I purchased my G8 GT two months ago and drove it home late on a Friday afternoon. On the drive home the steering wheel started shaking left and right at speeds from 45-65 MPH as if a tire was out of balance. The service department was already closed by the time I realized what was going on. I called them Saturday and they said bring it in Monday so they would look at it. I went ahead Saturday and took it to Discount where they balanced my tires. This helped, but not much. Monday I took it to the dealer so they could look at it and also told them to check the alignment because it was pulling to the right. I picked-up the car Monday where they had found the front end slightly out of alignment and they said that the tires had been flat spotted on the ride over on the boat causing the shake. They said there still might be some shake but to drive the car 1,500 miles and it would go away as the tires rounded out. Well there still was a shake in the front end and it only worsened the more I drove. I drive a lot in my line of work, so due to convenience, at 3,000 miles, I had Discount balance my tires again, no help. Since the dealer had told me it was a problem with the tires, Friday 6/27 at 5,000 miles, I had a set of Michelin Pilot Sports installed and still no luck. Today the car is at the dealer again and by the way the alignment is off again. I figure with new tires and the same problem there is a suspension problem or something else causing all of this.
Anyway I have searched this problem and some of you have mentioned the problems I have had. What was your solution? Plus if you have had one of these problems sound off. This might be a major problem or I could have gotten a lemon.

do you have OEM wheels ? tire pressure in your tires ?

OEM wheels. 35 PSI

you can set 39 front 44 rear (High-Speed Operation) it will help not to get flat spots...

There is a good chance you might have some bushing issues.

We have seen brand new cars with torn bushings and collapsed strut mounts in the past.

Typically alignments don't magically change.

If your serious about resolving your issues, please take it to an authorized pedders dealer and I'm sure they will be able to figure it all out for you.

Thanks
Mike Haddad

This is a brand-new vehicle, there is no reason you should need to take it anywhere else other than your dealer. However, since your dealer seems to be unable to fix the issue, I would confront them on this fact, and have them authorize you to take your vehicle to a shop that specializes in alignments.

There should be one of these in every town. In San Diego, the place to go is East County Alignment. This is where all of the local police departments, EMS units, RV dealerships, etc. take their vehicles to get properly aligned. And when a dealership has a problem child (a car or truck that won't align properly), they send it to East County.

Find out where this place is, and have your dealership authorize you taking your G8 there - that is my suggestion.

Yeah, it sounds really silly to take a brand-new car to fix an issue to anybody besides the dealer, but.....
I also am not sure why he purchased new tires when the tires are still on full manufacturer’s warranty and warranty should be provided by the dealer. Or that manufacturer warranty can also be provided by any tire shop that carries that manufacturer’s tires.

The only known issue on bushings are the collapsing strut bushings. But I think something else is happening. Do you by chance have copies of the 2 alignments that were done? this would seriously help me advise you!!

Now it is true that road force balancing is affected for 500 miles or so after a car has been sitting for months, but not 3000 miles. In fact, GM will not balance tires under 300 miles and over 7500 miles.

So if you can get us the info, on alignments, then we can advise you.

An alternative would be to take a run up to see Mike Haddad and get a 28 point inspection, FREE!. Mike has a G8, and in August, I will be going to see him and get him trained on G8. Sorry, canot get there any faster!!


mike
dms

there's a known issue with sway bar bushings on earlier models. There was a TSB issued as well as a new part number.

Thanks for all the comments.

Dede I bought new tires while I was out of town and just could not stand the way the car was driving and did not have time for the dealer.

dms I will get you the alignment info when I go get the car.

As far as me spending another dime on the car that is not GM's is not happing. I bought a new car so I did not have to work on it or spend money on it.

Well, got my G8 back yesterday. The dealer said that they road force balanced the wheels and finally corrected all of my problems.

I was skeptical that a balancing would fix my problem, but when I test drove the car the steering wheel stopped shaking, but I could feel the left rear jumping around like it was out of balance. They then took the car dropped the rear wheels and started to install the rear wheels of another G8 that was on the lot and the tech saw that the wheel weight was missing from the left rear. They rebalanced it and the car finally seems to drive right for the first time since I have owned it. Hopefully it will stay that way.

I have two concerns now. First they had to put an incredible amount of wheel weights on each wheel to get them to balance. Are these wheels bad or going to be a problem? My second concern is the next time I have to balance the wheel what is going to happen then?

I would ask again if you are having balance or any other issues with your G8 please post it so GM will start to look into the issue. I believe that there might be some issues with the wheels themselves. Maybe or maybe not might just be me and a guy from Florida that has a G8 that acted them same as mine from day one.
Also, *I know the GM rep in Houston, Texas looks at this G8 forum and wants to be proactive on any issues that might come up and can only look into what he knows about* The service department at my dealer Ernie Guzman seems to genuinely want to make my car right also.

With the stock wheels on my G8 GT (19"), they were perfect. When I got my aftermarket wheels, I had problems and still do. However the biggest point to your thread is proper balancing and identification of an out of round condition. The Hunter GSP9700 can determine this and also tell the technician how much road force is in the wheel package.

How much weight did they have to apply to the wheels?

I don't know if this applies to car tires, but motorcycle tires typically have dots indicating the heavy point on the tire. When you mount the tire you'll position this spot opposite the tire valve.

Do car tires have the same indicator?

If that tire / wheel combination is requiring a lot of weight to correct it, it may help to remount the tire with its orientation turned 180 degrees.

Well, got my G8 back yesterday. The dealer said that they road force balanced the wheels and finally corrected all of my problems.

I was skeptical that a balancing would fix my problem, but when I test drove the car the steering wheel stopped shaking, but I could feel the left rear jumping around like it was out of balance. They then took the car dropped the rear wheels and started to install the rear wheels of another G8 that was on the lot and the tech saw that the wheel weight was missing from the left rear. They rebalanced it and the car finally seems to drive right for the first time since I have owned it. Hopefully it will stay that way.

I have two concerns now. First they had to put an incredible amount of wheel weights on each wheel to get them to balance. Are these wheels bad or going to be a problem? My second concern is the next time I have to balance the wheel what is going to happen then?

I would ask again if you are having balance or any other issues with your G8 please post it so GM will start to look into the issue. I believe that there might be some issues with the wheels themselves. Maybe or maybe not might just be me and a guy from Florida that has a G8 that acted them same as mine from day one.
Also, *I know the GM rep in Houston, Texas looks at this G8 forum and wants to be proactive on any issues that might come up and can only look into what he knows about* The service department at my dealer Ernie Guzman seems to genuinely want to make my car right also.


GM has never had a max weight concern. The biggest isue is to get road force to 15 pounds or under for cars. Also, if they used glue on weights, it will look like a lot of weight when it actually is not.


It is a great thing to have a GM rep take an active, positve interest in their product. I was lucky enough to have one of the best reps in the country, Brian Vieau, until GM moved him out of service to another division to save money.

Anyways, if the rep is looking at this file, here is a picture of a left front raduis rod bushing on a GT, that is not drive hard. When we did pre-checks on this before installing a TRACKII system, we got a clunking on turns. What we found were the front strut bushings collapsed about 3/8 of an inch, and offcentered to the point where on hard turns and hitting bumps, the washer shown, would make contact with the sheet metal. I believe this G8 had less than 2500 miles on it.

I have been reluctant to bring this up. This is not the only G8 I have seen this on. It also only seems to be left side related.

thanks
mike
dms

Also, if someone can copy this and put the picture in the body of this post, I would be greatful. I cannot seem to do it, Thanks

Well just to update you who are keeping up with this, less that 200 miles and the shake has started again. It was minimal at lunch and increased on the drive home. I will be returning to the dealer next week.

dms, thanks for the information on the wheel wieghts.

Have not checked the exact amount of weight per wheel yet, but there is more than I have on a wheel before. I try and check.

GM has never had a max weight concern. The biggest isue is to get road force to 15 pounds or under for cars. Also, if they used glue on weights, it will look like a lot of weight when it actually is not.


It is a great thing to have a GM rep take an active, positve interest in their product. I was lucky enough to have one of the best reps in the country, Brian Vieau, until GM moved him out of service to another division to save money.

