I Hate Newer Cars Some Times.

I had no choice this year in getting a newer car.But in the end i get very good gas millage.

But only at 44,000 miles i have i am getting a p0599 error check engine light code.And have to take it to the dealership to get it fixed.If any one has a 2014 chevy sonic LT 1.8 turbo and your light is on first check the code at advance auto or some place that does it free.

That code that came up is for my electronically controlled engine thermostat or just plane thermostat.

But make sure you call around to see if it is covered under warranty be for you have them repair it this part alone cost me 113 dollars by it self.Not cheap unlike my 2000 sunfire.I would call the main dealership of your car.

I don't mind getting a new car but man not even a year and all ready having a problem with it.

Shit at lest when i had my 2000 sunfire i could fix it my self.Now pretty much every thing has to be fixed at the dealership.

 

Coyote, I'm just wondering if you checked out a Honda Fit before you laid your $$$ on a Sonic? I can't say I'm crazy about its other competitors though such as the Yaris or Versa. The Fiesta is OK but I'm still scared by FoMoCo reliability. Although my brother is having good luck with his Fusion Hybrid I still can't forget way long ago when my mom bought a new Country Squire station wagon, that spent half its life at the now defunct Wilshire Ford service bay.

 

No i haven't I needed a new car be cause my last 2000 sunfire was basically on its last leg,

Same with the first one i had.First one lasted me ten years.Second one about 6 years or so.

I just needed a new car ASAP be cause it was leaking oil like a shiv.But the Sonic is a really good car it just seems the more high tech crap they put in a point A to point B vehicle is kinda of a pain to fix.The Engine seems to run fine even with the issue but i still don't like it having the check engine light on is all.This one of the cars that i probably could afford in cash.I hate car payments.

 

Well I do know the Sonic comes from GM's Korean division aka Daewoo. GM seems to be rebadging quite a few Daewoo's now. I think it was back in the 90's when Daewoo failed in the USA with their nondescript car then and a non existent advertising campaign, while Hyundai and Kia succeeded. Have you tried asking Sonic owners on Sonic message boards such as this http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/ what the problem is? I've had my share of luck going to car and motorcycle message boards to resolve problems with my car and motorcycle. Actually my car is bullet proof. Nothing ever goes wrong on it besides the battery dying on me. I'd buy another of the same make since I've had such good luck with it. I can't even call it "luck" that's just what you get with such a well engineered car. I only wish my motorcycle was as reliable as my car.

 

"I only wish my motorcycle was as reliable as my car."
BMW K1300s here, reliable as a hammer. But like most new vehicles you have to speak CANBUS.

 

Wifey and I will probably buy a new car this year. We went test driving last week and this morning.
"high tech crap" was a big issue for us. So many things we would never use; did not want.
Then came the Tesla drive, and our eyes were opened. The problem is not the "high tech crap", its the user interface.
The Toyota Camry salesman fumbled getting the map to work right, and again getting our phones to be recognized.
Ford phone was perfect, totally hands off even to play iPhone through the car speakers, but the cruise control was not so easy.
The Tesla just worked, all the high tech, low tech and everything else. Tell my iPhone to "call my son" and the car takes over the call with aplomb. "Take me home" pops up map and route. Maybe this sales guy just knew more but in any event our money will probably go to Tesla. Easy voice commands rule while driving and are the key to useful high tech.

 

I have a tough time believing that, one of the reasons my bike has its problems is it happens to be 30 years old. But it still finished #2 in Consumer Reports reliability list while BMW was 2nd to last http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm

 

By manufacturer is pretty useless.
Use by model and check what "problems" are included. Many things are considered defects even though they never cause a problem for the user.
As always every vehicle will be different.

 

Motorcycle reliability problems are quite different from car problems though, especially since bikes have less toys to play with than cars. My bike doesn't even come with a RPM meter, my ears do the job for telling me when to shift. Point is when something goes wrong with my bike it's an essential part of the team I'm 100% dependent on, unlike a car's audio system or air conditioning effing up on it.

 

I normally love technology, but don't like a lot of the stuff on the new cars. Too much to go wrong, and few things you can fix yourself. My tin foil hat theory is some of this is planed by the car manufacturer, so they get your $ for the car, then you have to go to the dealer and they get more $ when the electronic ignition or some such gizmo goes out.

