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#425575 - 05/20/07 05:07 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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ex98thdrill
Member
Registered: 04/20/01
Posts: 2118
Loc: East Bloomfield, New York
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In 1982 my dad had the same thing happen to a brand new Chevy pickup with 9,000 miles on it. After they picked up up the truck with a wrecker, the axles, tires and all completely slid out of the rear end and out of the road.
Needless to say that was the last GM product my father ever bought, and he has ran Ford trucks ever since. After not liking the way Ford changed their trucks back in 1997, I switched from Ford to Chevy and I've had better luck with my Chevy trucks than I ever had with my Fords (my Fords served me very well).
I still say that anytime you buy a brand new vehicle (new style, platform, power train, etc.), you are actually buying a high priced guinea pig. After a vehicle has been out 3-4 years, usually the automakers have the bugs worked out of them and they're okay.
You may have a high priced guinea pig, but in the end it should work out. I don't care if it's a Ford, GM or Mopar that kind of stuff happens to them all. The good part is that you didn't get hurt.
I'm sure with the AACA members who have ties to GM, you won't get hung out to dry.
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#425576 - 05/21/07 10:45 AM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: ex98thdrill]
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bkazmer
Member
Registered: 07/20/04
Posts: 502
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Launching a half-finished vehicle USED to be normal. Don't accept that excuse. This is not a situation where, "oh, it's a new model, what do you expect." It is no longer the norm.
This is the "Mock of Excellence" compounded by the same customer service denial that is all tootypical of GM - a coworker has a Cobalt that just stops running while going down the road - he found out there are a number of people with this problem. GM says they can find no problem and are not taking the car back.
Expect better and vote with your wallet. I had a vehicle with early Bridgestone Potenzas - I got a letter saying the failure rate due to sidewall damage was too high - bring the car back and the tires, regardless of wear, would be replaced at no cost with a revised design. If I had had to replace one, bring a receipt and it would be reimbursed. It wasn't my fault for driving near road debris, it wasn't normal damage, it wasn't the tire company's fault so take it up with them. It was fixed.
It doesn't matter which OEM it was - my point is that any car company that thinks customers parting with hard cash don't deserve to be treated well sows the seeds of its own demise. A danger for us old car lovers is to judge today's car's by yesterday's standards.
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#425577 - 05/21/07 11:48 AM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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Art Griffin
Member
Registered: 06/30/00
Posts: 108
Loc: Melbourne, Florida, USA
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Well, as of today the Pontiac Solstice is ready to be picked up. So far I haven't been successful in getting GM to deliver the car from SC back to us here in FL. But it appears now that they will reimburse us for our expenses.
And one bit of good news talking to the service manager at Bilton Chevrolet Pontiac GMC in St. George, SC is that GM wants the rear end back so that they can analyze the failure. I think I have convinced them that this failure has the potential of being fatal. They have assigned a case number and have a Customer Service guy working our case.
Also, I went one step farther and filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the failure. We'll see what happens both through GM and the US Govt.
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#425579 - 05/22/07 05:29 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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ex98thdrill
Member
Registered: 04/20/01
Posts: 2118
Loc: East Bloomfield, New York
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I'd fight that with GM. If you are still working a full time job how do they expect you to get away from your job to go back to South Carolina to pick up your car?? As far as I'm concerned, that is their screw-up, and they should take care of it.
If the car had 100,000 miles on it, I could understand, but this shouldn't happen at 5,000 miles.
I'm sure someone within AACA who has connections, will light a fire under someone to resolve this.
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#425580 - 05/22/07 08:00 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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1957Birdman
Member
Registered: 09/11/02
Posts: 26
Loc: Rockville, MD
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I'm glad to hear that you and your wife weren't hurt. That is the most important thing. I wanted to suggest that you go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website and fill out a report on this. The nature of this failure is such that NHTSA may open an investigation on it. It might just be another way of prodding GM to do the right thing.
Regards,
_________________________
Lew Bachman
1957 Thunderbird
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#425581 - 05/22/07 10:53 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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Art Griffin
Member
Registered: 06/30/00
Posts: 108
Loc: Melbourne, Florida, USA
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Today, Arlene and I drove to St. George, SC with the rental car that GM had provided for us to use, and we picked up our repaired Pontiac Solstice. The dealer had crated the failed rear end and is shipping it back to GM for analysis. That's something I felt was important, and GM agrees. Although they didn't return the car to us, they agreed to pay our expenses. The car drove fine, and after driving it slowly for a modest distance, we moved up to normal highway speed. Everything went smoothly on the trip back to Florida.
