Chevy Colorado, Chevy Parts

[firstbuzz2000]

hi everyone. this is my first posting and hopefully my last as a chevy coloroda owner.I had my truck now for three years(2004) and leased new.
Black crew Z71 4x4 and its loaded -- leather,onstar,cd changer and cost me 680.00 a month.I had it since may2004 and let me tell you F**k!
Here's a list of problems
5 abs hub/sensor replaced
3 cam shaft acuaters?
window and regulator
rear axel seals
three doors rusting around windows with paint peeling
valves @ 20000 Km
Tires @15000km
heater motor twice
heated leather seats 3 times nonfunctional
driver side signal light assembly and it still eat light by arching between light and socket
steering assembly on order
Never reach 400 km per tank yet!(75liter tank)
now keep in mind that this truck has only 54000 kilometers(not miles) on january5/07 never has worked a day in its life and never off road.nothing GM will do about it (i might still have to deal with this pile of crap for another year)if your considering DON'T.

just my two cents worth
firstbuzz

Colorado Auto Parts (http://www.gmpartsclub.com)
Gm Parts (http://www.gmpartsclub.com)

[06z-71]

dang,sorry to hear about all the problems your having with the z-71.seems like gm ought to buy
it back under the lemon law act.jay

[firstbuzz2000]

we don't really have so called lemon laws here in Canada but I will unfortunatly have to try to go through gm arbitration. pisses me off that you could go and spend good money on something like this and get treated like a second class citizen.GM DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR WELLBEING OR YOUR SAFETY THE ALLMIGHTY DOLLAR RULE HERE.

[firstbuzz2000]

I'm told by the dealer that they sold many collys and i'm the only one with problems.
I cant believe this to be true.

[firstbuzz2000]

Anyone out there that has had problem with this year of colorado and had it resolved through GM i sure would like to here from you even if it's just a post here. I want to show my dealer that this ****ing problem is not isolated.

[84fiero123]

First where was it made?

Canada or Mexico?

It is hard to believe you had that many problems and still have the truck.

If you want to check on recalls and problems with this truck try here.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm

[firstbuzz2000]

I just had that recall done on my truck.never really had a problem with the brake lights through!
And i have all the work orders that were for this truck and all the problems that i've endured. it is really rediculus that gm would put me through all this. originally i told them that i would be happy with a reliable vehicle but now with all the crap that i will have to go through I hope general motors does not expect that they will retain this customer.

[84fiero123]

That isn’t just a recall place they have other things you can look up.

Defect investigations.

Service bulletins.

Complaints.

Just check it out.

It could add just the fuel for the fire you are looking for.

[firstbuzz2000]

not really sure where it was built but according to recent carfax report it was built in usa

[84fiero123]

Open the drivers door, on the side of the drivers door, where the latch is you will see a sticker that tells you where it was made. It's right at eye level.

[firstbuzz2000]

tell you the truth all i have for stickers in the driver door are one for the original tire size for the truck and another which is a transport canada sticker. after looking through all my paperwork associated i would have to conclude that it was a canadian made vehicle, although i'm really not 100 percent sure.

[TrailLeadr]

It is hard to believe you had that many problems and still have the truck.


Leases suck. The vehicle isn't going anywhere until the lease is up. If he tries to buy it out, he'll pay too much for it. If he tries to trade in early, he'll still owe whatever's left until the lease's end date, plus the new lease payment. If he throws a fit, and decides to not pay because of those issues, the truck will be repo-ed, and he'll still owe the difference of what they get at auction, and what's left at the end of the lease, plus he's get's an ugly mark on credit.

Leases are bad news, they only benefit the dealer.

Sounds like you got the vehicle that was put together by second shift after their dinner break, on Friday. Hope GM comes around, and tries to help you out.

[84fiero123]

[quote]
Leases are bad news, they only benefit the dealer.

Sounds like you got the vehicle that was put together by second shift after their dinner break, on Friday. Hope GM comes around, and tries to help you out.

Could have been built on a Monday or a Friday.

