Bummer of a Hummer

I would like to start out by saying I am a HUGH GM fan. Since 1997 I have purchased 11 new GM vehicles and since 1992 a total of 6 used GM vehicles. My latest purchase of a new 2007 H2, which was preceeded by a 2005 H2, has be very unlike my past vehicles new or used. I purchased this Hummer on Nov. 12, 2007. Upon Driving it home to Brooks (2 hour drive from Shaw GMC) it got 9.6mpg, a far cry from my last H2 which got 18mpg at 115 km/h - I figured it may need some break in time, although my 2005 did not. In addition, it made a terrible noise at highway speed as if a body panel was flapping wildly. I called the salesman to ask him what that could be. He said it might have been the windshield moldings or sunroof deflector. I did have a problem on my 2005 with the windshield moldings - only after having the windshield replaced by their contracted glass shop. I couldn't see this being the case just coming off the factory floor. Since my wife drives it 90% of the time I didn't have to listen to the noise and agreed to the next time I was in the city they could look at it. I made into the mid January only to be booked in Feb 9th. I never made that appointment. On Saturday Feb 2nd I was going thru Calgary on the way to Canmore. The Hummer died just on the outskirts of the city at 10032 km. Would not start again. Called OnStar, they were sending a flatbed to take it to Shaw GMC. Meanwhile, I called Andy my salesman and he promptly sent a loaner vehicle, which beat the flatbed, to get me on my way as not to be late. On Monday I got a call from Wally the serviceman. He told me they were doing tests and taken it to the next level of specialist mechanics. Couple of days later I was informed it was the no. 7 cylinder had lost all compression, broken valve spring. Shaw GMC had an employee meet me half way on Thursday Feb 7th. I thought this may have been a possible source of the poor milage but with the tank not full at the beginning I could not tell. Once home it sat parked in the garage until my wife took it to work on the 13th. She said it was driving funny. I was able to take it out the next day evening and found it to redline during initial accelleration, but not go very far very fast.Friday I called Shaw GMC and told Paul, the service manager, that I had a problem and I believed it to be the computer, which had somehow altered the shift pattern and I wanted the local GM dealer to look at it. Paul instructed me to have them call him and to authorize the work. It went in on Friday the 22nd. The local guys duplicated the problem but got no computer codes indicating a malfunction. Said it was the transmission slipping. It needed to go to Shaw GMC. It was still getting 10mpg, maybe this was the problem, had it been slipping all this time on the highway? That late afternoon I called Shaw GMC and tried to arrange a flatbed to take it in and bring me a loaner - again! No loaners available until today, Feb 28th. So needless to say we haven't driven our H2 since the 14th except to take it to the local dealer, 2 weeks now. The odometer is at 11000 km. So - in doing the math for February, we will have had our Hummer drivable and in our possession for 7 days. Final number: 22 days out of dervice this month. Today is day 108 we've owned our H2. (20.4% down time, not including the ongoing time to diagnose, repair, and return it to me)

I called the GM customer care line yesterday, talked to Jessica and told her my story. I requested that General Motors stand behind their product and buy it back from me. I explained that I am prepared to and wanting to buy another GM product. Never having a single drivetrain problem with ANY of my GM, I have no confidence in this one vehicle. My wife refuses to drive it once fixed, she says it has not been reliable thus far and she does NOT want to get stranded again. Jessica told me that warranty will fix it for free. Warranty won't pay me for the time away from my business to deal with these issues. It won't pay for the inconvience of breaking down resulting in being late to personal functions. Warranty, I believe has its place but the frequency of problems in this short period of time must raise SOME red flags. My expectations for the $90,000 I spent are justifiably high. Jessica assured me that she would talk to the service manager at Shaw GMC and then the general manager to assess the situation and discuss the option of a buy back. But, and I quote, "buy backs are rare and not likely to happen while under warranty", she said.

I bought extended warranty to 5/120000. I do not expect GM to by it back after it has run out of warranty - as this would be "UNLIKELY". I realize the common practise during the buy back process is to charge the owner a set rate per kilometers driven. I would rather lose a nominal amount now at 11000km than wait until it reaches 30000+ km.

As a dedicated GM man I only have positive comments about my local dealer, my saleman Andy, even Shaw GMC. They have all treated me thus far - very well. Shaw GMC, Andy in particular has impressed me with customer service.

While doing some research I found that the dealers are not "out" anything when a buy back occurs. Some dealers even "go to bat" for the customer when dealing with General Motors. This only seems reasonable for even in my business, if I sell an inferior product, my supplier will replace it at no cost to me. Once replaced, the customer soon forgets any negativety towards me, the product and even the manufacturer.

I'm sure everybody can appreciate the fact that with a 20% loss in an investment, anyone would want to get out of it. I'm positive if General Motors had a 20% loss they would re-evaluate the situation and make the necessary changes to limited the potential of further losses. I am optimistic that General Motors will stand behind their dealer, Shaw GMC, and myself to do what is necessary to buy back this Hummer H2.