Auto Trends

Auto Lemon, originally uploaded by mark gabrenya

Several weeks ago we reported on the rough start the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has had since it left the gates a few short months ago. It started off with a faulty battery cable, and has continued on to have such problems as loose exterior accessories (emblems, spoiler, etc.), fluid leaks, mismatched paint, and failed mechanical components.

Sounds a little like the introduction of the calamity known as the Ford Pinto.

One of the truly down points of these rumors hit when the popular Camaro forum, known as Camaro5, published a list of 65 problems to be aware of before accepting the delivery of your new Camaro.

A few of the highlights of this list are as follows:

• Battery Cable
• Oil Leaks
• Digital Speedometer Inaccuracy
• Tranny Problems (ahem, talking about the underbelly of the car)
• Misaligned Body Panels/Door gaps
• Key Getting Stuck in Ignition
• Pillar Trim falling Off
• Door Sill Loose/ Falling Off
• Rear Spoiler Hanging on By a Couple of Bolt Threads
• Air Conditioner Works Intermittently
• Squealing Brakes
• Wheels and Tires in Poor Condition
• …etc, etc

While this list was initially meant to be helpful for all new buyers, it was poked fun of so extensively, it has since been taken down with a note to all websites who preyed upon it for comedy relief:

LIST HAS BEEN REMOVED.
Please refer generally to this Issues forum (http://www.camaro5.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=70) for troubleshooting/diagnosing any issues you may have.

It’s unfortunate that this list has attracted the negative spin and attention that it did from other websites looking for a sensationalized story on the Camaro, and for those who still think that the Camaro has had widespread quality control issue, please take some time to read around on this forum and you will quickly realize that there has instead been widespread praise and satisfaction expressed by the vast majority of our members regarding the quality and experience of their cars.

Taking a look at the general troubleshooting area of the Camaro5 message board, we find a rather similar set of complaints, such as oil leaks, brake squeal, paint bubbling, more fluid leaks, thin paint, and the list goes on.

Of course, these types of complaints can be found on just about any manufacturer forum, but rumor has it that GM has discontinued delivery of the Camaro SS (Manual Transmission) due to an issue of failed output shafts.

It is much too soon to call such a beautiful vehicle a lemon, but there are certainly some nagging quality control issues that cannot be denied. However, for the time being we are going to give the Camaro (and GM) some slack and give them a few more months to work out the kinks. Rome wasn’t built in a day after all, but it could certainly be destroyed in one (if GM is not careful).

With that said, before taking order of your new 2010 Camaro, I highly recommend taking a gander for any of the above shortlist of problems. Just because the car is not a confirmed lemon, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t squeeze it a few times!

2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS, originally uploaded by JDPower.com Photography

It is that time of year for the results of this years APEAL studies (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout). “APEAL” is the shortened description for when J.D. Power and Associates rolls out their list of appealing automotive attributes, and ask buyers to rate how last years automotive offerings stacked up to their expectations.

It was undoubtedly a rough year for most automotive manufacturers in 2008. Consumers witnessed the initial proceedings of bankruptcy, job loss, stock loss, gas price increase, and a host of other ups and downs, so it would not be surprising to find them rather down on the automobile in general. This however did not appear to be the case.

The Bloody Consequences of Higher Gas Prices, originally uploaded by lorenzodom

The Automotive Market Maybe Down, But Certainly Not Out
The overall consumer opinion of 2008 models was fairly positive, except for performance/fuel economy and audio/entertainment. The dissatisfaction with fuel economy has already been attributed mostly to the high gas prices of 2008, while electronics still remains somewhat of a mystery why it was rated lower than usual.

Unlike most years, consumers appeared to prefer freshened, previous models, to the all-new, redesigned ones. A few examples of this was seen in the popular opinion of such previous models as the Ford Focus, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Chevrolet Malibu. We also saw a lot of familiar faces from last year’s poll reappear with some old consumer favorites, such as Porsche Cayenne, BMW 3-Series, and Jaguar XJ Series.

With this said, Buick was one of the few who actually did enjoy noteworthy success by introducing an all-new, stylish vehicle. We are of course speaking of the Enclave, which may have very well brought a whole new generation back in touch with the aging Buick brand.

