Calling All GM Vehicle Owners

[ChevroletRevived]

Calling all GM Vehicle Owners


TrueDelta and GM need your input, and doing your part is only a few clicks away. You can help GM and thousands of potential buyers by providing accurate, factual reliability information on your GM vehicle to TrueDelta. Many here on GMI have critized the outdated survey techniques and biased reporting of Consumer Reports. And now is the time to finally do something about it. Support the up to date, un-biased alternative, TrueDelta. TrueDelta just started collecting data on 2004 GMT-800 and 2007 GMT-900 full-size trucks and SUV's. Other GMT-800 model years (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005) are at around 1/2 or 1/3 from minimum sample amount.

GMT-800 models needed include Chevrolet Silverado/Suburban/Avalanche, GMC Sierra/Yukon/Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade/Escalade EXT/Escalade ESV. If you have one of these models, please go to www.truedelta.com to get started. Panel members will get access to reliability results free of charge. While these vehicles are especially needed by TrueDelta, if you have any GM vehicle, you're input is needed. Start making a difference by helping TrueDelta provide information on a number of GM vehicles. I signed up, and more vehicles are required to start data collection. I'd like to see that change, so let's do it!

[redimpss5]

I hope the can do a better job then those hack's at CR!

[kenman923]

I would rather listen to the actual owners than those at Consumer Reports.

[69Firebird400]

I'm in the panel for both of my vehicles and mkaresh makes it really easy to participate. Only one of mine has enough vehicles in the panel to require my responses, so all you have to do is report any service trips monthly and check in quarterly with your mileage even if you haven't had any service trips.

There is also a fuel economy survey on his site that allows you to input variables such as driving style, a/c or no a/c, etc. for more accurate comparisons.

[Ming]

I'd like to emphasize that even less well-known and more obscure GM models should be added. If we don't help seed the results for cars like the Lucerne and Saab 9-5, then they'll never reach the minimum requirement. If the members of an enthusiast forum like this can't make a difference, then who will?

Question for Mkaresh: Are the grille-jobs like the G5, Torrent and SV6 counted towards the total for the Cobalt, Equinox and Uplander? If not, I'm thinking that would go a long way towards meeting the total. Especially for the model years (all as of now) in which they are essentially the same car. Might be hard to figure out for some cars, since the Terraza would stand out from the CSV quadruplets with the addition of Quiet Tuning sound deadening insulation and a better rear suspension for the FWD model (if memory serves). But some like the G5 are pretty much no-brainer Chevy clones.

Also, my favorite part of TrueDelta is the value comparison. Take a car like the Malibu Maxx, apply all rebates, "maximize shared features" and then look at how the standard features are compared to tell you which car really has the best value. Some of the values for the standard featueres seem a bit over or underpriced, but its a good guide: http://www.truedelta.com/prices.php?session_code= I thought it was interesting to compare the Suzuki SX4 against the Chevy HHR, for instance. What a difference that standard AWD makes.

The site owner says he doesn't get many domestic vs. import price comparisons (we domestic guys apparently never cross shop, just show up at the dealer and buy our pickups and SUVs for whatever the salesman offers, and don't use that newfangled internet ) so lets change that.

[04bonnie]

well I signed up, but funny, it doesn't let me put in service items for my 2001 Silverado, which is what they say they need data for? I entered data for my 2004 Bonneville no problem. Does anybody on here use www.mygmlink.com? That's a great website to keep track of all service items, mileage, cost, etc. That way, when you sell a vehicle, you can print all that info out for the next owner. I even enter in oil changes.

Just for the record, my Silverado has been my best vehicle I've owned, as far as fewest repairs having to be done. At 29,800 miles currently, I've had these repairs:

Power window, driver's side
Recalls: talilgate supports
ABS sensor

There's never been a "check engine" light, which I often get on my GM vehicles at some point. The Silverado still drives and looks like new. It's a 2WD, so not any upkeep on the 4WD, which possibly helps, most people have 4WD on these.

[nascarnate326]

Its funny this is a "way around" Consumer Reports, yet they are the add on this page for me. lol

[jwrebholz]

My car isn't one of the ones in demand, so I can't help. I'm already signed up, but I guess there aren't enough '01 Cavalier owners out there that care.

[mkaresh]

Thanks, ChevroletRevived. Dozens of people signed up this morning, but that has really begun to tail off--we might have been better off without the additional info I've added below...

well I signed up, but funny, it doesn't let me put in service items for my 2001 Silverado, which is what they say they need data for? I entered data for my 2004 Bonneville no problem.

There are two separate reliability surveys. The main survey is open to all model years, I just need 25 cars to start collecting data. To minimize bias, this survey only collects data going forward (with the exception of the first month). This survey can only be accessed through a link in an email I send out, not through the site. The form is displayed on the site, though:

http://www.truedelta.com/survey.php

Problem was, people kept emailing me, wanting to report problems that had already happened. So I then created a totally separate Repair History Survey. No minimum sample is required for this one, as the results will be quite biased anyway, as people who have had many problems will be more likely to want to post them. Responses are just posted as-is, to give a sense of POSSIBLE (but not necessarily likely) repair histories.

This second survey uses the pricing database to pull detailed powertrain information, and I've only put information back to 2003 into this database so far. The main study doesn't have detailed powertrain information so that I could open it up to all cars, all years, all countries without having to put together a massive database.

[jvanleuvan]

I already signed up for my '02 focus. But I don't think it's in the survey yet.
One thing I wish the site did was provide information on number of repairs per milage (like 1 time to the shop per 50,000 miles) or so...

