump

Had CSK in the 01 Sierra with the 4.8

So far the 04 HD has been good but less than 2000 miles on it

The nissans are the crudest but also by far the most reliable and cheapest to

drive, maintain and easiest to work on. That doesn't mean I would only but them, but if someone asked me for the most reliable cost effective vehicle, unfortunately it would not be american made. We need to change this and get on top!

[ToeJam]

My only thought here is the fact that a part is a POS doesn't have anything to do with where it was made. The bottom line is someone at GM designed the part, spec'ed out its build and material requirements and then (should have) tested it. If the part comes from anyone outside of GM, then they are also responsible for vendor quality.

 

If something fails horribly, it isn't because there is a "Made in China" sticker on the side...its because someone at GM approved it for use.

[JayMan]

Well, I hope this thread wasn't started as a bulls*** anti-American or anti-Canadian rant. I'm a dual citizen and am patriotic to BOTH countries: I've lived in Utah, Minnesota, Manitoba, and Ontario (Would love to move back to Utah, go Utes!). Any problems we have, we can blame our idiot politicians.

 

I know it's a sore spot that the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien (Thank God he's out, though I doubt Paul Martin will be any better!) publically refused to support the U.S. on Iraq. The idiot even publically mentioned Canada should have "new friends like China."

 

Trust me: +80% of Canadians rolled their eyes so hard they almost went blind.

 

Truth of the matter, Canada has neglected their Armed Forces to the point where most of the ancient Sea King helicopters are permanently grounded. No tanks to use, all fallen apart. They pressed a training Armored Personnel Carrier, the "Beaver," into active combat in Bosnia and Afghanastan with horrifying results.

 

Canada has no heavy-lift capability, unless you call ancient and decrepit Hercules C-130 turboprop's "heavy lift." So Canada has to bum U.S. Air Force C-5's. Neat, huh?

 

The basic transportation is a 20 year old German-made Jeep clone that's also falling apart. Instead of doing a bid for regular pickup trucks ($30,000 CDN) the Army wants to licence and build those German clunks in Quebec at a cost of $90,000 CDN. DUH!

 

The United States government is well aware of the non-existent Canadian Armed Forces. They're also aware of what a true a****** PM Chretien was, he had no diplomatic skills whatsoever. He should have publically stood behind Bush, promised 110% support, then privately had a conversation like this:

 

"Vell, ya know, da Canadien Army, she is neglected an fallen apart. Ve send da Canadian soldier to Iraq an he not get 20 mile before de d**n truck break down an he get shot real bad. So how about we jus keep dis quiet? Qui qui qui??"

 

When Governor General Adrianne Clarksen recently visited Canadian troops in Afghanastan, they had to bum some up-armoured American Hummers to give her "protection." For a VERY indepth and unbiased report, check out this VERY critical Canadian independent TV channel production:

 

http://www.theurc.com

 

Especially look for the title "Canada: A Nation Undefended?" Scary stuff folks. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

 

Sorry about the rant. I just didn't like the implication of this anti-American and anti-Canadian stuff. Last time I checked, we're in this together. All we really need to do is kick our worthless politicians in the a** and get things done right.

 

I've had more trouble with my jap crap than with my GMC. The jap crap rusts out FAR quicker than American models, even Dodge. I've seen 1995 Toyota's around here that are rusted right through. Repair costs are many times more, do a search for my posts on THAT topic. Never again.

 

Ontario, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York salt the s*** out of their roads. No vehicle will hold up under conditions like that, unless you rust proof. My 1980 Toyota pickup was rusted right out by 1984.

 

I use Rust Check and swear by it: I have a 1984 Ford F-150 that looks like new underneath, though it could use a paint job. Have done yearly Rust Check procedures on all my vehicles, personal and commercial, since 1984, and it works. Check out:

 

http://www.rustcheck.ca

 

We all get bum vehicles once in awhile, and that sours our relationship. I'll never buy another Toyota or Honda, ever. I like my GMC and will probably buy another. Never had a problem with it.

[nonstop]

Guys, thanks for not flaming.