Anyways, if the rep is looking at this file, here is a picture of a left front raduis rod bushing on a GT, that is not drive hard.
http://www.g8board.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1397&d=1215037411
http://www.g8board.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1398&d=1215037441
When we did pre-checks on this before installing a TRACKII system, we got a clunking on turns. What we found were the front strut bushings collapsed about 3/8 of an inch, and offcentered to the point where on hard turns and hitting bumps, the washer shown, would make contact with the sheet metal. I believe this G8 had less than 2500 miles on it.

I have been reluctant to bring this up. This is not the only G8 I have seen this on. It also only seems to be left side related.

thanks
mike
dms

Also, if someone can copy this and put the picture in the body of this post, I would be greatful. I cannot seem to do it, Thanks

Here you go. To insert photo's in text. Copy URL of photo, paste it in the body of your post. Add tags
[img]url goes here

I think i need an alignment already. Do donut's mess up your alignment? I notice now after doing 2 donut's that I have to hold the steering wheel a bit to the left for the car to go straight. If the steering wheel is straight, the car will pull to the right.

Car tires do have the dot for the heavy point, and most people do not align it with the valve stem like they should. Not that I've ever seen it be a problem with any set of tires I've ever mounted and balanced.

I have seen tires road force balanced that were not right still, while a normal balance was fine.

FWIW, techs hate this kind of work. They are probably working pretty hard to get it right as they most likely aren't getting paid on the job anymore. Recheck!

Anyways, if the rep is looking at this file, here is a picture of a left front raduis rod bushing on a GT, that is not drive hard. When we did pre-checks on this before installing a TRACKII system, we got a clunking on turns. What we found were the front strut bushings collapsed about 3/8 of an inch, and offcentered to the point where on hard turns and hitting bumps, the washer shown, would make contact with the sheet metal. I believe this G8 had less than 2500 miles on it.

I think you must have posted the wrong pictures? These are not of the radius arm bushing, but of the top of the left front strut tower without the cap. Because of the angles it's hard to tell from the pictures, but looks like the position the strut would be if the wheels were left lock? And there aren't any contact marks in the tower paint. Wrong pics?

I think you must have posted the wrong pictures? These are not of the radius arm bushing, but of the top of the left front strut tower without the cap. Because of the angles it's hard to tell from the pictures, but looks like the position the strut would be if the wheels were left lock? And there aren't any contact marks in the tower paint. Wrong pics?

Can't get anything past you Jim.When are you and Morten going to trade times again?

I purchased my G8 GT two months ago and drove it home late on a Friday afternoon. On the drive home the steering wheel started shaking left and right at speeds from 45-65 MPH as if a tire was out of balance.
This might be a major problem or I could have gotten a lemon.

It is NOT a major problem. If after balancing and replacing the tire there is still a vibration problem that moves with tire rotation, it would be logical to assume that the problem is with the wheel\rim(s).

Front end alignment and suspension components get blamed for everything under the sun, with lots of unnecessary component replacement and efforts going in that direction.

The main thing to keep in mind is that steering vibrations problems are most likely tire\wheel related…Like 99%! LOL!

The rim(s) could have been damaged during shipping or less likely a manufacturing defect. If the dealer is worth his salt (the exception) he will not hesitate to give you new rims and tires and sort it all out later to send u happily on your way.

We have both versions of the G8 and in spite of some nonsense comments by some dubious posters these are very nice vehicles with each having their own sweet merits for the $$$ and are well made.

The only real gripe I have is that I feel GM is trying to shove OnStar with their half A$$ NAV and Bluetooth down my throat and denying me in dash NAV... but it ain’t working! But that’s another post…LOL!

But some day I'll have it all!

I feel it coming! :wink2:

Cheers.!

Well just to update you who are keeping up with this, less that 200 miles and the shake has started again. It was minimal at lunch and increased on the drive home. I will be returning to the dealer next week.

dms, thanks for the information on the wheel wieghts.

Have not checked the exact amount of weight per wheel yet, but there is more than I have on a wheel before. I try and check.

Did you count the number and position of te hweights they added? Maybe you lost one or more. There was earlier a G8 that had lost weights almost as the car was driven off the lot. I'm going out on a limb here and blaming the balance issues not only because of possibly faulty adhesive on the weights (good old rim-clamp lead looks like crap on these wheels but might solve some issues) and on the extra outboard weight added to each wheel in form of TPMS. Those things are HUGE. They weigh a heck of a lot more than standard valve stems. Which brings up another issue, minor possibly, but could contribute on any replacement tire or aftermarket issues. Perfect balance needs tires at manufacturer's spec pressure, not install pressure, and valve stem caps should be in place.

A quick update on my "alignment" issue, which I reported earlier:

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?p=50585#post50585

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?p=61953#post61953

My car has been at the dealer for the past 10 days while they replaced steering and now suspension components. I have a loaner and have been out of town a lot so haven't missed the car too much, but now it's starting to get old. I plan to visit the dealer today to talk with the mechanic, who is pretty sharp, about what's going on. It sounds to me like replacing the steering components did not repair the "alignment" issue, now they are backtracking and completing the suspension-related TSBs.

More coming.....

A quick update on my "alignment" issue, which I reported earlier:

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?p=50585#post50585

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?p=61953#post61953

It sounds to me like replacing the steering components did not repair the "alignment" issue, now they are backtracking and completing the suspension-related TSBs.

More coming.....

Ask your mechanic to check the front strut tower bushing\bearing for failure or damage. I had a vehicle with those symptoms and drove everyone nuts. After changing everything under the sun I was getting ready a two gallon gas can and a match when someone head a pop while turning the wheel which gave a clue to the cause.

It’s not really that uncommon were it not a NEW vehicle, but based on the steep strut angle mounting, I would suspect an assembly line error in mounting or defective component is at the root. They should check this first before spending time and money on other less likely causes.

Just a thought!

Good luck and keep us posed.

Things will get better!

I feel it coming!

Cheers!

I think you must have posted the wrong pictures? These are not of the radius arm bushing, but of the top of the left front strut tower without the cap. Because of the angles it's hard to tell from the pictures, but looks like the position the strut would be if the wheels were left lock? And there aren't any contact marks in the tower paint. Wrong pics?

the tires were straight, and they are to correct pictures. The contact area was at about the 2 oclock position on the end. I do not think you can see it from the angle that I had. It was very slight, but contact non the less.

You are correct, They are not radius rod bushes. They are strut bushes just like I described. I have seen 3 of these, but only 1 with contact. All three had the issue on the left side only.

mike
dms

I think i need an alignment already. Do donut's mess up your alignment? I notice now after doing 2 donut's that I have to hold the steering wheel a bit to the left for the car to go straight. If the steering wheel is straight, the car will pull to the right.
I notice after doing donuts, the car pulls to the left.

A dozen or so Krispy Kremes and she's pulling hard...


:wink2:

Ask your mechanic to check the front strut tower bushing\bearing for failure or damage. I had a vehicle with those symptoms and drove everyone nuts. After changing everything under the sun I was getting ready a two gallon gas can and a match when someone head a pop while turning the wheel which gave a clue to the cause.

It’s not really that uncommon were it not a NEW vehicle, but based on the steep strut angle mounting, I would suspect an assembly line error in mounting or defective component is at the root. They should check this first before spending time and money on other less likely causes.

Just a thought!

Good luck and keep us posed.

Things will get better!

I feel it coming!

Cheers!

You were right on the money EC-Ryder. The mechanic replaced strut tower bearings, springs, etc. and the car drives straight as an arrow. Unfortunately, now I have the popping/clunking sound described in other posts, so back into the shop tomorrow to tighten things up. On the bright side, the dealer is less than a mile from home, I always get a loaner, and they detail my car every time it's in!

Good to hear, and it sounds like you bought it from the right place!

You were right on the money EC-Ryder. The mechanic replaced strut tower bearings, springs, etc. and the car drives straight as an arrow. Unfortunately, now I have the popping/clunking sound described in other posts, so back into the shop tomorrow to tighten things up. On the bright side, the dealer is less than a mile from home, I always get a loaner, and they detail my car every time it's in!

