WTH is RIGHT with GM? 

I knew this would be a touchy video, but I'm surprised at the early reaction! People feel strongly about GM, and those who don't like them were early viewers and vocal! Why am I surprised? I lost 2 subscribers in the first 55 minutes (at 3:00 AM!) and 4 downvotes. Early results, but surprising people react so strongly to someone saying anything positive about GM, Mary Barra, and their direction! Oh, and please watch the whole video. While I'm positive about their lineup, I do also say it's their weakest sector (important for a car company) but I go on to talk about their business. I believe GM has "retrenched" after their bankruptcy and have been laying the groundwork for the future. Of course, it's all just my opinion, and I have been wrong about at least 1 thing in the past! :) Have a great day!

WTH is Right with GM ? , the CORVETTE

I'm not brand loyal anymore. That's true for all products, not just cars. Corporations are lead by over compensated CEOs that drive up their compensation by manipulating the stock price, GM is no different. In general, the automakers need to focus on their workforce and the quality of production processes and parts. Without workers that feel valued, good production processes and quality parts, cars are going continue to be cheap and over priced. Toyota has its own problems these days, so they are not immune to any of this.

Growing up in the 90's made fun of my dad for buying GM stock under advice of "The Motley Fool" while he drove a Toyota. Lost over $10k after they f"d the EV1. GM could've been Tesla a decade early but they were too stupid.

They’ve definitely steeped up their styling game and they’re tech is actually top notch,the drivetrain’s reliability and the cost cutting in some interior areas seem to be a concern for most people imo

Had a Corsica, the single worst car I have ever owned, traded that piece shit in for a 2004 Hyundai Accent. Had that Hyundai for 10 years, solid little car, sold it to a dealer still running well.

My friend have a Chevy Trax 2022 and water pump started leaking at 45,000 miles a month ago.

I can't speak for the States, but for many decades General Motors had such a huge presence around the globe. For example, before leaving Europe altogether, Vauxhall in the UK, and Opel in Germany were acquired by them way back in the 1920's. It is quite ironic that during WW2, both of these nations were killing each other with the aid of GM owned factories on their respective sides. Growing up in Australia, the now defunct GM Holden was always the most popular brand. I realise that such decisions came down to hard economics, but it seems such a shame that GM is no longer represented in much of the world.

Once you walk away from a brand it can be difficult to go back. Although I grew up in a GM family I stopped buying GM products many years ago after two disappointing cars. If I bought a new GM vehicle now and it had problems I would hear “I told you so” until the end of time. To avoid potential domestic strife I avoid GM products.

I can’t afford to gamble and go back to Gm products been there done that they always tell you there better now I’m staying with Honda or Toyota

I have a GM '08, 3800 that I purchased new. Currently 15 years old, 240k miles. I changed the oil every 3,500 miles. I changed the trans fluid every 50k miles. Both are running strong. However, I replaced the water pump, power steering pump, a/c compressor, racknpinion, computer ignition module, radiation, all front end suspension, all struts, and that's just a few items. My friends own Camerys and Accords that are older with a lot more miles, and they haven't replaced a 1/3 of the parts I've had to replace. This is why I'm not investing time and money into another GM product. I will shop quality and not price next time. 😊

GM has missed a lot of opportunities, but I have to admit that they have a pretty robust lineup of vehicles and a more solid strategy than Ford or Stellantis. Chevrolet and Buick scream value for money while Cadillac is an underrated sleeper brand. And there’s immeasurable hype over Pontiac’s potential return. And man, I just really love Cadillac and what they’re doing. I’d take a V Series Caddie over any German luxury product out there now. My little fuss about GM would be their abandonment of the European market as well as right hand drive markets like Japan, India, and Australia. With the current GM products today, especially from Chevrolet, it would seem very likely for GM’s success in these large markets that they currently aren’t competing in. Especially India and Europe are two very large and profitable markets that GM is missing out on. If GM enters those markets successfully, then I think they could easily climb their sales back over Hyundai’s sales to become world’s third largest automaker. And if Pontiac comes back, and Hummer expands their portfolio similar to something like Jeep, then GM could be a powerhouse again: up there with Toyota and VW by volume. GM is doing good stuff and I hope they keep making good decisions.

