Ive owned a 94 cutlass supreme with the 3.4l engine since 1996.. Love the car but it has cost me more to own than any car I've had in the past. seems like everytime something goes wrong, its another
700-800 bill... had two alternators go out..first time it was under warrenty.. second time, 480 bux since its so hard to get at.. burried down under the engine over right front axle..car only has 116k on it .the 3.4l engine was suposed to be a high cost item.. so far, the engine itself has not been the main maintainance cost but now i'm faced with a timing belt change and the cheapest ive been able to find is close to 900 bux.. what kinda b.s is this? it considered normal maintainance but the car is to the point where just to change a timing belt is more than the car is worth.. this is what pisses me off about GM.. planed obsolesance... with my 2002 toyota camry, it has a chain... goes 90k vs 60k on the olds.. cost to replace it is less than 300 bux vs the 900-1500 bux for a timing belt on the olds. I bought the camry with 29k on it and it only has 56k on it now, but so far, i havent had any expense, other than normal maintainance on it..so far, oil changes... had the xmision fluid changed at 30k. everything is fairly easy to get at on the Camry, where its a major bitch with the olds.. even the damn battery is burried in the olds.. you have to remove the wind shield wiper resourvoure to get at it... had a 82 celica that i owned for 20 years... other than normal maintainance the main problem with the car was body rust.. its still going after allmost 30 years.. sold it to a friend and he use's it for mainly a work car.. i probably spent less than 500 bux on that celica in the 20 years i had it, for something other than normal maintainance.. with the olds, ive probably spent around 4k or more.. the 2002 camry has been flawless so far... given the experience ive had, it will be a long time befor i buy another gm product.. its funny how for so many years consumers report gave em a bad rateing but now, all of a sudden since the gov cash for clunkers, gm cars are just as good as toyota or honda...fords are suddenly better than a honda or a toyota.. forget about thier crappy taures, that are now, all of a sudden, just as good or better than an accord... it will take many years of good service to convince me.. till then, ill stick with the tried and tue... honda , toyota..with our shrinking dollar we no longer have the luxury of being a guineau pig for the big 3 by the way the 3.4l is a chevy engine... about the only gm car id consider is one with the 3.8l engine, perhaps the 3.1l but the 3.8l gets better fuel economy as well as having more horse power vs the 3.1l.. by the way the toyota and honda engines put out as much as the 3.1l hp wise and get a bit better gas milage and better reliability.. bottom line, if you want to remain true blue "american" and keep buying this crap that is mostly made over seas while the toyota and honda are made here, go ahead, but dont give me a ration of s*it cuz i bought an american made car built in ky. while you are driving around in ur gm car made in mexico.. think of the difference... toyota and honda build here, giving americans jobs but the profits going to japan... or gm being built overseas in mexico and the profits going to just a few fat cats here... food for thought.. you figure it out...