GM to provide 5 year/100,000 mile power train warranty on 2007

[DainBramaged]

models across the board.

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewpressreldetail.do?domain=2&docid=28433

General Motors today announced the best warranty of any full-line automaker, with coverage up to 100,000 miles or five years across its entire 2007 car and light-duty truck lineup in the United States and Canada, reflecting its success in dramatically improving the quality and durability of its vehicles.

GM’s new 100,000 Mile Warranty coverage is a fully transferable five-year, 100,000-mile power train limited warranty with no deductible. GM also has decided to expand its roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs to match the power train warranty term. Altogether, it’s the best coverage in the auto industry.

The new warranty will apply retroactively to 2007 GM cars and trucks already sold.

For non-power train components, GM’s Bumper-to-Bumper New Vehicle Limited Warranty remains in effect: four years or 50,000 miles for Buick's, Cadillacs, Hummers and Saab's, and three years or 36,000 miles for Chevrolet's, GMCs, Pontiacs and Saturns.


Gee, a Domestic, putting their warranty where their mouth is. What warranty does the big Japanese three offer their customers?

Have at it, this will be fun to watch.

PS Consumer Reports,

pound salt.

[Mythsaje]

1. Hyundai (Korean) give a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty...

That's a bit better, in my opinion...

[DainBramaged]

2. How many people really drive only 10000 miles a year?

And ask Humpday owners how old their Humpers are? Not just a small sampling, but the overall population? look it up, the information is out there.

[ReadTomPaine]

25. Plenty of people lease at around 10K miles per year, but point taken! n/t

[EvolveOrConvolve]

37. My "humper" as you call it

is 2 years old, without a single mechanical problem. My wife's Hyundai is about 3 months old, and runs like a charm. Her old vehicle was a '95 Elantra, which we sold after having ZERO mechanical problems. At the same time she purchased the Elantra, I bought a '95 Chevy Suburban; I spent more on repairs with the goddamn American made piece of shit than I actually paid for the thing in the first place.

I don't give a shit what GM is doing with their warranties - I won't buy one until they prove that they can build vehicles that are environmentally responsible and that don't fall apart.

[DainBramaged]

44. Fine, buy foreign, make a Union family homeless

[EvolveOrConvolve]

48. Nice thinking

My car was built with nearly 100% American workers and American-made parts. Korean and Japanese car companies are known for treating their employees very well, while still maintaining profitability and making environmentally wise decisions in their engineering.

American auto companies used the SUV (bigger, better, badder) strategy for years, the quality of American made cars is poor compared to foreign automobiles, and those same American companies outsource far more of their labor to sweat shop countries than do their foreign counterparts.

I made the correct PROGRESSIVE decision buying a Hyundai rather than a GM automobile manufactured in Mexico or South America.

[DainBramaged]

49. Booooo, America hater, boooo. I bet you shop at Wal Mart too!

[EvolveOrConvolve]

55. Nope, CostCo and a locally owned grocery store

If I wanted to support Chinese sweat labor, I'd buy an American made car.

[DainBramaged]

57. Boo Union hater, boooo, make another Union family homeless

[EvolveOrConvolve]

62. Wow, you've made your point

You are truly a wonder. I don't know where I'd be at without your direction.

[politicat]

63. My Hyundai was built in Alabama by UAWs with 87% American parts.

I should buy a Ford or GM built in Mexico with non-union labor and parts from Brazil and Indonesia? Badging means nothing to me anymore. I'm buying a diesel Jetta made in Pennsylvania with UAW labor next time...

Given the choice, I made the best one I could. Besides, neither GM nor Ford had a car that would get the mileage I wanted when I bought my Accent, and they had rotten warranties.

[Kingshakabobo]

6. That's because they screwed so many people over when....

....Hyundai first entered the US market. Their quality was so bad that banks refused to lend on them after a while. They HAD to give that extra warranty to redeem themselves.

[Mythsaje]

8. Which would be useless if they hadn't improved their product...

Which they have.

It's worthy of that warranty now.

