GM to pay in coolant repair cases

>If you took delivery in 96 and had repairs done in say, 99, you'd get a
>larger portion that your same 96 model after twelve years of use.
>Eventually, every part on that car will fail, it is just a matter of time,
>be it 12 months, 12 years, or 120 years. Don't expect to be covered
>forever. Dex cool aside, gaskets do fail from the constant heating and
>cooling of years of use.

I guess my point is (in the example) that if it took longer than 7
years for the problem to manifest itself (albeit it STILL happened)
and the car still had under 150k by that time...even though you
shelled out big bucks to get it fixed (because the car was still
overall solid) you're SOL, right? Still doesn't seem fair to me, but
maybe this damn cold still has my head cloudy and I don't "get it"
yet.

BTW, could you roll a head gasket job into this as well? I've heard
of a lot of situations, thanks to the lower intake manifold gasket
going, that the engine would overheat, thus blowing the head gasket,
and sometimes, the heads themselves needing a trip to the machine
shop.

-GV
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

"GlassVial" <glassvial DeleteThis @NOSPAM.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eav1v3lb70dnujll1pis8407mphhdgecv4@4ax.com...

..
>
> BTW, could you roll a head gasket job into this as well? I've heard
> of a lot of situations, thanks to the lower intake manifold gasket
> going, that the engine would overheat, thus blowing the head gasket,
> and sometimes, the heads themselves needing a trip to the machine
> shop.
>

I haven't heard or seen any such situations. The intake gasket leaks are
small leaks which cause their own problems, but overheating an engine to
this point is a driver issue.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE DeleteThis @alltel.net
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

>I haven't heard or seen any such situations. The intake gasket leaks are
>small leaks which cause their own problems, but overheating an engine to
>this point is a driver issue.

Sludge/oatmeal in engine = poor cooling = overheat = (potential)
head/gasket.

-GV
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:14:07 -0400, GlassVial <glassvial.TakeThisOut@NOSPAM.hotmail.com> wrote:

>Ok, maybe it's the cold meds talking, but I'm really confused by this
>settlement.
>
>The site (and this article) say for repairs done within (x) many years
>of vehicle delivery, but it also says vehicles covered are 1995-2003.
>So, say I have a 96, just had repairs done last year, I'm SOL? If so,
>this isn't much of a settlement for those that still drive older
>vehicles yet only recently had the death-cool issue, not to mention
>when did (how long did) the "fixed" gaskets (take to) come to market?
>
>Someone please clarify for me, thanks
>
>-GV
>
>
>
>On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:55:08 -0400, Jim Higgins
><gordian238.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>GM to pay in coolant repair cases
>>http://tinyurl.com/yoxklt
>>
>>WASHINGTON -- General Motors Corp. has agreed to pay as much as $800
>>each to millions of customers to settle lawsuits that it sold about 35
>>million vehicles with faulty coolant and engine parts.
>>
>>The move announced by lawyers Wednesday would close one of the largest
>>product-liability lawsuits faced by a U.S. automaker. GM declined to say
>>how much it expected the settlement to cost, but the agreement gives
>>payments to customers even if they bought the vehicles used.
>>
>>The suits stem from GM's use of Dex-Cool, a coolant it first introduced
>>in its vehicles in 1995 and sold in more than 35 million cars and trucks
>>between 1995 and 2004. About 14 federal and state lawsuits seeking
>>class-action status have been filed against GM over a variety of
>>problems in V6 engines linked to Dex-Cool.
>>
>>Thousands of customers have complained of problems ranging from small
>>coolant leaks to complete radiator and engine failure. Court documents
>>show that GM has received tens of thousands of repair requests linked to
>>Dex-Cool and engine gaskets in the affected engines, and considered
>>recalls for some models.
>>
>>Under the settlement approved by a California judge last week, people
>>who paid for Dex-Cool-related repairs on 3.1-, 3.4-, 3.8- or 4.3-liter
>>V6 engines within seven years or 150,000 miles are eligible for some
>>payment from GM. Repairs made within the first five years are eligible
>>for up to $400, while sixth-year repairs could receive $100 and
>>seventh-year repairs $50.
>>
>>If the damage went beyond the engine's cooling systems -- as many
>>customers claimed -- GM is to reimburse them up to $800. The company
>>will also allow owners who made multiple repairs to apply for multiple
>>repayments.
>>
>>GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the company settled the case because the
>>lawsuits were "time consuming and expensive." He said GM was unable to
>>estimate how many consumers might apply for payments.
>>
>>As part of the settlement, GM is to pay $18 million in lawyers' fees and
>>expenses. The settlement covers 49 states, excluding Missouri, which has
>>an identical settlement authorized by a different court.
>>
>>Owners and customers who have paid for Dex-Cool-related repairs have
>>until Oct. 27 to submit a claim. Further details of the settlement and
>>instructions for applying for payments are available at
>>www.dexcoolsettlement.com.

