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Comments: 1-15, 16-20
The service four wheel drive light came on after I had the vehicle for about three days and again in each of the three days following. I took it into the dealership and they kept it overnight. It didn't store a code and they couldn't get it to happen again. They gave it back to me for the weekend with the instruction to bring it back on Monday. I did. They had it for another three days with no progress. They had me come and get it because they couldn't figure out what had caused the light to come on. As I was pulling out of the dealership the light came on again so I turned around and they were able to pull the code. They had it for another day and followed what they were supposed to do for the given code. Everything appeared normal so they still didn’t know what to do. They gave it back to me with the explanation that they wrapped some wires with electrical tape and that may or may not fix the problem. So it spent the entire second week I had it in the shop.
I also had concerns about a noticeable grinding feeling in the brakes at 10mph. It feels like the pads have worn down to the wear indicators, but they claimed that they can't feel anything. There is also a vibrating feeling and sound associated with the brakes. It feels and sounds like a light ABS cycle. When this occurs at night the lights dim down. They associated it to the mechanical break pump. The H3 uses an electric pump rather than a quieter, smoother vacuum pump found in other cars. I later found out that this pump is designed to only come on during harder stops to maintain pressure in the lines. Mine is coming on every time the brakes are applied. It comes on while coasting to a stop sign or pulling into my garage or if I’m stopped and in park. They don’t know what to do about that either.
I also noticed a crack in the roof rack the day I picked it up. They said that they would order the new part for me and have it put on. While talking with the service adviser I found out that this is a common issue and the original supplier so no longer being used. Because of this the new parts won't be available until mid June, if I can get the first ones coming out.
Yesterday I noticed a ticking sound coming from the engine. I talked with a coworker who has an H3 and he said that his wife was complaining about the same noise for a couple weeks. He drove it in to work today and can hear the same thing that I am. I called the service department and he stated that the ticking is normal. Come on! I didn't get a brand new car to listen to ticking!
On the plus side, the vehicle has pretty decent fit and finish for a GM. GM is notorious for scary soft brakes and mushy suspension to go along with dead, numb steering. The H3 has firm suspension and tight steering. It also has firm seats with nice side bolsters which is hard to find in a GM. Is this enough to overcome all the other issues that I have already encountered in less than three months? NO! The H3 is only good for looking at. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that this is a lease and they will have their piece of crap back in two years. With that said, this will be a very long two years. Sometimes the GM employee discount looks good on paper, but I should have gotten a Honda.
Your comments sound like you disliked the vehicle before you even brought it home.
You also sound heavily biased against GM.
Sorry about your bad luck with the vehicle, but after reading your review, I'm not sure I believe you.
You are correct. I am heavily biased against GM. The first GM car I had was an 03 Saab 93. I used my family discount on that and got a great deal and a great car. Saab didn't change enough to the car for me to consider it again when my lease was up. I had no intention on getting another GM. Then I saw the deal that I could get on this H3 with my discount and it fit into my budget. It looked different enough to make it tolerable for a couple years and the lease payments are cheaper than the other vehicle that was on my shopping list. I was excited about it for the first couple days until the newness wore off and the reality set in. I think this will be the last time that I let low payments pull the blinders over me.
Isn't the idea of this website for people to write reviews of their cars and not argue over the way the article is written. I appreciate the original review/survey and think the writer is being honest. Why would anyone take time to go onto a website, write a well written review of a vehicle (which this one obviously is) just to say that he's got a thing against GM. He was honest that he liked the look of the vehicle and was excited about it when he first got it. Then the novelty wore off and now he realizes the weaknesses of the vehicle. Again, that's what this website is for. To get an idea of people's perceptions on vehicles that they have bought, before you go out and buy it. So what if he has a bias against GM. You know what, I have a GM car and a Japanese car. And the commenter is right, I have had some problems with the Japanese car, but not as many, and not as major, as my GM car. Any body that has issues with certain products will develop a bias, its based on experiences. My experience (bias) is that (some) GM cars are poorly built and not to the quality as other vehicles out there. It seems to me that the commenter has a bias against any other car that isn't GM. To the original reviewer, thanks for you review, you reiterated what I have heard about the Hummer H3, and helped me make a more educated decision.