[Kingshakabobo]

19. Yes, they have but the stigma lives on.......

Probably to a lesser extent from when I was in the business. Hyundai burned so many banks that I hard a hard time getting Kias financed just because of the Korean stigma.

Well, at least they weren't Yugos. I had a Friend who worked on a Yugo lot. He said, on snow days, when they were required to move the cars to plow the lot - 30% would start, 30% needed to be jumped and 40% weren't starting no matter what.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

15. And They've Been Doing It For Years Now Too.

[LTR]

16. It's non-transferable

If you sell the vehicle, it reverts to a 5 yr./60,000 mile warranty.

I'd say the new GM warranty is better. Helps resale.

[ReadTomPaine]

20. That's the reason GM's doing this.

Hyundai is growing quite a bit these days and is becoming a threat to the lower rung GM brands. The Sonata, for example, is a very nice vehicle in its class.

That 10/100K warranty moves a lot of vehicles off the showroom floor and is more persuasive to some than a GM sized rebate. Now the General has something to offer in return.

[dsc]

22. They require some large expenses to keep that warrenty up

For example they require a power flush of the transmission at 50k and replacement of the timing belt at 60k or 80k. My dad is not happy with those elements.

[Not Me]

3. My last two vehicles have been GM...

Oldsmobile Bravada and Oldsmobile Alero. These have been the most reliable, troublefree cars I have ever owned. The dealers I have dealt with are extremely customer focused.
I am keeping the Alero beyond what I expected to just because I like it so much.

And no, I don't work for GM or know anyone who does.

[Kingshakabobo]

7. Olds made a good car. So does Buick......(LeSabre-Park Avenue)

I worked at a Buick dealer for 10 years. Those old-timers coming in to buy a new buick every 2 or 3 years knew what they were doing when they purchased Buick for 30 plus years.

[RamboLiberal]

14. I have a Pontiac Vibe that's been great so far

Only warranty issue I had was a piece of roof molding that came loose. Right now I'm at 3+ years near 64,000 miles. Didn't have to do the disc brakes till over 50,000 and am still on original back drums and living in Pittsburgh area I'm constantly up and down hills plus stopping in traffic. Since I have a 6 year payment plan I'm hoping it will continue the good service for 120,000 miles.

I understand my Vibe shares it's base with the Toyota Matrix and is actually a Toyota platform with a Pontiac body which encourages me. I'm pleased with the car, the mileage and the dealer. My Vibe was built in Ottawa, Canada.

I'll consider another GM product when it comes time to trade if they have good mileage, good price, features I want, and the 100,000 mile warranty came in to play.

My family always bought Oldsmobiles till I switched in the 90's. Never had a lemon and only one had an engine problem when I blew a head gasket on a Quad 4 engine after 50,000 miles and I later got a reimbursement since GM determined the Quads had a problem. I didn't even have to fight for it. Only other problem I had was a wacky one with an 83 Hurst Olds that ate speedometer cables.

So I've been lucky and never had a big complaint with GM products.

[MercutioATC]

18. Your Vibe is great because it's a Toyota.

The Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix are both built at the same plant in California.

90% Toyota engineering.

[RamboLiberal]

26. Actually mine says made in Canada

It's a 2003. I said it's a Toyota platform with a Pontiac body shell. I may have misstated Ottawa, it may be Ontario now that I think about it. Toyota does make Matrix in Ontario.

[MercutioATC]

28. Interesting...a domestic/import/import...

I'm glad you're having a good experience with it, though. A friend of mine has a Matrix and she loves it.

[warrens]

4. Five minutes ago, there was no way I would buy GM

Now, I'd give em a shot. I would probably still end up at Toyota, but I'd go look at GM first.

[jseankil]

5. Good for GM, an American company.

This should boost their turn around faster.

[paparush]

9. They could really do something and not release a car/truck that

gets less than 40 MPG.

