What a complete POS! I am so tired of fixing this GM junk, only to have it work for a month or two, and then three more things go wrong with it. I bought this car off my Father to replace my rusted out 91 Toyota Celica....I should have just bought another Toyota! I have only owned it since last July...it only has 113,000 miles on it, and so far I have replaced the lower intake gaskets, replaced the plenum, replaced the ECM, replaced two coil packs, replaced both cv axles, the two front hubs, brakes, and tires all the way around. Now, I have tie rods going out, and possibly ball joints...and it gets better, the day before yesterday, my check engine light came on, and it seems to be running kind of rough (when your going around 60mph it seems to miss a little bit) On top of that, yesterday my ABS light came on!
It's become kind of a joke at my insurance agency, my agent Lisa is convinced I just like to hear her voice....lol....because I call her to put ole reliable back on my insurance every other month...it's kind of funny. I called her today, and she didn't even have to ask...she knew what I wanted...Her first words to me, after I said Hi Lisa, was..... we'll send your new card to your e mail....and I replied...finally, a woman that gets me...lol.

The point of my rant...is that I will never...ever buy another cheaply made GM pos again, unless it is a pre 1980s that is.

2/10

Was the 2000 LeSabre a piece of junk?  Yes.  

But you can't make a blanket statement condemning all GM cars made in the last 30 years.  GM started getting their shit together with their cars in the mid 2000s.  Their current models rival the best from anywhere in the world in their price class.  I had two Impalas as company cars, a 2005 and a 2009.  One of my coworkers bought the '09 after the lease ran out at 100k miles.  It's still running flawlessly at 115,000 miles.  And the new Impala is a great car.  Even Consumer Reports, and their notorious anti-American car bias, gave it the highest score against other large cars including the Toyota Avalon.  If I was in the market for a new fullsize 4-door, the Impala would be on my short list.

I'm by no means a GM fanboy.  Right now I have a Ford Taurus, a Jeep Wrangler JKU, and 2 GM trucks in my garage.  The Taurus got the lowest score in that same full-size test.

ETA: Pre-80s?  So, you'd be happy with a Monza or a Chevette?  

I love when people bitch about the costs and repair needs of a car thats over 15 year's old and then blame the American car maker.  

Dude, come on for real?  

It's 16 years old.  So you bought a $3000 car with over 100k miles and some how expect it to run/perform like a brand new car with no maintenance investment.  how's that working for you?  I hate to break it to you but ANY car including the all mighty over inflated Toyota/Honda will have the same issues.  Want to know why?  It's called TIME and USE.  No car escapes these two variables especially a car like this that appears to have sat for long periods of time.  Besides that 3.8 GM V6 is one of the most reliable engines every produced and go toe to toe with anything Honda/Toyota produce if taken car of just like the owner's of japanese cars do.   what you are replacing is normal wear/tear items that a 100k mile car needs.  Once that's done you can go another 100k without major issue.  That's how used car ownership works.

I would actually like a Monza, if it had a V8...YES. I have a Toyota with 295,000 miles on it that proves you wrong. With all of the computer controlled electrical crap, they put in cars these days...they will NEVER be as reliable as they once were. It's funny that I can change my oil on my Toyota, and drive a thousand miles...and my oil is still gold. With the Buick...I change my oil, and drive a hundred miles and it's almost black...that tells me all I need to know about quality....and the lack their of.  Shit, I have just about thrown more money in my Buick in one year, then what I have thrown in my Toyota in ten years...with the Toyota, it's been nothing but tires, brakes, oil, timing belt changes...and the one time I had to replace the radiator.....that's in 10 years, hardly even a comparison to the grand or more you'll pay a year for a typical GM vehicle.

Bahahahaha...yeah sure it will....lol. That is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. A 3.8 may be one of the highlights of GMs carrier...really I thought it was a waist of time, money. They already had a V8 (305) that made more power, and got around the same gas mileage... so I ask...what was the point? Comparing a 3.8 to a Toyota 22R is funny to say the least...for one thing they aren't even in the same category...or the same ballpark for reliability.