Maybe the idea is to make a more educated decision.
So if you now feel more educated great. Examples of your education.
The reviewer says the brakes feel like they're grinding, but the trained mechanics can't feel it.
The reviewer makes highly subjective determinations about the brake pump in his H3 based on his opinions and not facts.
The reviewer says he noticed a ticking sound, weeks after purchasing his vehicle that the mechanics say is normal and was probably there since delivery. The reviewer then says, "Come on! I didn't get a brand new car to listen to ticking!
This review might be well written in your mind, but to me it's sounds like whining. Numb steering, it's an SUV not a BMW.
Either the vehicle has all kinds of problems the mechanics really don't know how to fix (unusual, read the other reviews of this vehicle here) OR he is making a big deal about nothing issues (this is more likely in my opinion).
You may notice that I had actually mentioned that the steering was pleasantly tight. I will also admit that it may sound like I am whining. This is my fifth new car and I have never had one that felt so old so quickly. Someone who is used to GM vehicles may not feel the same things that I am. Which is probably why the techs don't feel anything. I drove a coworker's H3 on Friday and all the things that are going on in mine are going on in his. So with the exception of the service four wheel drive light mine isn't all that unique. He hasn't noticed some of the things that I have, but he has had GMs before. My thoughts are that if you have owned Gm cars all your life and don't know any differently you may very well like the H3. If you have ever owned an import you may not like the H3. GM has made some headway. The interior of the H3 is much more solid than that of the H2. However, they keep making improvements over their previous vehicles and not over their competition. It's just sad to see that a vehicle that has so much potential was executed so poorly.
I was 4 wheeling with a 4 Runner, he was not able to negotiate over some of the same terrain that I was, without winching.
I think the H3 has advantages over it's competition that the writer of this review has no idea about. I think some of those reasons are the basic idea of why GM built this vehicle.
If you're comparing a SAAB to a Hummer, it's really apples to oranges.
So you're saying we should ignore all the bad Hummer reviews here (which prove all models are highly unreliable) because "all cars are unreliable".
Sorry, does not fly. Not all imports are perfect, but overall they are vastly superior to anything America turns out.
If Hummer was made by Toyota you would be saying what crap it is.
The original reviewers bias is obvious, as are the statements made since.
This review is less a review of the vehicle, as it is an anti-GM (Hummer) statement.
It is implied that GM owners are less (discerning, intelligent, experienced, sophisticated) than owners of foreign cars. The reviewer wishes to be placed in the imported is better camp, it is almost snobbery by the reviewer. Personally, I think his/her pride is slightly misplaced for an American.
How did the reviewer get a family discount on GM products?
I own an H3, I have owned Jeeps, a Nissan Pathfinder, A Toyota 4Runner, a Land Rover Defender, a Suzuki Samari (highly modified), Chevy and Ford 4x4 trucks and an International Scout (also modified).
I have also owned a 300Z, a 280ZX turbo, a Corvette, and a Trans Am.
Without doubt, I had some problems with all of them. I absolutely had the MOST problems with the imports!
I loved the Defender (incredible 4X4) but it cost a fortune to keep running. I blew the lawn mower engine in the Suzuki and replaced it with a GM 305, (ran great after that). The Pathfinder was worthless as a truck, and the 4Runner was the best of the imported bunch. The 280ZX blew up the turbo ($), even though I babied the stupid thing.
Foreign cars don't work any better than domestic cars.
As a mechanic, I totally agree with the last comment. The Hummer H-3 is no worse, and probably better, than most imports, and GM, as well as the other "big 3" American auto makers are building vehicles that are, overall, much less expensive to own and maintain and also deliver as good or better overall performance than their foreign competition. The myth of foreign car superiority is mostly due to massive advertising budgets of the Japanese companies and car magazines that are biased due to high advertising revenue from these companies.
