29th Mar 2011, 11:36

Some of the softer compounds wear much quicker on high end sports cars to stick better at higher speeds, meaning 20000 miles or less a set. I remember an Acura NSX wearing in as little as 15000 miles. No tire smoking involved.

29th Mar 2011, 14:37

Hmmmm, my domestic has 22K miles on it, and the tires look about half worn on it, and I am not sliding around corners with it. Usually the tires they put on cars from the factory are cheap to cut costs. My Ford has Khumo tires, which all of their line seems to have new. They aren't Michelins by any means! I can only assume you are running them past the point of passing inspection, or you are putting virtually all highway miles on them.

30th Mar 2011, 01:06

Before you boast about the GM powertrain warranty, you should really be updated on the fine print of this 5yr/100K limited powertrain warranty as described: http://www.chevrolet.com/owners/warranty.html

Exclusions: "Excluded from the powertrain coverage are sensors, wiring, connectors, engine radiator, coolant hoses, coolant and heater core. Coverage on the engine cooling system begins at the inlet to the water pump and ends with the thermostat housing and/or outlet that attaches to the return hose. Also excluded are the entire pressurized fuel system (in-tank fuel pump, pressure lines, fuel rail (s), regulator, injectors and return line) as well as the Engine/Powertrain Control Module and/or module programming."

Boy, was my sister in for a surprise on her near new Chevrolet that just was outside of the 36K miles limit on the bumper to bumper warranty. The control unit on the transmission was fishy and it took $2000 worth of diagnosing and parts to fix it. And of course no coverage. That's GM for you folks.

31st Mar 2011, 11:27

So what you are saying is that GM engine block and actual transmission are covered. Since I drive a lot more than 15,000 miles a year, it's nice to know.

1st Apr 2011, 10:26

Warranties are all basically up to the dealerships unless you take the manufacturer to court. In our area we have had Toyota and Chrysler dealerships that refused to honor the 36-month warranty (I know because I had one). On the other hand, our Ford and GM dealerships (all we will buy now) have repaired items that were well out of warranty at no charge. Try to check out the dealership's reputation before buying any car.

1st Apr 2011, 12:22

Not true. ANY dealership that is a representative of an auto manufacturer is liable for warranty work. If a dealer is known to refuse to do warranty work, they probably won't be around for long. The manufacturer will eventually revoke their dealer agreement if they aren't representing their company as they should be.

It doesn't make any sense for a dealer to refuse these repairs anyhow. They are covered by the factory, and generally don't cost the dealer itself anything.

1st Apr 2011, 12:28

When I sit in waiting rooms in service depts, I ask other private owners with same make and year as my own. You often see them pulling in. I have got a lot of truthful information that way. People are very willing to discuss one on one if they have the same car. Or if they are not buying another. I am also driving all domestics as well now. To me warranty is after the fact... ask a lot of other owners identical year and models, not what worked for them in the 80's and 90's, unless yours is the same.

2nd Apr 2011, 06:03

This sounds somewhat strange to me. Dealers are reimbursed for almost all of the warranty work by the manufacturer by a detailed system where there's a unit pricing by type of error/repair. Also, recalls are not covered by dealers, but by the manufacturer.

But for complex problems, dealers may be reluctant to spend time, since the time spent may be much higher than the manufacturers unit price for that type of error.

3rd Apr 2011, 11:17

In the late 80's, both my brother and I purchased new Dodges from a local Dodge dealership. We both encountered problems within the first couple of months. The dealership flatly refused to repair them. The manager actually told me "We won't fix it and there's nothing you can do about it". My brother filed a complaint with Chrysler. He never even received a response. He traded his Dodge for a Chevy. I opted to pay a private shop to have nine fixed and keep it. That is why we now buy only Ford or GM vehicles. Ford and GM have always honored our warranty.

4th Apr 2011, 10:29

Things surely have changed since the 80's in the auto business. Plus if one dealer refuses to fix it, go to another. You don't have to have your warranty work done at the dealer you purchased the car from.

Typically the dealer is required to fix things under warranty. The domestic car companies have enough bad press without dealers that refuse to do work they are obligated to do. Any dealer doing this today would be short lived for sure.

3rd Dec 2012, 10:16

You hit the nail on the head! I sold my wife's G35 coupe for a fuel efficient (and it is) 2010 Camry, but wow what a boring car. I am currently looking to get back into a car that is actually fun!

4th Dec 2012, 08:00

Is it possible that there is a fixed agreed total for a warranty repair? If the dealer does not complete it in a certain block of time, do they lose money? Is there a lot of paperwork and delay of payment by a manufacturer if one single element is missed? I put that out there, as I go through that with a different product getting reimbursed by the manufacturer. By the way, I drive GM and Ford.

14th Jan 2013, 20:58

I think it's wrong to judge any new car on predecessor models from 25 years ago... the entire industry has been revolutionized since then. I very much dislike most domestics from the 80's and 90's, but I have to admit that many of their newer offerings are very nice cars. I like a lot of newer imports, too. I think people should just drive a variety of competing cars when they are shopping a car, just to make the most informed decision possible. That's what I do.

All of the car companies are gigantic, global companies which use parts from all over the globe. And predicting future reliability based on old, outdated data can be a big mistake. Also, I would never buy a car solely because it may have a high resale value - to me that is ridiculous. I buy the car I like the best, based on many factors including driving enjoyment. I would hate to drive a car I didn't love, just because it is going to be worth a few thousand more in the end.

My parents purchases a new GMC this past weekend, and when I was there I got into some of the new Buick cars. They were gorgeous inside and out! Very expensive feeling interiors and stylish exteriors. I was shocked, because I used to make fun of the Tyco-grade plastics used in the old POS LeSabre's and Park Avenues from the 90's. Things change a lot in just a few years! Don't miss the best car for you, just because of preconceived notions.