This is one of the most kick A$$ fun vehicles i have driven, more so than MB and BMW b\c everything on them cost so dang much I'm afraid to break anything! LOL!

It's a shame something so simple can be a real PITA. :(

As for the popping noise, some suspension components such as strut tower, arm bushing, etc. may have to loosen on the lift and then lowered so that the weight of the vehicle is on them, and then tighten to the proper torque. you'd be surprised how often the factory itself does not follow proper tightening procedure and then the PITA recalls come.

Cheers! And enjoy your ride!

I purchased my G8 GT two months ago and drove it home late on a Friday afternoon. On the drive home the steering wheel started shaking left and right at speeds from 45-65 MPH as if a tire was out of balance. The service department was already closed by the time I realized what was going on. I called them Saturday and they said bring it in Monday so they would look at it. I went ahead Saturday and took it to Discount where they balanced my tires. This helped, but not much. Monday I took it to the dealer so they could look at it and also told them to check the alignment because it was pulling to the right. I picked-up the car Monday where they had found the front end slightly out of alignment and they said that the tires had been flat spotted on the ride over on the boat causing the shake. They said there still might be some shake but to drive the car 1,500 miles and it would go away as the tires rounded out. Well there still was a shake in the front end and it only worsened the more I drove. I drive a lot in my line of work, so due to convenience, at 3,000 miles, I had Discount balance my tires again, no help. Since the dealer had told me it was a problem with the tires, Friday 6/27 at 5,000 miles, I had a set of Michelin Pilot Sports installed and still no luck. Today the car is at the dealer again and by the way the alignment is off again. I figure with new tires and the same problem there is a suspension problem or something else causing all of this.
Anyway I have searched this problem and some of you have mentioned the problems I have had. What was your solution? Plus if you have had one of these problems sound off. This might be a major problem or I could have gotten a lemon.

This has been discussed before in previous threads. I had the same issue the day after I purchased the vehicle. I took it back to the dealer and found that it needed aligned and balanced and one of the tires needed to be replaced as it was so far out of balance it could not be balanced. Dealer said that they are often misaligned and unbalanced due to shipping. Dealer took care of it all under warranty and now it handles perfect.

Can't get anything past you Jim.When are you and Morten going to trade times again?

Hey Ron, next event is in a couple weeks. Your car ready for the track yet?

You were right on the money EC-Ryder. The mechanic replaced strut tower bearings, springs, etc. and the car drives straight as an arrow. Unfortunately, now I have the popping/clunking sound described in other posts, so back into the shop tomorrow to tighten things up. On the bright side, the dealer is less than a mile from home, I always get a loaner, and they detail my car every time it's in!

The assembly timing of the strut, to spring, to strut plate is critical. Also so is the spring rap that is on the coils. If they assembled it incorrectly, you will have the strut washers contacting the body

mike
dms

Hopefully the final chapter. The dealer replaced the sway bar bushings per the TSB and the popping noise has disappeared. The car drives straight, quietly. It's almost like having a new car!

I plan to follow the front suspension threads closely. The front geometry on this car is touchy, to say the least.

Would have been nice to have looked at the old bushings and try to determine the reason for the failure.

They can't be that cheap else we all may have to waste some valuable time a the local stealership! LOL!

I'm hoping it's an improper installation issue, else i plan on installing my own with a well known brand name, but I seriously doubt that it will be the factory brand again or the peddler's brand either, as I'm starting to re-assess their entire line offering for price to value worthiness.

But that's just me!


Hopefully the final chapter. The dealer replaced the sway bar bushings per the TSB and the popping noise has disappeared. The car drives straight, quietly. It's almost like having a new car!

I plan to follow the front suspension threads closely. The front geometry on this car is touchy, to say the least.

Cheers!

Would have been nice to have looked at the old bushings and try to determine the reason for the failure.

They can't be that cheap else we all may have to waste some valuable time a the local stealership! LOL!

I'm hoping it's an improper installation issue, else i plan on installing my own with a well known brand name, but I seriously doubt that it will be the factory brand again or the peddler's brand either, as I'm starting to re-assess their entire line offering for price to value worthiness.

But that's just me!



Cheers!

The issue with the front sway bar D bushes is well known. It only affects G8s befroe vin 8L150898. It has to do with the bushing sliding out of the bracket due to the shoulder section of the bushing not being high enough.
mike
dms

The issue with the front sway bar D bushes is well known. It only affects G8s befroe vin 8L150898. It has to do with the bushing sliding out of the bracket due to the shoulder section of the bushing not being high enough.
mike
dms

Both our G8’s fall into that category with no such issue as of yet. My son is pushing the stock GT to its limits before upgrading the entire vehicle, and will be coming up on the 2nd oil change soon when a full inspection will be done.

Moreover, not to be disrespectful of anyone’s opinion, but I have seen a number of issues that were originally missed or diagnosed incorrectly, I have done a few myself…Yeah I’m not so great LOL! And I have gotten few of what I would call bogus recalls on my personal vehicles as well. In other words it wasn’t worth the time for a trip to the stealership.
I have even seen issues for which the factory had no “cure”, if U can believe that! I’m sure the name Ford should ring a bell? LOL!

But that’s just me!

Cheers!

I purchased my G8 GT two months ago and drove it home late on a Friday afternoon. On the drive home the steering wheel started shaking left and right at speeds from 45-65 MPH as if a tire was out of balance. The service department was already closed by the time I realized what was going on. I called them Saturday and they said bring it in Monday so they would look at it. I went ahead Saturday and took it to Discount where they balanced my tires. This helped, but not much. Monday I took it to the dealer so they could look at it and also told them to check the alignment because it was pulling to the right. I picked-up the car Monday where they had found the front end slightly out of alignment and they said that the tires had been flat spotted on the ride over on the boat causing the shake. They said there still might be some shake but to drive the car 1,500 miles and it would go away as the tires rounded out. Well there still was a shake in the front end and it only worsened the more I drove. I drive a lot in my line of work, so due to convenience, at 3,000 miles, I had Discount balance my tires again, no help. Since the dealer had told me it was a problem with the tires, Friday 6/27 at 5,000 miles, I had a set of Michelin Pilot Sports installed and still no luck. Today the car is at the dealer again and by the way the alignment is off again. I figure with new tires and the same problem there is a suspension problem or something else causing all of this.
Anyway I have searched this problem and some of you have mentioned the problems I have had. What was your solution? Plus if you have had one of these problems sound off. This might be a major problem or I could have gotten a lemon.


I have had the same problem with a shake in the steering wheel between 45 and 60 MPH. I also have the alignment issue where the car pulls to the right constantly forcing you to have to steer left somewhat to continue driving straight.

The dealership has the car for the 4th time right now. The 3rd time, they had the car for a week. They finally pinned down that one of the tires was defective and had to be replaced. I can't really say if this improved anything, as the aligment issue and the shake remains. The service advisor said that they have replaced the steering rack and a rim on another G8; I suppose my 08 G8, which isn't one of the first 888, might fall into this category.

I hope everyone else keeps taking back their G8 until GM decides to short-cut all these visits to a real solution; save our time and their money. I'm hoping this is finally fixed this time.

Other than this, the dealer had to take apart the interior back shelf twice to get rid of all the awful sounding rattles when you turn up the stereo. I suggest everyone turn up their amplifier (in the trunk), turn up the volume, and complain. Maybe then GM might, from the factory, properly insulate the wires and loose peices from rattling; the dealer said this is purely a design flaw that the dealer had to rectify.

I appreciate the information from everyone else. I will be inquiring to the dealer about the bushings that everyone else has mentioned.

However confident you are, if it's not matched with dedication, you're sure to get wet.
Ahhhh what the hell, you're gonna get wet if you even try it. :D

I must say that I, personally can say that I am an expert at GTO suspension. I would say there are less than maybe 5 poeple in the USA that could be at my level. On the Chrysler LX platform, I would say that I am in the top 10 most knowledgabel in the USA.
The G8, however, is still too much in its infincy, so I am not at the level yet of GTO. I will be there!.

