6 months later, Mazda sent a letter – they were aware of a lubrication issue that can cause premature wear/failure. They extended the engine warranty to some ridiculous number, and if you had already made such a repair, submit the receipt for full reimbursement.

No class action lawsuit needed. And I bought two more Mazdas.

Where is the local Toyota dealer?

If you believe this TSB from Delco, it should be OK to use regular non-Dexcool antifreeze if you change coolant every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.

http://acdelcotechconnect.com/pdf/tsb/tsb_04D-J-054.pdf

One of the alleged benefits of Dexcool is that it is supposed to last longer. Given the types of problems that have been reported, I am going to guess that if you keep to a shorter interval (in other words, assume a 2-year/30,000 mile change interval, rather than the 5-year interval recommended by GM) and keep the system full that you may not have problems. Check for corrosion and sludge regularly, and flush the system if you see early indications of problems.

1) if GM still uses Dexcool (i.e. new Astra), has it been reformulated to not have the undesired side affects?
2) if one owns a GM vehicle fitting this description (my 98 Blazer w/135k), should I flush and replace the coolant with normal “green” antifreeze, or do I have to replace it with more Dexcool?

I would appreciate some info…some people here seem quite knowledgeable on the subject.

In 1962 the Chevy II with its single-leaf rear springs was introduced. Ads claimed “Extensive Chevrolet testing proved their exceptional durability after tests equivalent to more than 2 million miles.”

Did GM and/or Texaco not conduct long-term testing of Dexcool? Or were the results ignored?

In all likelihood the settlement will cost GM a fraction of the estimated hundreds of millions of dollars. Many owners have disposed of the vehicle, misplaced the paperwork or will not act upon it. Stonewalling, procrastination and legal footwork yield substantially reduced dollar costs else corporations would not engage in them.

It is a Pyrrhic victory. The lasting damage to GM’s reputation for quality and integrity confirmed by plummeting market share and profitability is incalculable.

I would be one of them. GONE!

Copies of the repair orders are posted at the office for all the ridiculous work my GMs have required, IN PARTICULAR with regard to intake manifold gaskets. So not only have they lost a customer, I am spreading the word, buyer beware, for new or used. You end up with a used one without a warranty, you are footing the bill. Folks don’t seem to be receptive to that one.

Hopefully the Canadian c/a also gets the same result.

Business woman on plane: Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents?

Narrator: You wouldn’t believe.

Business woman on plane: Which car company do you work for?

Narrator: A major one.

While this issue doesn’t create accidents, it’s the same idea.

I fixed it, then took a bath on the resale when I traded it in on a Honda Civic Si… Needless to say, I saved money on maintenance in the long run.

Since this episode I’ve found out it’s affected many more engines than the ones involved in the lawsuit.

My question is, how did GM weasel their way out of fixing all of them? Were the attorneys worried GM would have immediately folded and they would have received nothing from the bankruptcy court?

That’s a bit like asking a man watching ‘Dancing With The Stars’ if he’d like a wife with a firmer behind.

My brother-in-law ran into the same leaking intake manifold gasket on his Venture minivan with 3.4 v6.

Previously we had owned other Chevys and were satisfied with their reliability (79 Malibu v6 – 113K, 85 Celebrity w/2.8 v6 – 154K, 90 Lumina minivan with 3.1 v6 – 179K). We sold these cars because they no longer suited our needs or had gotten rusty and ratty looking after many Wisconsin winters. The engines and trannys were still going strong in all of them.

That 2000 Malibu is the main reason there is a Hyundai and a Toyota in our driveway today. Both have been dependable vehicles. I’d buy either brand again.

GM’s biggest cost with this settlement is not the $800 or so reimbursement for repairs, but the customers they lost, perhaps forever.

The new Chevy Malibu has received positive reviews. I hope the “built to last” phrase from the Malibu commercials is more than just a marketing tagline.

After getting killed on resale value for an Oldsmobile I learned my lesson and bought an Acura replacement. Yes, my Olds was one of zillions which needed a just-out-of-warranty intake manifold gasket replacement.

They never learn.

Amen! My wife owned a POS Buick with this problem and we got no support from GM.

We own Hyundais now.

John

Hmmm… maybe now Ford (a.k.a. Volvo’s unfortunate association) will have the courage to refund all those misinformed customers who were told that their Volvo transmission fluid would last a lifetime. In the meantime, Toyota uses a very similar transmission and fluid from the same company and wisely stated that the fluid should be changed every 60k.

Guess why the auctions are inundated with Volvo’s ad nauseum? Now you know…