And I have a 2008 3/4 ton Suburban with 150,000 miles on it, with original everything - powertrain, wheel bearings, brake rotors, exhaust system - all original.  It's also optioned out like an Escalade, yet every single gizmo still works like it did the day it drove out of the factory (DVD, power tailgate, sunroof, power tumbling seats, quad heated seats, backup camera and nav, power folding mirrors, etc).  My total expenses on repairs the last three years?  $20 for a purge valve solenoid that I replaced myself.  And I've beaten the snot out of it - towing trailers all over the country weighing 6,000-8,000 lbs, including the Rocky Mountains, totaling about 15,000 miles.

I'd say this proves YOU wrong about newer cars being less reliable than older cars.  

To each their own. You have convinced me of nothing. For one thing, your Suburban is built in a different factory, to a different standard, then your typical GM car. But once things start going....hold the phone, because it's gonna be a money pit. My Toyota's worst enemy is rust, my wallets worst enemy is my Buick. On my Buick...everything is built cheaply...they don't even have greasers in the damn tie rods, or ball joints...I mean come on! I have yet to change a damn ball joint or tie rod on my Toyota...because they have friggen greasers, that I keep greased....that right their proves to me that tie rods and ball joints should last more then a hundred thousand miles. And how is a damn lower intake gasket a wearable part? there are no moving parts, so why would it wear out in a hundred thousand miles? I'll tell you why...it's because GM has a love for cheap plastic parts that don't last....yes the frame on my lower intake gaskets were plastic, and were cracked, and leaking coolant into my engine...how is that normal wear? Maybe normal wear for a complete pos. Is this Buick a complete pos, yes....is every GM vehicle junk...no...but this has really made me never want to own one again.

Lol bitching about having to work on a 16 year old car.

The 3.8 Buick engine is one of the most durable v6s ever built, and they got great fuel mileage too. Its a fact whether you like it or not.

Yet, they put plastic lower intake gaskets in it that fail at 100 thousand miles. I have no doubt that a 3.8 will go hundreds of thousands of miles, it's more about how much money you have to cram in them to get them there....for example, If they would have used steel framed lower intake gaskets in the first place. Plastic...is plastic, and GM loves plastic....if you ask me plastic has no business on the inside of a motor.

Sounds like your Father fucked you over on maintenance...and blaming new tires on GM?  Come on....

Everyones experiences differ.

Me, I HATE dodge trucks, owned a pos and won't own another. I know lots of guys that own them, even seem to really like and enjoy them. Close friends that I still associate with, even though they choose my nemesis as there daily drive. I try not to judge.

I also love Buick Lesabre', owned 3 of them now. Picked up my latest from an elderly gentleman that bought it new, 68k on the clock. Currently avg 25.1 mpg over several tanks. Lots of room inside and a nice big trunk. Smooth riding, comfortable car. I'll run it until my 12 yr old needs wheels, then who knows, maybe a Lucerne?

Between the 3 I've owned, I've clocked over 300k combined miles. Regular and routine maint, a couple upper and lower intakes, Thats about as troublesome as it got. I'm a huge believer in the 3.8.

I'm not blaming new tires, or brakes on GM, With any car, that is just something you have to deal with, I just added that to express how much I have put into it so far.  I blame GM for for the cheapness of parts this car is made from. There is no way you should have to change lower intake gaskets on a car with a hair over 100 k miles, and you wouldn't have to if GM didn't cheap out in the first place, but they did, so you have to take it to your friendly neighborhood GM mechanic. I put steel framed gaskets in, so I won't ever have to deal with it again. There is also no reason why I should have to put in new tie rods, new hubs, and new ball joints at just over 100 k...I never had to on my Toyota and it's got over double the miles, so why do I have to in this pile...I'll tell you why...it's because GM is friggen cheap....I mean with my Buick, don't even get greasers on the tie rods, or ball joints, so of course there gonna wear out in 100k miles. I personally think it's a shame that they sold these cars, at the price they sold them at, and they are built so shitty.

