Different Platform, Same Story (Warning: Whiny Person Venting)

[MDBT]

Some backstory; I don't have a garage to keep half assembled vehicles in or much room in an apartment complex parking lot to work on them. In addition my experience and tools are quite limited and I work a lot of varied hours so I end up farming out maintenance to local shops or dealerships at inflated costs. I don't drive often aside from maybe a weekly trip to the store, but I do take long trips out of state in the summer time when I need my vehicle to be unquestionably reliable. To this end I try to keep up with maintenance issues big and small. The frequency at which repairs were necessary was the very reason I got rid of my 1999 GMC Jimmy to begin with despite the fact that I enjoyed it very much and had no need or desire for anything bigger/different. The Jimmy cost me somewhere around $4500 in non-routine maintenance costs over 6 years. I consider tires, fluids, filters, wipers, etc to be a given. That total was before I ran out of money and left the vehicle in the hands of my Father in another state for a couple of months to work on it for me. He charged me nothing but the cost of the parts and a couple of very enjoyable Father-Son dinners for his time. After he was finished installing the pieces necessary to keep it running long enough to drive back home to Ohio like the MAF sensor, fuel pump, fuel filter, rear differential seal, and some other work that escapes my mind it still needed a new intake manifold and gasket, oxygen sensors, replacement of rotted vacuum lines, a catalytic converter, u joints, rear trans seal, and a heater core all before 125k miles most of which had been highway.

So I bought the Saab so that I could escape that cycle. Today I realized that the GMT360 is just another GM vehicle and therefore it's going to nickel and dime me to death just like my GMT330 did. I've had this Saab just shy of 4 months in which time it has been driven less than 400 miles and it seems as though something new breaks every other time I get behind the wheel.

I got in it this evening to find the clear plastic covering the instrument cluster has developed several cracks that were not there Saturday when I had been cleaning the interior. Quite possibly due to my use of an Armor All Glass Wipe I had been using on the windshield. If that's the case it would certainly be my fault for using a glass cleaner on plastic, a problem for which I claim ignorance as I had not encountered it using the same wipes on my GMC Jimmy. A bit frustrated but still having somewhere to be I rolled my windows down to enjoy the weather and the driver's side window made a lovely crunching sound as it tried to roll down, then wouldn't roll up, then finally did roll up with more crunching. Add that to the little trim pieces falling off, the flatspot in the left rear tire, the slip yoke that jerks you around when you stop and the lovely squeak I'm getting from one of the pulleys or the belt that disappears every time I pop the hood to find it and I'm not much better off with this than I was with my GMC Jimmy except the Jimmy was paid for.

I'm sure that many of you have never had these problems or possibly any at all and I look upon you with envy. I seem to be haunted by unreliability when all I really want is to be able to get in the car and enjoy the drive. Thank you for letting me share my frustrations with you complete strangers as my family have understandably become tired of hearing about my vehicle woes. I have been alternating between franchise third party shops and main dealers for the GMC, if anyone has any suggestions on good shops in the Columbus, Ohio area please do let me know. I need to get at least the window fixed before I leave to go out of state in two weeks.

 

[Sparky]

First time I've heard of the instrument panel lens cracking! That would bug me to no end... I'll keep in mind to not try to use any armorall wipes on mine

The only shop I have any experience with that I would trust is Tom & Jerry's Automotive Repair off Kenny Rd. I try to do most of my work myself if I can and thankfully most of the stuff that my vehicle has needed I can do. But that just means I don't have a lot of experience to recommend much around the area.

I wouldn't mind looking at a few of those things for you (window, plastic trim, pulley squeak) but I don't know if I have the time around my work schedule and my own set of projects I still have yet to get done...

I seem to remember the slip yoke being a simple lubrication issue. Some fresh grease is all it takes to fix it I think.