[gulfcoastliberal]

10. Not that I own one, but Suzuki's is 7 years/100,00 and I worked for Toyota

so I can tell you the rumor I heard is they are planning to up the powertrain warranties from 60 months/60,000 miles to 100,000 miles (don't know about how many months).

And if you buy a new Toyota, you can shop around Toyota dealers all over the country during the first 30 days after taking delivery for the cheapest platinum extended warranty (which is not only powertrain, but bumper-bumper - power windows, locks, computers, all that) which is 100,00 miles for around $900 - sometimes if you research well you can fnd it for $700 (your local dealer will usually try to sell it to you for around $1200-$1500 since that's a big way the finance guys pad their commissions - especially if you pay cash or have outside financing like a "PAL" - pre-approved loan check).

Toyota has no fear of the "domestics" (which are now mostly made in Mexico or Canada) but rather Hyundai because their quality and cheaper prices are considered a threat to Toyota's market share. And Hyundai's are made in Alabama - so they're a "domestic" auto producer, too. You can see their huge plant while driving north on I-65.

My Olds Alero came with the free 60 mo/60,000 mile "bumper-bumper" warranty and I used it at least 4-5 times and they denied me on 2 things that should've been covered but I didn't fight them on it since they were minor. The biggest thing they fixed was a cracked lower intake manifold gasket that was overtorqued at the factory so it failed at 45,000 miles. Took them 3 days to fix it since the engine had to come out but at least they gave me a free rental from Enterprise. Other GM vehicles without the extended warranty that had the 3.4 v6 (Chevy Venture, Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Grand Am, etc) that suffered the same factory defect cost them at least $1800 to fix plus they had to pay for alternate transport while it got worked on. So I'd say GMs need that 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Go out to a Toyota car lot and look at the Camry, Tacoma, Avalon, etc window stickers that say where the car is assembled and what percentage of parts are domestic or foreign. Then go to a GM or Ford lot and compare. I'll bet the Toyota vehicles are much more of a domesticly manufactured car (they just opened ANOTHER assembly plant for the new Tundra in Texas) than GM or Ford, who are closing plants and laying off workers like crazy. And don't blame GMs union and their pension - it is OVERFUNDED by billions. It's the stupid ass executive management that's driving these companies into the ground. Try doing a little research.

[DainBramaged]

31. Sell your Toyota's in a Toyota thread

This is about an American car company stepping up to the plate saying "we think our products are good enough to compete". If you want a Yoda, fine, but you disparage our Unions and the recovery of a TRUE domestic auto manufacture.

[Tyo]

11. GM has been losing market share for years

And it continues to do so. This warranty thing is their latest attempt to turn things around. Obviously all those offers of interest-free financing and big rebates haven't done the trick.

Of course if they had spent the last twenty or thirty years building stuff that people wanted to buy instead of building stuff that they thought people had an obligation to buy they'd be in quite a bit better shape than they're in now.

[DainBramaged]

32. So, it means you won't buy one, fine, keep sending our dollars to Japan

[Tyo]

39. Most of the top-selling "Japanese" models are made here...

along with quite a few Beamers and at least one Mercedes. If I did buy GM or Ford there'd be a good chance that my dollars would end up mostly in Canada or Mexico. And that aside, do I have some sort of patriotic duty to buy something that I think is crap simply because it is purported to be made here?

It's not like I haven't driven these things. I travel quite a bit and probably rent cars more than the average person. Believe me I've had some pretty extensive test drives in everything from a Focus to an Escalade and none of them has impressed me enough to make me want to buy one.

Sorry, if we are talking about supporting America then Ford and GM need to start building more stuff in America that Americans want to buy and they might try supporting American subcontractors and parts suppliers by upping the local content a little while they're at it.

[DainBramaged]

40. You foreign trade shills will never get it.

In the end, the money goes overseas. Period. And since you've given me the same old tired "if it's built here it's American" almost Repuke bullshit, let me ask you one question;

Are the foreign factories Unionized?

