2001 PA: Repair or Run?

[mcmlxv]

2001 Park Avenue Base, 1SE, dealer maintained and extremely clean. The car just hit the 100K mark and has developed a few issues, unfortunately, all at once:

1. The original upper intake is now leaking. If I repair it, I'll perform the lower aluminum gasket upgrade. Dealer quotes $900.00 for UIM and gaskets, LIM gaskets, o-rings, elbows, etc.

2. Both front hub bearing units are failing and I can hear it. Timken (supplies GM with the OEM units) replacements, dealer quotes $900.00

3. The struts are shot and the rear end is rattling. OEM GM out of the question due to cost, Arnott perhaps? I'm guessing about $800.00 if the dealer will use my own parts.

4. The fuel sending unit threw a 0453 code (fuel level sensor high voltage) last week after the fuel gauge dropped to "E" with 1/3 of a tank of fuel. I have used Techron and Shell V-Power exclusively in this car. Now the fuel pump is noisy. Dealer quotes $500.00 for pump/sensor unit replacement.

5. The a/c compressor is getting loud lately. I know nothing about air conditioning systems except that repairs are very,very costly.

Without the compressor, getting this car right is going to cost north of $3500.00. I'd expect around the same value if I were to trade it.

I love this car and planned to keep it to 200K. Mechanical failures are to be expected from this point on, but some of these failures are premature and throw the car's long-term reliability into question. I've heard of failed transmissions, axle seals, steering racks, ride height compressors, window motors, seat motors (been there X 2), and so on. GM quality is nowhere near what I expected.

I don't have the time, tools, or talent to tackle these repairs myself.

Repair or run?

[xs03mich]

If you had a small garage that would charge less per hour for labor, maybe then fix it. At this point put the money into another park avenue. Just my opinion. Good luck with your decision.

['97ventureowner]

I agree with xs03mich. The car is over 8 years old. At this point taking it to the dealer for repairs and paying the higher labor rates just doesn't make sense. I'd ask around to family members, friends/acquaintances,co-workers for recommendations on mechanics or independent garages in your area. Their labor rates are generally a lot lower and you can save a hefty portion of the repair bill by seeking out repairs from a non-dealer shop.

[TopherS]

Dude, that sucks. I know how much you like(d) your car...

I feel the same, however. I've got 110,300 miles on mine now and am concerned about how long it will go. Right now, the only issues I've got is the seat heater on the driver's side is not working and the turn signal on occasion goes bonkers (luckily, not recently, however). But, I have a list saved on my computer all of the repairs that I have had to have done on this car in the past 4 yrs/46K miles. They include 2 water pumps, 2 ignition towers???, rack/pinion assembly, front struts, both front seat motors (driver's side went out, passenger side...the frame broke), Intake Manifold repair (I got my money from the GM class-action lawsuit finally for that one), fuel gauge (would flop from E to F and back again...all the time), 2 transmission services to try to find the source of some occasional slippage (which was never found). Now my 80K tires (with only 35K on them) are worn out and even though Sears told me I'll get a lot discounted for the pro-rating thing, I still will have to shell out a sizeable chunk of money toward new tires...and Sears still (after 4 trips to their shop) can't get the front-end to stay aligned.

The problem is that the car is paid for, my wife may lose her job with the schools at the end of this school year (in June) and I don't have enough money to buy another car. And...I like this car...and I'm addicted to the HUD . So...I continue to change the oil every 3,000 miles and take it to my mechanic at the first sign of a problem so as to avoid even higher repair bills.

The whole reason that I got my Park Avenue when I did was because my 1995 Roadmaster was similar to your Park Avenue, in that it would cost about $3,000 to fix all the problems with it and I did not have the money to pay out...but was able to afford monthly payments on another car. So I've been where you are. And I must say that there are a lot of times that I wish I would have tried to get the money together to get that Roadmaster fixed, instead of getting rid of it. I miss that car a lot. I most definitely would consider another one.

I agree with the others in that it would make a lot of sense to trade out of your Park Avenue...but if you really want to have a Park Avenue, perhaps look for another.

Good luck in whichever way you go with this. Our Park Avenues truly are fine cars, but it seems GM's practices have plagued the Parks with some hit/miss reliability. Let us know what you decide to do.