[Dutch]

This is my first ever GM product. Before I bought my wife a Torrent in December, all I'd ever owned were Fords and Chryslers.

We got a recall notice in the mail today for the Pontiac. I find this somewhat amusing. I found out about this recall before we bought the Torrent, and I remember thinking to myself, "Gee, they HAVE to have repaired the ones still sitting on dealer lots. If I get a notice for this recall, I'll be dumbfounded."

Well, color me dumbfounded.

"General Motors has decided that certain 2007 model year Pontiac Torrent vehicles built without a head-curtain side impact air bag or without a sunroof [i.e., like mine] fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 201, "Occupant Protection in interior impact." As a result, GM is conducting a recall. We apologize for this inconvenience. However, we are concerned about your safety and continued satisfaction with our products."

If you were concerned about my safety, why did you allow your dealer to sell me a known defective product in the first place? People blame plaintiffs' lawyers for the world's problems, but this is the kind of stupid stuff that results in million-dollar lawsuits. GM knew my car was defective. GM decided not to fix it. GM then send me a letter. GM probably hopes I will never receive or will ignore the notice so that they never have to spend the $20 to fix my car and make it safe.

Pardon my rant, but it chaps my hide I now have to take the car back for the installation of some foam that should have been installed before I bought it.

As an aside, I bought the GM extended warranty that goes out to I think 5 years/75k miles. I was shocked when they refused to provide a rental car for us when my wife took it in to have some problems repaired that existed on the date of delivery (2 rattles, a broken dome light, and a broken speaker). The dealer claims I only get a rental car after the base warranty runs out. Is that true?

At least we still love the Torrent, which is the most important thing.

 

[Subtle_Cynicism]

This is my first ever GM product. Before I bought my wife a Torrent in December, all I'd ever owned were Fords and Chryslers.

Well, in my eyes, that is definitely a step up! Even if I don't think the Torrent fits with Pontiac's image and is at the bottom of desirability in the CUV market (in terms of price, options, and engine), it is a really good looking vehicle. I'm happy you guys like it, because that really is all that matters.

We got a recall notice in the mail today for the Pontiac. I find this somewhat amusing. I found out about this recall before we bought the Torrent, and I remember thinking to myself, "Gee, they HAVE to have repaired the ones still sitting on dealer lots. If I get a notice for this recall, I'll be dumbfounded."

While I am also happy GM thought enough to sent recall letters out (not like they have an option), this one infuriates me. You would think that they would've repaired all applicable Torrents on the lot before selling them, but I wonder if that is relegated to the dealers? Perhaps they are expected to do it, but not all of them do it?

"General Motors has decided that certain 2007 model year Pontiac Torrent vehicles built without a head-curtain side impact air bag or without a sunroof [i.e., like mine] fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 201, "Occupant Protection in interior impact." As a result, GM is conducting a recall. We apologize for this inconvenience. However, we are concerned about your safety and continued satisfaction with our products."

And they are just noticing this now? Not, heaven forbid, when they were doing crash testing on the vehicle pre-production or post-production? This is a horrible recall and while I am thankful they are sending these out to do it, it should've never happened in the first place. These kind of blunders are why people steer away from GM: it only takes one of these to kill an on-the-fence car shopper.

 

[tomcat_cool17]

I would put the blame on the dealership, not GM. I'm sure Gm relegated all of dealer stock to be fixed, but since the VIN wasn't taken care of at the dealership, you got notified once you bought it.

 

[logansowner]

Are you sure it wasn't done, and you simply got the notice anyway?

If not, it seems like a dealer issue, not GM. Surely the dealership was told, so either they fixed it or didn't.

 

[AndrewGS]

In all honesty, I wouldn't even worry about it until the next time you take it in for service or something else. It's foam to further pad the roof for times you jump railroad tracks, roll the car or have a wreck without your seatbelt on. Your Torrent isn't "unsafe" without it. You bought your Torrent between the time the recall was announced (11/07/07) and the time the dealers had the instructions to implement it (05/08/08).

As for the loaner car, the GM warranty states that you only get a rental if the vehicle is undrivable and has to stay overnight. Some dealers offer loaners for first or same-day service, most don't. My sister's G6 had to have the windshield replaced due to a nick during transport, so I got new car sales to let me use a demo when I took it in since it was bought that way.

I have usually been treated better on my GM vehicles than my family and friends have with other makes, especially Chrysler.

 

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

I don't think this is really a big deal. I mean what is the problem, the piece of plastic on the ceiling is not thick enough?

 

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I don't think this is really a big deal. I mean what is the problem, the piece of plastic on the ceiling is not thick enough?

The fact that this was ever allowed to be assembled the way it was is problematic to me.

Great that they are "fixing" it, but all the same, it doesn't give me much confidence if they couldn't determine that this needed to be done to the car when it was in pre-production.

Not very inspiring, that's all.

 

[Dutch]

Well, in my eyes, that is definitely a step up! Even if I don't think the Torrent fits with Pontiac's image and is at the bottom of desirability in the CUV market (in terms of price, options, and engine), it is a really good looking vehicle. I'm happy you guys like it, because that really is all that matters.

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I hadn't really thought that it could have been the dealer at fault for not fixing it. I'm not super worried. If I was a real safety nut, I probably would have bought one with side airbags.

I really like the Torrent package. The flexibility of the sliding rear seat is great. The best thing about this vehicle is that it was designed with the idea of comfortably seating adults in all of the seats. Sure, the kids ride in back, but it's also quite comfortable for adults. Adults cannot ride in the back of a modern minivan comfortably. As for the engine, I am a fan of pushrod simplicity and the great gear ratio and tranny really offset the engine's lack of peak power. It's smooth and reasonably quiet, and even has a nice exhaust note.

As for price, I can't really say. It wasn't a really big factor in the decision, buying the right car was more important than the price (as long as we could afford it, obviously). We only really compared it with Ford's Freestyle/Taurus X and the Edge, and the Edge was a ripoff and the Freestyle/Taurus X offer a truly miserable, boring driving experience, but are otherwise very nice vehicles. I've never driven or even sat in any of the foreign competitors. The new Journey has a lot of neat features but awful seating throughout.

Based on what I read in the automotive press I guess I'm an oddity, as hardness of interior plastics and precision alignment of panel gaps don't really figure into my purchasing decisions.

 

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I think the Torrent has a very attractive interior. I always have. And as for plastics, I don't care how they look or feel, as long as they are durable and won't cause rattles in a few thousand miles like my Civic.

 

[SteveK364]

Hi Dutch, I'd like to chat with you about your Torrent. Can you drop me a note at:
[email protected]?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[solman98]

My HHR had a similiar recall earlier this year. I knew about it month's in advance and new it was coming. The reason you got the notice when you did was that the parts had to be made. They wanted you to wait until there was enough on had to fix the problem verses everyone heading to the dealership only to get turned back around cause the dealership doesn't have the parts yet. Which probably would have made you even madder.

Mine had a 5 star side impact rating as it was, this only was done to comply with some new testing that came out. Your vehicle was perfecly safe as it was.

Just take it in and let them do what they need to do with it.