And don’t bitch to much about the second shift. I worked it for years.

No matter when the vehicle was made, (started), It takes 3 days and nights to finish the build process.

So chances are it was made on one of those days. At least one part of it was.

Never and I mean NEVER buy the first vehicle of a model run. They make the most mistakes the first year.

[firstbuzz2000]

hopefully i will hear something from the dealer on monday.I've already contacted gm to start this process.AS it stand now through I would still owe a little over $10000 pm the lease. Told the dealer that there is no way in hell that I was going to take a soaking on this unsafe vehicle. If I have to keep it for another year it would be very reconizable as there would be 60 or so lemons plastered all over the vehicle. Everyone would know the deal. Everyone would be welcome to the story if they so desired about this crap and hopefully it will cost lounsbury's and gm customers.

[84fiero123]

Label for the plant of origin will be on the door itself at eye level. Not on the door jamb.

First did you check out the recall site for anything other than recalls?

I know you have had trouble with this truck, but I really would like to know just who built it?

America, Mexico, or Canada?

You said that you had a Carfax report that said it was made in the USA but then that it was made in Canada.

Just goes to show you just how good the Idiot Net is.

First check the Defect Investigations on your truck.

Then check the Service Bulletins on your truck.

Don’t be so quick to judge GM by just one truck.

But do get as much evidence as you can find before you try to get your money back on this one.

Some things can be just the dealers fault to. They charge GM for all warranty work.

Just don’t want you to go off half cocked at GM an then get screwed. You need to get evidence of all the work done on this truck and if it was done on others.

Good luck

[Steve]

Every manufacturer has lemons. It used to be one out of every 1000 cars was a total lemon. Now it's something like one out of every 7500 cars is a lemon. Cars like the Cadillac and the Lexus have virtually none, while cars with lower price points have more. Car manufactures are businesses that need to make a profit and run their operations efficiently with as low an overhead as possible.

Looks like this vehicle could have been one of the magic lemons, the problem comes with the lemon law legislation and the situation with it being a lease. While leases may be good in some circumstances, the legal ownership issue leaves you without some weight.

[firstbuzz2000]

I really dont want anyone to get me wrong here. I had success with other gm products in the past both new and used (72 firebird,79formula firebird,93 corsica) and yes i realize that both they are a company that in the business of making a profit but when one of these vehicles do come around you would have to figure that somewhere down the line you should cut your losses and at lease try to somewhat keep that one in a thousand customer happy because in the long run you would make more from that customer from return car sales and recommendations from that customer.GM knows that these vehicles are out there even if the numbers are small.If these problems were not of a safety issue i really would not be complaining about this so much but when the abs goes off in the middle of summer on dry roads, sends the brake peddle to the floor with no pressure and your going for a ride COME ON. I have three kids and this is primary mode of transport.

[84fiero123]

If the truck was made in the States or Canada by union workers it should have the label you see in this picture just above the tire label.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1619/img0012vp9.jpg

Now if it was made in Mexico it won't have any.

[firstbuzz2000]

I've searched and the only stickers in the driver door or the two i mentioned earlier. I did a vin search and it was manufactured in the usa. my vin starts : 1gcot

[TrailLeadr]

And don’t bitch to much about the second shift. I worked it for years.
I was actually referring to a conversation we had some time back about the dinner habits of some of the employees on second shift. typically either had a liquid lunch, or had a few puffs of illegal substance. Just kind of rolled up all the bad. Nothing against second shift in particular, but 2nd, and 3rd shifts are the shifts that quality will tend to slack on rather than first shift, when all the upper management is around to watch over production.

[Steve]

Have you been to the Candian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan website? http://www.camvap.ca/

You're right, there is no Canadian lemon law like we have in the US.

You've got a busy history with this vehicle, but what's wrong with it now that hasn't been fixed? I agree, the least amount of fixed, recalls and etc. is ideal, but now that they're fixed what else is not working properly?

[Steve]

On that website, I came up with some information:

Does this apply to you? "If your vehicle is leased, your contract is for twelve (12) months or more, and the lessor of the vehicle has agreed to use CAMVAP arbitration."