While it is frustrating I know, I do think your current list of issues is much, much more minor than the old vehicle. I'd trade those engine gasket issues for an annoying pulley squeak any day! And to be fair we can't really blame tire flat spots on the vehicle I guess I try to look for the positive or the "really not its fault" side of things. Maybe too much sometimes.

 

[Voymom]

I guess I try to look for the positive or the "really not its fault" side of things. Maybe too much sometimes.

I'm also very guilty of that as well. In fact I tend to blame all my vehicle woes on my husband, as it seems like every time he drives it something else breaks. I really don't think Phantom likes him at all

On a serious note, I know your frustration all to well. I have owned my Envoy for 4 months. I have replaced the blower motor, Thermostat, Serp Belt, Power Steering pump, and water pump, not to mention normal maintenance such as new wipers, washer fluid, etc. The water pump was just done a week and a half ago which resulted in 2 bolts breaking in the engine block rendering my ONLY vehicle/daily driver sitting in the drive way tore apart. Now, as I type this we have a rear HVAC actuator going out, or has finally died. My fan clutch needs replaced, my brakes have started squeaking horribly, my sway bar end links need to be replaced, and for some reason my truck can't stay at normal temp of 210...I'm guessing we need to change the temp sensor. Oh and we had to do an engine oil flush and clean the CPAS after my husband used Engine restore in it...which I think is why Phantom has been acting out towards my husband lately. But that's not all either...I have a bad clear coat/paint issue which is going to cost an arm and a leg to get a new paint job, which will need to be done eventually to keep body rust at bay. I also have a front fender that was smashed up at the dealership to replace. It seems like every time my husband drives this truck something breaks, and he is no lead foot unlike me. Thankfully my husband only has to work 3 days out of the week, and we have done everything to this truck ourselves. The only thing we won't be able to do on our own is the paint/clear coat job, which will have to wait until next year as I'm in the process of buying a new house, and planning a wedding ceremony. So trust me, I know the feeling of wanting to set these trucks on fire, stick it in neutral, push it down a cliff and claim it all on insurance, so you can get a new/used vehicle that is NOT GM/GMC/Chevy related, just to have a reliable, non money sucking leech. Oh and my truck isn't paid for either...unlike the vehicle I used to trade in for the Envoy.

The Envoy is only my second American made vehicle. My first was just as bad, if not worse. I had a Buick Rendezvous and apart from the unsatisfactory safety rating it received, the thing was just a pile of scrap. Something would break or go wrong every other freaking day. It SUCKED in the snow and ice, even on wet rainy roads with brand new expensive high quality tires. It had absolutely no get up and go, which is sometimes needed to get out of a possible bad situation. I had that truck for 6 months before I traded it in for my Envoy. I will admit that the Envoy wasn't my first choice. I wanted a Honda Pilot or something foreign as EVERY single foreign vehicle I owned was 10 times more reliable than that Buick was, plus the safety ratings were much higher, they had decent get up and go, and parts weren't nearly as expensive or elusive had something needed to be replaced.

BUT in the end I decided to give American made vehicles a second chance. Mind you I'm a bit disappointed by a few things, power being one, they seem to be cheaply made for a $40k+ vehicle brand new, and reliability. But the safety ratings, even though they scored marginal, is way safer than that Buick. It handles beautifully in all weather conditions/road conditions, and I feel much better putting my children in this vehicle than the Buick. Plus I'm a bit that I some how not once but twice bought a lemon. I looked LONG and HARD for the right Envoy, made sure I got car faxes, and took it for my own inspection by a different mechanic. But I still ended up with a vehicle that can make me pull my hair out, curse like a sailor, but strangely enough....love. I have NEVER been so fond, or loved any other vehicle like I do my Lemvoy(LemonxEnvoy) lol. I couldn't imagine not having this truck, or one like it ever, even with all it's bad moments, the good far out weighs the bad. I have been lucky to be able to do all the work on my own, so I haven't put nearly the amount of money into it as I would if I had to rely on shops or mechanics, so maybe that's why I haven't really broken down and had a mid life crisis yet