I am absolutely committed to be the most knowledgeable person in the USA on G8 suspension. I can tell you I know my stuff on it currently. But since the product is so new, we need 6 months to a year to get the bugs sorted out. I am confident in 6 months, my level of expertise will be unchallenged accross the USA

MIKE
DMS

Yikes, that's a creepy response to FLChris1037 post!

Pedders might need to send in Captain Willard for this one!

I notice after doing donuts, the car pulls to the left.

A dozen or so Krispy Kremes and she's pulling hard...


:wink2:

I've been having the same problems. Sway bars may help eliminate that, if Pete and DMS ever commit to finishing my install. Not to mention examining the "boink" I've got going on in the front end.

Hey Ron, next event is in a couple weeks. Your car ready for the track yet?

I wish. Won't have Red back for a couple more weeks.

I have had the same problem with a shake in the steering wheel between 45 and 60 MPH. I also have the alignment issue where the car pulls to the right constantly forcing you to have to steer left somewhat to continue driving straight.

The dealership has the car for the 4th time right now. The 3rd time, they had the car for a week. They finally pinned down that one of the tires was defective and had to be replaced. I can't really say if this improved anything, as the aligment issue and the shake remains. The service advisor said that they have replaced the steering rack and a rim on another G8; I suppose my 08 G8, which isn't one of the first 888, might fall into this category.

I hope everyone else keeps taking back their G8 until GM decides to short-cut all these visits to a real solution; save our time and their money. I'm hoping this is finally fixed this time.

Other than this, the dealer had to take apart the interior back shelf twice to get rid of all the awful sounding rattles when you turn up the stereo. I suggest everyone turn up their amplifier (in the trunk), turn up the volume, and complain. Maybe then GM might, from the factory, properly insulate the wires and loose peices from rattling; the dealer said this is purely a design flaw that the dealer had to rectify.

I appreciate the information from everyone else. I will be inquiring to the dealer about the bushings that everyone else has mentioned.

If your dealer does not get to the bottom of your issue this time have them call Rose (service writer) and Tony (mechanic) at Sullivan Pontiac in Arlington Heights, IL. My car is the one that had the steering rack, ps pump, etc., replaced as GM tried to chase down the alignment issue. I suspect that currently (except maybe for the guy from Pedders....;), Tony is the most knowledgeable mechanic on the G8 front end in the country.

Yikes, that's a creepy response to FLChris1037 post!

Pedders might need to send in Captain Willard for this one!

And they wonder why people take issue with them.

If your dealer does not get to the bottom of your issue this time have them call Rose (service writer) and Tony (mechanic) at Sullivan Pontiac in Arlington Heights, IL. My car is the one that had the steering rack, ps pump, etc., replaced as GM tried to chase down the alignment issue. I suspect that currently (except maybe for the guy from Pedders....;), Tony is the most knowledgeable mechanic on the G8 front end in the country.

I'm glad you found a good dealer in Arlington Heights, but I'm in Orlando, FL. I wish it were practical. The dealer I am using seems to be making an effort; if it really is a bushing issue, would it be possible that the alignment would be right and keep drifting towards bad as the bushing causes the strut to shift possition as it collapses more?

I called them and told them about what I learned in this thread. It will be interesting to see if they really take my Internet research seriously! :slap:

In the meantime, I have another 4 cylinder G6 loaner, most likely, for another whole week. I'm starting to get used to it... the alignment is perfect, and it doesn't shake! :whine:

P.S. I miss the Chicagoland.

I'm glad you found a good dealer in Arlington Heights, but I'm in Orlando, FL. I wish it were practical. The dealer I am using seems to be making an effort; if it really is a bushing issue, would it be possible that the alignment would be right and keep drifting towards bad as the bushing causes the strut to shift possition as it collapses more?

I called them and told them about what I learned in this thread. It will be interesting to see if they really take my Internet research seriously! :slap:

In the meantime, I have another 4 cylinder G6 loaner, most likely, for another whole week. I'm starting to get used to it... the alignment is perfect, and it doesn't shake! :whine:

P.S. I miss the Chicagoland.


there is a static alignment and a dynamic alignment. This means when the vehicle is driven, all loosenesses will change the alignment due to dynamic forces. If there is anything excessively loose, then this will increase alignment angles, especially negative cambers (in terms of the GTO) So if there is looseness, things will change, alignment will change. One of the significant advantages of installing a TRACKII system is that we eliminate virtually all the looseness. Doing so, we can be much moe aggressive on the align angles without affecting tire wear

mike
dms

there is a static alignment and a dynamic alignment. This means when the vehicle is driving, all loosenesses will change the alignment due to dynamic forces. If there is anything excdessively loose, then this will increase alignmen angles, especially negaive cambers (in terms of the GTO) So if there is looseness, things will change, align,ent will change. One of the significant advantages of installing a TRACKII system is that we eliminate virtually all the looseness. Doing so, we can be much moe aggressive on the align angles without affecting tire wear

mike
dms

I am not "excdessively loose" ossiffffer.

Have you been drinking? ;)

I have the same problem as TRAMP and posted something two months ago on this. I finally took the car to my Pontiac Dealership in NJ and they re-balanced 3 of the 4 tires. The 4th tire has a small nail in it. The dealership wanted $441 for a new tire. The tire with the nail (or maybe it's a tack, is hard to see since it's on the inside of the tire) is on the front, passenger side. The steering wheel still shakes at 45-60 mph. By the way, I found some of my wheel weights in my dirveway, which means they fell off. That's one of the reasons I took the car in. So, I either pull our the nail/tack and fill the tire with goo, or get a new tire somewhere, anywhere, except from the dealer.

I'm glad you found a good dealer in Arlington Heights, but I'm in Orlando, FL. I wish it were practical. The dealer I am using seems to be making an effort; if it really is a bushing issue, would it be possible that the alignment would be right and keep drifting towards bad as the bushing causes the strut to shift possition as it collapses more?

I called them and told them about what I learned in this thread. It will be interesting to see if they really take my Internet research seriously! :slap:

In the meantime, I have another 4 cylinder G6 loaner, most likely, for another whole week. I'm starting to get used to it... the alignment is perfect, and it doesn't shake! :whine:

P.S. I miss the Chicagoland.

But I think it's highly unlikely the bushing(s) in ? will solve a pulling or shaking problem. The bushing issue would more likely cause some sort of noise. Further more, if u took them and the entire sway BAR out, the vehicle would drive just fine without pulling, hesitating or shaking.
Moreover, that would be another goose chase for a pulling or shaking concern in this particular instance IMHO.

So to chase this thing down this is what I would do. Take tire and rim completely out of the equation, easier said than done, since the GT has no spare…Just kidding! LOL! :slap:

But there is rotation and I would go left to right or vice versa so see if the pull shifts to the other side. The shaking should still be there as it is a separate issue from pulling.

But before I do any of that I would spin both front tires and have someone sitting on the vehicle and apply the brakes, spin again several times to see if one of the front wheel locks or noticeably drags over the other. That would point me to a brake problem on that side such as a sticking caliper (not that uncommon at least in my days) a line restriction problem, (rarer) or some other component, such as a master cylinder, I have seen quite a few in my glory days. Haa! Sorry, LOL! :oldfogey:

But again these are not that elusive to track down if u think outside the “alignment-bushing” box issue.

BTW…While I’m spinning the tire I’m also checking for an out of round, belt separation on tire, or defective rim concern, and address that issue right there and then.

You can ask your service advisor for a print out of the alignment which should have all the vehicle info on it including the correct VIN#. He should have no objection if he still has it on file, and he should, as this would show U that he is actively addressing you’re concern.

Moreover, you can then post them on here as that would right away (at least for me) eliminate an alignment concern, and give a heads up view of the chassis and suspension component’s state of health. If alignment is the problem it will always be a pull to one side, day in day out, constant as opposed to intermittent. Here today gone tomorrow, unless U loose tire pressure, like on a cold day, but that’s what the DIC is there for. Hot dam! I've always wanted to say that! :laugh:

The vehicle is aligned statically but alignment itself is dynamic once the vehicle is moving i.e. hitting pot holes, turning sharp corners at 65mph with the cruise on, LOL! (don’t try it without the BAR, LOL!) without breaking a sweat, or driving up hill. This is all taken into account by the suspension designers and your vehicle handling and tire life (although diminished) will be just fine, thank you very much.

