Chevy Sonic Recalled for Missing Brake Pads
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: CA
Well, it's true that usually test-drive and review brand-new cars, not those with tens of thousands of miles and a lot of wear on them. And, yes, in the past, GM and Chrysler have left a lot to be desired in vehicle quality and design. If you think that the cars you worked on in recent years were bad, you should have seen some of the real GM/Chrysler crapola of the late 70s through the late 1980s....(Volare/Aspen, X-cars, Omni/Horizon, K-Cars, etc....). I actually owned some of that junk (too much of it, until I learned my lesson). So I know exactly what you are talking about.
But this is not the past.....this is now 2012. And some companies that produced some real junk in the past (like the GM cars you worked on) are now producing respectable quality (as Hyundai and Kia have shown). GM itself has also shown some improvement, though they still have some lower-than-average reliability in some of their vehicles. Chrysler, in just the last couple of years since Fiat took over, has shown enormous improvement in fit/finish, interiors, powertrain refinement, and in making vehicles that are pleasant to drive, but it is still too early to tell if that will also translate into better long-term reliability.
Still, even if the Sonic does not prove a lot more reliable than the Aveo it replaces, it is still a far nicer vehicle to drive, and light-years ahead in its road-manners. The only thing the Aveo had going for it was a nice plush interior in the upmarket LT2 version....not much else I can think of.
Aren't the "Screechers" [low-pad-wear indicators) supposed to contact the rotors and give off a loud noise before that happens? Or were they just driven by people who were half-deaf?
But this is not the past.....this is now 2012. And some companies that produced some real junk in the past (like the GM cars you worked on) are now producing respectable quality (as Hyundai and Kia have shown). GM itself has also shown some improvement, though they still have some lower-than-average reliability in some of their vehicles. Chrysler, in just the last couple of years since Fiat took over, has shown enormous improvement in fit/finish, interiors, powertrain refinement, and in making vehicles that are pleasant to drive, but it is still too early to tell if that will also translate into better long-term reliability.
Still, even if the Sonic does not prove a lot more reliable than the Aveo it replaces, it is still a far nicer vehicle to drive, and light-years ahead in its road-manners. The only thing the Aveo had going for it was a nice plush interior in the upmarket LT2 version....not much else I can think of.
Aren't the "Screechers" [low-pad-wear indicators) supposed to contact the rotors and give off a loud noise before that happens? Or were they just driven by people who were half-deaf?
I also find it hilarious that they won't be informing owners until the middle of January. I hope the owners didn't plan on driving in the next month.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 7
From: al
Jiminy Cricket if only those GM workers would stop playing words with friends on the assembly line, they may actually produce a complete product.
no you didn't go there did you?? lol!! my brother had a white 83' Scooter 4 speed he drove to high school. I use to love that car.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,410
Likes: 249
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
It was a ultra-decontented, military-stark, metal-box kiddy-car on four wheels that even had the rear seat yanked out for cost-cutting. The Yugo was probably a better vehicle in some ways. I can remember when the Scooter (and other Chevettes) were brand-new....I test-drove some. It was essentially an Isuzu design....after the Vega disaster of the 1970s, GM didn't want to put any more time and money into designing domestic vehicles in that price/size-class.
Last edited by mmarshall; Jan 3, 2012 at 10:44 AM.
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,810
Likes: 15
From: MI
Back in the early 80s, I worked at a small college and walked a couple blocks to work. My neighbor across the street had a diesel Chevette. With a brisk stride, I could beat the Chevette to the corner.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sanguine
GS - 3rd Gen (2006-2011)
2
Aug 20, 2009 10:01 PM