[firstbuzz2000]

Right at this moment in time i'm waiting for 2 abs hub/sensor and the steering parts.The brakes steering lights and seats on this truck have been on ongoing battle since the begining. The dealer has never really been able to correct these problems. they fix them and shortly afterwards the problems come back. I told the dealer that i really don't understand the problem with the repair of these parts since they should be the exactly the same as to what is on all colorados and canyons on the road.

[84fiero123]

I don't really see the problem myself.

Being a lease are you stuck with this dealer?

I'm just wondering if you have dealer problems and not truck prolems.

I would say go to another dealer. If you can.

[firstbuzz2000]

No i have really no dealer problems. As a matter of fact many of the management,sale staff and shop crew are regular customers of mine.

[Steve]

Well, you're obviously unhappy. Did you try the Candian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan? GM is part of that so you can see what they have to say and maybe they can give you some relief.

[84fiero123]

No i have really no dealer problems. As a matter of fact many of the management,sale staff and shop crew are regular customers of mine.

I don’t think you understood what I meant.

Sometimes a dealer will do work in a way so that the work comes back.

Example

Clear codes in the computer so you think they fixed something and not do the work so that it comes right back.

They get paid, by GM or you for the work the first time and then again when you bring it back.

It’s not common but it does happen. Unscrupulous,(if that’s a word) dealers can get away with this.

Have you ever actually stayed to watch the work get done?

I know my dad used to mark parts when he brought his cars in for regular service only to find the jobs were never done.

He once brought a car in for it’s regular oil change and marked a tire and the pavement below. When he got back the car was never moved.

Not saying this is the case but it is possible.

Or that the help is not competent.

Just making suggestions.

[Steve]

Those are possibilities. I have seen it happy before, especially when under warranty. Dealers can see that as a license, sort of lilke some doctor's offices see insurance companies ... free money.

[brownbomb]

I've wondered in the past if this was happening to me. I didn't realize that dealers were getting paid by the mfg for every check/inspection/repair they did. It all makes sense now! I bet it happens % wise at lot more than any of us wish to think. Thank God I found myself a decent shade-tree-mechanic for my old burb.

[firstbuzz2000]

We will see what the problem is soon. I have started with the gm customer service a couple of days ago and file a complaint on this truck.The dealer actually recommended that I go this way because that way he's got something to show his Boss and that he is not complaining on my behalf but that i do actually have a problem here with this truck.I don't know but we will see.I really like this truck, the looks that is, only if i had one of those reliable ones that you all seem to have.

[84fiero123]

I've wondered in the past if this was happening to me. I didn't realize that dealers were getting paid by the mfg for every check/inspection/repair they did. It all makes sense now! I bet it happens % wise at lot more than any of us wish to think. Thank God I found myself a decent shade-tree-mechanic for my old burb.

My Dad put 29 years in before he died, I put in 15 years at the GM Factory building cars in Massachusetts.

You would not believe what we saw, and heard about.

When I was repair they liked us to take a car home every once in a while if we lived less then 30 miles from the plant.

In that time I heard about brand new cars we built have tires blow, belts, hoses, lines. You name it, it can go even on a brand new no miles car or truck.

One thing most people don’t know is that the average car made has over 15,000 moving parts, made by various suppliers.

The more we allow outsourcing the more we see defects.

That was one of the reasons I asked where it was made.

[Steve]

I think that's a good idea to let GM workers drive these vehicles. I know that the regional sales managers get to drive them for 6 months and then they do a writeup on the vehicle and swap in and get a new one. I think that the same should be done for folks that are actually building them, would probably help with quality.

[84fiero123]

This was regular line people and repair people taking cars home for the night for the simple reason to check quality, fit and finish.

The Plant executive were always given a car for their personal use, with free gas for 3 months. That was more of a job perk for the executives.

The cars were taken care of by my Dad, that was his job the last years he was there. Any repairs on the vehicles were done in house by us.