Hope that helps!

Cheers!

But I think it's highly unlikely the bushing(s) in ? will solve a pulling or shaking problem. The bushing issue would more likely cause some sort of noise. Further more, if u took them and the entire sway BAR out, the vehicle would drive just fine without pulling, hesitating or shaking.
Moreover, that would be another goose chase for a pulling or shaking concern in this particular instance IMHO.

So to chase this thing down this is what I would do. Take tire and rim completely out of the equation, easier said than done, since the GT has no spare…Just kidding! LOL! :slap:

But there is rotation and I would go left to right or vice versa so see if the pull shifts to the other side. The shaking should still be there as it is a separate issue from pulling.

But before I do any of that I would spin both front tires and have someone sitting on the vehicle and apply the brakes, spin again several times to see if one of the front wheel locks or noticeably drags over the other. That would point me to a brake problem on that side such as a sticking caliper (not that uncommon at least in my days) a line restriction problem, (rarer) or some other component, such as a master cylinder, I have seen quite a few in my glory days. Haa! Sorry, LOL! :oldfogey:

But again these are not that elusive to track down if u think outside the “alignment-bushing” box issue.

BTW…While I’m spinning the tire I’m also checking for an out of round, belt separation on tire, or defective rim concern, and address that issue right there and then.

You can ask your service advisor for a print out of the alignment which should have all the vehicle info on it including the correct VIN#. He should have no objection if he still has it on file, and he should, as this would show U that he is actively addressing you’re concern.

Moreover, you can then post them on here as that would right away (at least for me) eliminate an alignment concern, and give a heads up view of the chassis and suspension component’s state of health. If alignment is the problem it will always be a pull to one side, day in day out, constant as opposed to intermittent. Here today gone tomorrow, unless U loose tire pressure, like on a cold day, but that’s what the DIC is there for. Hot dam! I've always wanted to say that! :laugh:

The vehicle is aligned statically but alignment itself is dynamic once the vehicle is moving i.e. hitting pot holes, turning sharp corners at 65mph with the cruise on, LOL! (don’t try it without the BAR, LOL!) without breaking a sweat, or driving up hill. This is all taken into account by the suspension designers and your vehicle handling and tire life (although diminished) will be just fine, thank you very much.

Hope that helps!

Cheers!

I was thinking more along the lines of just the alignment, not the shake. After all the visits, the dealer can't seem to ever adjust it enough. Immediately they applied a shim kit on the first or 2nd visit, and it still isn't enough. The bushing I was referring to was the strut tower bushing which can affect the angle of the strut. I would assume that, if it is defective and sloppy or collapsed, the angle of the strut could vary greatly. Wouldn't that make the car possibly drift one way or another if the strut slips laterally at the top:err:?

I The bushing I was referring to was the strut tower bushing which can affect the angle of the strut. I would assume that, if it is defective and sloppy or collapsed, the angle of the strut could vary greatly. Wouldn't that make the car possibly drift one way or another if the strut slips laterally at the top:err:?

If that’s the case all the technician has to do is violently shake the wheel, bounce the front end, and listen for some clunk! Clunk! And then watch the alignment change on his gauges.

Just a thought!

Cheers!

Well, after reading all of this, I seem to have gotten off pretty lucky. My G8 pulled ever so slightly to the right with the steering wheel counterclockwise just a bit. Took it in to the dealer on Monday. He took it in the back within minutes. Brought it back out shortly after and let me know that it was toed out a little. Drives like a dream now. I did find out that the alignment is covered for the first 7500 miles on the G8's.

Toe used to be a real PITA and the culprit of a lot of evil before the advent of 4 wheel alignment. In the old days no one even made 4 alignment heads to check rear toe for total thrush toe angle and adjustment.
It (rear toe) drove a couple of my techs to drink as it was not adjustable making it it’s harder if not altogether impossible in some rare cases, to set the spoke to perfect straight and get rid of a stubborn drift. :drink:
And on this note:
If your steering wheel spoke is not horizontally straight and LEVEL driving down a straight and fairly LEVEL road, your vehicle is not aligned and U may experience diminished tire life.

But that’s just me!

Cheers!

Well, after reading all of this, I seem to have gotten off pretty lucky. My G8 pulled ever so slightly to the right with the steering wheel counterclockwise just a bit. Took it in to the dealer on Monday. He took it in the back within minutes. Brought it back out shortly after and let me know that it was toed out a little. Drives like a dream now. I did find out that the alignment is covered for the first 7500 miles on the G8's.


Wish I was that lucky. My G8 has exactly the same symptoms... Pulls slightly to the right...steering wheel sits slightly to the left.

Took it in to the dealer on Wednesday. They kept it till Thursday. The service advisor tells me that the mechanic had it on the rack 3 times checking the alignment. He tells me they did a "4 way alignment" and that the "mechanic test drove it 3 times trying to get it right." That mechanic put 25 miles on my car only to give it back to me doing the exact same thing it was doing when I took it in.

I took it back today and just got off the phone with the service advisor who tells me that they contacted GM for any information or bulletins and the only thing recommended was "re-check the alignment". They are basically telling me there is nothing they can do and are giving it back to me in the same condition again.

I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling right now.

Wish I was that lucky. My G8 has exactly the same symptoms... Pulls slightly to the right...steering wheel sits slightly to the left.

Took it in to the dealer on Wednesday. They kept it till Thursday. The service advisor tells me that the mechanic had it on the rack 3 times checking the alignment. He tells me they did a "4 way alignment" and that the "mechanic test drove it 3 times trying to get it right." That mechanic put 25 miles on my car only to give it back to me doing the exact same thing it was doing when I took it in.

I took it back today and just got off the phone with the service advisor who tells me that they contacted GM for any information or bulletins and the only thing recommended was "re-check the alignment". They are basically telling me there is nothing they can do and are giving it back to me in the same condition again.

I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling right now.

Can you get a copy of the alignment and post it on this forum?
thanks
mike
dms

Can you get a copy of the alignment and post it on this forum?
thanks
mike
dms

Hey Mike,

Well, I did not get a read out from the dealer in question (Superior Pontiac in Ontario, CA if anyone is curious). However, I did take it to another dealer (Rio Rancho Pontiac in Pomona, CA) and had them check the alignment and I did get print outs from them.

At Rio Rancho, the service writer bragged on his alignment guy telling me that he was a perfectionist so he was hopeful of positive results. Well, the alignment technician DID say that the alignment was off. However, after he made the corrections, the vehicle still pulls so now he is stumped as well.

The first picture is a photo copy of the "Before and After" results. It's in black and white so you don't have the red & green hi-lites that show what's out of alignment and what's good. Compare it to the second picture which is another set of specs from before they did their adjustments and it's in color. The only thing I don't really understand is why both "before" read outs are different by slight amounts. I'm guessing one is the initial read out and the other is after some adjustments were made but not yet dialed in???

HTH & LMK what you think.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/JoeSyko/scan0006.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/JoeSyko/scan0007.jpg

Hey Mike,

Well, I did not get a read out from the dealer in question (Superior Pontiac in Ontario, CA if anyone is curious). However, I did take it to another dealer (Rio Rancho Pontiac in Pomona, CA) and had them check the alignment and I did get print outs from them.

At Rio Rancho, the service writer bragged on his alignment guy telling me that he was a perfectionist so he was hopeful of positive results. Well, the alignment technician DID say that the alignment was off. However, after he made the corrections, the vehicle still pulls so now he is stumped as well.

The first picture is a photo copy of the "Before and After" results. It's in black and white so you don't have the red & green hi-lites that show what's out of alignment and what's good. Compare it to the second picture which is another set of specs from before they did their adjustments and it's in color. The only thing I don't really understand is why both "before" read outs are different by slight amounts. I'm guessing one is the initial read out and the other is after some adjustments were made but not yet dialed in???

