Domestic vehicle quality

[CharlesW]

My 1998 Pontiac Tran Sport mini-van is now in its 7th year and has about 128,000 mile on it.
This piece of domestic GM junk is becoming a real load to keep running. So far I have had to do the following repairs, not maintenance, repairs.
$130 for replacing the water pump
$100 for replacing plugs and wires
Isn`t that ridiculous? Only 7 years, 127,000 miles and it has cost $230 already.:bigscream

:wait :wait :wait
This thread is definitely a put-on.
I read so much about the poor quality of domestic vehicles and while some of it has no doubt been deserved, they have done pretty good for me.
Several of them even went quite a few miles before I moved them on. The reason for getting rid of them is in parenthesis.
`69 Riv - 98,000 (Tornado blew it away)
`74 GP - 105,000 (Body rust)
`77 TA - 176,000 (Body rust)
`79 Mk V - 147,000 (Body rust)
`81 Monte - 136,000 (Accident, Totalled)
`88 Astro van - 168,000 (Body rust)
`98 Tran Sport - 127,000 and counting
I think if I didn`t live in the salt belt, I might have to keep these things forever. At the first sign of rust through, the rust is repaired and the vehicle is gone.
Nothing important here, but it has been a long winter and I think I might be somewhat bored.

Charles

[dalmore]

I can`t beleive you dumped the `69 Buick just cause you lost a race to a Olds. Even if it was a front-wheel drive Olds ...

[andriver]

Charles, you must really be bored. A tornado blew your Riviera away? LOL. You must be in the tornado alley.

[Boss_429]

Charles,

You`ve been VERY lucky!

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by andriver
Charles, you must really be bored. A tornado blew your Riviera away? LOL. You must be in the tornado alley.

Yep. Took the Riviera, a Chevelle, two motorcycles, a motorcycle trailer, the garage, and one end of the house. It did leave one car and one motorcycle plus all the family.

Charles

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by Boss_429
Charles,

You`ve been VERY lucky!

Possibly, although 7 times is a lot of luck.
Actually, I have had something like 50 cars and have only had one bad one, (`67 Caddy), and one I didn`t like, (`64 Mustang).
That`s where I have been lucky.

Charles

[denetc]

ahh, rust belt. i grew up in rural iowa- gravel roads. salt and graded in the winter for roads, liquid salt calcium chloride sprayed in the summer for dust cloud management. cars dont have much chance, everyone has rusty old cars 10yrs plus common, with over 100K. here in no va, i dont see rust, everyone seems to roll in new cars 1-4 yrs old on the beltway and everyone dumps em when they get em paid off for another new one. its nice to have the interior not coated in dust all the time and the exterior not dirty dusty the NEXT day after you wax. on the flip side i miss driving and seeing the bright green cornfields on a blue sky day and being the ONLY car in sight. back to topic, i have been happy with american cars, our jimmy is 7 yrs old 80k going strong. ive only had one bad american car too.

[twhited]

Well, I`ve owned 5 Toyota Camrys and just got rid of my last one, a 1999 because it was a piece of crap. The quality has gone WAY downhill on Camrys in my opinion. I now have a 2003 Grand Caravan and a 2002 Buick Regal, and doubt i`ll EVER go back to non-domestic cars again. That`s how happy I am with these vehicles. Granted, they aren`t too old, but so far they`re so much better than my last Toyota. Just my $0.02 worth.

[keeotee]

I put 7 years and 161,000 on a 90 bereta GTZ and gave it to my ex`s son who took it to 9 years and 186,000. He trashed the poor thing. I drove it awfully hard. It had a few problems, but not too much for so many miles and as hard as I drove it.

Put 90,000 on a tercel in 3 years and it had a few problems but was a great little car for me. And believe it or not, my wife has had a few cavaliers with no problems and put a lot of miles on them too! While my brother had so many problems with his 95 galant.

But Charles, I have to ask, how is it you`ve had so many cars? That`s a lot of cars!

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by keeotee
But Charles, I have to ask, how is it you`ve had so many cars? That`s a lot of cars!

lol
It`s been a lot of years. Bought my first car when I was 14, that was a loooong time ago.
Sometimes have several, (3 right now), and for years never kept one a full 12 months. One for 60 days or so. Bought it because of the pre-release hype, didn`t like the car, sold it while everyone still wanted one.

Charles

[elortt]

1984 Ford Tempo 160,000 sold for 300 about 2 yrs ago and still running
1984 Pointiac sunbird crashed it in 2000 with 150,000+ miles
currently driving a 1995 Chevy Lumina with 3.4L option with 165,000 miles, I use it for everything, daily commute to day job as well as detailing jobs and still drives like new, and cause the motor option / drivetrain it performs VERY well for being a Lumina

Eric