I purchased my first new GM product in 2022, a GMC 2500hd, mostly due to concerns about the new Tundra. Thus far I have been impressed with the overall quality and find it comparable to my wife's 2021 Rav4 hybrid as regards materials, tech, etc. No issues with either one.

I have a 2005 Colorado X-Treme - my work truck, and only vehicle. I run a Mobile Auto Detail business, and have all my equipment in it. 249,000 miles. I’m still very happy with it. Mechanically, it’s been excellent. 🚗🙂 I always enjoy your channel.

The quality is good. I think it is better to have a slightly boring vehicle that runs well and lasts long than an "exciting" one.

When I was there we fixed manufacturing by cloning the Toyota Production System better than many others who tried to do the same thing. The supply chain driven by lowest piece price cost destroyed their quality reputation. There were many years where there was a constant arrogant internal drum beat that they would “crush” Toyota. Those of us who had Toyota backgrounds knew better. There were a few of us brought in at the time. For many these days there is no reason to jump from Toyota, Honda, or Mazda back to GM. Why would you want to. Most of their products are simply not unique. They have generally no “Gotta Have” vehicles as they did have many years ago when they led in styling and product development. They did retain some level of a quality reputation for their trucks until they didn’t. Failed new engine technologies, poor engineering, lack luster interiors all contributed to truck buyers moving to others. Poor dealer attitudes toward customers has not helped. While over the past 25 years GM has done some things right it has all been undone by what they did wrong, at least for the North American buyer. I also remember Opel and Vauxhall leadership constantly battling Detroit for budgets to develop top products only to see any profits they did manage early on sucked away. Detroit drove the Germans and Brits crazy. While GM was bust trying to build and sell Buicks in China they allowed poor understanding coming out of Detroit to constantly make poor decisions with their other Asian markets. After their bankruptcy GM was a new company with the same old people and attitudes. The results proved it.

Lately, GM Quality Is on par with Hyuandai and Kia, especially with the GM South Korea Buick Encore and the GM Mexico Chevy Trax. I have lost faith in GM and only would buy them again if I couldn't afford something better.

I usually only buy used. The only GM products I really like are the trucks, I have a 2008 Yukon. I have a 2017 Sonata with over 200k miles with ZERO issues/repairs other than a normal brake replacement. Hard to beat that.

All manufacturers have their issues, I had a 2018 Silverado 1500 and wasn't happy with it, bought a 2020 2500 and love it no problems and tows like a beast. No I didn't spring 13k for the diesel, it's not worth it unless you tow a whole lot, like daily.

Dear Jon, You asked what defines reliability. I don't trust JD Powers or anything similar since they are all bought, all the time. You can find the car's reliability in the true market value deterioration. Cast aside factors that embellish auto prices (dealer cuts) and you can see a trend. In engineering terms, it's how long you can expect to go without a powertrain rebuild. Of course, this includes following "proper maintenance". Notice how I didn't say manufacturer recommendations. I wouldn't trust GM service guidelines or dealership advice. The only reason I'd go to the dealership is for parts. This goes for any dealership! Another folksy way to gauge reliability is just to talk to a mechanic. Although many mechanics are full of you know what, some are just noticing patterns in their trade. They'll tell you which motors and transmissions they see fail the most, and the common things wrong with them. GM timing chains on the Hi Feature engine family, for example, need service every 50k miles, and then the motor itself can reasonably get to 200k miles without blowing a valve. Their transmissions, while better than Ford, are not problem free. GM's are weird. First of all, it's a large company. Some of their vehicles are nice. Most aren't. The trucks and SUV's aren't bad. GM cars are the problem. That includes Cadillac. Cadillacs look nice. They feel nice. Their powertrains fall apart faster than everyone on average, besides maybe mitsu, nissan, hyundai and chrysler. GM overloads their vehicles with oversensitive electronics and fancy gadgets that are actually anti-user. Hard to take a company like that seriously. You could say GM's small cars are just as bad as Ford and Chrysler. Maybe you'd even be right at this point. Ford got out of small cars. The cope has been that, if you know the GM you can take care of it. The hard truth is GM has built a bunch of trash just like Ford and Chrysler. The vast majority of GM small vehicles are designed to die at 150k. The GM competitors to Ford's Panther platform are all less reliable than the Panther. With all that said, GM can build an absolutely invincible car when they want. One that's easy to service too. They just don't seem to want to. That's why I'm on Team Ford.