HTH & LMK what you think.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/JoeSyko/scan0006.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/JoeSyko/scan0007.jpg
You have no bias in your front end. They need to change one of the casters to give you bias. They probabaly do not know how to do it. Requires changing a washer pack in the front. If your dealership cannot figure that out, then you should run to another one or a third one. If one of these are the the after results of the alignment, boy, the guys in southern Ca. need some eductation, or at least pay attention to the technical info that GM has available for them.
mike
dms

You have no bias in your front end. They need to change one of the casters to give you bias. They probabaly do not know how to do it. Requires changing a washer pack in the front. If your dealership cannot figure that out, then you should run to another one or a third one. If one of these are the the after results of the alignment, boy, the guys in southern Ca. need some eductation, or at least pay attention to the technical info that GM has available for them.
mike
dms


The 2nd half of the B&W print out is my current settings AFTER they did the alignment. Now, even tho it is in Black & White, the color version shows all areas "GREEN" which I would assume means they are within specs. Are you saying that even tho it is within specs, they still need to make this caster change?

The 2nd half of the B&W print out is my current settings AFTER they did the alignment. Now, even tho it is in Black & White, the color version shows all areas "GREEN" which I would assume means they are within specs. Are you saying that even tho it is within specs, they still need to make this caster change?

GMs own alignment specs recommends a .6 degree difference in casters. Right side higher than left for normal road crown variations. So if you have a drift to the right, increase rt caster or decrease left caster

mike
dms

Well I want to thank everyone for the comments in trying to help me get the G8 I was driving right, but I have had it. I do not have enough time on my hands to keep taking a car back to the dealer to see if it can be made right. I have traded it in and am done with this problem.

Well I want to thank everyone for the comments in trying to help me get the G8 I was driving right, but I have had it. I do not have enough time on my hands to keep taking a car back to the dealer to see if it can be made right. I have traded it in and am done with this problem.

I've made 4 trips to 2 different dealers and not only does the vehicle still pull but they left greasy hand marks on the drivers door and handle as well as scratched my window tint that I had put in a few weeks ago. Now I gotta fight that battle on top of the alignment issues. :cursin:

I'll prolly take it back for round 5 on Monday. I really want this fixed. I don't want another vehicle. I have too much invested in this one already.

GMs own alignment specs recommends a .6 degree difference in casters. Right side higher than left for normal road crown variations. So if you have a drift to the right, increase rt caster or decrease left caster

mike
dms

Mike: I actually printed out your suggestions word for word and gave it to them for reference. They did keep my car overnite so they could install a washer pack but still only adjusted the caster to a .4 degree difference. Guess what...it still pulls. Slightly less...but still pulls significantly. When I pointed out to the service manager that they did not make the minimum .6 degree adjustment he just shrugged and told me "it's in specs". When I argued that you have 2.5 degrees of tolerance to be within specs he once again I'm met with "Not sure what else we can do since it's in specs".

They tell me that the mechanic test drove it (which must be true since they've put on over 100 miles on my car between the 2 dealers) but he notices no pull. :bs: Are they f@#%&*g crazy? You drive on a straight road let go of the steering wheel and within 5 seconds you are in the next lane over. Freeway or regular streets, high speed or low speed it's there. How can they NOT notice that? I'm frustrated as hell and I let them know that on the phone yesterday.

I've made 4 trips to 2 different dealers and not only does the vehicle still pull but they left greasy hand marks on the drivers door and handle as well as scratched my window tint that I had put in a few weeks ago. Now I gotta fight that battle on top of the alignment issues. :cursin:

I'll prolly take it back for round 5 on Monday. I really want this fixed. I don't want another vehicle. I have too much invested in this one already.

5 trips to the dealership? Damn

First thing I would do is find out who is in charge (GM), point out the damage the service department caused and take them on a ride to show the alignment problem. I woundn't make it a short ride either. Drive them around a bit showing them several times how it drifts or pulls on different roads. Don't waste your time talking with a service writer, talk to the boss.

Seems that you have to prove there is a problem now days. I had to take the GM for a ride in my then new 04 DTS for a steering gear grind issue at 3k and again at 18k. Of course they couldn't find it (both times), but 30 seconds after riding in the car with me driving, they agreed that there was a problem.

I wish you a speedy fix on that beautiful blue car.

First thing I would do is find out who is in charge (GM), point out the damage the service department caused and take them on a ride to show the alignment problem. I woundn't make it a short ride either. Drive them around a bit showing them several times how it drifts or pulls on different roads. Don't waste your time talking with a service writer, talk to the boss.

Yeah... that's my next step. It's been hard to do since my hours at work conflict w/ when they are available for me to take them for a ride. I've been dropping it off before the mechanics get there and picking it up after they're gone. Just gonna have to make time.

Still find it hard to believe that they can't feel the pull. The service writer even tells me that the mechanic can't feel the pull at all...that it "feels fine to him".

I thot maybe I was going crazy so when I got it back Tuesday nite, my GF and I went for a drive for over an hour to find every road condition we could and it pulled on every one.

I'm gonna chalk it up to laziness. It's in specs and they don't wanna screw w/ it anymore...job is done "good enuf" in their eyes I guess.

Well I want to thank everyone for the comments in trying to help me get the G8 I was driving right, but I have had it. I do not have enough time on my hands to keep taking a car back to the dealer to see if it can be made right. I have traded it in and am done with this problem.

What did you trade it for?

Yeah... that's my next step. It's been hard to do since my hours at work conflict w/ when they are available for me to take them for a ride. I've been dropping it off before the mechanics get there and picking it up after they're gone. Just gonna have to make time.

Still find it hard to believe that they can't feel the pull. The service writer even tells me that the mechanic can't feel the pull at all...that it "feels fine to him".

I thot maybe I was going crazy so when I got it back Tuesday nite, my GF and I went for a drive for over an hour to find every road condition we could and it pulled on every one.

I'm gonna chalk it up to laziness. It's in specs and they don't wanna screw w/ it anymore...job is done "good enuf" in their eyes I guess.

Typically if it's an alignment, stopping abruptly will make it pull to one side or the other. Mine tends to follow the road slope.

On ramps and off ramps, if they are straight, are usually pretty flat. That's where I test since all the roads here will pull you one way or the other with low profile tires.

If that’s the case all the technician has to do is violently shake the wheel, bounce the front end, and listen for some clunk! Clunk! And then watch the alignment change on his gauges.

Just a thought!

Cheers!

I think my alignment is finally fixed! The shake in the steering wheel is better, and diminishes after being driven. I'll explain that further.

The dealer had my car for another week, and they replaced the front strut tower bushings and springs along with the plate and bearing for the strut.

Evidently, there is an issue with "memory steer" which will be fixed when these items are replaced. As of now, the alignment is pretty good. I only have to turn a little in the direction of the crown in the road, and if there is none, I don't. It used to head right for the right lane if you let go.

Anyone having alignment issues, see if your dealer can look up a buletin on "memory steer" and get your front strut bushings, springs, plate and bearing replaced.

As for the wheel shake making the steering wheel wiggle at various speeds, the dealer re road-force balanced all four tires, and if you read my previous posts, one of the tires was new from a previous visit determining it to be defective. They also put nitrogen in the tires, which might have helped.

It was explained to me that these Bridgestone Potenzas get a flat spot when it is parked overnight. After I drive the car for about 20 minutes, or 20 miles, the shake finally diminishes, which matches exactly what the dealer explained the issue to be. The shake, even when driving off after being parked all night, is pretty minimal and hard to feel. I had this same issue in my last car, a 2005 Altima SE-R, also with Bridgestone Potenzas. Kumho Ecsta tires are very cheap, about $99 each for 18" on TireRack.com, and they made the Altima, which had 18" wheels and a similar low profile, ride a lot smoother while lasting twice as long as the Bridgestones. I wonder if they will be good replacement an option for the 19" wheels on the G8.


I hope everyone finds this useful and bugs their Pontiac dealer to do the same thing for them for the aligment issue.

Evidently, there is an issue with "memory steer" which will be fixed when these items are replaced. As of now, the alignment is pretty good. I only have to turn a little in the direction of the crown in the road, and if there is none, I don't. It used to head right for the right lane if you let go.

