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Automotive News & Views United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
16663 messages, Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 9:32 PM
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Replying to: mikefm58 (Dec 02, 2008 7:56 am)
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Replying to: mikefm58 (Dec 02, 2008 7:56 am) Just out of curiosity, do you know how much it cost to have the window motors replaced? I just had to have the motor in the driver's door of my '85 Silverado replaced. Total bill came out to about $280, but that also included replacing some rubber seals, and I bought them separately. Figured that while the door was pulled apart that much, might as well do the seals, too. My uncle has had the 4L60E transmission go out in his 1997 Silverado twice now. I think the first time was around 70,000 miles, and it was covered under an extended warranty. Second time was around 108,000, and that time it was around $1860 to replace. Sad thing is, it's not like he ever does anything heavy-duty with that truck. He's never towed anything with it, and never hauled anything really heavy. Whenever there's any real work to be done, we'd usually just use my old '85. |
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Lemko, you have to face the fact that your experience is the anomaly, regrettably, and not the rule. If the American manufacturers were making consistently making cars of the desirability and quality of the Japanese, they wouldn't be in this situation. Almost everyone I know has a 'bad Detroit' story. My Dad's 1980 Accord was his revelation. I remember him saying - "I'm amazed. 90,000 miles and I haven't done anything but change the oil and the tires." This after a 78 Chevy Caprice that came from the factory with the rear axle misaligned, the ugliest 'Rubbermaid' dash, I've ever seen to this day, and persistent starting problems. He never went back to U.S. cars. After he passed away, I tried HARD to get my mom to buy a Buick. Great car, and great local dealer only 10 miles away. She absolutely refused. She bought an Avalon. My 23 year-old niece asked me for advice for her first car. She started out with "I know, no American cars!" Her Dad, who drives Dodge trucks. told her that. And it's not just family. I have a co-worker who changed to Japanese cars about 5 years ago. She is always saying she wished she had stopped trying to be so patriotic sooner. It didn't have to be this way. Caterpillar Tractor company bit the bullet and rebuilt the company back in the 1980's- it took a 200-plus day strike with the unions to do it, though. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923617,00.html They not only survived the Japanese invasion - against exactly the same odds and playing field that Detroit faced - but prospered as well. Now it's time to reinvent themselves again, and they're ready. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/08/20/100166166/inde- x.htm Now, I'm not saying that GM's situation is all the fault of the UAW. The UAW had nothing to do with the design of the Aztek, et al. However, over the years, they've been part of the problem just as much as management's bad decisions. Anybody else remember when Consumers Reports published a decoder so you could avoid American cars built on a Friday or a Monday? Those were the worst build-quality days. I really think that bankruptcy is the answer. GM is like an alcoholic in denial, and nothing is going to change until they hit bottom. Bail them out, and they'll keep drinking -in this case - the koolaid that says that these problems are somebody else's fault. Oil prices, the Japanese, misinformed consumers. But in the end, it comes down to my 23 year old niece, and the lessons she's absorbed from the experiences of her relatives. That's another 10 years of lost sales for GM, Ford, and Chrysler, unless something dramatic happens that might change her mind.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 02, 2008 8:09 am) No, he hasn't had the work done. It's cold where he lives so he's gonna drive it through the winter and then dump it. But it's probably comparable to a Mustang I had a few years ago that cost $260 to have one regulator done. And that was at a small repair shop, not the dealer.
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Replying to: lokki (Dec 02, 2008 8:12 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 02, 2008 8:02 am) Maybe it is because you are extremely good to your cars. Most people I know just drive em. Change the oil at various intervals when it fits their schedule. Your experience with Cadillac and Buick are similar to my wife and her LS400. Though looking back at her records she was screwed over on routine maintenance by the dealer. My experience with GM dealers service is overall better than the imports. The worst being Subaru in Alaska. The sad part for me is not GM going down it is the dealers that have treated me well over the years with my GM trucks. Most were bought in one state and serviced here in CA. I am not enthused with Toyota service. My complaints were all given the brushoff. Sorry about that. I still consider the UAW the key to GM survival. |
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 02, 2008 7:35 am)
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Replying to: mikefm58 (Dec 02, 2008 8:17 am) LOL, I tried to do the same thing with my truck! That window motor has actually been dead for about a year. But about a month ago, I decided to pull the door apart and see if it was something I could replace myself. I did two window motors in a 1979 New Yorker a few years back, and they were pretty easy. Once you got the door trim off, basically just unplug the motor, take off three bolts, and it comes right out. How different could it be on the truck? Well, I found out! Part of the process involved actually taking out the window glass Another part involved loosening the lift mechanism, which was under tension. I have one of those Haynes repair manuals, and it gave a caution, stating that serious injury can occur if you don't do it just right. Well, I should have taken that as a warning to just leave it alone and pay to get it fixed! I got the window out and the lift mechanism loosened, but still couldn't get to the motor. And I couldn't get the window glass back in. That was when I gave up. I put the truck in the garage. I drove it a few times, when I had to, but this isn't exactly good weather to drive with no window! I thought it would cost more to have the mechanic fix, actually. Heck, if I'd known it would've been this cheap, I would've fixed it when it first broke! I've thought about getting a new truck from time to time, and really would like to stick with GM. But their 4L60E transmission still concerns me. I heard that Edmunds has a 2008 Chevy pickup that just ate its transmission, so it's still a weak spot. I'll probably just stick it out with the truck I have for the forseeable future. I don't think there's really anything on the truck that's horribly expensive to fix if it breaks. The engine is a 305, and those things are a dime a dozen, and the old THM350C transmission is pretty sturdy, and I think only around $800 to rebuild. Fuel economy isn't so hot, but I don't really drive it enough to justify getting a newer, more efficient truck. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 02, 2008 8:25 am) |
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 02, 2008 7:35 am) Most of my cars have been bought used...VERY used in some cases, so if I've had problems it's not necessarily the manufacturer's fault, as the car could have been neglected. I've never had a GM car that was bad enough to make me swear off GM, but my '82 Cutlass Supreme coupe made me swear I'd never by another GM car with that era of 231 V-6 again! FWIW though, they redesigned the 231 block for 1985, improving it considerably. And if I were to ever search out a car like that again, I'd look for a V-8.
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