My 2002 Monte Carlo just developed the gasket leak at 55,000 miles

no water in the oil just yet, but you can smell the anti-freeze burning
off the engine. I have'nt' looked to see how bad it is just yet, but
am keeping the coolent topped off.

Several questions.... do GM dealers recognize that this is a faulty component
and are they making repairs at reduced prices ???

How much would I expect to pay for a repair.... gasket replacement only.

Is this a DIY job and if so... how long is it expected to take and will the
parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??

Any thoughts ???

Thanks !!!

Peter
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

<Peter.RemoveThis@nospamme.com> wrote in message
news:cvn7v31uej4fpu8tkomqka2ivum0mebj36@4ax.com...

>
> My 2002 Monte Carlo just developed the gasket leak at 55,000 miles
>
> no water in the oil just yet, but you can smell the anti-freeze burning
> off the engine. I have'nt' looked to see how bad it is just yet, but
> am keeping the coolent topped off.
>
> Several questions.... do GM dealers recognize that this is a faulty
> component
> and are they making repairs at reduced prices ???

Some have. It all depends on how much your GM dealer values you. For the
most part they didn't help the customer any.


>
> How much would I expect to pay for a repair.... gasket replacement only.

Gasket kit is around $50 - $75. Felpro gaskets available on the aftermarket
are your best bet.

>
> Is this a DIY job and if so... how long is it expected to take and
> will the
> parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>

If you're pretty capable with your wrenches, it's certainly within the grasp
of the DIY'er. Expect upwards of 8 hours for your first time through this
job. Half that after you've done one. Don't get your push rods mixed up!
DAGS and you can find procedures on the net for doing the job.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE.RemoveThis@alltel.net
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

>>>instructions for applying for payments are available at
>>>www.dexcoolsettlement.com.
>
>My 2002 Monte Carlo just developed the gasket leak at 55,000 miles
>
>no water in the oil just yet, but you can smell the anti-freeze burning
>off the engine. I have'nt' looked to see how bad it is just yet, but
>am keeping the coolent topped off.
>
>Several questions.... do GM dealers recognize that this is a faulty component
>and are they making repairs at reduced prices ???
>
>How much would I expect to pay for a repair.... gasket replacement only.
>
>Is this a DIY job and if so... how long is it expected to take and will the
>parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>
>Any thoughts ???
>
>Thanks !!!
>
>Peter

Another question that just came to mind. Should I be using Dex Cool at
all, given that there is enough evidence to justify a class action settlement, or
should I move to the all purpose Prestone ??

Damn, I bought the car figuring GM might be trying to improve it's products.. (and
Consumer Reports did not mention one darn thing about this problem). Why do I feel
ripped off ??

Thanks again !!

Peter
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 15:46:54 -0400, "Mike Marlow" <mmarlowREMOVE.RemoveThis@alltel.net> wrote:

>
><Peter.RemoveThis@nospamme.com> wrote in message
>news:cvn7v31uej4fpu8tkomqka2ivum0mebj36@4ax.com...
>
>>
>> My 2002 Monte Carlo just developed the gasket leak at 55,000 miles
>>
>> no water in the oil just yet, but you can smell the anti-freeze burning
>> off the engine. I have'nt' looked to see how bad it is just yet, but
>> am keeping the coolent topped off.
>>
>> Several questions.... do GM dealers recognize that this is a faulty
>> component
>> and are they making repairs at reduced prices ???
>
>Some have. It all depends on how much your GM dealer values you. For the
>most part they didn't help the customer any.
>
>
>>
>> How much would I expect to pay for a repair.... gasket replacement only.
>
>Gasket kit is around $50 - $75. Felpro gaskets available on the aftermarket
>are your best bet.
>
>>
>> Is this a DIY job and if so... how long is it expected to take and
>> will the
>> parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>>
>
>If you're pretty capable with your wrenches, it's certainly within the grasp
>of the DIY'er. Expect upwards of 8 hours for your first time through this
>job. Half that after you've done one. Don't get your push rods mixed up!
>DAGS and you can find procedures on the net for doing the job.