As for the wheel shake making the steering wheel wiggle at various speeds, the dealer re road-force balanced all four tires, and if you read my previous posts, one of the tires was new from a previous visit determining it to be defective. They also put nitrogen in the tires, which might have helped.

I hope everyone finds this useful and bugs their Pontiac dealer to do the same thing for them for the aligment issue.

While it’s great to hear they finally got a handle on your issue, it's unfortunate that it took so long and almost an act of congress to get a handle on such a simple problem. Now U know why I avoid a trip to the stealership like the plague! :drink:

Memory steer is one of the few draw backs that may plague the McPherson strut suspension system, and has been common in the aftermarket ever since it became popular due to its excellent handling and other beneficial characteristics.

But in all fairness to the stealership, this is not a common problem they ought to be looking for especially on a new vehicle. I saw it usually on older vehicles while working for Goodyear and Firestone many moons ago.

I still believe the parts quality on the G8 is top notch and the problem maybe during installation somehow. As a fleet manager I have seen so many bulletins for so many different vehicles on errors made during assembly that make me believe this is the case…Plus I don’t want to have to make that trip also, Gulp! I’d rather go aftermarket and DIY.

Also a tire ought not need nitrogen for normal every day driving to make it run vibration free. The stealership needs to check the rims and tires for out of round defects, and replace tires as needed. Take note that a defective rim will always vibrate cold or hot therefore…

I also just read thru a post above where the alignment printout was posted and from what I can see on the printout, the vehicle will drift to the right and the steering wheel spoke will be off center to the left driving down a fairly level road. That is very easy to fix without any new parts, but according to the post the dealer maintains the vehicle is within specs, and the dealer is correct. That however is not addressing the fact that it is not properly aligned within those specs to make the vehicle drive true down the road, and diminished tire life may result, so one could say u got lucky u got somewhere better than were U were?

Just a thought!

Cheers!

I think my alignment is finally fixed! The shake in the steering wheel is better, and diminishes after being driven. I'll explain that further.

The dealer had my car for another week, and they replaced the front strut tower bushings and springs along with the plate and bearing for the strut.

Evidently, there is an issue with "memory steer" which will be fixed when these items are replaced. As of now, the alignment is pretty good. I only have to turn a little in the direction of the crown in the road, and if there is none, I don't. It used to head right for the right lane if you let go.

Anyone having alignment issues, see if your dealer can look up a buletin on "memory steer" and get your front strut bushings, springs, plate and bearing replaced.

As for the wheel shake making the steering wheel wiggle at various speeds, the dealer re road-force balanced all four tires, and if you read my previous posts, one of the tires was new from a previous visit determining it to be defective. They also put nitrogen in the tires, which might have helped.

It was explained to me that these Bridgestone Potenzas get a flat spot when it is parked overnight. After I drive the car for about 20 minutes, or 20 miles, the shake finally diminishes, which matches exactly what the dealer explained the issue to be. The shake, even when driving off after being parked all night, is pretty minimal and hard to feel. I had this same issue in my last car, a 2005 Altima SE-R, also with Bridgestone Potenzas. Kumho Ecsta tires are very cheap, about $99 each for 18" on TireRack.com, and they made the Altima, which had 18" wheels and a similar low profile, ride a lot smoother while lasting twice as long as the Bridgestones. I wonder if they will be good replacement an option for the 19" wheels on the G8.


I hope everyone finds this useful and bugs their Pontiac dealer to do the same thing for them for the aligment issue.


I am confused. What other parts are they going to be replacing?
Also, memory steer is not that big of a deal any more due to the higher casters that our later model vehicles have. One thing that I have seen with G8s is a large variety of caster variations. Some have bias, and most do not. Building bias will most likely help you.

There are various thoughts and qualities of road force balancing. If I remember correctly, for trucks, GM wants their vehicles under 30 pounds. and for cars under 20 pounds. There is also a bulletin on road force balancing that I think is pretty much for truck tires, but not 100% sure, that tells you to road test the tires for 10-15 miles first to even out or warm up the tread belts. This is much more true for truck tires than passenger car tires. I stopped using Pirellis because of this.

but for passengercar tires, the road force should be under 15. This came from Porsche that uses very aggressive tires, and are very prone to tire balance issues.

One thing you might waznt to consider is our pedders front caster adjusters will add approx 1 degree of positive caster. this is a huge improvement, and may solve lots of your issues.

mike
dms

Hello everyone:
I've got the same problem here in Pittsburgh with my black GT. Three trips back to the dealership, road force tests, a new set of tires, two balancings, and two alignment checks. Still shaking between 50 and 60, and pulling ever slightly to the right. The service manager contacted a GM field rep today, and was told that GM has a "case file open" on this issue with 4 or 5 other G8s. Apparently, the problem is recognized but a solution has not been nailed down. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

It was explained to me that these Bridgestone Potenzas get a flat spot when it is parked overnight.

That has not been a problem since the old bias belted tires. I can't see tires of today's technology suffering from this issue. Especially performance tires like the Bridgestone Potenza.

I also just read thru a post above where the alignment printout was posted and from what I can see on the printout, the vehicle will drift to the right and the steering wheel spoke will be off center to the left driving down a fairly level road. That is very easy to fix without any new parts, but according to the post the dealer maintains the vehicle is within specs, and the dealer is correct. That however is not addressing the fact that it is not properly aligned within those specs to make the vehicle drive true down the road, and diminished tire life may result, so one could say u got lucky u got somewhere better than were U were?

Just a thought!

Cheers!

That was my post you are referring to and believe me I have tried explaining to the dealer that I don't care if it is "within specs", it is still not aligned properly if it pulls. They just keep referring back to it being within specs and there is nothing else they can do.

5 trips to the dealership? Damn

First thing I would do is find out who is in charge (GM), point out the damage the service department caused and take them on a ride to show the alignment problem. I woundn't make it a short ride either. Drive them around a bit showing them several times how it drifts or pulls on different roads. Don't waste your time talking with a service writer, talk to the boss.

Seems that you have to prove there is a problem now days.

I just had my GF take it in for Round 5. They wanted me to go for a test drive with the mechanic since he didn't feel the pull and we did. I had to work so she took it in. The mechanic came out and proceeded to explain to her how it was within specs again. She put him on the phone to me and I asked him about the caster again. He kept going back to the "within specs" So I asked him about the 2.50 degree range in the caster...can't some kind of adjustment be made to widen the gap between the right and the left to compensate for the pull? His response was that there was no adjusting... only to put in parts. He also said they could put another shim pack (this time on the left side) to decrease the degree of caster but he was fearful of it pulling to the left side afterwards. I told him at this point what difference does it make...pulls right, pulls left...it still pulls...at least you have a chance of it not pulling. Now we are waiting for them to get the part in so we can take it back for Round 6. They never went for the test drive with her either.

Why does it seem that more often than not, the consumer has to tell the service providers how to do their job? It was the same way when i went shopping for this vehicle.... I knew more about this vehicle than every single salesman or woman I talked to.

:(

On a funny side note... My GF's dad had asked me "who drives the car more, you or my daughter?" My GF pipes up real fast from the other room where she had been listening and yells "THE DEALER!". :boink:

That was my post you are referring to and believe me I have tried explaining to the dealer that I don't care if it is "within specs", it is still not aligned properly if it pulls. They just keep referring back to it being within specs and there is nothing else they can do.

On a funny side note... My GF's dad had asked me "who drives the car more, you or my daughter?" My GF pipes up real fast from the other room where she had been listening and yells "THE DEALER!". :boink:

Your problem doesn’t seem that big a deal, if I’m looking at the right current alignment (last sheet U posted) you have now.
I don’t understand why they can’t see that your rear tires are dog tracking and pointing to the right because your left toe is out -0.27 and the right toe is pointing in +0.11 were else can the car go but to the right and your steering wheel will point off center to the left as U tries to keep it straight. The front toe in the mean time is also off, it should be in, anywhere from 0.08*-0.17* in should put U on the ball park.

