That’s great! Now when do us taxpayers get our money back???

Seriously, that’s really good news for GM that market share is increasing, but any expectation of profitability (aka viability)?

If they’re stuck at 19% market share but turning a nice profit, that’s more important than gaining share at the expense of bending over a bicycle rack on price like they have been for decades.

As someone who have only purchased imports for the last 20 years, I have to say GM’s new products are very competative. If I was looking to purchase a new mid size sedan I would definitely look at the Malibu or LaCrosse. 2 years ago I would have laughed at the tought of buying an American car.

I’m bullish on GM’s future!

As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by it’s cover! You can make them look nice, but making them reliable is something else!

When will we get a return on our investment…ermmm…forced bailout?

My goodness what a turnaround… 3% in one month that’s astounding! You know if they can keep that pace up they’ll be back to their old 50% market share by when… next summer? And to think some of you thought this whole bailout thing was a bad idea. Boy I tell you, whatever they’re paying this Lutz guy it isn’t nearly enough.

I think american car companies, specially GM are doing a good job with their “name cleaning process” plus Toyota has helped them aaaalot! with their latest recalls and all that stuff… i think that the malibu is better looking than the camry, the lacrosse is brilliant, i think it looks great and cadi has a great lineup…

I just have something to say and i think it’s not really out of the topic…. the thing is , we gave around what? like 40B to save GM right? if we are aprox. 300M taxpayers that means that by logic we gave around 200 dollars per taxpayer to save GM… now, AIG got around 173B, by the same rule it means that we agve 573 dollars to save it… why is nobody bitching about AIG? i don’t know but i feel more proud to see GM rise again, and become a competitive brand with good quality than to see AIG resurface…

I’m not trying to sound like NMOFGM (as we all know the guy has sh!t for brains) but i think we should give GM an opportunity, they used to make cars with low quality, but i think that they are getting their act together this time and soon they will be more competitive.

*note that i’m not saying that they are the best, or that they set the bar when it comes to quality or any stuff like that, but they are not as bad as we think and they will compete with other brands soon.

JSi,
we’re not bitching about aig because this isn’t bank forum, it’s a car forum!

GM has repeatably said they are breakeven at 10 million US annual sales with ~18% share with the new financial structure. So if US sales do go over 10 million next year (and they will) and GM can keep 18% they will be profitable.

“The company’s financial adviser, Evercore Partners, offered projections for GM’s finances in its bankruptcy case based on several scenarios. It forecasts that GM will lose $17.5 billion this year before reaching a profit of $3 billion in 2011 before taxes, rising to $7.8 billion in 2014.”

Id, not sure what your comment is about. I think everyone knows on this site that the reliability of GM is as good as/ better than most everyone else. Data shows it. Now they just need to change the perception of the misinformed that GM is less reliable.

Points are well taken. Market share means everything! Increased market share means a much better profitability per car for any auto company. It is great if GM can jump to 20% or better market share.
The truth is GM is a much better manufacturer than they were in the past. Their quality has proven to be as good/better than the competition. Anyone who says otherwise is being stubborn & is still thinking of the old GM. Those days are over.
With all the government support given within the last 2 years, GM is one of the few companies that has a plan to pay the LOANS back to the taxpayers.
Why shouldn’t the taxpayers give GM and Chrysler another look when shopping for a new car or truck? It only makes sense that the more cars GM & Chry. sells, the more money they make. That means they will be able to pay back the Govt loans that much faster.
If any taxpayer sits back & continues to bash GM & Chry for borrowing money & calls for their demise, well that is just plain stupidity.

GM is coming back strong. Their problems took decades to bring them down & their sucess won’t happen over night. They are on the right track with great products & much lower overhead.

are you serious, johnny? can’t tell for sure, but i think you are being serious…

unfortunately, h82w8, you’re going to have to w8…i’d also argue this is a sign cash for clunkers didn’t pull sales forward, like some punks here kept suggesting…

JSi, I really didn’t favor the bailout of GM or Chysler, but it did appear to me that GM was on the cusp of a turn around based on some desirable cars. I really thought they deserved a chance of redemption. I can’t say the same for Chysler.

carstuff,
really? Our car sure doesnt show it!…even our last ones…

JD Power and CR show it. Thats what counts. I could find a Toyota owner with a poorly built Toyota who could argue that company doesn’t make reliable product.

It funny to watch people who have been predicting GM’s demise come up with excuses and attacks when they start to realize the company is recovering and making good product. A year from now those people will be saying the exact same thing even if GM is making money.

sj79 you are exactly right!~ Those are the people who are not saying a word about Toyotas recalls, deadly accidents from faulty steering wheel shafts & floor mats as well as subpar cheap steel in their trucks. If GM was having those problems, those people would be all over GM bashing them even harder.
Can you imagine if GM had a floormat issue that has actually killed people & their idea of a fix is to ZIP TIE the mat to the carpet? OMG…………..If GM tried that they would be laughed out of business…..But I don’t hear anyone (Toyota loyalists) commenting about it. See, that is where their opinions become mute. If they can’t admit GM is producing some of the finest world class quality cars & trucks in the industry and at the same time agree that Toyota products are starting to show signs of poor quality control, etc. then their opinions are skewed & completely bias.

the zip tie solution is actually a great short term solution until a better one is available. Toyota did the right thing ASAP.