Thanks Mike.... at least it's from the top of the car and not from underneath...

I'll pick a nice spring day... get some fresh air and tackle the job. Might as
well, because, seems that chances might be I"ll be doing it again in another
80 - 100 K. ( the residual resale value is so low it doesn't make sense to sell it).

Thx again...

Peter
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

Peter wrote:
>>>> instructions for applying for payments are available at
>>>> www.dexcoolsettlement.com.
>> My 2002 Monte Carlo just developed the gasket leak at 55,000 miles
>>
>> no water in the oil just yet, but you can smell the anti-freeze burning
>> off the engine. I have'nt' looked to see how bad it is just yet, but
>> am keeping the coolent topped off.
>>
>> Several questions.... do GM dealers recognize that this is a faulty component
>> and are they making repairs at reduced prices ???
>>
>> How much would I expect to pay for a repair.... gasket replacement only.
>>
>> Is this a DIY job and if so... how long is it expected to take and will the
>> parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>>
>> Any thoughts ???
>>
>> Thanks !!!
>>
>> Peter
>
> Another question that just came to mind. Should I be using Dex Cool at
> all, given that there is enough evidence to justify a class action settlement, or
> should I move to the all purpose Prestone ??
>
> Damn, I bought the car figuring GM might be trying to improve it's products.. (and
> Consumer Reports did not mention one darn thing about this problem). Why do I feel
> ripped off ??
>
> Thanks again !!
>
> Peter
>

Nothing wrong with the Dex-Cool. Just in peoples minds. Think about this
if it was JUST the coolant being the problem why is it that the only
engines affected are the same intake design? Why is it that ALL GM
vehicles are not suffering these failures?

The problem is the result of a gasket that was a bad design. Made that
way due to the regulations the govt. put in place regarding asbestos
use. If you look at the design of the engine and the way the gaskets are
installed it is real easy to see why they failed. GM isn't the only one
with this problem but some of the the other makers used a better gasket
design with metal reinforcement. That coupled with the lack of clamping
pressure on the gaskets due to the revised intake bolt design cause
gasket failure. If you look at the intake bolts you will find that
instead of passing through the intake into the head at a 90 degree angle
so they apply even pressure across the face of the head/intake
interface. Instead they go through at a 45 degree angle and clamp the
bottom of the intake tight by wedging it into the valley between the
heads. This applies a lot of clamping pressure at the bottom of the
gasket with decreasing pressure the farther up the interface area you
travel. Think about using a clamp on two parts, if you want even
pressure you put the clamp in the center, not at one edge. With the
pressure difference the top part of the gasket can move around more than
the bottom. The motion of the heads as they heat up and shift and the
intakes motion as it heats up also cause problems. What is the result,
the gasket fails at the stress line. If you do a bunch of these repairs
you can actually stack the failed gaskets and you will find the failure
points within 1/2" area on the ends of the gasket.

If you look at the newest design for the gaskets you can see the
difference in the construction. When you remove the old gasket look
right at the edge of the gasket and you will likely find the cracked
section that caused the failure. It sticks out like a sore thumb when
you see it.