GM does make a bunch of shit, but damn , maybe you should step into this decade next time you buy a car...

Greasers?  You've just lost all credibility with me.  You don't know what the hell you're talking about.  They're called zerks.  Any my GM trucks each have a total of 11 of them on the various suspension components.

Wanna hear about my 10 year old oil burning Camry without Zerk fittings on the ball joints, tie rod ends, or anywhere? About how it needs CVs, ball joints, struts and the headlights are so fogged I don't drive it at night? And if you can't get 30mpg out of that car you're doing something wrong.

Oh, don't forget that whoever designed the belt tensioner that goes on the 2AZ-FE should be fucking SHOT. You cannot change out the belt without two people unless you plan on snapping off the cute little nut on that piece of shit. And it costs more than a new alternator

My intake is plastic, too. As would be the intake on a Toyota of that era.

Name me two Toyota models sold in the US today that have Zerk fittings on the tie rods or ball joints.

I'll be waiting...............forever.

If my Toyotas [plural] are as cheap to own and break down as little as my 98 Regal, I'll be damn happy. As much as I like them, they ain't the Toyota of yore and I've owned Toyotas older then you have been alive on this earth. [unless you were born in the 60s and you sound like you're in your mid 20s]

Ok, I hear you all. I was really just pissed and venting yesterday. I understand that GM has it's good engines, as does Toyota. I also understand that both have their problem engines. I understand that I'm comparing apples to oranges with my 91 Celica, and 2000 Buick. And I do realize that I am not talking about a new vehicle.... I am just very disappointed that the Buick has such low miles, and needs so much work, because GM penny pinched this vehicle together. Actually, I haven't owned a GM vehicle since the early 90s...I have owned 1 1977 Caprice Classic, two 1980 Monte carlo's, 1 1979 Monte carlo, 1 1980 Malibu, a 1978 Trans AM, and a 1979 Z28, and all of them were decent cars...seemed to be built well, don't get me wrong, they were not perfect, but all in all they were good cars, that took quite the pounding. Since then, I have owned nothing but Toyota's, Honda's, and a 1995 Nissan 300zx twin turbo. GM is not the same company it used to be, my Buick does not seem to be built to the same standard as GM vehicles used to be. I don't feel the confidence with my Buick, that I felt with any of my other cars I have owned. Owning this vehicle, will defiantly be my last late modeled GM vehicle. The sad thing is, I have confidence that I could service my old ass Toyota, and take it on a trip across the US, and I would make it there, and back....I wouldn't even try that with my Buick that is newer, and has less then half the miles...that just screams confidence.

Man, can I have some of what you're smoking?  Holy crap.  You're calling those cars decent well-built cars?  Just about every one was an underpowered, loud, creaky, squeaky, poorly-assembled, poorly-handling bucket of bolts.  There's a reason why the big 3 lost half their market share during the 70s and 80s. My cars from that era were : '81 Regal, '79 Regal, '80 Cutlass Supreme, '76 Skylark and an '85 LeSabre.  They were all pieces of shit - velour or vinyl seats, underpowered wheezing engines, floaty suspension, numb steering feel, shitty build quality.

Any recent model is light-years ahead of those POS cars.  Forget about all the computer-controlled stuff - I'm talking dynamics and quality - fit and finish, interior sound levels, body tightness/stiffness, engine power and sound, ride quality, handling, steerinig feel -  are all superior in just about every way.

Get behind the wheel of a 2016 Impala.  Compare it to anything in its class - Accord, Camry, Taurus, Avalon, Charger, 300 - and it's superior by any measure.  

You mean the same generation of malibu that has transmissions that shit the bed?

I dunno, I put a 350, and turbo 350 in it....No tranny problems at all. The v6 it came with was weak as hell, couldn't even pass a car worth a crap. Try doing that with a 2000, or above GM car.