Strange how there are only a few comments on this string when every other GM related one is miles long.
Especially when it comes to Buick. Guess you cannot argue with data. Then again this data is only a forecast and could easily be wrong. Edmunds often is on their monthly forecast.

Id what GM vehicle do you have? It would be interesting to take a look at the data on the vehicle at JD Power.

2007 saturn aura xr. We have brake problems related with the abs. the steering makes REALLY loud noises while turning along with a couple of loud clunks while driving and starting up after a green light. It’s been to the dealer at least 10 times!!!! And yet, all they say is to bring it back when the problems come back. I believe all these problems can be fixed, but my dealer just doesn’t give a sh!t about their customers. We are talking to an ohio lemon law attorney, but he said that we are over most qualifications, but, he also said due to the reported dates and documents showing when it was in service, we might be able to switch to a new car or get whatever we paid for it back…which would be a good chunk of change at 368*32 months. It seriously feels like something in the front end of the car is going to fall off/apart! Yet, all the mechanics say is, “The vehicle meets or exceeds the build tolerance set by the manufacturer.” What a load of BS!!

My only comment is where is NMFOGM with all this positive GM feedback! His computer must be broken or something. GM must of built that too……….

we’ve also done A LOT of research! We were fooled into buying this car when it won motortrends car of the year…what a mistake. There are people online everywhere who complain about the same exact problems we have…especially with the ‘07 XR model!

we also get the airbag warning lights at random times. I would be so happy to just get a new one to cover the rest of the lease…something we actually feel safe driving in….

idrinorbarsaku….I’d go to another dealership. That is a big reason dealerships have been closed by GM. Many unprofitable dealers cannot pay for training, equipment or hire the right people because they cannot afford to. The most important part of buying a vehicle is WHERE you buy it. The dealership you buy from is a crucial part to a pleasant ownership experience.

Carstuff – You are right, Toyota acted quickly to recall these vehicle and zip tie the mats in. It is too bad that the floor mats are probably not the actual issue. In other articles people that had the issue where the car would accelerate out of control, people have said they tried pulling the pedal back with their feet and it did nothing. Part of the problem with a drive by wire system. However, that being said, I do not have the link to the articles if I can find them again I will post them later. As for they responded ASAP, the first fatility for this was back in 2007 when a Camry accelerated out of control and hit a Honda accord killing the driver in the Honda. That doesnt sound like as soon as possible to me. Toyota had better find what the actual is problem with their vehicles and fix before more people get injured or killed.

If I was a owner of a Lexus I would be very insulted to have to bring my car in to have zip strips put into hold the mat down. Not only is it a waste the owners because can try to solved by pulling the mat right out, it would also look stupid.

We went to another dealership, all they helped us with is to rack up dealership log visits, with no fix, which helps our case with the lemon law! There are very few cars, compared to their entire lineup, that I would consider from gm, those being the zr1, cts-v sedan, suburban ltz, and the srx with the 2.8(?) turbo.

I was just wondering about bailing them out 40 billion dollars… I’m no economist, but i think GM has provided the country with much more than 40 billion dollars over the years.

LaCrosse and Equinox have been out for months already
DrFill

idrinorbarsaku, I’d just chalk up your Saturn experience @ being a poor car. There may be many reasons for the problems in your car. Good luck on the lemon situation. You could also look into a buy back situation as well. However, with Saturn going away, I doubt that will bensfit you either. The good thing is if you leased it, you will only be liable for your remaining payments. You can just walk away when it’s done.
I understand your bitterness, but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Many car companies deal with situations like yours. They are machines that can break from time to time. GM has some great products like Malibu, LaCrosse, CTS, SRX , GMC Terrian, etc. Keep them in mind.
Keep the pressure on GM to stand by their product. You may get some kind of settlement in the form of a certificate good on another GM product. I have seen GM, Ford, Toyota give $$ certificates if an unhappy customer buys another product from them. Keep trying!

Boith the LaCrosse and Eqinox were introduced in late summer but GM underestimated the volume and they have been in short supply. Hard to buy them if not available. Now the plants are ramped up and selling like mad.

Fill, it’s called word of mouth. I’d swear the number of CTS and Malibu on the road have tripled within the last few months, in the area where I work. It just takes a ride in a friend’s new car to be sold or shunned. I think people like what they are seeing.

And, to anyone that is convinced that the Japanese make superior-engineered vehicles, my longtime like/hate relationship with my daily-driver came to a pitiful end. A 2003 Acura RSX Type-S, took a sh!te on me last week – at only 6 years old with 130,562 miles on the odometer. Before that the a/c took a dump on me at 85,000 miles. A major exhaust leak developed at 65,000 miles. The interior electrical system took a deuce on me right after the warranty expired. The cost to make my Honda run again after this engine failure… between $3,500 and $4,500. That’s to have a used Type-S motor installed. That of course wouldn’t even fix the a/c ($1,000), or the electrical or exhaust issues. I sold it for $1,500 and it was towed away in defeat. EPIC FAIL in my book. The only two vehicles, out of 12, that I had to sell as non-operable were both Japanese-made. That Acura was my first and last Honda product, with respect to vehicles.