--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

Life is not like a box of chocolates
it's more like a jar of jalapenos-
what you do today could burn your ass tomorrow!
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:41:52 -0400, "Steve W." <csr684NOT.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Peter wrote:
>>>>> instructions for applying for payments are available at
>>>>> www.dexcoolsettlement.com.
>>> My 2002 Monte Carlo just developed the gasket leak at 55,000 miles
>>>
>>> no water in the oil just yet, but you can smell the anti-freeze burning
>>> off the engine. I have'nt' looked to see how bad it is just yet, but
>>> am keeping the coolent topped off.
>>>
>>> Several questions.... do GM dealers recognize that this is a faulty component
>>> and are they making repairs at reduced prices ???
>>>
>>> How much would I expect to pay for a repair.... gasket replacement only.
>>>
>>> Is this a DIY job and if so... how long is it expected to take and will the
>>> parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>>>
>>> Any thoughts ???
>>>
>>> Thanks !!!
>>>
>>> Peter
>>
>> Another question that just came to mind. Should I be using Dex Cool at
>> all, given that there is enough evidence to justify a class action settlement, or
>> should I move to the all purpose Prestone ??
>>
>> Damn, I bought the car figuring GM might be trying to improve it's products.. (and
>> Consumer Reports did not mention one darn thing about this problem). Why do I feel
>> ripped off ??
>>
>> Thanks again !!
>>
>> Peter
>>
>
>Nothing wrong with the Dex-Cool. Just in peoples minds. Think about this
>if it was JUST the coolant being the problem why is it that the only
>engines affected are the same intake design? Why is it that ALL GM
>vehicles are not suffering these failures?
>
>The problem is the result of a gasket that was a bad design. Made that
>way due to the regulations the govt. put in place regarding asbestos
>use. If you look at the design of the engine and the way the gaskets are
>installed it is real easy to see why they failed. GM isn't the only one
>with this problem but some of the the other makers used a better gasket
>design with metal reinforcement. That coupled with the lack of clamping
>pressure on the gaskets due to the revised intake bolt design cause
>gasket failure. If you look at the intake bolts you will find that
>instead of passing through the intake into the head at a 90 degree angle
>so they apply even pressure across the face of the head/intake
>interface. Instead they go through at a 45 degree angle and clamp the
>bottom of the intake tight by wedging it into the valley between the
>heads. This applies a lot of clamping pressure at the bottom of the
>gasket with decreasing pressure the farther up the interface area you
>travel. Think about using a clamp on two parts, if you want even
>pressure you put the clamp in the center, not at one edge. With the
>pressure difference the top part of the gasket can move around more than
>the bottom. The motion of the heads as they heat up and shift and the
>intakes motion as it heats up also cause problems. What is the result,
>the gasket fails at the stress line. If you do a bunch of these repairs
>you can actually stack the failed gaskets and you will find the failure
>points within 1/2" area on the ends of the gasket.
>
>If you look at the newest design for the gaskets you can see the
>difference in the construction. When you remove the old gasket look
>right at the edge of the gasket and you will likely find the cracked
>section that caused the failure. It sticks out like a sore thumb when
>you see it.

Good explanation... thanks.... I'll be looking for the failure point and
checking old gaskets against newer after market products.

Unfortunately GM has lost a lot of credibility due to the way they
allowed the dexcool issue to continue. Maybe they should have
explained the problem just as you have... not difficult to understand.

Thanks for taking the time to explain... that helps tremendously !!

Peter
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

<Peter.TakeThisOut@nospamme.com> wrote in message
>
> how long is it expected to take and will the
> parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>
> Any thoughts ???
>
> Thanks !!!
>
> Peter
>

Thank you for contacting the legal advice portion of GM newsgroup. As I see
it, GM will not only give you free parts, but for your trouble you will also
receive a gift certificate to take your family out to dinner. You must,
however, drive the family in the GM car to the restaurant.

Real lawyers can charge up to 50% of your portion of the settlement fund,
but in my case, just send me the dessert from your dinner.
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 21:20:31 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski" <esp.DeleteThis@snet.net> wrote:

>
><Peter.DeleteThis@nospamme.com> wrote in message
>>
>> how long is it expected to take and will the
>> parts be reimbursed by the settlement ??
>>
>> Any thoughts ???
>>
>> Thanks !!!
>>
>> Peter
>>
>
>Thank you for contacting the legal advice portion of GM newsgroup. As I see
>it, GM will not only give you free parts, but for your trouble you will also
>receive a gift certificate to take your family out to dinner. You must,
>however, drive the family in the GM car to the restaurant.
>
>Real lawyers can charge up to 50% of your portion of the settlement fund,
>but in my case, just send me the dessert from your dinner.
>

Done !!! Did you want that cheesecake with Strawberry or Cherry Topping ??
Grand Marinier Liqueur on the side ???

Planning on calling the dealer tomorrow.... just to see if he'll offer any price breaks...