 

Don't get me wrong I like the truck, its size has me hooked. I used to own Toyotas', made the change because of size requirements.

 

Anyways' For you guys that own a truck for a couple of years, get rid of it and get a new won't understand this. This truck is 4 years old not 10, 15 or 20, but 4.

 

Most if not all the problems I have/had, I've seen here, so the one bad apple in bunch isn't going to fly with me.

 

How many owners out there don't have the internet, but still have these problems?

I say a fair guess is LOTS.

 

All I'm saying is that GM needs to get it's act together if they want my hard earned money again. I mean come on, its a truck not a new space ship that will be going to Mars. Just build me a truck that I can own for 5-10 years that dosn't have a punch of cheaply made parts on it. Is that so much to ask? I think Not.

 

You 02/03 owners, lets see what your saying when your truck hits 4 years old.

[c5vetteman]

My only thought here is the fact that a part is a POS doesn't have anything to do with where it was made. The bottom line is someone at GM designed the part, spec'ed out its build and material requirements and then (should have) tested it. If the part comes from anyone outside of GM, then they are also responsible for vendor quality.

 

If something fails horribly, it isn't because there is a "Made in China" sticker on the side...its because someone at GM approved it for use.

I agree that GM approves a part as long as it lasts the 3/36 warranty. I am positive that they don't ask their suppliers to engineer a part for 100K+ miles, because it would cost more money. They want to build a vehicle as cheap as possible so they are not concerned about long term longevity of parts. In my opinion, our vehicles are engineered to fail.

[JayMan]

My only thought here is the fact that a part is a POS doesn't have anything to do with where it was made.  The bottom line is someone at GM designed the part, spec'ed out its build and material requirements and then (should have) tested it.  If the part comes from anyone outside of GM, then they are also responsible for vendor quality.

 

If something fails horribly, it isn't because there is a "Made in China" sticker on the side...its because someone at GM approved it for use.

I agree that GM approves a part as long as it lasts the 3/36 warranty. I am positive that they don't ask their suppliers to engineer a part for 100K+ miles, because it would cost more money. They want to build a vehicle as cheap as possible so they are not concerned about long term longevity of parts. In my opinion, our vehicles are engineered to fail.

Well, all vehicles are "engineered" to fail. Although the technology to build a "lifetime" vehicle has existed for 50 years, nobody in their right mind will build one.

 

Can you say "turnover?"

 

For example, you could use a lot of exotic titanium parts in the motor and running gear. Equip the motors with bypass oil filters, or centrifugal oil filters, from the factory. Maybe even a prelube oil pump. Use stainless steel high-grade schedule on the frame and body panels so they never rust out.

 

Make all the switches mil-grade with solid gold contacts, solid copper lugs, and use wiring at least 4-6 gauges heavier than now used. So you'll never have to worry about picky wiring problems.

 

Design the electrical and electronic subsystems same as aircraft, standardize on something like the AIRINC bus, so if you want to upgrade the PCM, the radio, the gauges, or even add something not currently around, it just plugs into a standard connector. Look at the Airbus airliners and the Boeing 777.

 

Since these vehicles would last +1 million miles, barring collision write-offs, the auto industry would grind to a stop. Can you imagine the unemployment? You see where I'm going with this, right??

 

As an individual, I can do "little" things to make my truck last almost as long: rust proof every fall if driven in the Rust Belt, synthetic oils, bypass oil filter, etc. The dealer cringes when you drive up in a new-looking 10 year old vehicle: if it was up to him, nobody would change their oil and they would trade every 18 months.

 

Maybe I had bad apples with my 1980 Toyota pickup, 1990 Toyota 4Runner, and 1992 Honda Prelude. My experience with those things was that, like any mechanical item, they need regular maintenance and repair. That "regular" maintenance cost many times more what the "regular" maintenance does for my GMC. I'm thinking of the special one-time-use shims that Toyota used to adjust the valve clearance on their 3.0 V6, possibly the worst p.o.s. motor ever made. Let's not forget timing belts and even water pumps replaced as "routine" maintenance.