The cars we took home were just to get our, as well as our neighbors opinions of the cars. How well they were built, fit, finish. We were only allowed to put 80 to 90 miles on them. That way they could still be sold as new.

As long as the car has under 100 miles on it it could be sold as new.

Then the next day we were asked to critique the cars in front of all the department heads and the plant manager. We then took all the things we found wrong back to the departments that made the mistakes to try and make the cars better.

We being the builders of the cars would notice things that the average buyer would not. Seeing 300 or more every day, or night, depending on your shift.

We would see things that like I said the average owner would not more quickly.

This was done back in the 80’s not sure if they do it now. I left GM in 91.

[GMCdriver]

As far as the question of where the truck is built, All Canyons and Colorados sold in NA are built in Shreveport LA.

[GMCdriver]

Leases suck. The vehicle isn't going anywhere until the lease is up. If he tries to buy it out, he'll pay too much for it. If he tries to trade in early, he'll still owe whatever's left until the lease's end date, plus the new lease payment. If he throws a fit, and decides to not pay because of those issues, the truck will be repo-ed, and he'll still owe the difference of what they get at auction, and what's left at the end of the lease, plus he's get's an ugly mark on credit.

Leases are bad news, they only benefit the dealer.

That's a bunch of crap.

A lease is no worse than a loan.

If you have a loan, the truck isn't going anywhere untill it's worth what you owe the bank on it. For your average 0 down, 84 month customer, that is about 4-5 years after they got the vehicle. A 60 month financer will get to the break even point sooner but will pay alot more per month then the leaser did.
If you trade in early, they take the extra you owe the bank and roll it into your next payment.
If you throw a fit and decide not to pay the bank do they leave your credit report untouched? I doubt it.
If you buy or finance a vehicle and it winds up being a piece of crap, you are the one who has to sell it for whatever you can get and take the loss. On a lease you have a guaranteed break even point. After that, it's GM's problem.

[ciosclone]

I had a Colorado up until last week when I traded for a 07 Silverado . The Colly was a awesome little truck for me . Not one single issue with it . As for your problems, it's just "luck of the draw" - the same with any vehicle . Sometimes you get one that will last for many years and other times you get one and it seems to be nothing but junk. Good luck to you !

[ciosclone]

That's a bunch of crap.

A lease is no worse than a loan.

If you have a loan, the truck isn't going anywhere untill it's worth what you owe the bank on it. For your average 0 down, 84 month customer, that is about 4-5 years after they got the vehicle. A 60 month financer will get to the break even point sooner but will pay alot more per month then the leaser did.
If you trade in early, they take the extra you owe the bank and roll it into your next payment.
If you throw a fit and decide not to pay the bank do they leave your credit report untouched? I doubt it.
If you buy or finance a vehicle and it winds up being a piece of crap, you are the one who has to sell it for whatever you can get and take the loss. On a lease you have a guaranteed break even point. After that, it's GM's problem.
I personaly enjoyed leasing when I was younger. I would get a new Camero every two years . Sure I didn't own the thing when the lease was up , however, had it been on a "buy" instead of leasing , I would have been so far upside down that it wouldn't have been funny . As long as your stay within your miles (to me anyway) , it wasn't a bad deal at all !

[TrailLeadr]

That's a bunch of crap.You seem fairly passionate about this issue. Are you a car salesman? I used to be.
I will concede that it has been a while since I sold cars, and typical lease has probably evolved to become more customer centric. So admittedly I may not be entirely accurate with todays leases. However when I sold cars, leases were in their infancy and not geared toward the customer so much as the dealer.


A lease is no worse than a loan.

If you have a loan, the truck isn't going anywhere untill it's worth what you owe the bank on it. For your average 0 down, 84 month customer, that is about 4-5 years after they got the vehicle. A 60 month financer will get to the break even point sooner but will pay alot more per month then the leaser did.
If you trade in early, they take the extra you owe the bank and roll it into your next payment.
If you throw a fit and decide not to pay the bank do they leave your credit report untouched? I doubt it.
If you buy or finance a vehicle and it winds up being a piece of crap, you are the one who has to sell it for whatever you can get and take the loss. On a lease you have a guaranteed break even point. After that, it's GM's problem.