Ford deserves some extra applause for being surveyed as having one of the most improved models of 2008, the Ford Focus. Of the more disappointing models according to consumers was the Honda CR-V, Saturn Aura, and Lincoln MKX.

A few other noteworthy vehicles exhibiting top scores according to consumer opinion was the Mini Cooper, Volkswagen GTI/CC/Tiguan, Hyundai Genesis, Smart Fortwo, Dodge Challenger, Ford Flex/F-150, Nissan Armada/Maxima, Honda Odyssey/Ridgeline, Mercedes-Benz SLK/S-Class, and Chevrolet Avalanche.

Source: J.D. Power & Associates

Technology is growing in leaps and bounds these days. While many consumers are happy to have a vehicle that keeps track of the ambient air temperature (automatic climate control), Nissan is poised to take that type of luxury to the next level.

Many cars air-conditioning systems still function via a knob. You drive along and manually adjust the air temperature inside the cabin of the vehicle by adjusting the amount of warm or cool air allowed through the ventilation system. This is considered to be comparable to getting out of your chair to change the channel on your television set, or even using the word “television” for that matter.

One step up from this type of caveman technology, is the automatic climate system. This allows the driver and passenger to dial-in a particular air temperature, and the vehicle will then attempt to hold that temperature by automatically adjusting its cold and heat cycles accordingly.

Improvements Over Standard Air-Conditioning

Nissan thinks that it can offer its buyers something much better that automatic climate control in their new Forest AC air-conditioning system. The Forest AC is an improvement in a variety of ways. First, it not only automatically controls the temperature inside the cabin, but also the humidity.

Humidity is a big comfort factor, and the new Nissan system will regulate it in order to keep the cabin from becoming excessively dry from the conditioned air. It will do this by keeping the vehicle somewhere between 35 to 55 percent humidity depending on conditions. Second, the system will function off of what could be considered a smart filter.

Ultra Filter and Sterilizing Filters

Not only does the new Nissan smart filter system have an ultra-fine filter (great for pollens and other allergens), it also monitors the outside ventilation to determine exactly how much filtering is necessary. If you have a smoke billowing diesel truck in front of you during bumper to bumper traffic, the system will automatically adjust to keep the driver and passengers from being intoxicated by the fumes.

The next part of its design will be to eliminate odors through a combination of ion sterilization and aromatherapy. The Forest AC will produce what Nissan is calling, “plasmacluster ions”, which kill bacteria as well as remove unpleasant odors. In addition, the air can then be treated with a hint of fragrance (aromatherapy).

Aromatherapy and Natural Breezes

The aroma used will be a combination of many natural fragrances, such as Kapur, the wood essence of a tropical rain-forest; lavender, which is believed to produce both focus and calmness, and finally, leaf alcohol, believed to reduce both fatigue and irritation. All of these are designed to offer the driver improved safety and a maximum comfort level during their commute.

In addition, the entire cabin will be monitored for slight temperature changes, such as where the angle of the sunlight is entering the vehicle, etc. The system will then attempt to compensate for these slight variations, by producing different amounts of breeze through the vents. These are called “natural breezes” and will ensure each vehicle occupant is nestled within the most perfect air-conditioning digitized society is capable of.

Of course all of this will also give the driver several more items in which will need to be maintained on a regular schedule. In other words, along with the oil, tire pressure, and windshield washer fluid, the ultra-fine filter and aromatherapy cartridges will now need to be kept track of. To what extent, expense, or cost is unknown at this time.

Forest AC to be Introduced in the New Nissan Fuga

This system will debut with the Nissan Fuga, which is also said to also have a computerized traction control system that will determine the appropriate speed the driver should be traveling (by pushing up on the gas pedal) in order to safely execute a turn. This is all accomplished via eternal GPS coordinates preset in the vehicle.

It’s happening folks, whether you think it a good or bad idea, our ability to function our own vehicle is slowly being taken away, one task at a time. Computer aided/piloted vehicles is almost an inevitability at this point!

Source: nissan-global