WTH is right with GM. Sorry to disagree with you , but Mary Barra is not one of them. I want to say because of her, GM has lost their footing and continues to do so. They should be the leader for consumer vehicles but losing market share year over year. She lost my trust when she said GM will catch up with Tesla instead of learning from Tesla. ( Good example of putting her mouth in motion before putting her brain in gear )

The problem with GM is that all their new models with Buick and Chevrolet is they are going with 1.2 and 1.3 ltr 3 cylinder engines and CVT transmissions. To me, they may be fine for local driving, but I do a lot of highway driving, they're not for me.

Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

The new “face” of Buick reminds me of of a character in a movie called “Space Raiders” [1983]. Compare to the face of “ZARIATIN “. 🚗😱🤣

I am seeing a healthy amount of these new Buicks here in my area

I will defend GM/Daewoo-GM/South Korea. I've owned several, including the Forenza and MI-built Sonic. NOT ONE has ever failed me.

Livng in AU - absolutely correct, I did not expect that plot twist! GM-AU are dead - equal to Alfa Romeo in 2024, I'd recommend just handing the business over to Stellantis & go home... As for GM Daewoo, sure, they have always been great at styling but terrible at making cars. This has not changed Jon. We cannot let a GM Daewoo "Full Self Destruction" car escape into the wild. =)

GM family, never had issues with any of them. GM quality is better than ever. Unfortunately, they abandoned sedans. So, I'll be buying elsewhere. My GM cars have all outlasted my neighbors Toyotas & Hondas and I refuse to do anything but the minimum maintenance and I got a lead foot and live in NJ with salty air, pot holes, and aggressive driving being the norm. Mary Barra has done a fantastic job pushing my entire family into Toyota dealerships.

As a Bow Tie Fan for decades who went Prius last year your GM perspective was really informative and insightful. I really enjoyed it.

I disagree with this every time I think GM is back they disappoint me. But to be fair I hate modern vehicles.

Not sure if this is a good or bad thing but I believe the Colorado is the lowest price US Built, UAW made car, also GM is a US company

Interesting insights! I will say that from my perspective some things are going well from a distance. Cadillac styling looks the best that it has in the last 20 years. The new Buicks are stylish. The EV program looks to have some potential within its market which is more than what can be said for stellantis or Ford. The decision to release a Hummer as a subbrand is a better strategy than what the original Hummer was. The problem that I have Jon is what I see as the most important issue is still not fixed. The 8-speed transmission in the trucks is in the midst of a lawsuit because of the problems they have had. The 10-speed that they developed with Ford is having similar problems from what I hear. I think they followed Ford's direction on removing a gear on their front wheel drive transmission that they co-developed. The cylinder deactivation problem has never been fixed. They've never done to my knowledge dual injection to fix the problems of direct injection like Ford and Toyota have. I'm not sure that they've ever truly bulletproofed their other engines. If they have not, they just made a very nice environment to sit in while you're waiting for the wrecker to pick you up. I think cars in general are not heading in a good direction for long-term reliability as a whole so we'll see who comes out on the top in the race to the bottom. What I see here makes me unlikely to give GM another chance. How much of it is Mary Barra I have no idea. I will give you that given a choice between Carlos travaras a Mary Barra, I'd rather have Mary Barra but between Mary Barra and the late Sergio from FCA, I would rather have Sergio because Sergio brought things back to life. The product is what will make or break the company.

Every personal ownership experience is anecdotal. And every long term experience is old news, right? That said, I bought a 2018 Silverado 2500HD 4X4 6.0 gas, brand new. I drive 12kmi a year so I'm now at 75kmi. At this point, I've fed it gas, tires and this year, a battery. It has performed its intended mission perfectly. At the rate we're going I don't see why it won't do 150 or 200kmi+. When I bought it I figured it would be eaten away by the salt on my upstate NY roads before the mechanics failed and that is probably going to be the case.

Jon love your new video format.

My first and second cars were Asian, but since 1998, I’ve only bought GM products, and besides wear items, I’ve had not a single problem with any of them. I’ll probably stick with GM until I die.

My wife and I have owned three GM vehicles. My first truck a 2003 Silverado 1500. My wife's 2015 traverse. And my current truck, a 2003 Silverado 2500hd. I have always liked Chevy. I hate the way they advertise.