[Tyo]

47. Guess you're not interested in addressing my points.

But I'll address yours. Are you talking about the foreign factories here or the foreign (Ford and GM) factories in Canada and Mexico? I don't know if the Japanese and German factories here are unionized or not. I could just Google this, but based on your question I think that I can safely assume that they're not. If that's the case then your union organizers need to get off their asses and get busy. And if there are laws in effect that hinder the process of unionization then that's just one more thing we need to address once we have a democratically elected government again.

I've got no problem at all with unions. My problem is with the product. And by extension with those Americans who seem to believe that a given product is, simply by virtue of being branded "American", superior to any competing product made anywhere else in the world. So tell me, am I unpatriotic or a Republican (same difference) because based on my own needs, experience, and desire for value-for-dollar I have chosen to buy a non-GM/Ford vehicle?

[DainBramaged]

50. You chose a path that doesn't protect America or it's workers

Your beloved foreign manufacturers won't allow Union organization, so keep trying to rationalize your decision.

It is amazing how many so-called "progressives" are anti-Union and are only interested in their own pocket. Please, buy more foreign owned products. In the end, they will own America when the debt chit is called in.

Oh and regarding superiority of any product, perception and a good advertising agency goes a long way in influencing your decision, sort of like the propagandists of the Booshe mis-Administration.

[Tyo]

54. Okay, here goes

First of all I have no "love" for any car manufacturer, foreign or otherwise.

Secondly, I think I'm getting that your real point is that I have a patriotic duty to buy Union. Apparently it doesn't matter whether the union in question is building something that is any good or is what I want. The fact that it's union-made means I'd better buy it or I'm a traitor to the cause. And by the way, of course I rationalize. Isn't attempting to make rational decisions a good thing?

Thirdly, here is a chance for you to educate me. How is it that a car company or any company can ban union activity? Is this legal? If it is it shouldn't be. We need to make sure that unions have the all access they need to make their case and that the workers are allowed to freely decide without obstruction or intimidation or retaliation from the company.

Like I keep trying to tell you, I think unions are great and I'm hoping that when we clean out the present crew in Washington unions will start to flourish again. It's a specific type of PRODUCT that I'm not happy with.

Finally, I think you need to direct a little of your anger toward management.
Successive waves of top brass at Ford and GM have badly mismanaged their respective companies for a generation now and American workers, American consumers and America itself have suffered because of it.

[DainBramaged]

59. (Sigh) You made your choice, now the little children sleep on the street

[Tyo]

60. Beulah, peel me a grape.

I guess you'd better add me to your ignore list. I don't want to cause you any more pain. But as a parting promise, when either GM or Ford starts making something worth buying I'll be the first in line with my checkbook. In the meantime I'll continue to support unions who support me by making good stuff or doing good work rather than seeing themselves as a charity.

[DainBramaged]

64. Remember what the Slim Jim guy used to say?

[radwriter0555]

12. Scion's is at least that.

always has been.

[DainBramaged]

52. Scion is 3 years, 36,000 miles basic, 5 years 60,000 powertrain

You can buy an extended warranty (as with any manufacturer) but the point here, in spite of all the spit projected at GM, is that no other manufacturer has placed such a comprehensive powertrain warranty on a car in history without any strings attached, none.

[Justice Is Comin]

13. I read somewhere that the Chev Impala

was the 4th best selling car in America. Who knew. And the Cobalt was supposed to be a big seller for them too.

[DainBramaged]

41. And the 240 hp v6 version gets 34 mpg highway

and we've had customers report actual numbers closer to 35 without AC on.

[high density]

17. Now if they'd only make a car worth buying...

...They might actually make some money.

[ReadTomPaine]

30. GM has plenty of nice products...

Chevy & Cadillac in particular have some nice models, and Saturn & Pontiac are also pretty good these days. Some of the divisions are fielding better cars than they have in decades.

The problem isn't that the product is bad, it's that the competition is better. It's been an intensely competitive decade in the automotive market, and vehicles that would have been top of the class in sales just a few years ago are barely competitive now. GM is battling legendary management issues, perception problems and cash flow crunches. There is dwindling trust between the labor union and the corporate office, even talk of merger.

