Money Pit Horror Story: 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP

[CompGXTP]

Bought the car four years ago from a dealership with an extended warranty which is now expiring in less than a month meaning it need to be sold ASAP. Its for sale online but I hope it sells soon. The car drives amazing when it did not have a problem. Had a clean carfax and no accidents but everything pretty much went wrong despite the little I drove it. Bought the car from a dealership in 2012 with 72000 miles and now it has about 94000 miles

 

I have owned the car for four years and have had close to $20000 worth of work done in terms on parts and labor I spent about $2000 (not including basic maintenance) of my own money in parts and labor not covered by my warranty. This year alone had 8K worth of parts and labor under my warranty and close to $800 in deductables since owning the car. Had a new steering rack, AC unit and water pump put in after a massive coolant leak this year alone. The car is running great now and basically had an entire new front end, supercharger, gaskets and suspension in the past four years among other things but I need to sell it especially before my warranty expires.

 

As a recent college grad with a part time job as of now, I cannot afford this car anymore especially without a warranty. I had a repair alone that cost almost $4000 which was mainly labor in one shot which was covered by warranty but now that its expiring, I cannot handle the costs anymore. I have student loans to pay off and this car has been nothing but issues in the time I had it. Hoping to sell it soon before anything breaks. It passed inspection and is running fine after my water pump was replaced close to ($1000) dealership but $100 deductible.

 

I babied the car despite all of its problems, always used synthetic oil, premium fuel 93 Octane, and detailed it every week and waxed once a month. Its a real head turner and looks brand new. Too bad its been nothing but problems. I guess I will never buy a used car over 5 years old again especially with over 60K in miles are bound to have issues.

 

Anyone else can relate or have thoughts on my situation?

 

Also which site is better to sell Cars.com or Autotrader? Had too many scammers email and text me on Craigslist and refuse to use that site again.

[Imp558]

How much do you want for it?

[Nas Escobar]

Post it up on letgo or offer up if you don't like craigslist. ebay motors is a good place to try to sell a car as well.

[Schurkey]

 

 my water pump was replaced ($1000) dealership but $100 deductible.

What don't I understand about a water pump on that vehicle?  A thousand dollars for a water pump seems...ridiculous.

 

$20,000 dollars worth of repairs on a car having under 100,000 miles is similarly WAY BEYOND suspicious.

[CompGXTP]

What don't I understand about a water pump on that vehicle?  A thousand dollars for a water pump seems...ridiculous.

 

$20,000 dollars worth of repairs on a car having under 100,000 miles is similarly WAY BEYOND suspicious.

 

 

It was close to $1000. Many dealerships are known to jack up their prices especially on parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Including tax, total came out to $828

[95GS]

Just bought a Gates water pump (w/ metal gasket) for $63.00 CDN ($45.00 USD) at Auto Value.

Add new Prestone, a Flush solution, a lower rad hose, RTV, hose clips, distilled water.

About $160 CDN all told. ($110.00 USD) 

 

If you're interested in keeping your future vehicle costs in check, join a forum before you buy.

Dealers are the most expensive service option.

 

But with all that dealer investment it should last a good long time.

I'd find a good private mechanic, get it inspected, and keep it.

[CompGXTP]

Just bought a Gates water pump (w/ metal gasket) for $63.00 CDN ($45.00 USD) at Auto Value.

Add new Prestone, a Flush solution, a lower rad hose, RTV, hose clips, distilled water.

About $160 CDN all told. ($110.00 USD) 

 

If you're interested in keeping your future vehicle costs in check, join a forum before you buy.

Dealers are the most expensive service option.

 

 

I had a warranty, paid $100 for the job. But now that its going to expire in about a month, the car is up for sale. WIthout it the car would have been sold after the first major repair. It was a good run but I cant afford it anymore. Never buying a car this old or with that many miles again.

[95GS]

You may find a buyer at this forum. 

Car is not high mileage in my opinion.

Post some pics, service history and figure what you want for it.