Because repairs per year, to me is a little misleading, when you compare cars that will get very different milage in a year ( I drive like 30,000 miles/year) For example... A Viper may look pretty reliable compared to a commuter car until you realize that vipers may only average like 8K miles a year (just an example, I don't know the exact numbers for a viper )

[mkaresh]

I'd like to emphasize that even less well-known and more obscure GM models should be added. If we don't help seed the results for cars like the Lucerne and Saab 9-5, then they'll never reach the minimum requirement. If the members of an enthusiast forum like this can't make a difference, then who will?

Question for Mkaresh: Are the grille-jobs like the G5, Torrent and SV6 counted towards the total for the Cobalt, Equinox and Uplander?

I'm going to combine related vehicles as much as possible, to boost the samples. One I'm not sure about are the Acadia and Outlook, since they have somewhat different interiors. Whether I combine them will depend on whether the problems people report involve shared parts or not.

I will have some results in May for both the Lambdas and the Aura, either way. This will be six months ahead of CR. And when they release their results, in November, I'll be releasing my third set for these cars based on much more recent information.

In case people are wondering, CR is very aware of me, and might be working to finally improve how they do things as a result. So, oddly, even friends of CR should want my research to succeed, because real competition would do CR a lot of good.

[mkaresh]

One thing that makes it difficult to get enough of any GM model is the number of GM models. Since midnigth CST last night 77 vehicles have been added to the panel, probably about 50 by GMI members. Fifty is very good from a single source in a single morning, but when you divide it by all models and model years...

An increasing percentage of new members learned of the research from friends and family. So if you know someone who might be interested, please tell them about the research.

Here were the GM vehicles with the highest counts in the panel last night (before this thread was posted):

2007 AURA 52 -- the people over at Saturnfans are great!
2006 HHR 39 -- a couple of HHR forums have been helpful
2006 9-3 38 -- saabcentral, trollhattansaab
2006 Cobalt 35 --cobaltss.com and cobaltss.net
2005 CTS 29 -- cadillacforums
2004 CTS 26
2003 9-3 25
2003 CTS 24
2004 9-3 22
2006 G6 22
2004 Tahoe/Yukon 22
2007 Outlook 20 -- Saturnfans again, very good for a very new model
2005 Cobalt 19
2006 Vibe 18
2005 Equinox 17
2002 TrailBlazer/Envoy 17
2006 VUE 17
2003 Tahoe/Yukon 16
2005 9-3 15
2006 Impala 15
2004 VUE 15
2005 Malibu 14
2004 Silverado/Sierra 14
2007 Acadia 13 -- thanks to Acadiaforum.net
2004 GTO 13
2003 VUE 13
2003 Rendezvous 12
2005 Tahoe/Yukon 12
2006 TrailBlazer/Envoy 12
2005 G6 11
2004 Impala 11
1997 SL/SC 11 (not sure I'll go back this far)
2007 Tahoe/Yukon 11
2005 9-2X 10
2000 9-3 10
2006 Malibu 10
2004 SRX 10
2002 Tahoe/Yukon 10
2003 TrailBlazer/Envoy 10
2003 Vibe 10

Highest for all models:
2006 300/Charger/Magnum 104
2005.5-2006 Jetta about 80 (total of 99 includes Golf/GTI)
2006 Passat 78
2005 Five Hundred / Freestyle 75
2005 Odyssey 69
2006 Prius 66
2006 RAV4 66
2007 Caliber 61
2006 Odyssey 59
2005 Legacy / Outback 58
2006 Mazda3 58
2005 Mazda3 56
2005 Tucson 55
2006 3-Series 53
2007 Camry 53
2006 Sonata 51
2007 FJ Cruiser 50

[69Firebird400]

Has anyone else noticed the Consumer Reports banner ads on GMI lately? There's one an inch below mkaresh's last post, which I find funny on a few different levels. Gotta pay the bills, though!

[mkaresh]

I already signed up for my '02 focus. But I don't think it's in the survey yet.
One thing I wish the site did was provide information on number of repairs per milage (like 1 time to the shop per 50,000 miles) or so...

Because repairs per year, to me is a little misleading, when you compare cars that will get very different milage in a year ( I drive like 30,000 miles/year) For example... A Viper may look pretty reliable compared to a commuter car until you realize that vipers may only average like 8K miles a year (just an example, I don't know the exact numbers for a viper )

I have plans to do this. The sample sizes are still too small to break them down further by mileage. I do post the average mileage for each model in the results already, though.

In general, the larger the sample sizes get, the more stats and detail I'm going to be providing. If it can be done, and people ask for it, it will be done.

[mkaresh]

Has anyone else noticed the Consumer Reports banner ads on GMI lately? There's one an inch below mkaresh's last post, which I find funny on a few different levels. Gotta pay the bills, though!

I visit many forums. Lately there have been CR ads on every single one of them. They're pushing the Annual Auto Issue. Funny thing about this issue is that the data in it are already almost a year old, as the CR survey runs through March 31st each year.

Because I use quarterly surveys, and analyze the data quickly, TrueDelta's results will average over 10 months "fresher" than theirs. There are two implications:

--when researching a used car, do you want to know how reliable it was a year ago, when it was a year younger, or how reliable it's been lately?

--with hot new models like the Lambdas, do you want reliability info while they're still hot and new, or after their second model year has begun?

As I said above, I'll have results for the Lambdas in May.