Considering all of this, I find the products coming out of GM these days remarkable. I can't blame people for looking elsewhere, but the improvements made by all of the big 3 are impressive nevertheless.

[DainBramaged]

33. Do you even drive???

[last1standing]

21. This is a great move that will bring back customers.

I've been driving foreign for years now because of the warranty offered by Hyundai. While I love the vehicles, I'd really like to drive domestic if possible so this will go a long way when I shop for a new car. I have been eyeing the Solstice but was worried about quality. I'll at least test drive it now.

[ThomWV]

23. Chrysler Products had that in 1965. My 99 Ford Truck Had It too.

[ReadTomPaine]

24. There are some great powertrains at GM these days.

From the ancient 3800 to the new turbo Ecotec on the low end to the premium 5.3, Northstar and 6.0 liter V8's, they have an impressive array of reliable powertrains available. This is a wise move.

[Mike03]

27. Should GM declare bankruptcy

GM is in serious financial trouble. Haven't their bonds been downgraded to junk status? Should they declare bankruptcy, I don't think they would be required to honor any promises they make at this point, pending litigation directing them to do otherwise. Look at how the airlines have abandoned their pension obligations. I'd be wary.

[DainBramaged]

34. Fine, don't buy one, then you don't have to worry.

[Rosemary2205]

29. Who freaking cares

I've bought 3 "big 3" in my lifetime and every one of them was limping at the 100,000 mile mark despite good maintainance. The GM even lost it's paint. Our 1960 something Bronco had the door handles start falling off within 3 months, had a horrible rust problem, and went through brakes like they grew on trees.

In contrast we are still using a 1976 Honda Civic with over 500,000 and the only problems ever have been normal wear and tear -- and even then the "big 3" have gone through brakes and clutches in fewer miles than the Civic. With the exception of a small rusty area in one tire well, the car still looks new.


While I wasn't always big on buy American, I was a convert in the 80's when manufacturing jobs started going south and east. But I have to say, any quality comparison between the big 3 and Toyota/Honda is laughable.

[DainBramaged]

35. Yada yada yada, and the Honda runs on cats chasing mice

on a turnstile.

DON"T BUY ANOTHER GM CAR IF YOU ARE BITTER. AND DON'T SLING THAT 60's CRAP. IT DOESN'T HOLD WATER. YOU ARE STILL LIVING IN THE ERA OF LEISURE SUITS. IT IS 2006 NOW.

[flvegan]

46. That's true, which is why for $21k, the Civic Si will

hand any GM product at that price point her ass.

Welcome to 2006. Guess those cats are on steroids.

And yeah, Automobile tested them head-to-head, so don't bother.

[DainBramaged]

51. You'll never buy an American car so why bother here?

Oh wait, you hate America and it's Unions, I get it.

You sling the same argument and same examples every time there is any good news on the american auto scene. So in honor of your hate America attitude, I welcome you to my ignore list.

[doc03]

36. If you buy a GM product you certainly will need a

warranty on it! That's just the power train, what about the poor fit and finish and overall shoddy workmanship. I test drove one last year, no thanks!

[DainBramaged]

42. Good, buy foreign, make a Union worker homeless.

Fit and finish my ass. If you drove one, you'd have told us what you drove. Another Repuke sounding generalization hits DU.

Why do you hate America?

[doc03]

61. I'll tell you what I drove, it was a Colorado

They took a good 4.3L V6 and replaced it with a noisy and crude 5 cyl that lacks the power I need to pull a boat in hill country. The front fenders can be easily bent by thumb pressure where they meet the hood in front. The fit and finish left a lot to be desired and there was a beer bottle or something rattling around in the passenger side door. I bought a Tacoma and after almost a year I know I made the right choice. Don't give me that UAW bullshit, the UAW had no problem using imported steel when my job in the steel industry was on the line a couple years ago. Now before you try and tell me GM doesn't use imported steel why was GM the first one to bitch about the steel tariffs.