While I don't disagree with how a Lease, and a Loan compare. The lease is designed with the dealer in mind first, the customer second.
You are NOT guaranteed a break even point. What you are guaranteed is that provided you do not exceed expected mileage, and there are no aftermarket parts, kits, or modifications to the vehicle, you will get the agreed upon trade in value.
Leases typically trap the customer into a brand (ie Chevy, Ford...) Where with a loan you have the flexibility to trade in anywhere you like, you'll find that you're in no different situation than a loan should you trade the lease in with another brand. This is simply because the "Guaranteed value" is an estimate, based on the dealer's figures at the time of signing. If in three years you've decided that you don't want to stay with XY brand car, and go to another, you may find that trade in value is lower than what the dealer designed the lease for (which is typical). In which case you are now an upside down customer. No different than a loan. Owing more than the vehicle is worth. Which makes your choices:
stick with the brand of your lease (cost effective)
cut your losses and trade in for a new brand, and deal with added cost on your new vehicle purchase
buy the vehicle outright
lastly return the lease vehicle at the end of the lease, and try to leave without the salesman haunting you to take another vehicle in trade.Now again, going back to my original statement that leases may have evolved. Therefore a different brand dealer may be willing to match the lease agreement and take a loss, just to win you over as a customer. But I don't believe that to be the case all the time.
The lease is appealing to the customer because it offers the higher end vehicle at a lower payment, much lower than what a loan can do, and offers the perception of a guaranteed trade in value at the end of the lease provided you are within the limitations of the lease. In addition to the fact that your vehicle is almost always in warranty while you own it, a lease can be a very attractive option for most people.
Perhaps I was a little harsh when I said leases suck. Leases do have thier benefits, just as loans do. Myself, I wouldn't lease a vehicle simply for the reasons stated above..

A final note, I never said Loans were better than leases. I simply stated my opinion on leases.

[ciosclone]

and offers the perception of a guaranteed trade in value at the end of the lease
The residual value doesn't make much difference at lease end . It is what it it is , doesn't matter if it's plated in gold ! If the value of your car is $10,000 and payoff is $20,000 , then you are $10,000 upside down . Point being, it doens't matter what the residual was if you are trading in .

If you fufill your part of the lease and stay within the miles , the only thing left to do is basicly call the company to have them pick it up and then they will schedule to have someone come out and look over your vehicle . Now, if you had huge dents in the vehicle, then you are going to be paying for those , however, most companies will allow small pings as that is considered normal wear and tear. Right now, depending on the depth and such of the dent , it's going to cost anywhere from $40 -$120 or so , it just depends on the fiance company.

[GMCdriver]

You seem fairly passionate about this issue. Are you a car salesman? I used to be.
I will concede that it has been a while since I sold cars, and typical lease has probably evolved to become more customer centric. So admittedly I may not be entirely accurate with todays leases. However when I sold cars, leases were in their infancy and not geared toward the customer so much as the dealer.



While I don't disagree with how a Lease, and a Loan compare. The lease is designed with the dealer in mind first, the customer second.
You are NOT guaranteed a break even point. What you are guaranteed is that provided you do not exceed expected mileage, and there are no aftermarket parts, kits, or modifications to the vehicle, you will get the agreed upon trade in value.
Leases typically trap the customer into a brand (ie Chevy, Ford...) Where with a loan you have the flexibility to trade in anywhere you like, you'll find that you're in no different situation than a loan should you trade the lease in with another brand. This is simply because the "Guaranteed value" is an estimate, based on the dealer's figures at the time of signing. If in three years you've decided that you don't want to stay with XY brand car, and go to another, you may find that trade in value is lower than what the dealer designed the lease for (which is typical). In which case you are now an upside down customer. No different than a loan. Owing more than the vehicle is worth. Which makes your choices:
stick with the brand of your lease (cost effective)
cut your losses and trade in for a new brand, and deal with added cost on your new vehicle purchase
buy the vehicle outright
lastly return the lease vehicle at the end of the lease, and try to leave without the salesman haunting you to take another vehicle in trade.Now again, going back to my original statement that leases may have evolved. Therefore a different brand dealer may be willing to match the lease agreement and take a loss, just to win you over as a customer. But I don't believe that to be the case all the time.
The lease is appealing to the customer because it offers the higher end vehicle at a lower payment, much lower than what a loan can do, and offers the perception of a guaranteed trade in value at the end of the lease provided you are within the limitations of the lease. In addition to the fact that your vehicle is almost always in warranty while you own it, a lease can be a very attractive option for most people.
Perhaps I was a little harsh when I said leases suck. Leases do have thier benefits, just as loans do. Myself, I wouldn't lease a vehicle simply for the reasons stated above..