 

Our Toyota Echo is from the year 2000 with only 68.000 km on it and still going strong. Only thing it has are automatic and air conditioning and that's enough for us. We would get lost with all the *new* things onboard and don't like all the *new* stuff that's come out in the last years. Our daughter loves the new technology... a car that talks to her...

 

Just wait for self driving cars, get in, say your destination and sleep or pick up a book or surf the net. This tech will change wasted hours to productive ones and lower stress - if you can get used to it.

 

Just wait for the lawsuits... when my car sues yours.

 

Sorry I don't believe manufacturers are hoping they have any reliability problems on their cars. That helps screw up their reputation and makes it tough to stay in business, as it did for MG, Triumph, Renault, Yugo in this country. I remember when Hyundai first entered the USA, they were having major reliability problems too and needed a quick fix which is why they have one of the best warranties in the industry now.

 

The main reason I can't wait for autonomous cars is people can't drive worth !#$%^& A couple of years ago some dumb !@#$%^ almost nailed me on my motorcycle when she blew right through a stop sign somewhere around 50 MPH. That would have never happened in a autonomous car.

 

"That would have never happened in a autonomous car."

How can you 'know' something mechanical can't fail?
I do agree as to the poor and distracted drivers being a pain.

As far as my point about car manufactures wanting to make extra $ on the repairs, think about this. All mechanical parts have a mean time before failure. So, as with anything, parts wear out. But, with the increased technology in cars, a lot of smaller repair shops do not have the $ to get all the computer diagnostic stuff to do some work on certain cars. So, sometimes a car must go to the dealership to be repaired. Like electronic ignition systems. On Mercedes, those have to be programed, not just replaced. So, besides the significant cost of tools, lifts and such, often specialized computer diagnostic hardware is needed for specific car manufacturers. Plus, it is my tin foil hat conspiracy.

 

Given how flawless Google's autonomous car has been when it comes to avoiding accidents. I wouldn't expect it to blow right through a stop sign at 50 MPH. I was so upset after I chased that car, pulled it over and discovered earbuds attached to the driver with a cell phone nearby. The driver told me how she never saw the stop sign too.

Automobile parts will wear and need to be replaced after awhile. I only wish my computer was as reliable as my car though. The thing is bullet proof dependable. I'm just amazed at how reliable cars have become now, at least mine is.

 

LOL, you chased and pulled over a car? Unless you are LEO, will just leave it there. Technology is a great thing! I just wonder how they can program for all the variables that can happen when driving. Would be nice to just get into a car and sleep until your car wakes you up when you are home.

 

Yes, when I saw that car drive through that stop sign as if it wasn't there and miss hitting me at a 90 degree angle on my motorcycle, a major case of road rage hit my head. Although everything was peaceful when I talked to the person on the side of the road. Google has been testing their car for over 400,000 miles now. It's all trial and error. I just heard Tesla's CEO talk about how he wants to put a autonomous car on the road in a few years from now. It's going to take some time before cars become 100% autonomous but right now some cars are on the roads now are confident enough to drive themselves with minimal human interaction. Mercedes is about to release a new E Class that raises the bar.

 

Well, I will take my old human driven car for a few more years. Let the more adventurous 'beta' test them things. Dang kids with there auto cars...

 

Flawless now . . . but what about if/when there are millions of them in day to day use, in real world conditions?

 

Google is testing their autonomous car in real world conditions right now. I heard the only accidents it got in was the fault of other cars too. I'm not surprised when I hear that with all the retards behind wheels now, automated cars can't come soon enough! Wow the sight of actually seeing a car using its turn signals will be a sight for sore eyes too!

 

Lets be clear about this, Google has been on city streets since 2012.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_autonomous_car
Volvo is "driver assisted" in Nevada now.


This is NOT new, untested technology. The only problem is public acceptance.
On the reliability front, do you trust a driver to stop driving when something will soon happen? Computers are much better at predicting and stopping before there is a problem. Case in point; how many cars have you seen on the freeway using a space saver spare? Autonomous cars would not drive that way.

 

I know . . . but start throwing in multiple units in real "real world" conditions. and you will have a greater chance of failure. It's simply a fact. Not saying it's not the future or that it shouldn't be, I'm just curious as to how the inevitable failures will impact public perception. Failures will happen when you have thousands and then millions of semi-autonomous vehicles on the road.

lol - no argument here

 

My point exactly.