You have to remind yourself, that NO MATTER what vehicle you own, no matter who made it, where it came from, and whether it's brand spankin new or used to the point of exhaustion, ANY vehicle can have issues, and some have had major issues, needing new tranny's, new engines, and so forth. I thank my peanuts everyday that the issues I have and have had with my truck are relatively minor, and due to the fact that his previous owner didn't love him. Buying a used car is like marrying a divorced person, they come with a ton of baggage, and you will likely pay for all the pain that their ex husband/wife put them through previously. That's the way I look at it. I came out of a bad marriage, my Envoy came out of a bad ownership....we're to much a like for me to not love my truck! lol

Keep your head up, you own a great vehicle despite all it's problems. No vehicle in the world can bring together hundreds of people who have built amazing friendships and bonds like we have here. It's truly one of a kind in my eyes!

 

[Sparky]

You have to remind yourself, that NO MATTER what vehicle you own, no matter who made it, where it came from, and whether it's brand spankin new or used to the point of exhaustion, ANY vehicle can have issues, and some have had major issues, needing new tranny's, new engines, and so forth. I thank my peanuts everyday that the issues I have and have had with my truck are relatively minor, and due to the fact that his previous owner didn't love him. Buying a used car is like marrying a divorced person, they come with a ton of baggage, and you will likely pay for all the pain that their ex husband/wife put them through previously. That's the way I look at it. I came out of a bad marriage, my Envoy came out of a bad ownership....we're to much a like for me to not love my truck! lol

Oh how true. My vehicle before the Trailblazer was a 98 Camaro V6. The previous owners did NOT take care of it at all, beat it to death, etc... It was truly a bad purchase in many ways, and I spent more than 2x on the car fixing it than I did buying it and that was even with me and my friend fixing several things and not the shop I hate to think of how much I spent on that car... But similarly, I ended up loving that car. To be fair to it, once I showed it enough love and fixed all the mechanical abuse it had it was super reliable. Drove it 40k miles in a year and only had an original brake caliper stick and a coil pack act up. For a 12 year old car that in the end had 161k miles that wasn't too bad. Ohio winters had taken its toll though and it had terminal rust cancer, then I was involved in an accident that finished it off

Heck, I loved that car enough that a year and a half later here I am with a 99 Camaro! And I'm happy to report that its first 2k miles have been quite enjoyable with nothing breaking on me unlike the first one

No offense to the Trailblazer, its been a good vehicle over all (it has broken a couple things since I've had it but it is 10 years old and has 159k miles on it), but it isn't as fun to drive in the summer as the Camaro is. Now in the winter, heck, the Camaro will stay put away in hibernation while the Trailblazer and I will romp in the snow Unfortunately that snow comes with salt, and my Trailblazer has its fair share of rust cancer But it isn't terminal, not yet, so with some surgery planned this year I hope to put it in recession for a little while

 

[Jkust]

Well as a fellow 9-7x owner who bought last January, I have to say so far absolutly nothing has gone wrong. I've put maybe 6000 miles on it so far and it's been nothing shyy of perfection and I bought mine sight unseen off the internet from across the country and had it shipped. I run that v8 hard too. Actually, I take that back I replaced both of the OEM HID's for a grand total maintainance cost of ownership of $35 plus the cost of a full set of Weathertechs I suppose. The only annoyance so far is that I was on a really rough road this past winter and since then I hear a sort of low pitched squeek from the suspension, I think, that I haven't had the time to trouble shoot yet. It has been nicer and more reliable than I had hoped for being it was a used car. I think I'm past the honeymoon period where things would have started showing up and now that it is warm and I know even the AC works I'm satisfied with the purchase. I'd feel like an idiot if I bought it like I did and the salesman wasn't actually telling the truth and luckily he was. As for the dash lens, I never touch it with anything and only use compressed air to blow the dust off of it when detailing. I feel for you and sometimes you win with a used car and sometimes there's a reason they traded it in. I'm having to knock on wood the whole time I type this. I didn't get quite as luckiy on my wife's Rainier but being that it was still within the Factory Bumper to Bumper warranty, all those issues were fixed in one swoop. Had I not had the warranty I'd be posting something similar to this.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Your trucks(old and current) were/are pissed because you dont let them out enough to exercise. If you had to sit around and do nothing all the time you would break down as well.

