03 Cavalier Problems, Rattles, etc.

Your not, they just dont put the padding and stuff in cavaliers that they put on the higher end models, on the edges of the dash on my roomates impala they have a rubber culking that seems to absorb any plastic on plastic rub, and the only noises I hear from my monte is when the dash is cooling off from the AC from being 100 degrees +, and it makes some wierd creeking noises.

its just the small panel by where the control is.

It is UNDER WARRANTY Return the car to the DEALER Return it often enough for the same problem and invoke the Lemon Law and get your $$ back and go get a different car.

Welcome to the world of J-bodys. They have been doing this since 95.

Jim

I'll start out by saying that I have no intention of damning a Cavalier or Sunfire. My family has owned a '90 Cavalier, a '90 Sunbird, and an '00 Cavalier. The '90 Cavalier was quieter, smoother, and more comfortable then the '00, and has needed only an alternator, radiator fan, and TCC solenoid in it's 83,000 mile lifetime since new. It also needed a heater core a couple of years ago, but that was because we forgot to change the coolant for 11 years. Oops. Then there was Grandma running the A/C full blast while sitting in parking lots for 30 minutes when it was over 100 degrees outside. That might explain the alternator and fan. To this day, everything else works like new. It's been handed down to several family members and just recenltly got a new paint job. Looks brand new and the factory A/C stills blows ice cubes.

Anyway, aside from the Metro, the Cavalier is the least expensive GM offering. There simply isn't as much quality control, technology, or noise reducing features that go into these vehicles. Granted, any vehicle can and will have problems ranging from minor annoyances to major failures. However, the less a vehicles costs, the more annoyances you will likely have to put up with.

The '00 has it share of buzzes and rattles in the dash and doors with 18,000 miles, but more annoying is the minor surging upon light to no throttle application while coasting. Dealer(s) can't find a problem, no codes, no other symptoms. The driver just lives with it. It's been doing that since we bought it. It also burned out a taillight prematurely (why does GM seem to have so many problems with bulbs and sockets, i.e. fog lamps and DRLs on full size trucks?).

What I'm trying to say is... It's a $15,000 Cavalier, not a $40,000 Cadillac or even a $25,000 Buick! It's an inexpensive, domestic automobile - it's SUPPOSED to rattle, hehe! If it didn't, you'd need to take it back to the dealer to find out why it stopped rattling.

Roger

But wouldn't building inexpensive cars to high quality standards (which does not necessarily mean lots of luxury features) make it more likely that the buyer will come back to GM for his/her next car (from GM's point of view, hopefully a nicer, more expensive, more profitable car)?

If you built an inexpensive car to high quality standards, you no longer have an inexpensive car.

You can have some level of quality control built into the line and not have to worry about rattles and squeaks.

Ensure proper fit and finish from the start and maintain quality through the assembly process wouldn't cost more.

They can make cheap materials look decent.

Toyota Corollas and Civics are cheap and have better fit and finish than many domestic entry and mid-level cars.