Small stuff starting to add up...

[TurtleOverlord]

Speaking of wiper arms, TSB# 16-NA-113
"Some customers may comment that the driver side wiper streaks and/or leaves marks on the windshield."

Im thinking about ordering the updated arms... but idk if I care enough.

 

[mja]

One friend who just sold her Versa due to it intermittently dying on the freeway and the steering wheel locking up. Multiple times. Apparently this is not uncommon in the Versa. (How is Nissan not being sued for this?) She took it to the dealer and was quoted 3.5k$ for a transmission. Not even related to the electrical issue. lol.

Another who had her cvt transmission replaced in a Honda Fit within 1 year. She drives like a grandma. lol.

Small cheap cars aren't pretending to be something they're not. Try your luck with a different brand if you don't like it. I'll take my chances with the Sonic. opcorn:

 

[Ponchoguy]

Whew . . nice work.

Better than the earlier posts but still not all factual, just some news accounts. As I said, some lower seniority workers were offered either layoff or take the $14 . . which included regular $2 to $3 raises over time. So water under the bridge. They now make scale wages. Those were dire times if you recall. In 2009/09 GM burned through nearly all reserve cash on hand in the billions because of the bank and credit failings perpetrated by those wonderful Wall St. investment bank gurus and creative "financial products" like credit swap derivatives and more.

People can feel how they want to feel and believe what they want to believe.

Sorry that you do. Busy day here . . . enough of this sport. . . opcorn:

I agree, you won't change my opinion and I won't change yours. If I was making $30 an hour and now you tell me (even if it was years ago), "Ok Ponchoguy----you're now going to make $14 an hour. Don't like it? Well, some Korean will grovel for that job. Take it or leave it".

No matter how you "package" it, a pay cut doesn't work and most people will be angry about it and those angry people were making my 2012 Sonic. LOL.

The problems that I have (and others) have had in such low mileage is not normal. It's indicative of cheap components and a poorly screwed together car. As another poster said, I'm not expecting a Cadillac (or Rolls, or whatever brand you insert here), but I'm expecting a car I can depend on following the manufacturer's service intervals. I expect it to last and not let me down.

 

[Ponchoguy]

One friend who just sold her Versa due to it intermittently dying on the freeway and the steering wheel locking up. Multiple times. Apparently this is not uncommon in the Versa. (How is Nissan not being sued for this?) She took it to the dealer and was quoted 3.5k$ for a transmission. Not even related to the electrical issue. lol.

Another who had her cvt transmission replaced in a Honda Fit within 1 year. She drives like a grandma. lol.

Small cheap cars aren't pretending to be something they're not. Try your luck with a different brand if you don't like it. I'll take my chances with the Sonic. opcorn:

Nissan has always made heaps. Not hard to fix, just heaps. My ex-gf's Altima was a real junker, rotten floors after 8 years (due to a defect that Nissan acknowledged) among other problems.

I never was a Honda fan, although I will say that collectively Nissan/Honda/Toyota and others woke up the American automotive industry. Were they "better"? Perhaps, perhaps not. But they were consistent. They listened to their customers. They handled problems without the old "GM shuffle".

My coworker had a '76 Monte Carlo that had a chronically leaky windshield. GM told him "you're beat". He had a Honda with an oil leak problem. Honda handled it right away and worked with him. He never bought a GM vehicle again. That type of customer service (or lack of it) is what made GM lose market share.

 

[JTee2017]

I agree, you won't change my opinion and I won't change yours..

Yes . . so why keep carrying on several days later?

Want the "last word"?
Ok just type a post in the thread here that says: "Last Word"

Call it a day and eat some - - -opcorn:

 

[JTee2017]

One friend who just sold her Versa due to it intermittently dying on the freeway and the steering wheel locking up. Multiple times. Apparently this is not uncommon in the Versa. (How is Nissan not being sued for this?) She took it to the dealer and was quoted 3.5k$ for a transmission. Not even related to the electrical issue. lol.

Another who had her cvt transmission replaced in a Honda Fit within 1 year. She drives like a grandma. lol.

Small cheap cars aren't pretending to be something they're not. Try your luck with a different brand if you don't like it. I'll take my chances with the Sonic. opcorn:

Good points.. . Some here apparently are closet Honda/Toyota/Nissan fan bois so they like to constantly rag on GM.

Remember the infamous "Toyota Shuffle"? " - - -

* - "Your Camry accelerated because you stepped on the gas by mistake instead of the brake pedal. Oh? You were not stepping on the gas pedal and the car kept going faster? Then it must be your floor mats. You installed them wrong. Oh? Your floor mats were in the trunk? " - *

Ok . . .. wait for it - - -

And yet - -- there it is - - - *The Last Word * - -

- - - - - - - V - - -V - - - V

 

[Ponchoguy]

Yes . . so why keep carrying on several days later?

Want the "last word"?
Ok just type a post in the thread here that says: "Last Word"

Call it a day and eat some - - -opcorn:

No one wants the last word, I could care less. The Sonic is an appliance to me, just like a washer and a dryer. But, we can respectfully disagree on our opinions and still shake hands like gentlemen.....

 

[mja]

Nissan has always made heaps. Not hard to fix, just heaps. My ex-gf's Altima was a real junker, rotten floors after 8 years (due to a defect that Nissan acknowledged) among other problems.

I never was a Honda fan, although I will say that collectively Nissan/Honda/Toyota and others woke up the American automotive industry. Were they "better"? Perhaps, perhaps not. But they were consistent. They listened to their customers. They handled problems without the old "GM shuffle".

My coworker had a '76 Monte Carlo that had a chronically leaky windshield. GM told him "you're beat". He had a Honda with an oil leak problem. Honda handled it right away and worked with him. He never bought a GM vehicle again. That type of customer service (or lack of it) is what made GM lose market share.