(I believe there's a For Sale section)

 

BTW - You've probably figured out that new cars cost a fair bit too, with heavy depreciation (lost value) in the first few years. Car dealers have one purpose - to extract the highest possible dollar from the buying public.

[CompGXTP]

You may find a buyer at this forum.

Post some pics, service history and figure what you want for it.

 

I am asking more than most on this forum are willing to pay. The reason being due to the sheer amount of work that has been put in the car. Asking at least $2400 over the KBB private sale value. Upped the price on the ad I posted for negotiating room when a potential buyer comes to see it.  I have seen my car with more miles with an unknown amount of work in some cases sell for over $8000 at times.

[White93z34]

At the end of the day its a nearly 13 year old Grand Prix, no matter the service history it is what it is, maybe save for extremely low miles and zero rust would make it more attractive to the right buyer.

 

At least to me, I cannot relate to a $1000 water pump job. Its a $40 part plus $13 worth of coolant plus about 2 hours of my time, Though if I had a $100 deductible I wouldn't really care what the dealer said it costs.

 

At its core its a dreadfully simple car that has cheap parts availability, if you aren't afraid to do your own work it has a pretty low cost of ownership. 

 

But if you want to get the most for it you are on the right track with listing it on the auto-trader style sites.

[Heartbeat1991]

I feel like we are getting punked.  This can't be serious.

[Galaxie500XL]

It sounds as if it's a confirmation on how fortunate most of us are on this forum to be able to do our own work.

 

I'd bet that if the owner was in a position to have been able to do so, his total costs would easily be 15-20% of what he actually paid.

 

Quite frankly, I am amazed that most owners can afford a car at all, considering what many repair shops charge.

[Heartbeat1991]

he only actually paid $800 in deductibles.  Dealerships always jack up the prices for these 3rd party warranty programs.  Over $800 for a water pump is beyond a ripoff.  Claiming that this is too expensive while also saying they'd rather blow even more money on a new car is also pretty strange.  Nothing being posted here ads up.  

[Psych0matt]

Asking at least $2400 over the KBB private sale value.

You're not going to get that here or anywhere. Good luck on the sale, but that's going to be a stretch.

[95GS]

It sounds like you've had a lot of unnecessary work done at exaggerated prices.

But I don't know that model or era of car.

And I suppose it could have been a really bad lemon from the factory.

 

I would avoid that dealer completely, sales & service.

Not sure how these warranties work, but 'insurance fraud' comes to mind.

[Nas Escobar]

It sounds as if it's a confirmation on how fortunate most of us are on this forum to be able to do our own work.

 

I'd bet that if the owner was in a position to have been able to do so, his total costs would easily be 15-20% of what he actually paid.

 

Quite frankly, I am amazed that most owners can afford a car at all, considering what many repair shops charge.

 

It's also a confirmation as to why it's a good idea to learn how to turn a wrench. $800 for a water pump? The water pump itself isn't worth more than $35, and I usually get a discount on those. Even if I pay someone to do it, the job isn't worth more than $100. 

 

You have to realize though that most people don't know anything about a car. You could tell people made up things and they'll eat it up when it comes to cars.

 

he only actually paid $800 in deductibles.  Dealerships always jack up the prices for these 3rd party warranty programs.  Over $800 for a water pump is beyond a ripoff.  Claiming that this is too expensive while also saying they'd rather blow even more money on a new car is also pretty strange.  Nothing being posted here ads up.  

 

You have to realize most people are not like us where it's more economical to drive a 20+ year old car and do our own repairs than having a car payment for a new car that comes with a warranty. A lot of people get frustrated with a car when it starts needing constant repairs at the expense of the owner. Usually they come at a bad time as well, when someone is financially strapped or when there is other situations to deal with. I know a  friend who drives a 2007 Mazda that keeps bleeding him money for senseless things. It doesn't help that he is not mechanically inclined so he pays out the ass for things that are simple to do. $40 oil changes, $400 brake jobs, etc. That car has its worth invested into it on labor alone. 

[95GS]

If your car is average quality for the breed, and those repairs were done well(?),

it's likely it will last a long time with the proper maintenance and an honest mechanic,

even wrenching yourself when possible.