 

I know they'll accept it. They'll still have a chance to drive the cars themselves. Right now I don't see anybody shedding any tears about cars that park themselves. I know I'd rather let the car parallel park itself than having to go through the chore of doing it. Although newer cars with backup cameras make it a lot easier now. I like that since I'm always worried about some schmuck tipping over my motorcycle.

 

I can say with confidence I will do everything I can to avoid owning anything "new". I may be "old skool" or whatever the vernacular is, but I absolutely don't need or want all the crap they're putting in cars today. One clutch pedal, one brake pedal, one fuel pedal, a reliable powerplant, drivetrain, and an aftermarket deck that has BlueTooth.

I'd rather rebuild/re-engineer something '05 or earlier, than pay for a pile of useless crap (to me) that I don't want.

 

Self driving full electric may change your mind.
Electric is much simpler (as in fewer moving parts). You can read a book in a quiet, comfortable environment while you travel.
And just ignore all the rest of the crap like trip computers that read out your equivalent in trees chopped per mile.

 

I'd lay my moolah down on a pure electric now if they:
1) Had as many charging stations as they do gas stations now
2) Didn't have to pay more than $500 for a battery pack assuming it would last
3) Could charge my battery to 80% effectiveness in 3 minutes or less
4) Could buy a pure electric with at least 200 miles range for $20,000 or less (I'm use to that since my motorcycle is only good for 100 to 150 miles cruising range)

I hope Elon Musk is taking notes here I just don't see how they can produce battery packs for so cheap now. Nissan wants $5499 for a Leaf battery pack

 

You can do that on a bus... with a real driver!

 

I am not ready for a full auto drive car but I think the auto breaking car may be a good thing.
I have been the passenger a few times when I would of appreciated that feature. You know the kind of driver that waits until the very last second to put their breaks on.

 

Except for the part where in a lot of places there isn't a bus available. I live 10 minutes outside a major metropolitan area and it might as well be Siberia as far as buses are concerned. The closest stop is a 20-minute walk (during the week, it's further away on weekends), the bus runs once every 90 minutes, and it only runs from 6am to 11pm.

 

In metropolitan areas the answer has to be more buses and local trains, and restrictions on private car use. Pouring millions of new cars onto the roads every year just isn't a sustainable approach long term unless we consider daily gridlock and poisonous air pollution acceptable. We are fortunate here in Solihull UK. We live about 7 miles from Birmingham city centre, the UK's second largest city, but city buses run about every five minutes and we always use them even though we each have our own cars. City bound trains run about every 8-10 minutes and are even quicker than the buses, but depending on where you live you might need the car to use them. But parking charges are reasonable so it's a better bet than driving in to the city and paying city centre parking rates. Larger cities that don't accept this logic are heading for Bangkok style gridlock and severe damage to the local economy and environment.

We all love our cars and the freedom they give us but for those living in or close to large cities the glory days of motoring are behind us. It's not easy to accept, including by city planners!

 

It's a severely needed. It never ceases to amaze how retarded so many drivers are out there when it comes to tailgating. These people are multi tasking since they happen to be driving with their head up their ass. Autonomous cars can't come soon enough

 

Find me an electric car that has a range of 400+ miles, can recharge (refuel) in ten minutes or less, and cover 1000 miles in 15-16 hours, and you've got a deal. BTW, I listen to audio books sometimes when I drive. Last road trip I averaged 30 MPG in my tweaked 2003 PT Cruiser. My girl burns VERY clean. Still going to try and squeeze more out of it, of course. Also, I live in a fairly rural area, and public transportation here is about as reliable as a screen door on a submarine.

And, unfortunately, as far as driving skill in the general populace, sorely lacking these days...

 

Welcome to the club! I walk 10 minutes, wait for an overfull minibus (15 people) taxi, take a 15 minute ride, and then walk another 10 minutes, to help out my sister and brother-in-law with their ice-making business. Three times a week... And they can't cook (and invite me) like you do!

 

Same here, yesterday in mediocre weather or not the best weather for rubber to stick to pavement, I took a look in my rearview mirror and noticed some schmuck with no breathing room off of my rear bumper. He or she was so close that I just tapped my brake for less than a second and after that I heard their brakes lockup.