My 1991 GMC Syclone is once again reliably transporting me to work until I can get another daily-driver. Which will be a domestic-made vehicle again this time.

Ford Sucks! You want your money back h82w8? Why don’t you and all the other GM haters buy one of their cars and the governmont will be paid back in a year and I will make a fortune on the initial IPO!

‘2007 saturn aura xr. We have brake problems related with the abs. the steering makes REALLY loud noises while turning along with a couple of loud clunks while driving and starting up after a green light. It’s been to the dealer at least 10 times!!!! ”

I have the same car. No such problems and the car is rated average by CR in reliability. I had one minor steering noise issue addressed months ago. It was fixed correctly the first time. The car has never left me stranded or failed to perform in any way.

In additon, this car NEVER won MTCOTY so now I’m wondering if you even own the car. Come clean.

“idrinorbarsaku, I’d just chalk up your Saturn experience @ being a poor car. There may be many reasons for the problems in your car. ”

first of all I dont think one issue that doesn’t affect the operability of the car makes a car a lemo. Secondly, anyone can research TSBs to find out of a fix has been issued. There are TSBs related to half shaft replacement and that fix works. Aside from that I’m not aware of any long running, unresolved problems with the car related to the steering rack. Its an annoyance, not a functional issue. I had my shafts replaced and the problem vanished. The steering always worked and felt normal. The bottom line is that people who really werent enthusiastic about buying a GM product aren’t going to tolerate ANY problems and if any do occur they will act like its the end of the world. No reputable dealer is going to avoid making a warranty repair that is supported by a TSB. My dealer gladly considered my complaint and made the fix that day.

“We have brake problems related with the abs.”

what problems? either ABS works or doesn’t work and most times you wouldn’t even engage it so you wouldn’t know if its working.

BTW, an airbag warning light that flashes every now and then is not grounds for a manufacturer to by back you car. Give me a break. Has the car actually ever broken down? Has it failed you in an accident? Flashing lights and a steering rack noise are not what the Lemon Law was written for if you ask me. What has been the response from Saturn Customer Service when you called? If you called.

idrin:

One other point, the Malibu is mechanical identical to the Aura and has a better than average reliability rating in CR. There is no evidence out there that the Aura or Malibu are poor quality cars. I can tell you resale for the Aura in my area is pretty solid with 2008 models going for $16k or so.

Lefty… yes, of course! The government incentivizing people to buy cars by giving them money to do so couldn’t possibly pull sales forward. How silly of all those economists and their gibberish about, what was it… economics. Because everyone of those folks weren’t in the market for a car. I just know it.

hey sj79–

maybe Idrinor got a bad one. There is always a bad batch in all cars. That explains why some very high quality cars such as a 2004 Honda break down all the time. Some have never broken down. Its all about the individual car. I remember iluvamcars saying that in the Honda airbag recall article. I wish some people would understand that and think the same way. I would also appreciate non biased comments that are also understanding and are open to maybe a car that you own being of low quality.

Idrinor–

Good luck on your Saturn and when your lease is up good luck on buying a car that will last problem-free for years.

the problem is that the aura and malibu you speak of are both 2008 models, our is 2007. If you actually look at the consumer reports of the aura, the 2007 has black circles/half black, while the 2008 has some red. That’s why I said we wouldn’t mind if they just gave us a new one to complete the term. Which in turn has made us even more angry because if the 2007 model is black(IN THE AREA WHERE WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS BY THE WAY) and the 2008 isn’t black anymore, there should be something physically different with the car that a mechanic should be able to change/fix…but no, why would they care…they are about to go out of business! They don’t realize that they hurt GM’s picture as a whole…or maybe they don’t care about that either!

aggie531,
We plan on getting a honda accord to replace the aura. But we also NEED a large suv! And whenever that time comes, the japs don’t have something I’m interested in without being obscenely expensive!
Our attorney asked for us to get all the aura’s dealer papers of when we brought it in.. It turns out they had replaced both drive shafts 3 times in 2 visits without telling us. We have never known about there being a drive-shaft problem. Steering column, replaced twice. Front wheels, rotors(all around), and brake pads were all replaced. The passenger airbag sensor was replaced once, and they have another one that was ordered that still hasn’t come in yet. The housing around the steering wheel column need to be replaced. The steering pump tubing need to be replaced. I covered it all…I think… The funny thing is our aura looks the same as the day we first got it!! It’s a joke man! GM’s quality control is a complete JOKE!!

idrinorbarsaku – Have you always been taking it to a Saturn dealer? You could try taking it to a Chev or Buick dealer to see if you get better service. Just a thought. Any GM will service any GM car for warranty.