No kidding, the only things he replaced that aren't normal wear & tear items at those miles are the plenum, ECM, and coil packs. Tie rods & ball joints? Normal wear & tear. I wonder if he even looked the car over first, or asked the old man what he had done to it?

I'll agree the intakes and gaskets on those cars are junk, however all manufactures have been using plastic on the INSIDE of engines for years.....the intake is an external part.

I guess I just like steel better then plastic, I like interchangeability, better then being stuck with what you have, I also like being able to diagnose, and fix problems without  needing some code reader, I like not being a slave to the computer that is controlling everything. Simple is usually better. There is a reason why you go to a Honda/GM dealer, and they have 2 Honda techs, and 10 GM techs (yes there is a Honda/GM dealership in Dubuque Iowa Richardson motors)

Try hitting a deer going 60 mph with your 2016 Impala, and see how good you fair.... then tell me your 2016 Impala is built better....LMAO! then replace the front clip, the hood, possibly fenders, radiator...etc. I hit a deer doing around 60 with my blue 1980 Monte Carlo, and had a broken head light...that's it, and it still worked. You can say what you will about that era of GM cars...they were built like tanks compared to the way they are built now. Did they have the suspension tech they have now? Did they have the fuel management tech they have now?  No they didn't, but fixing that is as easy, as ordering new updated parts and changing them. GM cars of that era, were completely modular, and interchangeable...nothing from GM these days is. My 1979 black Monte Carlo had a 383 stroker in it....hardly an under powered wheezing slouch, in fact that motor had more HP then it had cubic inches, and would probably kick the 300zx twin turbo's ass in a strait line race. You need to seriously give me some of what your smoking...that shit must be good. We will see how many 2016 Impala's there are on the road in 30 years...I'll bet that number will be none.

Yeah, lets ignore the safety design advancements in that gap.  The point of a vehicle in a collision is to save you, not to minimize damage to itself for lower repair costs. (Won't do you any good if you are dead or a vegetable)

Yes, a lot of advancements have been made, some good, some not so good. I will stick to what I know, and what I can service myself...does that make me wrong? I think I have had a lot of valid points, as have some of you. Personal preference, does not make one wrong, and we could just keep this argument going on endlessly...to what end? The simple fact of the matter, is that hardly anything is built to the same standard as it was 30-40 years ago....now everything is built with production rate, and cost effectiveness, or cheapness in mind...hardly any of today's youth take pride in their work, like their job, or even like to work anymore. I mean just for example...look at all the cheaply made products, you could buy from walmart...now compare those products to their equivalent produced 30 to 40 years ago....there is no comparison! Things just aren't built like they used to be...and the same goes for vehicles....yes there has been a lot of advancement...but are they built with the same pride, and conviction as they used to be? Now most cars are built by robots, and many American cars...aren't even built in the USA...what a disgrace!

No.

But your poor justifications/uninformed opinions do you no favors in making the case for your viewpoint.

Quality still exists, if you are willing to find it/pay for it.  Most people aren't, so cheap goods is what is so pervasive.

I know quality still exists, it just doesn't exist in the main stream. Just because I have a different opinion then you, does not make my opinion less valid then yours.
And your completely right, about me being uninformed about late model GMs, I haven't even rode in anything past a 2004 or so, but I really had no desire to, with the direction GM was going....Now I guess I could be wrong, maybe GM has improved...I will never know, as I prefer a vehicle that doesn't have 8 sensors, and I can service myself...I have always been my own mechanic. My whole reasoning for starting this thread was because I was disappointed with my Buick, and thought that a lot that I replaced, should not have needed replaced with the current mileage of the vehicle. I have never had a vehicle that was as troublesome as this one has been. I should have checked over the vehicle better before I paid $2500 for it, but I didn't. I mean my old man drives 45 everywhere, and always keeps up with general maintenance, at least I thought he did. Anyway this has all been blown way out of proportioned.