We always drive Oldsmobiles...AND they were 200,000 mile vehicles....Olds V8s were the best....Cutlass was the NUMBER 1 selling name plate 1975-1985 ...if u were leaving GM in the 80s ..thats crazy ..crazy 1980- 1985 ..98 88 toronado...Cutlass...Ciera...these cars were BETTER than Ford or Mopar ANYTHING!!!!!

Completely enjoy my very basic 2012 Sonic LS sedan, maintained to remain a trusted coast to coast cruiser. What I don't trust is any undersized gas engine with a turbocharger and CVT, which all GM, and Ford for that matter, now have. My "SUV" is a '17 SV 4X4 crew Frontier. NOTHING new appeals to me. Best new vehicle I've ever driven is a 2023 Charger SXT, but just when the bugs are out they don't make it anymore. Government needs to get out of the car business.

Heres a question, not about gm But how kany car companies do you think could compete in the us? Cause we used to have renaults, citroen, suzuki, isuzu, etc. and i know regulations and such get in the way, but i wonder how many could get into the states and be profitable

One could argue the trax and envista are korean enough to not be gm...same with encore gx and its chevy counterpart

My last two vehicles have been GM have been extremely happy with them; far better than the two previous Stellantis vehicles I’ve owned. Granted exceeding Stellantis quality is no great achievement

WTH well for me its two car's the CT4 and CT5 Blackwing...one can dream

If GM is smart , they need to bring back there performance Division again as well, and that's Pontiac !! And bring it with rear wheel drive V8 Platform powertrain ,muscle cars 2doors and 4door cars!! And all wheel drive as well 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💪💪💪💪

I no longer favor one builder or another. At least GM still builds a few sedans. I still think GMC only exists so the BUICK dealers can sell trucks and larger SUV’s too just like CHEVROLET dealers.

According to Car Wizard, not their turbos

Given they sold up everything except for GM south Korea outside of the Americas. GM is going the wrong way. The new Colorado is a facelift on the one they had in Australia still and the ranger is a lot newer update. I would like it Caddilac came to Australia with a ct5 wagon with a V8 given they shut down Holden and we are now stuck with shit box Silverados and rams.

Give us a preview of your next episode of "All Chevy Trax with Jon", please.

There is cheap, and then there is GM cheap. Especially with regard to their interiors. I work for a supplier than makes the door cards for their trucks and they are CONSTANTLY looking for ways to save a cent here and a cent there. Literally changed "fabric" supplier because it was cheaper, none of the tests we did were all that satisfying but GM shrugged and said it was okay. None of the other automakers I have worked for has their leniency with regard to cheap plastics, except, I did once work with Hyundai/Kia for a bit and they were pretty damned cheap too. No, I really don't like GM's direction at all, and it's time for Barra to step down. They need new leadership yet again.

Almost all GM vehicles look so much alike, except in size. Buick is just a Chevy with a bit more chromed plastic. They also routinely replace refined and proven powertrains to test experiments on the general public. They think we won't notice; unfortunately too many don't. To be fair, most new vehicles fail for abuse and neglect, but abuse is highly suggested in advertising.

Bought my first ever GM product (Sliverado) a year ago. There is no accounting for taste, but I think it is the best looking truck out there. The funny thing is that it is the lower "Custom" trim and it looks better than the chromed out higher trim models. Gorgeous 20" wheels and the black grill goes great with the dark silver paint. The interior is the older version and plain as can be, but reminiscent of my 90's Ranger and Dakota, so that's fine by me. I don't care for the space ship screens across the whole dashboard.

I think that you should end your "Saturday Walk with John" videos with a cup of coffee on your porch!

The Blazer is a really great car that people whine about it not being a real "Blazer" (not like the S10 Blazer was amazing) and the Mach E is a great car that people complain about not being a "Mustang". So really it's just the name that people whine about.

They should not as good, but better than Toyota and Honda!!!

