Pontiac Owners: Would You Buy GM Again For A Free Oil Change?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Grand news for owners of 1999 model year and later Pontiacs! Buick-GMC GM Brian Sweeney tells Automotive News [sub] that “one of our most important tasks is keeping [Pontiac owners] in the database and keeping them as service customers until such a time that the Buick portfolio has developed fully.” The plan: send owners of 1999 model-year and later Pontiacs coupons for free tire rotations and oil changes. GM sales boss Susan Docherty has spoken about the importance of these “free agents,” or GM buyers orphaned by the cutting of their brands. As well she should: it’s more cost effective for any business to keep existing buyers than win over new ones. But is it free oil change easy? If GM thinks it can make Buick believers out of the jilted Pontiac faithful, what does it say about the cynicism with which it approaches branding? Once again, GM’s need to build lost Pontiac volume for the Buick-GMC dealer net leads to the willful suspension of common sense.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Threeer Threeer on Jan 19, 2010

    Sure...if that Pontiac happens to be a Toyota in disguise (contemplating a used Vibe...Toyota at GM prices...)...

  • Morbo Morbo on Jan 19, 2010

    Much like whynotaztec, can I get 1. a new set of fuel injectors 2. new body seal 3. new transmission cable 4. new heater blower for my then new '03 Bonneville? Oh right, I took $8K hit trading it in 6 months later for a used Mitsubishi Diamante. Which is still on road 6 years later with no non-maintainence repairs. Never again GM, never again!

  • Ajla Ajla on Jan 19, 2010

    Looks like two free oil changes for me. As far as staying with GM in the future goes, I like the CTS and Zeta platform too much to stay mad at them forever. Last time I bought a car, I looked primarily at non-GM vehicles, but ended up with one anyway. I was born a snake-handler and I'll die a snake-handler.

  • Cthill Cthill on Jan 20, 2010

    Is there any brand loyalty in a car purchasing? For me the answer is a definite no. The purchases are generally so far apart that your situation has changed when it is time to repurchase (eg more money as you get older, more/fewer kids as you age etc.). Also the amounts involved make doing proper research essential and worthwhile. Would anyone here buy brand X just because there last car was brand X.

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