so can we file this one under “perception gap?”

# driving course :

Trust GM to make an environmental car into a potential environmental disaster.

# seoultrain :

Have both of the GM hybrid owners been notified?

You guys are brutal…….

…….or not. LOL LOL

Was this handled in the old notorious GM way? That is, did they try everything they could to weasel out of it? They they try to sweep it under the rug until it became clear that they could do so no longer?

Or where they “On it”? They they pounce on the problem as soon as possible, and do everything they could to help their customer out? Did they take away customers cars for days? Did the customers have to bring the car in again and again trying to fix the problem. What did it take before GM was forced to admit that they have to replace the batteries?

Are they also being proactive and replacing batteries before they fail? Are they denying fixes to customers with high-mileage vehicles?

I don’t expect a new car to be perfect. What make the difference is how the problems are handled. That is what I’m trying to judge. If GM wants people to have faith in their new tech, then they need to be proactive. They need to admit mistakes and correct them pronto. No BS. No of the old horrible dealer service experience.

Any recall from any manufacturer could lead to wider implications.

It’s a judgment call.

Anyone who wishes to discuss this (off topic) line of questioning may do so via email: robert.farago@thetruthaboutcars.com. Otherwise, please restrict your comments to the story itself.

I agree.

Robert Farago:

Any recall from any manufacturer could lead to wider implications.

menno:

Also how it relates to what a lot of people already think (and vote with their pocketbooks) – that the Detroit 3 can’t build as good a car as Toyondissaru.

Apart from the Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Malibu, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Ford Mondeo and Ford Focus Cabriolet.

Incidentally, Toyota had to issue a recall for the Prius over a fault in its software which caused the car to stall mid-drive. Does this mean Toyota can’t build a hybrid….?

Gasoline is a bigger worry, by far. It’s more energy-dense and much more reactive. NiMH cells don’t do much when they leak, and what they leak isn’t terribly noxious. There’s electrical current, yes, but there’s usually a lot of countermeasures that result in said current being cut off from the rest of the vehicle. If you’re in a vehicle fire, or an accident severe enough to reach the batteries, you much, much bigger problems.

LiIon cells worry me a little more because they’re more susceptible to quick ignition when shorted.

Is this too much worry?

If they can’t build NiMH batteries that work, the more complex LiIon batteries could be something of a… challenge.

Well, yes and no. NiMH cells don’t leak unless:
* They’re physically stressed (serious heat, pressure). Such a defect would be a GM mistake as they’re providing a poor environment.
* They’re really defective. This is hard to believe, as NiMH cells are very basic and the techniques to prevent them leaking are well known. This would be Cobasys’ fault.

A major missing item here is whether or not this was Cobasys’ or GM’s fault. LiIon cells are pretty different, and major risk there is poor charging management; something that shouldn’t really happen with NiMH cells.

I do not know the economics of why GM choose that supplier – but I’d bet price was the top factor.

It seems they’re failing very early in the warranty period.

It seems to me that there’s really no point to stonewalling a problem that’s going to show up in a dealer service bay for a warranty-period fix.

And, with the Volt on the horizon somewhere over the rainbow, low customer satisfaction with a GM “hybrid” would probably be unbelievably bad PR.

yankinwaoz I have to ask, since I can’t read the article, did GM voluntarily recall all of cars they sold so far with the defective battery?

From the article: "GM initiated the recall in late December when it began receiving reports of battery failures."  

I have to ask, since I can’t read the article, did GM voluntarily recall all of cars they sold so far with the defective battery? Or was is business as usual? That is, they were forced to by laws. Being reactive instead is proactive.

I ask because here, once again, is where GM can put its money where its mouth is. Or are they still just spilling out more PR BS.

What gives?

I never said never. We only run ones with wider implications: lawsuits, product development, legislation, etc.

What gives?

On yet another hand my aging VW is aging very gracefully either. I blame alot of it’s ailments on the previous owner though…

To be fair I drove a Pontiac G6 coupe and a Saturn Outlook this weekend that were A+. I still worry about what they will become at 150K miles though…

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