Got my copy of Alldata printed out.... just in case the dealer says all the wrong words
like

"No"
$700.00 take it or leave it.

I survived 3.1 gasket changes, 3.8 manifold changes... marriage and home ownership.
This too shall be a piece of cheesecake.

On the plus side, while trying to gather as much information as I can.... visiting
www.advanceautoparts.com they've just posted a recall for an air compressor due to a
possibility of it catching on fire. Looks vaguely familiar... so I head down to the
dungeon to take a look.... yupp.... same model Strike Force 3.5HP 4.6 gal dual tank.

Recall says...." may overheat and catch fire "

Charbroiled Cheesecake anyone ??

Peter
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:22:24 -0400, "Mike Marlow" <mmarlowREMOVE.RemoveThis@alltel.net> wrote:

>
>"Bubba Obama" <Bubba39393ju.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:47ec7596$1$17438$822641b3@news.adtechcomputers.com...
>
>> I disagree, even though I replaced my gasket at about 80k miles other than
>> that it has been a great dependable nice riding car that is holding great
>> with over 140k miles. My interior and body and paint is in excellent
>> condition except for some door dings. Engine still nice and tight too.
>
>That would be quite characteristic of GM vehicles. They are notoriously
>good to drive for 200,000 miles with only routine oil changes, and care not
>to let them overheat. The body does hold up well on them. I do not think
>they produce junk at all. Your experience is not unique, but it's also not
>completely the norm either. Many of the 60 degree engines have required
>gaskets two or three times over their lives. Some of that may be due to
>gasket material, and some to other design issues.


Ahhh... you need to take a look at my 2002 Monte Carlo..... Purchased new.

about 6 months after purchase, moisture got behind a piece of
body trim, froze and pushed it away from the body. Covered under warranty, I
pointed it out to the dealer body shop guy... he said... you'll need to leave the
car for a week to get it replaced.

Rear tailight assy... has 3 plastic studs... I noticed mine was loose a few months
after picking it up from the dealer (should have checked it beforehand ) one stud
was broken off.

It now has 57 K on it.... my remote door locks don't work, 12volt accessory plug
( aka cigarette lighter ) doesn't work, and the lower intake manifold gasket
requiress replacement. This is on a 5 year old car driven slightly over 10K miles per
year and kept garaged. What's wrong with the picture.

Now I'll have to admit, my cars don't get all that much driving or abuse and they
are kept garaged. Also located in the mid-eastern states... we're not in the rust belt
or the flood zone, or the oven zone. Kinda mild and temperate. So it's not under
extreme weather or off road conditions like you see in all those commercials on TV.

I also have a 1990 Olds Silhouette... almost 18 years old with ONLY 120 K miles
which is slightly less than 6.5K per year.
Let's see... hmmm

not counting normal maintenance items... tires, brakes. fluid changes


two alternators 600.00 repair
power steering hose 400.00 repair
rack and pinion 1000.00 repair
two water pumps 400.00 repair
Intake manifold gasket replacement 800.00 repair

current problems and those not fixed...

blower motor, not working... might be motor, might be control panel.
wiper bearing shot, motor control board stops wipers in mid-stroke.
heat core started leaking two years ago... I haven't bothered to replace it.
rear door latch broken... already replaced once
oil leaks from somewhere... haven't figured this one out... might be a valve cover.

At 120K this APV is ready for the junkheap.


my girlfriends 1994 Buick Regal....55 K bought new..seldom used...


not counting normal maintenance items... tires, brakes. fluid changes


alternator 250.00 repair
upper manifold replacement 800.00 repair
air conditioner switch 300.00 repair

My neighbors have honda's and toyota's and volvo's which take a beating
(they're soccer mom's with mid size families whose husbands commute in
gridlock traffic everyday....)... They give me their deepest sympathy for owning
GM cars... they truly feel pity for me.... Their cars work... mine don't simple as that.