A friend of mine who's still greasing in the shop told me Honda hand built a lot of their car motors until sometime in the 80's. Not sure if that's true, but Honda engine quality has dropped off a lot since the 90's. Not so much that the engines are bad now at all, but others have caught up. I doubt a new Honda can redline for about 75% of the time and last years that way. The old ones could.

Some dealers will work with the customer some won't. GM and also Ford are pretty notorious for dropping the ball after warranty. I think Lexus was the first company to offer the personal service that's trickled down and is expected for all cars today. They still service and hold up their end on certified cars out of warranty, if all work has been done at the dealer.

 

[mja]

Good points.. . Some here apparently are closet Honda/Toyota/Nissan fan bois so they like to constantly rag on GM.

 

[JTee2017]

. . . . .

That's the thing. Service after buying a car or truck falls on the dealer.

Out of 15 or 16 dealers I've purchased from, I can recall only 3 that really were unreliable or outright dishonest. One was a Pontiac dealer '87, one a Subaru dealer '90, and one a Toyota dealer 2001.

I won't go into the details. . the stories are too long and just will pizz me off again anyway. But the Toyota dealer was the worst. Basically, they rendered poor service from oil changes to tire rotates and worse. Parts were even stolen off some vehicles. They actually were cited by Toyota for charging customers for covered warranty repairs. They almost lost their franchise because of that but managed to explain it away as "accounting errors" or something like that. A lot of customers left them during that time.

I must say, the last two Chevy dealers I've had are very commendable. Perhaps, because they also are Cadillac/Buick dealers and I think some of that bleeds over.

 

[Papasonic]

That's the thing. Service after buying a car or truck falls on the dealer.

I must say, the last two Chevy dealers I've had are very commendable. Perhaps, because they also are Cadillac/Buick dealers and I think some of that bleeds over.

I live near 3 fairly large Chevy exclusive dealers. Because they compete for business, they all are very professional and accommodating. I've dealt with 2 of the 3; have nothing bad to say with either.

 

[mja]

JTee - I dont have the experience that you and Papa have in buying cars at a dealer, but I was impressed with GM service department with the Sonic. At first I thought they were being nice for me to have a good 'GM experience', then I thought the guy I went to must not understand what a Sonic is, then I figured out that GM service is really good.

Lexus (not Toyota) did take care of their customers in the early 2000s by offering free basic maintenance plans and real extended warranties while giving out loaners as standard practice and sweet talking them. I think this is part of what led other luxury brands to imitate them and now GM brands are winning the same service awards.

The problem I had with Lexus owners with *well kept* cars was theyd come in wanting an oil leak repaired or something small in their 8 year old ES which had ran out of the 4-6 year warranty. I just had to prepare myself for the bitchfest that would start cuz its the first repair bill they had to foot in almost 10 years. I notice this is how a lot of people are becoming about cars, esp ones with good service departments, everything should be handed to them without pay.

 

[Ponchoguy]

The Chevy dealer by me has been "OK" with some prodding. They were for a time the only GM dealer in my borough of NYC. Now, we have a Buick dealer about a mile away, so there's some "offload" and relief for them.

 

[mja]

Poncho - I hear ya, we have about 4 GM dealers I've been to around Houston. One called Classic Chevrolet is by far the best and I don't waste my time with others for anything, even buying small parts. I'll pass up 2 other dealers heading across town to them. Customer service sells.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Poncho - I hear ya, we have about 4 GM dealers I've been to around Houston. One called Classic Chevrolet is by far the best and I don't waste my time with others for anything, even buying small parts. I'll pass up 2 other dealers heading across town to them. Customer service sells.

I'm in one of the NYC boroughs, so real estate here is tight/valuable and a lot of the car dealerships have consolidated. We used to have every brand of GM here when I was growing up. Now we have two GM dealerships in my area.

 

[suitcasejefferson]

I drive a 1964 Ford Fairlane. I have a lot less problems with it than I do with my 2013 1.4 turbo Sonic. People are crazy when they say new cars are better. I bought my Sonic with 51,000 miles on it. Between 51,000 and 74,000 I spent over $1500 in repair PARTS. I am a mechanic and did the labor.

1. I totally and completely flushed out the DEXKILL with distilled water and put in Prestone OAT.
2. Replaced water pump
3. Replaced thermostat
4. Replaced water outlet assembly
5. Replaced coolant reservoir
6. Replaced purge valve
7. Replaced cam cover because of PCV valve failure
8. Replaced intake manifold because of check valve failure
9. Replaced PCV valve at turbo inlet
10. Replaced leaking oil line to turbo
11 Replaced battery. Yes that's maintenance, but it cost $300 when the battery for my Fairlane cost less than $100. What's the difference?
12. Had all 4 wheel realigned. Replaced one bent rear control arm. These things are made of cheap stamped steel (or is it tin) 4 good tires ruined, had to replace all of them and pay for TPMS valve stems.
13. Just found my windshield washer no longer works, front and rear. Reservoir is full. Likely the pump failed.
14. 3 headlight bulbs have failed.


I also own a 1983 Chevy S10 Pickup with the 2.8 engine /5 speed. It has 388,000 miles on it (and no oil leaks) and it has caused me less trouble during all that time and mileage than the Sonic has in less than a year and under 23,000 miles. I'm done with GM, and probably late model cars period. I only bought the Sonic to help out a family member. I am a vintage car guy. And nobody is going to tell me new cars are "better" I have the experience to know better.

 

[JTee2017]

* * - yawn - * *opcorn:

 

[Pirate Luke]

I always enjoy seeing a thread dedicated to *****ing on "A Chevy Sonic Enthusiasts Forum".