I find it amusing to see how these reviews are scored by readers.
The readers here have the opportunity to score how well written a review is. Those scores reflect which reviews are shown first. The rest are placed in the "other reviews of this vehicle" category.
The overwhelming number of H3 reviews are positive as opposed to negative. However these reviews are scored lower generally by the readers.
This is either because the readers honestly feel the negative reviews are better written OR because the majority of readers identify with that point of view, whether they own an H3 or not.
Cracks me up because a commenter from above states that the H3 is "proven to be highly unreliable" even though that is exactly the opposite of what the majority of reviewers have written here.
I must admit that the H3 Hummer has been a rather unexpected surprise.
Working for a Hummer Limo service, I have driven 2003-2006 H2 Hummers for almost 500,000 miles and I am unbelievably amazed at what this vehicle can do and at 13 mpg cannot wait till GM adds the new 6.2L motor and 6 speed trans - expect mpg around 18!!
I have driven 100,000 miles in one year with 2 sets of tires (50k per set despite the poor tread design), 1 set of brakes (100k per set), only 3 failures (out of service each time for ONE DAY - power steering pump, fuel pump and Air-suspension)
WOOW - 100k miles and only 3 days down!!!
However, it is amazing that after 3 years the same problems occur in all 4 model years: defective power sterring pumps, noisy-defective fuel pumps, Air-suspension pump (Fixed in 2005 model), broken door panels - very poor interior fit/quality and poor road tires - no rain channels.
Rumour has it that the 2008 with also get a major interior upgrade similar to the H3. Woow, if they really do this:
New motor 400hp with 6 speed - 18mpg like the Escalade
New Interior like H3
New power steering design like H3
New fuel pumps like H3
New tires like H3.
Then the 2008 H2 will be maybe the BEST VEHICLE I HAVE EVERY OWNER AND OR DRIVEN, and I have owned Mercedes ML430, ML500 and BMW X5 and Infiniti QX45 and others.
The H3 is truly amazing for a FIRST YEAR GM Product.
Lets see, if GM could only:
1. Fix the stupid door panel power windows placement - the dealer refers to it as the "CLAW EFFECT".
2. Fix the stupid seat controls that you cannot reach with the door closed.
3. Put in a serious 6 cylinder (275hp from Trailblazer) with 6 speed transmission
4. Add 2 rear facing seats in the rear - like most other SUV's from the Japan world have.
Again, then the H3 would be amazing!!
Go GM go!! Maybe I will not buy another German or Japanese product if you can keep doing this!!
The "Ticking" noise happens on most cars after you switch off the hot engine and the exhaust system cools down and contracts, making the noise as relative movement takes place between components.
It might be annoying to some, but it's quite normal and harmless.
The H3 will not be taken seriously until it has a real motor under the hood. An inline 5 cylinder? Come on GM, what were your engineers thinking? Is there a good reason why the I6 from the Trailblazer is not the standard motor? Will the I6, or even the small V-8 from the full size truck line not fit in there?
To 9th of September 6:26.
Imaginary, I think not. 2001 Honda Accord, several major problems.
1. The cars' computer fried and had to be replaced at least once.
2. The front passenger door has routinely gotten stuck closed, has had to be fixed twice, when three of us rode in the car, two had to squish in the back seat because the front passenger door would not open.
3. The window in the front passenger just seems to like falling inside the door, also needs to be fixed.
You may claim to "have yet to see one" that's a lemon, but the fact is, you wouldn't see it if it came up and ran over your foot, because you think that a brand is superior just because it isn't American. And I would love to know where your proof that foreign cars have "far fewer problems as a whole" is, no let me guess, Consumer Reports? "Sigh".
But back to the topic at hand, I would agree that the H3 has an underpowered engine, although I have heard that it still has great low-end torque for off roading. The 4.2L from the trailblazer would definitely help a lot, as would a 4.8 or 5.3 V8. You would probably get better gas mileage too with the 4.2 liter, considering it would no longer be underpowered.