GM products are too hit or miss to try My boss has a 2016 Silverado and I drove it. The materials and buttons are all fading and the screen was out. No music or infotainment. The transmission felt off and the car would shudder and the revs were wild. Drove the last Chevy Cruze and it was terrible. It was so low to the ground it couldn't get into the driveay. The interior was very uncomfortable and crampedm really emphasized why sedans are terrible to me. The same issues of the buttons fading and peeling and the CHEAPEST feeling gear selector I ever touched. It had the thinnist plastic and was fragile and wobbly. Then rhe neighbors had two last gen Malibus they always always had issues and broke down a lot. My other boss as a new Silverado with a four banger turbo and he tows all kinds of stuff. Im waiting to see if the darm think will explode. My childhood car a 04 Suburbans transmission just went out at 200k miles. The interior and electeonics were going long before. Cars are money pits. Im pretty young but they are getting to the point of hate for me. Far too much money, even for reliable cars.

I’ve had several GM cars over the years, I have a 97 W/T now. Generally they have been pretty good. But with the current trend of putting in three cylinder turbos, they aren’t going to have the longevity of the older models.

Jon, the thing you missed is their JVs with Chinese manufacturers. I think they have a greater appreciation of their new competitors' processes and marketing than most. Unfortunately, like VW, they cast their EV platform in stone way too early, baking in too much cost and inefficiencies.

Go GM!!

GM being right? Where are the sedans, coupes, roadsters, and wagons??

gm

My money is too precious to take a risk on a GM product, especially when they don’t sell less than their competitors. If I have to take a leap of faith, I should at least get a discount. Every GM vehicle I ever had had tons of problems like AC that failed at 60,000 miles like clockwork. There are just so many better products with less risk and higher resale. By the way, the ultium platform is already very outdated. It’s typical GM. Instead of constant incremental improvement, they try to do huge leapfrogging moves.

Ford is leading with the most number of recalls as their quality has gone down the tank, so GM is slightly better. Fiat-Chrysler is owned by Stellantis and they are not doing well. I think Chrysler as the worst of the Big 3. Of course, GM is not as good as Toyota and Honda. A problem with the American automakers is they focus on making higher profits and cost-cutting at the expense of quality and reliability. They don't want to build durable long-lasting vehicles that people want

If your number one weakness is product and you’re in the business of selling things, then you’re doing everything wrong. Period.

I'm sorry, Jon. But, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. GM has gotten worse since the mid 2000s. Quality, engineering, styling, power trains, interiors, infotainment... all of it has gotten worse. As you know, I have a very small repair shop. GM and Ford, by far, are the worst that I've seen. The GM 1.5 turbo 4 is a disaster. The 3.6 V6 has never been all that great. Their transmissions are, meehhh.. and the interiors are terrible along with the infotainment and switch gear. At this point, I'd avoid any GM like the plaque, or a crazy ex-girlfriend. Contrary to what everyone thinks, Mary Barra is NOT the answer.

I don't like that GM wanted to get rid of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and use their own developed system plus they were experimenting with subscriptions. People don't want that.

When GM went bankrupt in 2009, they got rid of all their car brands to focus on SUVs and trucks. But where does that leave Buick, an old people brand like Oldsmobile? GM ran Saab and Saturn to the ground

NO to EVs!

When Trump gets back, takes some pressure off, GM just might redeem itself.

There is nothing right with GM today. Competent design does not exist. You cannot tell me that anything they have brought out since the bankruptcy (and even before) had any hint of design talent or skill. There is no GM car that is stunning or beautiful. Nothing is sharp. The Shamvette is simply a blended version of other automakers' work thrown together and nothing works together - it has awful proportions and is a totally useless product. Their trucks are third rate and still not good looking. GMC remains a professional grade Chevrolet. Cadihack remains hideous garbage that still is infected with Arts and Scientology (!) morass. Buick should not even exist and is a dumpy brand. Engineering is horrific - if you know anything about the issues GM has with its engines over mid term usage, you will know they have pulled every dollar out of engineering they can and the cars and trucks stop working right around five years.

NO WAY !!!!! GM is wayyyyy better than NISSAN OR MAZDA OR MIRSUBISHI OR KIA OR HYUNDAI...I worked at a Toyota dealer...NOT as good as u think.....AND BUICK shudda been discontinued NOT OLDSMOBILE....

Everyone on your block should have an EV. I don't see enough in your videos. If you have a house and 240V electric dryer port you should think about an EV. It's ironic that EVs sell better in cities where the owners need to fast charge them. City people/apartment dwellers think owning an EV will impress women/ raise their status so they buy Teslas and get them stuck in the winter time.

GM blows