 

DavidGP, have you been in traffic with the Google cars?

The number of times they need to do something illegal to avoid an accident is negligible and not an argument against them. Arguing they need to be able to choose the lesser of two evils is just stupid. Why kill 30,000 people per year (estimate of lives saved with self driving cars) because we might lose 20 people per year in an unusual circumstance (car cannot chose to hit one pedestrian rather than a crowd)?

As far as present anti-collision suggestions that automatically brake - worst idea ever. The last thing you want is a car that second guesses you in an emergency. A warning is good, but limiting your options is not.

 

Google was testing along the same freeway I commute to work on. I am always on my motorcycle. I was impressed with the Google car lack of response to me being within inches as I lane split. Loud pipes, cars swerving into the lane and getting cut off were all handled with aplomb. Automatic cars don't get mad.
I very much agree good anti-skid brakes should be mandatory on all new cars and other than classic cars those without need to be phased out. Brembo on a Fiat? Impressive!

 

As far as i say about this.Even though i hate driving,I would rather be in control of my own vehicle.There would be no way in hell i would allow a vehicle make up it's own mind for me.Even though i have over 20 years of driving experience.It is just the matter of fact that a lot of people would not go for this.Even with a semi truck.That would be a major risk there on icy road's as if there not a risk all ready.What happens if a tire blew out or disintegrates like on a truck.I have been on the PA turnpike many times and all most hit a few truck tire blow outs.As it stands my car average gas mileage is around 30 to miles to the gallon in winter and in summer about 35 miles to the gallon.I can go a full 300 miles be for i need to fill up can a electric car i don't think so.

 

They're close. https://www.teslamotors.com/blog/driving-range-model-s-family

 

I won't be surprised if we see electric cars with over a thousand miles range within the next 10 years. Even though pure electrics have been around for over 100 years now Tesla has just got the ball rolling. Plenty of competition is gearing up now that could make things very tough for Tesla. Although Tesla is still in the red from what I've heard. http://fortune.com/2015/08/10/tesla-money-lost-model-s/

 

I have to laugh when people post they can drive better than the automatics. No matter how well you drive, the computer will do it better eventually. It's just a matter of programming.
Can you see 360 degrees at all times? Can you talk to other drivers while driving? Can you consider traffic jams you don't see?
Driverless cars are already better than drivers and will improve yet more.
There is a time and place for skilled craftsman to make things, but by and large machine made is better. The same logic applies here.

 

I didn't know WTF you were talking about when you mentioned "automatics?" My first thought was manual versus automatic transmissions. Not too long ago you could hit 60 MPH quicker with a manual transmission. But now that automatic transmissions have improved, in a lot of cases now automatics are quicker. You'll be out of luck now anyhow if you try to buy a car with a manual transmission from companies such as Ferrari, who decided they don't sell enough manual trannies to make it worth their while to offer them. I still think that sucks since I prefer a stick shift any day of the week versus an automatic.

As for autonomous cars being safer than cars driven by us, you're correct. From all the tests I've seen so far your chances of being involved in a accident in autonomous car are lower than cars driven by us. That doesn't mean they're perfect, especially since cars driven by humans can still smash into autonomous cars. There's not much an autonomous car can do if it's stuck at a red light and it gets rear ended. I know that feeling since I was stuck at a red light once on my motorcycle and then a Chrysler LeBaron rear ended my bike to my surprise. I now keep my eyes on my rearview mirrors when I'm stuck at a red light because of that. I wasn't seriously injured when that LeBaron hit me either, to my surprise.

 

Here's an interesting read on Self-Driving Cars.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/542626/why-self-driving-cars-must-be-programmed-to-kill/

 

I too wish more people would drive these autonomous machines than simply buy one myself. I'm OK with buying one when the technology becomes extremely affordable. But right now I'm out there taking my chances on a motorcycle and have seen too many people eff up all the time. I'm glad my bike wasn't a few feet more out in the intersection when 2 years ago a woman sped right through a stop sign at an estimated 50 MPH. I'm sure a advanced autonomous car would have seen the easy to spot stop signs in this case and come to a full stop. I have heard some talk of autonomous motorcycles too but haven't seen much if any news about them. Autonomous steering on a motorcycle is a lot stranger than it would be on a car or truck.