 

[MDBT]

Thank you for the support and allowing me to have my , a few days working out of state and getting my mind off it has certainly calmed things down.

Sparky I appreciate the willingness to help out and when I'm not nearing a road trip and you're not as busy I'm sure something will be busted and I may have to take you up on that idea.

Voymom when looking at what you've had to deal with I really don't have all that much to complain about, so thanks for the nudge back into perspective.

Jkust, thanks for being the member with the near-perfect condition vehicle to illustrate just the kind of situation I'm envious of.

Hardtrailz that may very well be the case

 

[Jkust]

Jkust, thanks for being the member with the near-perfect condition vehicle to illustrate just the kind of situation I'm envious of.

Well ,yesterday, I replaced the rear pads and rotors, both were oem and one of the pads went to the metal and the rotors were nasty looking so add the cost of two new rotors and pads to the list of ownership costs. By the way, I've never done brakes or rotors before but wow was it easy and actually pretty satisfying doing it myself. Can't believe what they quoted me at the local shop for the work. So $35 for the hid's, $32 for the brakes at wholesale, and $120 for the rotors at wholesale = $187 in maintainance costs in 6 months plus $300ish for the Weathertechs. Locally there is a brake equipment wholesale warehouse that will sell directly to the consumer.

 

[MDBT]

Glad to hear the brakes are a cinch, I haven't done brakes and rotors since my first pickup but I do recall it being one of those jobs that was definitely worth the savings to do yourself. I got a decidedly different impression on the power window issue.

I'm still envious of those maintenance costs though Jkust, I've got around $1k in maintenance/OEM part and service costs since I got it in January and just shy of $500 in aftermarket add-ons like mats/visors/tint/etc.

On a related note I picked it up from the dealer yesterday with a working window and my interior parts come in next week. Once I get a chance to install them next weekend I think I'll be in pretty good shape for a few days until my inaugural tow which will, depending on the feedback I get from the Torque app, determines if I'm in the market for a trans cooler as well.

 

[Jkust]

Glad to hear the brakes are a cinch, I haven't done brakes and rotors since my first pickup but I do recall it being one of those jobs that was definitely worth the savings to do yourself. I got a decidedly different impression on the power window issue.

I'm still envious of those maintenance costs though Jkust, I've got around $1k in maintenance/OEM part and service costs since I got it in January and just shy of $500 in aftermarket add-ons like mats/visors/tint/etc.

On a related note I picked it up from the dealer yesterday with a working window and my interior parts come in next week. Once I get a chance to install them next weekend I think I'll be in pretty good shape for a few days until my inaugural tow which will, depending on the feedback I get from the Torque app, determines if I'm in the market for a trans cooler as well.

Well, I'll add that I will need tires by the start of winter so that'll be over a grand and I'll probably match your total costs by then. They look like I should get another year out of them then you look and realize the middle wore out faster due to over inflation. I really held my breath that this 9-7 wouldn't use oil like the Rainier did (but got fixed within the warranty) and luckily it doesn't. That was my biggest worry buying this thing. Oh and it also doesn't have the headphones for the rear dvd but luckily has the remote. I'll have to get some of those too which will be probably $50ish for the aftermarket wireless ones on Ebay. The DVD player was never used and the headphones don't really have a good spot to store so the original owner didn't have them in the car when it was traded in.

 

[Sparky]

If it makes you feel any better mine has cost me more than that in repairs in the nearly 2 years I've had it lol. But it also has 159k miles and 10 years worth of wear so it isn't surprising to me.