A final note, I never said Loans were better than leases. I simply stated my opinion on leases.

I don't sell cars anymore but it is obvious it hasn't been as long for me as it has for you. The open ended lease you are discribing hasn't been used for years. All major manufactures use a closed contract lease now.

I just went from a 2003 Sonoma to a 2007 Canyon in November. The buy out(residual) on my Sonoma was about $2000 higher than the truck was appraised at. Also, the paint on the rear bumper was peeling and the tires were worn and would need to be replaced so the dealer didn't want the truck. We sent it back to GMAC and they are the ones who need to take the loss on it, not me or the dealer.
I had aftermarket accessories(toneau cover & nerf bars) on the truck and I could have sent it back to GMAC with the equipment on the truck with no penality but I wouldn't have gotten anything from GMAC for the accessories so I pulled them off and sold them for a couple of hundred bucks.

Anyone who bought a Sonoma 4 years ago and is trading for a new vehicle is out about $2000 more than anyone who leased one and is just dropping it.
Anyone who buys out their lease on a Sonoma right now is paying more than anyone who buys a used one off a local dealers lot.

[TrailLeadr]

The open ended lease you are describing hasn't been used for years. All major manufactures use a closed contract lease now.


Good to know.:cool:
I'd still rather pay cash up front, than have a payment(Lease or Loan). Bought the Avalanche that way. When we buy another new vehicle it will be cash too.

We kind of got off topic here though.:redface:

Any news on the original subject Firstbuzz?

[firstbuzz2000]

I'm up to 7 abs sensor/hub. Thats 4 so far this year. 2 replaced in January and 2 replaced in february.I'm giving up fighting on this truck. I've got 1 year remaining on the lease and then it's good bye Colorado.Truck now has 57914 km as of march 4/07.

[TrailLeadr]

I'm up to 7 abs sensor/hub. Thats 4 so far this year. 2 replaced in January and 2 replaced in february.I'm giving up fighting on this truck. I've got 1 year remaining on the lease and then it's good bye Colorado.Truck now has 57914 km as of march 4/07.

Wow, that sucks.

What are your plans after you get rid of the colorado?

[Cableguy]

Where are you in Canada "firstbuzz2000" if you don't mind me askin'?

[firstbuzz2000]

I'm live in eastern new brunswick for those that would like to know AND i finally got rid of that colorado just a while ago. the problems persisted and got worse.to the list of problems you can add 3 more hub sensor for a total of 10 in under 74000 km.had the cat converter replace dec07.ignition replaced.no sure if i mentioned the steering assembly but if i didn't i had that replaced also.heated seat driver side for the 7th time.stayed with chev against my better judgment.the second time around better show improvement.

[Steve]

I'm live in eastern new brunswick for those that would like to know AND i finally got rid of that colorado just a while ago. the problems persisted and got worse.to the list of problems you can add 3 more hub sensor for a total of 10 in under 74000 km.had the cat converter replace dec07.ignition replaced.no sure if i mentioned the steering assembly but if i didn't i had that replaced also.heated seat driver side for the 7th time.stayed with chev against my better judgment.the second time around better show improvement.

Huh, don't know what to say. You're in Canada? Doesn't CA have a lemon law like we have in the US?