Betrayed by General Motors... Twice!

In 1984 I became the owner of a 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It had classic looks, ran well, had decent gas mileage (for a mid-size vehicle), and gave me 125,000 miles until, in 1994, it was stolen from a downtown Chicago parking lot, stripped, and used by numerous homeless people as a combination of sleeping quarters, kitchen, and toilet for three weeks before I got a call from the Chicago Police Department that it had been located.

When I saw it, I was amazed at (1) how god-awful it looked and smelled, (2) how close it was to the parking lot from which it had been stolen (about 6 blocks away), and (3) the fact that it had accumulated about 30 parking tickets. Yes, my license plates and city sticker were still attached. But the fact that the police records showed it as a stolen vehicle, and they had my name, address, and phone number, did not prevent cops from ticketing it over and over and over.

Although I've gone off on a tangent, I must finish the story by saying that I submitted my police report, dated prior to the tickets being written, with the tickets to the appropriate administrative agency requesting that all the tickets be voided. The bureaucrats voided 22 of the 30 tickets only, without explanation. When I called and called and got transferred and transferred, I was told not why they had let the other 8 tickets stand, but that I could appeal those 8 'convictions' only by going, in person, to another police agency, posting $300 cash PER DISPUTED TICKET, and then appear in court to plead my case. Perhaps numerous court dates would be required. Each court date would require me to take an entire day off from work.

Justice unaffordable is justice denied! Was I stuck in a Kafka novel? I finally gave up and paid the $240 for the 8 tickets. After the car was 'repaired' and detailed by my auto insurance company, "old dependable" was never quite the same.

In 1995 we bought a 1996 Saturn SL2. It is a small four door sedan that averages 25 MPG in the city and ~30 MPG on the highway. Reading about the Saturn philosophy concerning "no haggle pricing", treating customers as family, focus on customer satisfaction, and the new factory in the U.S. of A. (!) at Spring Hill, Tennessee - a model of union-management cooperation that was to set the pattern not only for the rest of General Motors, but perhaps all U.S. car companies, made me wildly enthusiastic.

The two Saturn dealers we visited were just as advertised. There was no pressure. No haggling over price. The sales staff showed us the wall in the showroom covered with Polaroid photos of new owners picking up their cars, with all the dealership's employees cheering them on. A mechanic in the shop showed us the bulletin board with handwritten letters from satisfied customers.

We showed the saleswoman our 12 year old Oldsmobile trade-in and was offered $100. She said the dealership would not be able to sell it, and would probably have a scrap dealer haul it away. She then told me that I should donate it to the charity of my choice, as it would not only benefit others, but the tax deduction would be more than $100. Since I had acquired the Olds upon my mother's death, from a stroke caused in large part by a 2 pack-a-day unfiltered Camel cigarette habit since age 16, I felt it was appropriate, and appreciated by Mom, to donate it to the Lung Association, which was very glad to get it.

Yes, the day we picked up the Saturn, all the employees at the dealership gathered around and cheered. Our photo was taken and posted on the wall. When taking the car in for regular maintenance, we found that the other customers waiting were like friends. We gushed about what a wonderful buying experience it was; how fair the mechanics were; and how we were all supporting the future of the U.S. automotive industry. Did I mention that during the summer, Saturn dealers would have outdoor barbeques and give free hot dogs, bratwursts, or hamburgers to customers? After all, what's a family for?

As of this posting date, the Saturn has logged 175,000 miles. It's time to get another car. Naturally, I started looking at my local Saturn dealer, in the summer of 2007. I took a hybrid SUV for a test drive. So far, so good. I told the salesperson that it rode well, but I wasn't ready to purchase a new vehicle just yet. My 1996 was in the shop that day for an oil change, and I only wanted to see how a Saturn hybrid performed. He said the price for the SUV was reasonable, but he was going to talk to the manager. I had no intention of buying an SUV, but that was the only hybrid they had available for a test drive that day. But this salesperson hadn't even asked me if I wanted an SUV!

He came back with a serious look and several sheets of paper. He showed me the SUV's manufacturers listed price. Then he wrote in Saturn's monthly sales promotion discount, and also, he almost whispered this, the dealership's special discount. I thanked him, but said again that I wasn't interested this year - maybe next year. He then confided to me some "insider information" about the Saturn line of hybrids: The battery system was currently being bought from Toyota, who had much greater experience with hybrid battery technology, but next year a new system developed by General Motors would be installed, and it was not well tested, and therefore inferior to, the system used in this year's Saturns. Buy now, he said. If you were in my family, I'd tell you the same thing. I politely but firmly declined. He said he would talk to the manager.

He came back five minutes later with another $1000 off the price. I said "No" again, and asked when my car's oil change would be done. He left to check. Ten minutes later he came back with a very serious man who actually had a furrowed brow and almost a scowl on his face. He was introduced as the owner of the dealership. We shook hands. The owner rehashed the reasons why I should buy the SUV today. I again declined. He leaned forward, and I swear to God he actually said this, "So what do I have to do to put you in that SUV today?" I smiled and said, "Give it to me free of charge." I laughed out loud and told him that I could not believe he would use the most overused, hackneyed car salesperson phrase ever invented! Especially at a Saturn dealership! He was not amused. He shook my hand and told me I was making a mistake, but these special discounts would be available one more week for when I changed my mind.

Saturn had changed. For the worse. The philosophy that had drawn me, and hundreds of thousands of other true believers to Saturn, had withered away. The vehicles in Saturn's lineup had gotten bigger, gaudier, racier, and less fuel efficient also.

All these years I've faithfully taken my Saturn only to Saturn dealers for servicing. Two weeks ago, my Service Engine Soon light went on. Right before I had to take a smog test. Since that light would mean an automatic failure of the test, I went to my Saturn dealer. The diagnosis for getting that light to turn off so I could pass the test? Over $1000 in power steering column repairs plus a 30 mile road test to reset five different computers in the car. I said I would think about it. That diagnosis alone cost me $130. As I drove home, I noticed the light had gone off. I pulled into the nearest smog test station, and my almost 14 year old Saturn passed with flying colors. The Service Engine Soon light still has not gone back on again.

Even the service department at Saturn has been corrupted. Hell hath no fury like a Saturn owner scorned. Future service work will be done anywhere but at a Saturn dealer.

Of course the final betrayal was the not so secret news this year that General Motors will kill off the Saturn Division, probably after the 2011 model year. Dealerships will close. Saturn owners will be cast aside and adrift.

Lest we forget, in April of 2004, General Motors put the final nail in the coffin of the Oldsmobile Division, when the final Oldsmobile rolled out of their Lansing, Michigan assembly line. Loyal Olds owners were betrayed.

Hey GM, why don't you give me a heads up on what division you want to trash and burn next so I can buy a new car from it. That's all I'm good for, isn't it? I'm surprised I don't own a Pontiac too.

To recap, from 1984 to today (25 years), I have owned two cars: an Oldsmobile and a Saturn, totaling 300,000 miles. GM has repaid my loyalty with disloyalty. I enthusiastically supported a U.S. automaker. Now I don't care about buying a vehicle from any U.S. manufacturer. Once bitten - twice shy. Twice bitten - as mad as Hell and not going to take it any more!

I still am interested in a hybrid sedan. You know, maybe that hack Saturn salesperson in 2007 did me a favor. I've never forgotten his "insider information" about how well made and dependable Toyota hybrid technology was. And that was two years ago.

Now, let me finish this blog post, so I can do an internet search for Toyota dealers nearby.