The Saga of My Grand Prix
by Kevin on Tuesday, July 29 at 1:19 PM GMT-4
I really do want to like my Grand Prix, and I certainly did when I purchased it. It's really making me try hard lately though.
While the car has never stranded me anywhere, it has had an unusual number of problems with it. The main one that I am the most concerned with is a persistent 'rattle' when the car is under accelleration. I've had the car in 5 times to Carroll Pontiac about this and they have yet to fix it. Their original theory was spark knock so they charged me labor to pour in a bottle of fuel injector cleaner (at almost triple the price for the actual cleaner) and told me to try different and better gas. It still does it on premium gas, so I think their theory is a little off. They've reprogrammed the PCU the last 3 times it has been in.
It's currently sitting there being poked at. The service consultant actually asked me how much time I wanted them to put into looking at the problem. I told her "I don't want you to look at the problem, I want you to fix it" to which I received a blank stare. I was also told that the fact that the car idles at ~1500rpm is normal for a Grand Prix. Yes, I'm sure it's supposed to require the same rpm to keep the car at an idle as it does to travel 90kph. She also told me they tend to sound like a diesel when they start up, even the new ones. That's some serious product endorsement right there. She at least couldn't argue that it's supposed to stall frequently on start up like it does though.
This is obviously frustrating but aggravated by the fact that when I started taking this in it was under warranty, and now it is not.
I have to say it's a problem when not only are the products that GM make just plain shoddier but also when their dealers can't seem to fix problems after many stabs at it. My next step is to complain to GM though I doubt that will make much of a difference.
While the car has never stranded me anywhere, it has had an unusual number of problems with it. The main one that I am the most concerned with is a persistent 'rattle' when the car is under accelleration. I've had the car in 5 times to Carroll Pontiac about this and they have yet to fix it. Their original theory was spark knock so they charged me labor to pour in a bottle of fuel injector cleaner (at almost triple the price for the actual cleaner) and told me to try different and better gas. It still does it on premium gas, so I think their theory is a little off. They've reprogrammed the PCU the last 3 times it has been in.
It's currently sitting there being poked at. The service consultant actually asked me how much time I wanted them to put into looking at the problem. I told her "I don't want you to look at the problem, I want you to fix it" to which I received a blank stare. I was also told that the fact that the car idles at ~1500rpm is normal for a Grand Prix. Yes, I'm sure it's supposed to require the same rpm to keep the car at an idle as it does to travel 90kph. She also told me they tend to sound like a diesel when they start up, even the new ones. That's some serious product endorsement right there. She at least couldn't argue that it's supposed to stall frequently on start up like it does though.
This is obviously frustrating but aggravated by the fact that when I started taking this in it was under warranty, and now it is not.
I have to say it's a problem when not only are the products that GM make just plain shoddier but also when their dealers can't seem to fix problems after many stabs at it. My next step is to complain to GM though I doubt that will make much of a difference.
The final straw for this car has to be it's resale value. I was recently looking at a Mazda5 to better accommodate getting Gabe in and out of the car, and the dealer offered me $5000 for a car that stickered at $32,000 less than 4 years ago.
I really hate jumping on the 'Domestic Cars Suck' bandwagon, but given this is my third GM product and they have gotten progressively worse in terms of required maintenance, I'm pretty sure I won't be buying another GM.
I really hate jumping on the 'Domestic Cars Suck' bandwagon, but given this is my third GM product and they have gotten progressively worse in terms of required maintenance, I'm pretty sure I won't be buying another GM.
