As much as I'm on the 'bandwagon' that GM has really done a huge turnaround in the last few years with its ground up redesigns... the thing that I've stated repeatedly is that even if the new CTS, Malibu, Equinox, Enclave, etc all seem to be excellent quality from the onset... it could just be that GM has improved their initial perceived quality without improving the long term durability of their cars... especially in the interior.

Either Edmunds has it out for GM, or they're really unlucky, or GM's new cars just aren't as well made underneath as they are on the surface. I realize some of these things are pretty petty, but that's exactly what I had hoped GM had improved on... the small annoying things that make people question the quality that they can't see and make me wonder if the car is like this after 10-30k miles of driving... what will it be like after 100-300k miles??

Case in point (I'm not even trying to dig here... just a few off the top of my head from my limited reading of their blog)
CTS:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...-di-noisy.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ak-senora.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...-patience.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...-gremlins.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ort-fuses.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...t-windows.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...loppy-top.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...the-fritz.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...rn-signal.html

G8:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ic-object.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...b-follies.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...s-waiting.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ing-wheel.html

Enclave (did pretty well actually beside one persistant issue):
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...air-redux.html

Aura:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...em-solved.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ket-bulge.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ll-repair.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...not-again.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ce-report.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ues-again.html

Silverado:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...on-repair.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...unk-drive.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...hat-a-rip.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...ar-at-30k.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...cesort-of.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...off-on-me.html

 

How do the nip cars fare?

 

Good points, my parents have a new Malibu (1.5 years old) and some of the interior bits are already starting to not fit properly. Not really a big deal but still.... your dead right, initial quality is right on par with any automaker... but GM has yet to prove to me they've fixed their interior durability issues. I mean what do you want though. GM's not going bankrupt due to their awesome business practices.

 

If it's just interior issues...I feel like the interiors are pretty bad on all cars until you get to the european cars or a Cadillac...

 

The one with the most issues, is the Cadillac.

I disagree on the interior issues. My '03 Tribute was not the greatest, as far as quality of materials goes. However, after 62K miles (when I sold it), nothing had broke, fallen off, warped, or distorted. About the only interior issues I had, were squeeks from the hatch. This was with a baby from 1-6, and a Rottweiler that rode regularly. Thus, both the initial, and long term quality of the interior was great.

My new Superduty only has 5300 miles on it, however, I have not had any interior issues with it either (which tells about initial quality). Frankly, it is like a bank vault inside. If problems do pop up, I will be more than happy to report them. But I am really not expecting any.

Its one thing to have nice looking interior bits, that look nice and feel good, when you buy the vehicle. However, when things start to fall off, electronics start to fail, or have quirks, pieces start to bulge, distort, or crack................ that is just very disappointing. You pay alot for new vehicles, and spend all of your time in the interior. It should be able to at least hold up to the rigors of normal life. When they don't, you lose faith in the vehicle as a whole.

BTW, my worst was a 1987 Mazda RX7. It looked great, inside, for its day. Electrical gremlins constantly, parts cracking and falling off. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get rid of that POS.

 

I'm sad to say I don't think they're unlucky. I've been thinking about giving GM another chance with the new Camaro, but reports like this on the "new leaf" models aren't very compelling to go spend on a new GM car.

This is the same kind of stuff that made me throw in the towel with my past modern GM cars because I was so sick of it.

Edit: Good Lord, did you guys read the one on the '08 Focus? It's comical! It's disheartening to see not a thing has changed for the Focus model (other than a few options and styling) since I owned my 2004 Focus--which was also brand new.

 

Having seen alot of cars and driven many used I really think it comes down to how hard people are on it and abuse. My parents 02 Tahoe is holding up excellent. It does have one mystery rattle, but untill we can find that everything else is holding up well.

I really think the editors are often looking for things since the focus is on GM's quality and they may write off a Toyota interior quirk as a freak.

My GTO is holding up well,

My Camaro only developed a wierd crack in front of the ash tray

Now- my parents 95 Astro did have some integrity/ fit and finish problems.

I do think the quality of some part (door panals) are cheep looking, but I dont rip apart interiors and I'm not rough myself so I'm sure that it would hold up for my needs.

 

From the CTS:

Oh, hell...

 

Mostly true, I'd say. No one makes interiors like the Europeans' premium brands (BMW/Audi/MB/Jaguar).

My parents' 93 Audi's interior is still in one piece and everything (save for the Bose radio) is still working, including heated seats.

 

I just did a quick copy/paste of links to various articles but IIRC at some point they had to replace the transmission in that truck. Maybe that article didn't mention it... I only assumed it did because it mentioned something about the transmission in the title.

FWIW my BMW's "key"/remote appears to be very well made, but just a few days ago I noticed a few small chips in the paint of the BMW logo at the center of it.
This is an older pic of it but you can at least see what it looks like before the paint started chipping

Our 4runner fobs on the other hand are now 4.5 years old and while they are black plastic with what appears to be white 'paint', they show no sign of wear at all.
http://picasaweb.google.com/threxx/M...46206299202898

Well, the M3 they bought used... IIRC it's something like a 2002-2004. Not to mention I've never been impressed by BMW quality... just ask me about the fun times I've had bringing my 335i into the dealer. Then again I'm not 'rooting' for BMW either... it doesn't sadden me to see them have issues.

GM cars definitely aren't the only cars they have problems with but so far the Enclave has been the most reliable GM vehicle they've had in their fleet by far and that's with the failing steering system.

I think I'm most disappointed by the CTS... the interior just impressed me SO much at car shows and on my test drive and if their CTS is any indication it's only surface-deep quality that will turn into a symphony of frustrating rattles within the first 20k miles.

 

I bet they treat those cars like rentals. They use them for a week, drive them hard, and give them to the next person. Repeat for a year. One article mentions the G8's brakes were shuddering a bit. Probably from a few spirited 60-0 runs. You rarely hear someone say something good about a rental car.

 

Two responses:

1. Rental-car-itis (see above).
2. Selection bias.

 

This is one of the reasons I don't buy cars the first year out. I did pickup a 2009 Enclave. I have had one issue with a trim piece... that is all. I bought it in Sept, so it is still early on.

The CTS problems concern me, but it would be interesting for them to test drive all first year cars and see what they get, and then 3rd year cars to see improvements, if any. Like the Toyota Camry problems with the V6's when they came out.

When I got my 02 formula in 04, I got 2 new key fobs. I don't recall any problems with the paint coming off of those. My 04 Mazda 6 had almost no issues for me. It has a little over 80k miles on it now, and a few squeaks now.

 

Shuddering/warped rotors are forgivable though. That's from actual abuse. It can be a manufacturing defect as well (see early 2002 Dodge Dakotas) but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt that those warped rotors are from hard stops.

Ripping seat fabric, an out-of-round steering wheel, trim pieces falling off, windows not working correctly, squeaky seats, door pulls coming off, warping window seals.... Don't kid yourself, they're treating the other cars in their fleet the same way, and a lot of this stuff isn't from abuse. It's shoddy workmanship and materials.

But that's not why GM is failing. I've owned and seen enough of GM's cars over the years to go "yep, this is inline with everything I've seen and owned. Pretty typical." --while I was expecting something different, which now means I've met the definition of insane.

 

I've had these two happen. the last two post are basically the same problem reported twice.