My girlfriends former car was a 1984 Honda... bought new and owned until 2002 (which
was her daily commute car in a gridlock city where nothing moves ).


not counting normal maintenance items... tires, brakes. fluid changes, which she never
did anyway unless absolutely necessary

After 18 years

Wheel Bearing 300.00


This tells me a lot.
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases 

<Peter DeleteThis @spamtrap.net> wrote in message
news:7mq9v3t1ac293uo0hbg18bo92qb72f7e9l@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:22:24 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
> <mmarlowREMOVE DeleteThis @alltel.net> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Bubba Obama" <Bubba39393ju DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>news:47ec7596$1$17438$822641b3@news.adtechcomputers.com...
>>
>>> I disagree, even though I replaced my gasket at about 80k miles other
>>> than
>>> that it has been a great dependable nice riding car that is holding
>>> great
>>> with over 140k miles. My interior and body and paint is in excellent
>>> condition except for some door dings. Engine still nice and tight too.
>>
>>That would be quite characteristic of GM vehicles. They are notoriously
>>good to drive for 200,000 miles with only routine oil changes, and care
>>not
>>to let them overheat. The body does hold up well on them. I do not think
>>they produce junk at all. Your experience is not unique, but it's also
>>not
>>completely the norm either. Many of the 60 degree engines have required
>>gaskets two or three times over their lives. Some of that may be due to
>>gasket material, and some to other design issues.
>
>
> Ahhh... you need to take a look at my 2002 Monte Carlo..... Purchased
> new.
>
> about 6 months after purchase, moisture got behind a piece of
> body trim, froze and pushed it away from the body. Covered under
> warranty, I
> pointed it out to the dealer body shop guy... he said... you'll need to
> leave the
> car for a week to get it replaced.
>
> Rear tailight assy... has 3 plastic studs... I noticed mine was loose a
> few months
> after picking it up from the dealer (should have checked it beforehand )
> one stud
> was broken off.
>
> It now has 57 K on it.... my remote door locks don't work, 12volt
> accessory plug
> ( aka cigarette lighter ) doesn't work, and the lower intake manifold
> gasket
> requiress replacement. This is on a 5 year old car driven slightly
> over 10K miles per
> year and kept garaged. What's wrong with the picture.
>
> Now I'll have to admit, my cars don't get all that much driving or
> abuse and they
> are kept garaged. Also located in the mid-eastern states... we're not in
> the rust belt
> or the flood zone, or the oven zone. Kinda mild and temperate. So
> it's not under
> extreme weather or off road conditions like you see in all those
> commercials on TV.
>
> I also have a 1990 Olds Silhouette... almost 18 years old with ONLY 120
> K miles
> which is slightly less than 6.5K per year.
> Let's see... hmmm
>
> not counting normal maintenance items... tires, brakes. fluid changes
>
>
> two alternators 600.00 repair
> power steering hose 400.00 repair
> rack and pinion 1000.00 repair
> two water pumps 400.00 repair
> Intake manifold gasket replacement 800.00 repair
>
> current problems and those not fixed...
>
> blower motor, not working... might be motor, might be control panel.
> wiper bearing shot, motor control board stops wipers in mid-stroke.
> heat core started leaking two years ago... I haven't bothered to replace
> it.
> rear door latch broken... already replaced once
> oil leaks from somewhere... haven't figured this one out... might be a
> valve cover.
>
> At 120K this APV is ready for the junkheap.
>
>
> my girlfriends 1994 Buick Regal....55 K bought new..seldom used...
>
>
> not counting normal maintenance items... tires, brakes. fluid changes
>
>
> alternator 250.00 repair
> upper manifold replacement 800.00 repair
> air conditioner switch 300.00 repair
>
> My neighbors have honda's and toyota's and volvo's which take a beating
> (they're soccer mom's with mid size families whose husbands commute in
> gridlock traffic everyday....)... They give me their deepest
> sympathy for owning
> GM cars... they truly feel pity for me.... Their cars work... mine don't
> simple as that.
>
> My girlfriends former car was a 1984 Honda... bought new and owned until
> 2002 (which
> was her daily commute car in a gridlock city where nothing moves ).
>
>
> not counting normal maintenance items... tires, brakes. fluid changes,
> which she never
> did anyway unless absolutely necessary
>
> After 18 years
>
> Wheel Bearing 300.00
>
>
> This tells me a lot.

It tells me a lot too. Your a moron. If you don't like GM's, why do you
keep buying them? Just to you can bitch and moan about it? Get a life.
 >> Stay informed about: GM to pay in coolant repair cases