While I was talking to the Service Manager at the dealer in SC, he told me that the new rear end assembly that GM provided for the vehicle was an upgraded model. He didn't say why GM had upgraded the assembly, but I bet the rumors I have heard about leaking pinion seals may mean they had a recurring problem that required fixing. But so far I haven't heard about any other catastrophic failures like mine.
Anyway, after more than a week, our little red sports convertible is back home. I just hope GM performs a failure analysis on the failed assembly. And the report I filed with the NHTSA may get the US Govt involved in pushing the matter.
That's all for this installment, and maybe the Solstice Story - Chapter 2 will soon be finished.
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#425582 - 05/22/07 11:03 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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Dynaflash8
Member
Registered: 03/03/01
Posts: 838
Loc: Sebring, FL USA
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Art, I'd still have taken the money!!  Nothing could have made or encouraged me to take the car even in the first place. But, I hope you have 200,000 miles of fun with it now and I'm so glad you and Arlene came out of the accident A-OK. You're an important cog in the AACA machinery too.
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#425584 - 05/23/07 10:01 AM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: West Peterson]
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Dynaflash8
Member
Registered: 03/03/01
Posts: 838
Loc: Sebring, FL USA
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I guess I'm not a true car guy then. If it's modern I want it to be BIG, and that's why I have bought my last late model, a nice big Buick, a 2005 Park Avenue, and the last of its species. . And, too, us older folks can always use the extra income off of $25,000 in the bank too. It's different strokes for different folks I guess. But I am a true OLD car guy.
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#425585 - 05/27/07 09:15 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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Art Griffin
Member
Registered: 06/30/00
Posts: 108
Loc: Melbourne, Florida, USA
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Since we returned back home with our beautiful red Pontiac Pontiac Solstice convertible, we have been driving it all around the area. And, so far, it has been performing just fine. From what we can determine, the dealer in SC did a good job of replacing the rear end assembly. Although we have looked at other Pontiacs and Buicks in case we decide to trade for a more traditional vehicle, we believe we will keep the Solstice for the meantime. So, maybe you'll see it at other AACA meets from time to time. We plan to be at Binghamton for the National Spring Meet and a Kalamazoo for the Annual Grand National, but we'll be driving our Ford minivan because of the amount of stuff that we'll need for a 6-week vacation trip.
Well, we will be sending in our receipts next week to GM to be reimbursed for the expenses incurred as a result of the rear end failure. Of course, we are happy that the failure didn't result in injuries or fatalities!
Have a great summer!
Art Griffin
(artgriffin@yahoo.com)
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#425586 - 05/30/07 05:54 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: Art Griffin]
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windjamer
Member
Registered: 10/27/06
Posts: 721
Loc: new york
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Art since my last post I found out why. my daughter took her soltis in to the del. She and my son in law own a auto repair shop so I thought it was strange. They told me the car was leaking fluid and makeing a growling noise.Got the car back and the del told them he changed a rear seal flushed the rear diff.and replaced the fluid with a differant type fluid,as per gm inst.Being a registered repair shop she has been keeping a close eye.Please let me know what ever else you learn Thanks Dick
_________________________
Dick Griswold 1965 Buick skylark 1972 Chevelle AACA member and One pistol club The difficult at once, the impossible next.
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#487821 - 02/16/08 08:35 PM
Re: Solstice Story - Chapter 2
[Re: windjamer]
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B.H.
Long Time Member
Registered: 08/15/01
Posts: 2755
Loc: Western PA
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Some relevant news worth adding to this old thread is that Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky owners are now receiving recall notices for this very issue - a leaking pinion seal.
A seal kit is now available from GM and takes about 3 hours to install - at no charge to the owner.
If you get a recall notice in the mail, take it to your nearest servicing dealer and have it checked out - even if you had the axle assembly repaired or replaced previously.
_________________________
Brian Contributing Member of PackardInfo.com - Best of All, It's Free! "Knowledge is good." - Emil Faber
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