Could be one of the reasons GM is in trouble...

OK we've all heard how the American car companies are in trouble. All because of so-called quality issues. Well, here is my experience with cars. The "miles" are the miles the car had on it when it was 'retired' - except for the last two which are still going strong...

1975 Buick Skyhawk - first car i ever bought - 186,000 miles - mom didn't want me driving back and forth to Texas in it even though it was running great. So they helped me get a newer model used car

1985 Buick Skyhawk - 2-door sport, 4-cyl, 5-spd - - 36 mpg, fun to drive, but was killing my knee (knee surgery) so had to get rid of it ughhh...so took the opportunity to go for the v-8

1986 Chevy Camaro - 72,000 miles - but got married, got children, and got no room for kids on our New England trips so was either tie the kids on top, make them a red wagon trailer for them to ride in as i pulled it, or get rid of it...sigh, got rid of it - miss the t-tops.

1989 Mazda 323 - the only foreign car I ever owned - camshaft CRACKED at 68,000 miles - so much for foreign quality

1989 Ford Aerostar Van - first minivan I owned - 286,000 miles with one engine replaced at 140,000 due to my backup driver (vanpool) not believing the temperature gauge UGHHHH

1989 Dodge Grand Caravan - 144,000 miles - their infamous transmission/transaxle trouble bit me - but still got 144,000 miles....

1995 Ford Windstar - 152,000 miles - stopped using, donated to charity

1998 Chevy Venture - 222,000 miles and still going strong as the workhorse (commute to work, all errands, etc.) - affectionately call it my tuner van...will be an upcoming blog :-)

2001 Ford Windstar - 70,000 miles and runs/rides like new - the semi-tuner family van

That's my major car experience. I've had no problems out of ordinary stuff with American cars. So why am I titling this blog entry as "...GM...trouble"? Because of an issue with my tuner van. One of the 'piddly' things that is wrong with my 98 tuner van is the driver's side window will not go up and down correctly. It basically acts like it is drunk, especially when you try to raise it back up. I found out the problem is with the mechanical part, called the regulator.

While checking my trusty eBAY for a guitar tuner and a couple of other totally non-related items, I 'accidentally' (thank you Jesus) found lifetime warranted Chevy Venture window regulators for $32.00 with FREE shipping from a company who has been on eBAY for 10 years with 160,000 transactions and a 99.7% postive feedback. For you non-eBAYERS, that means they are real good. My trusty mechanic who is awesome (Auto Experts) says that he'll install it with 1.5 to 2 hours labor. So total repair should be well under $200.

Just in case, I called the local Chevrolet place and was reminded why I didn't get this repaired by them a couple of years ago. The service rep informed me the entire apparatus has to be purchased for the whole door, and that the part alone is....Mr Fudi, insert drum roll here..... NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO DOLLARS.

I said "what?" as I gagged on my dry oatmeal (where are those chick-fil-a milkshakes when you need them???)....and he repeated the same number.

Auto Experts/eBAY, here I come....

GM, thanks but no thanks and hope you survive your crunch....

Later...and be careful out there.