Did GM finally fix their coolant/gasket problems?

[delcecchi]

I dont know, why dont you enlighten me?

I didnt give GM a "pass", I only explained why I drive them.

I did however add that with thorough record keeping over hundreds of thousands of miles over many years, and by comparing them to other makes my company has tried over those years, they are a good value.

Is that a "pass"?

I dont know what criteria you use to choose your cars, but good value is right up there for me and many others I know.

By all means buy and drive what you want, at some point it will have a problem no matter the brand.

"My other brother in law, a real stickler for preventative maintainance, just had a connecting rod break on his wifes Camry at 98,000, but says he'd buy another because "its been so good"? A broken rod with 98,000 and thats been a good car? That ONE repair will cost more than any fuel pump, intake gasket, wheel bearing and more combined"

sounds like a zing to me. Perhaps the line of GM cars your company had were not the problem prone ones. Personally I am not a big GM fan due to the many problem prone cars they have released over the years with no willingness to stand behind them. Start with Vega aluminum block, iron heads. Olds Diesel, Caddy 4-6-8, Impala with 200 series tranny behind v8. Now I am reading about gasket problems and cracking manifolds.

On the other hand my buddies Buick lesabres have been pretty good.

[Macgyver55]

Perhaps the line of GM cars your company had were not the problem prone ones.

[aanderud]

I agree that GM would be by far the best value for a GM-trained mechanic to drive. After all, something goes wrong and it's almost a given that you

a) know what the problem is and

know where to find cheap parts and

c) have the tools and know-how to fix it yourself.

The few thousand bucks you can save at purchase time will be more than enough to buy the parts. And, you might get lucky and not even have to buy any parts.

[deadeye]

Idk I guess my take on the whole thing is that all cars are going to have problems. Every make has had their problems. I guess my deal is that a problem shouldn't be a problem for very long. The gaskets and transmissions were not/are not short lived issues. The guys who designed that stuff, then didn't man up, admit there was a problem and then fix it are the ones who are responsible for that company for that company needing the bailout.

My thing is that I just can't keep doing the same thing and expect the different results each time. That's one definition of insanity . It's sad cause there are a couple GM vehicles I really like (avalanche and cts-v) but I couldnt bring myself to getting into another one (or recomend one) after all the turmoil they have caused me.

[BoxMN]

I have the 3.1 in a '98 malibu, and just did the intake gasket this fall myself (with help of advice here and a neighbor who is mechanic telling me what to do). This was the second time, but first to use Felpro gasket. Hopefully the last, haha! Has 140k. I also just put new rear strutts in, again myself. the only other repairs that I can recall was a wheel bearing about a month ago, driver side window switch cluster, both front springs (expensive, I didn't do myself), and I think a fuel pressure regulator and coolant leak in an alum hose. hmmmmm... it is more than I would like, and if I didn't have the friends to help give me courage to fix myself (I am not mechanic) I would hate this car, haha! But I love it now. Very cheap to run actually, even with the repairs, for a car at 150k mile range. Gasket job cost me about $130 (with the tool and some new hoses, t-stat and plugs). Strutts cost me $170 complete with new springs (have nephew at parts store).

Anyway, sorry, I don't know answer to OP question, but I had the first intake done in about 2001 and it was still bad then, now the Felpros should be good from what I have heard. Good luck.

Oh yeah, had my 5.7 '98 intake gasket done back in about same time, 2001 and it has held up since then, with about 180k now.

[delcecchi]

Got a 95 accord and a 99 explorer.

Total history for me and wife

62 comet (ok but dangerously slow)

68 VW (motors don't last in california conditions. parts were cheap)

68 barracuda 340. fast. not so good in snow and cold with polyglass tires

76 Mercury Montego wagon (extremely reliable, nicknamed moby mesabi because it was big and rapidly turned back into hematite)

77 impala. About those trannys....

85 tempo At least the heater worked. Left wife on side of road 3 times.

84 civic for kids to drive. Bought very used. got most money back when sold.

?? Aerostar van. Pretty good, some rust problems.

95 accord

99 explorer.

Some bought new, others used.