Get it inspected by someone who knows the model.

That's probably the best way to recoup your investment.

 

If I carefully funneled $20K of repairs into my present 21 yr. old daily driver, it would probably last another 20 years.

[CompGXTP]

It sounds like you've had a lot of unnecessary work done at exaggerated prices.

But I don't know that model or era of car.

And I suppose it could have been a really bad lemon from the factory.

 

I would avoid that dealer completely, sales & service.

Not sure how these warranties work, but 'insurance fraud' comes to mind.

 

 

Before I bought the car I found out last owner had it for a year before he bailed on the car and  was a guy in his early 20s's he leased a dodge charger from what I was told. I think he really drove the car hard or avoided using the required premium fuel because a month after I purchased the car the entire supercharger assembly died and many gaskets that this car is known for failing like the lower intake manifold and the Valve covers were leaking and were also replaced. A month later going into two months of ownership the power steering pump and supercharger gasket was replaced since they used the old style and needed to use the updated gasket.  I am the forth owner and had it for abit over four years. It came with a one year warranty and I extended it three years. It paid for itself multiple times. but now that its expiring the car is up for sale.

 

Yes I know the dealership charge alot of money but thats where the warranty was accepted at GM certified dealerships. I would never go to them for repairs but since I had a warranty, all I paid was the deductible regardless of what the dealer charged for the actual repair. The other $2000 of non warranty covered parts and labor were done at independent shops for much less or I did the work myself.

 

I wont have to worry about that dealer for a long time or anything else because they car is getting sold and I have already been saving for my next car. I have been trying to get full time at my job but they dont have any openings after I have worked there for the last six months. My dad said he will help me with my next car a bunch since he sees the hell I went through with this car. He does not ever want me buying a car this old with many miles again.

 

Strictly no more than four years old and less the 20000 miles with a certified manufactures included warranty so I don't even have to pay a deductable.

[CompGXTP]

If your car is average quality for the breed, and those repairs were done well(?),

it's likely it will last a long time with the proper maintenance and an honest mechanic,

even wrenching yourself when possible.

Get it inspected by someone who knows the model.

That's probably the best way to recoup your investment.

 

If I carefully funneled $20K of repairs into my present 21 yr. old daily driver, it would probably last another 20 years.

 

Some things that will probably go wrong that these cars are known for if I keep and but have no desire to deal with around the 100K mile mark or even less. The parts below are currently all original and are bound to fail at any minute based on the way things are going.

 

Wheel bearings

CPS sensor

Harmonic balancer

Heater Core.

Window regulators

Blower motor resister

Blower motor.

CV axles

Radiator

Fuel Pump

 

On top of those headache repairs my transmission can fail as the dealer flushed the transmission and put a new filter before they sold it for my and I been on edge since I know flushing the transmission on these cars can cause major issues after the fact. I have been hoping the tranny would have failed earlier in my warranty so it would have been paid for but have been on edge ever since and now that I only have one month left all I have been doing is driving locally and taking the bus or using my dads car. Literally being super careful as I dont want anything major to fail before I sell it. The water pump failed last week and was repaired with less than one month of warranty left. Its possible the car may even bust a piston, rod, or head gasket at the rate the car is going if I keep it. Also most of my rims leak air despite changing the tires and valves. They are corroding on the inside and I have to refill most of them once a week or so.

 

I have even had my catalytic converter replaced at 80000 miles and I had to buy and I had to buy a CA converter due to the state I live in along with the two sensors that attach to it.

 

This car has been nothing but problems.

[95GS]

You could have a valid point concerning the transmission flush.

 

 have no desire to deal with around the 100K  mile mark or even less. 

 

Yes, desire is an important factor.

[Schurkey]

You don't ever want a car that old or with that many miles?  I've never owned a car as new as a 2004 model year, and all my daily-drivers have far more miles.

 

What you've experienced is either fiction, fraud, or the Dod-Gamndest set of unlucky coincidences on Earth.