[Selatius]

38. Why won't they insure for 10 years at 100,000 miles? n/t

[DainBramaged]

43. Because people don't keep a car for 10 years

and don't drive (on average) 10,000 miles or less a year. They have huge databases and customer lists to base their judgment on. We see 3 year old cars in NJ with 40, 50, 60 thousand miles on them as the norm. Commuting to the city or around the state eats up the miles.

[flvegan]

45. Uh, even Kia offers that warranty

Oh, and before you toss your "anti-union" rhetoric at me, please know that I wouldn't buy a brand new car to begin with. As a smart American, I wouldn't take the depreciation as a monetary kick in the balls.

BTW, aren't a whole lot of GM products actually built in Mexico? Sounds like offshoring to me. Doesn't Toyota have US plants? Isn't Honda building one? Probably lots of union folks there, huh?

For the record, I hope that this initiative helps GM. It's not them I don't like, it's your post.

[B3Nut]

53. Now GM needs to make better small cars

The Cobalt drives nice, and is the first GM car I've driven that had fit/finish approaching very good levels, but the trunk opening is too small to fit what I need in there, there's no way in hell I could have gotten my bass amp in there. Very poorly thought-out, it's a GM attempt at Americanizing a European (Opel) hatchback. IMHO they should have kept it a hatchback (the Cobalt is the Opel Astra in Germany) - I would have bought it despite the MPG not being quite what I wanted, it's that good of a road car. The only small hatchback GM offers is the miserable Aveo, a Daewoo-built car with meidocre-for-its-class fuel economy. The Ford Focus didn't get good enough MPG either, and Ford wouldn't bring over the new Focus they have in Europe, or their European Fiesta (a FANTASTIC little car!). Daimler-Chrysler has the Caliber, but with decent equipment was a little too expensive, not to mention hideous-looking.

I wanted to buy American, gave thenm first dibs (I was replacing my beloved Ford Escort ZX2, a Mexican-made Mazda Protege offshoot with a blue oval on its snout) but nothing they had fit what I needed. I ended up with a Kia Rio5 hatchback, which I'm racking up miles on like there's no tomorrow and it is bloody solid. I absolutely love it. The Big 3 need to get over their SUV kick and bring world-class B-segment cars to the US market. They're capable, they just haven't been willing. They're overdue for a wakeup. The new GM warranty is a positive step, but they need to address their lack of truly fine subcompacts. And IMHO Americans need to rediscover hatchbacks...so much more useful than notchback cars could ever be. And the domestic automakers should be grilled as to why they sell their best designs in Europe and leave Americans with the warmed-over leftovers like the old Focus, which only got a bad nose job while Europe got a kickass new one based on the Mazda3 chassis.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[tammywammy]

56. I agree about the hatchbacks

There's more cargo room in a hatch, than in a car with a trunk. And overall the car becomes more versitle. But, the American made hatchbacks, leave something to be desired.

GM and Detroit will eventually change things around (well, I hope). Otherwise they'll be left behind.

We have two Aveos on our pre-owned lot right now, a hatch and a regular. The fit and finish leave a lot to be desired, when inside the showroom is a brand new GTI & Rabbit. And it's little things, like the trunk liner and dashboard styling.

I hope for GM that this extra warrenty will revive interest in their brand, while at the same time GM is working hard to bring new models to the market.

[DainBramaged]

58. We get no Aveos back in trade here in NJ

And we usually wholesale all Volkswagen trades. We don't have the customer, and around here, people still talk about the sludge problem even though it was very limited. We have a 2004 Toureg trade in that we cannot sell. had it almost 6 months now. Have tried to sell it for $25000, $5000 under what we gave on the trade. Fully loaded. Even the Volkswagen dealers aren't interested. yet we can't keep the new Tahoe or Suburban on the lot. We've had 2 new 2006 Pathfinders, 3 3005 and 2 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokees, 2 Honda Pilots, and 2 Nissan Muranos traded on Tahoes alone.

Guess why they were all traded, 2 reasons;

Most room for larger families and E85 capable.

E85, the tonic of fools.