 

The part I find funny is you come here complaining that the car has been one expensive disaster after another, and even the prior owner bailed on it after a mere one year...but you think it's worth above-market price when it's time for YOU to sell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I think we're being scammed.

[Imp558]

This seems like another story about someone getting scammed by mechanics. But it does appear to be an awful lot of misfortune.

This reminds me of one of Renne's cousins, she had an Alero that was always at one mechanic or another and the family constantly talked shit on it. At the same time an aunt had a Cavalier they loved. Mechanically speaking they were the same car, with different mechanics since they lived in different states. Makes me wonder who the real victim is, the OP or the car these mechanics keep molesting.

And my 96 Regal is the newest car I've ever owned or even wanted to own.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Imp558

[CompGXTP]

This seems like another story about someone getting scammed by mechanics. But it does appear to be an awful lot of misfortune.

This reminds me of one of Renne's cousins, she had an Alero that was always at one mechanic or another and the family constantly talked shit on it. At the same time an aunt had a Cavalier they loved. Mechanically speaking they were the same car, with different mechanics since they lived in different states. Makes me wonder who the real victim is, the OP or the car these mechanics keep molesting.

And my 96 Regal is the newest car I've ever owned or even wanted to own.

 

 

I only took the car to GM certified dealerships as required under warranty. Over four years. Not the same dealership all the time though. Other repairs I either did myself or had it done at a separate independent shop, and other times I worked on my car with a second hand either a friend or family. For example I had I changed my EGR valve, Coil packs, brakes, and Hood struts myself along with most oil changes. Other jobs I either had no time to repair, did not have the skills, tools, or confidence to repair myself.

 

The last owner of the car had the car for 1 year 6 months and was traded in February 2012. I bought the car in April 2012 so it was on the lot for awhile and was able to negotiate the price down. Still within two months the car was at the dealership twice and a month apart from each other and I did not even put 400 miles on it yet. I personally believe the last owner drove the car hard as it turned out to be a young guy in his early 20s and he must of gotten rid of it after the first oil leaks or other problems arose. He leased a Dodge charger RT when he traded in the car. Also I assume he was a young college student  at the time, and having student loans, a part time job if any, bills, and car payments he most likely tried to save money any way he could and one way to do that is to use 87 Octane fuel in the car which is a big mistake especially in Supercharged applications of this year.

[CompGXTP]

You could have a valid point concerning the transmission flush.

 

 

Yep I thought it was nice of them to do especially with the high mileage, the I researched it and was like "crap". The transmission was flushed over 10K miles ago and shifts fine since the flush, but then again it can just fail like other parts have so I hope to have this car sold soon within a month even if I have to lower the price abit. I purposely raised the price especially with all of the repairs done to the car along with new struts put in a year ago and basically entire new front end including new motor and transmission mounts with the exception of the original CV axles. The price was mainly raised for negotiating room for the buyer hoping I can get close to what I want around $5000-$6000 and I am asking $8000. The listing has a bunch of views already and two saves after a day as took it off Craigslist due to all of the scammers, and put it on cars.com. I paid for the extra picture package and took 10 nice pictures like a dealership does in an open parking lot with the right lighting and little distractions. I detailed the car like I always do, fresh coat of wax, and sealant. conditioned the leather, vacuumed, tire gel, and even polished the exhaust tips. I finished an oil change today with Mobile One Full synthetic and changed the rear brake pads with Wagner thermoquiet ceramics since the last pair were almost done. Basically next to all of the repairs I had with the car, I made it look nice and add a bit of extras to please a potential buyer like the oil change and new brake pads. I have all of my paper work, carfax, and repair work, and title in hand with no loans on the car, along with the bill of sale for an easier sale process.

[Imp558]

I spoke to a dealership "technician" just a few weeks ago that didn't know how to test a ckp, didn't have the technology to view the waveform or anything. You didn't have a choice lest risk voiding the warranty but just because a guy wears a dealership uniform doesn't mean he's competent. You can put an elephant in a tutu but it's not automatically an accomplished ballerina.