The caster while it has no bias, and I prefers a ˝* negative on the driver side to compensate for road crown ought to be fine if all other angles fall as they should. Yes it would be nice to have the extra 1* mike at dms has, but I don’t think the dealer is going to budge, but he should at least be obligated to do U right on your toe as that is probably the big part of your dilemma. Even though the thrush angle is in specs, your steer ahead should angle is off and should tip them as to a problem. Both the rear and front need to be set right and this should be a snipe of a job for them.

Keep us posted I would like for u to be as happy with your G8 as we are!

Cheers!

My car was way out of alignment and the tires needed balanced. I had a vibration at highway speeds. Good to go now. ;)

Your problem doesn’t seem that big a deal, if I’m looking at the right current alignment (last sheet U posted) you have now.
I don’t understand why they can’t see that your rear tires are dog tracking and pointing to the right because your left toe is out -0.27 and the right toe is pointing in +0.11 were else can the car go but to the right and your steering wheel will point off center to the left as U tries to keep it straight. The front toe in the mean time is also off, it should be in, anywhere from 0.08*-0.17* in should put U on the ball park.

The caster while it has no bias, and I prefers a ˝* negative on the driver side to compensate for road crown ought to be fine if all other angles fall as they should. Yes it would be nice to have the extra 1* mike at dms has, but I don’t think the dealer is going to budge, but he should at least be obligated to do U right on your toe as that is probably the big part of your dilemma. Even though the thrush angle is in specs, your steer ahead should angle is off and should tip them as to a problem. Both the rear and front need to be set right and this should be a snipe of a job for them.

Keep us posted I would like for u to be as happy with your G8 as we are!

Cheers!

If you look at the scan sheets I provided, the Black & White copy has the "Before" on top AND "Current" on the bottom of the same sheet.

The color scan is another "Before" so don't go off that one for the current specs. (I'm not quite sure why it's different from the Black & White one. I don't think they were supposed to give me that one... it looks like the mechanics worksheet since he wrote some notes on it.)

I am very happy with my car otherwise. But this issue is driving me nuts for sure.

If you look at the scan sheets I provided, the Black & White copy has the "Before" on top AND "Current" on the bottom of the same sheet.

The color scan is another "Before" so don't go off that one for the current specs. (I'm not quite sure why it's different from the Black & White one. I don't think they were supposed to give me that one... it looks like the mechanics worksheet since he wrote some notes on it.)

I am very happy with my car otherwise. But this issue is driving me nuts for sure.

From what I can see they did all the adjustments and your steering wheel should be straight and true with no excessive pull do to the alignment angels. The Caster is 6.5 L and 6.4 right it would be perfect at 6.0 L and 6.5 R , but it ought not be a hard pull unless you have a tire pull.
I would make sure the tire pressure is the same on both sides and if it is, try rotating the tires where the pull is, I’m assuming it’s the right side, and if there’s no improvement I would get in touch with Mike at dms to send U his caster kit and maybe he knows someone that can install them locally because at this point I think the stealership is going to bail on U unless he is really a good guy. Else i don't see any tire wear concerns either.

Good luck!

Cheers!

Wow! My car is starting to pull to the right now. they said the toe was out.

It still pulls but is better.

If I continue to have this problem I'm gonna Lemmon the car.

It's been in the shop for 30 days since the 1st two minths I bought it.

30 days or more and it's considered a Lemon by law.

Toe will not necessarily make your vehicle “pull” to either L or R, but the rear toe can make it drift to were U may have to compensated with the steering wheel, then U get the “off center” steering wheel.

Your best bet is to drive to California during those forest fires and hope it stalls out on U so U can run like the devil!

Just a thought!

Cheers!

There are various thoughts and qualities of road force balancing. If I remember correctly, for trucks, GM wants their vehicles under 30 pounds. and for cars under 20 pounds. There is also a bulletin on road force balancing that I think is pretty much for truck tires, but not 100% sure, that tells you to road test the tires for 10-15 miles first to even out or warm up the tread belts. This is much more true for truck tires than passenger car tires. I stopped using Pirellis because of this.

but for passengercar tires, the road force should be under 15. This came from Porsche that uses very aggressive tires, and are very prone to tire balance issues.

dms


I am still watching the tires and paying attention to the ride. I am noticing the shake never completely goes away, but it does become less when the tires are hot. This could very well be another defective tire that is just going to start feeling worse and worse. The first defective tire caused a lot of pull and even worse wiggling of the steering wheel from left to right. When I first got the car back from the dealership this last time, it seemed a lot better with the shake issue, but I guess I have driven it more and under various conditions. The ride seems best when its really hot out and I've been driving for a long time, but it isn't perfect.

I'm hoping the dealer continues trying. The last car I had also had Bridgestone Potenzas that were troublesome from the factory, and the Nissan dealer said it was my problem, as well did Bridgestone. At least the Pontiac dealer people I contact at least try. Even though I've had these issues, the experience so far is way better than when I bought a new Nissan in 2005.

As far as the alignment goes, it still seems a lot better and straight on a level road, but I do wish it were a little more biased because all of the roads around Orlando have a sizeable crown, probably because we get some short-lived but fairly strong afternoon rainstorms all summer long, almost every day.

I'll be bothering the dealership again about the shake in the steering wheel. It is almost time for my first oil change anyhow.

I am still watching the tires and paying attention to the ride. I am noticing the shake never completely goes away, but it does become less when the tires are hot. This could very well be another defective tire that is just going to start feeling worse and worse. The first defective tire caused a lot of pull and even worse wiggling of the steering wheel from left to right. When I first got the car back from the dealership this last time, it seemed a lot better with the shake issue, but I guess I have driven it more and under various conditions. The ride seems best when its really hot out and I've been driving for a long time, but it isn't perfect.

I'm hoping the dealer continues trying. The last car I had also had Bridgestone Potenzas that were troublesome from the factory, and the Nissan dealer said it was my problem, as well did Bridgestone. At least the Pontiac dealer people I contact at least try. Even though I've had these issues, the experience so far is way better than when I bought a new Nissan in 2005.

As far as the alignment goes, it still seems a lot better and straight on a level road, but I do wish it were a little more biased because all of the roads around Orlando have a sizeable crown, probably because we get some short-lived but fairly strong afternoon rainstorms all summer long, almost every day.

I'll be bothering the dealership again about the shake in the steering wheel. It is almost time for my first oil change anyhow.

I am not kidding about getting the road force below 15 pounds. Most dealers will not do this because it may take breaking down the tire/wheel and relocating.

But what is confusing are the number of G8s experiencing these issues. I have driven about 20 of them, all to freeway speeds and have not experienced any issues other than drifts. so it will be interesting to find the concern(s)

If this was my vehicle, I would do several things:
1. Adjust casters so there is a bias, and increase casters.
2. road force tires to 15 pounds or less.
3. Verify the relationship of front and rear wheels is within specs.
4. Tighten up on toe in adjustments front and rear.

What all of you must do so we can get info, is when you are getting an alignment done, insist you get a copy of the align specs and post them. IF the dealer tells you they cannot get a printout, then that is untrue. All GM dealers are REQUIRED to make a copy of the before/after align specs and attach them to the hard copy for permenant record.

Now what is odd, after looking at a lot of G8s, is the high perc entage of G8s that do not have any road crown bias in caster. But what we do is add 1 to 1.5 positive caster with our special align washers and they do not seem to have any sensitiviety to road crown. Also we get alittle more aggressive after a pedders system is installed, on the cambers all the way around for a much better handling feel. When we reduce non complaint looseness with our bits, we can go much more aggressive

mike
dms

Road force is nice but if it is a balance issue only truing and on car high speed balance will correct to a level ok for most car Enthusiasts like us.
I know because I went to that after two road force balances down to 5 and 6 still left a mild shake in steering wheel at certain speeds...true the michelins and on car balance removed all shake in steering wheel...

Hmm!...

I suppose it is possible the Potenza tires got a bad "batch" somehow in that size, after all Bridgestone did buy Firestone, and we know their past is filled with how shall I put it..."Controversy" I'm thinking (stretching) cross contamination? LOL!. We do not have Potenzas in ours and have no balance issues so far...So good...

It would be nice if everyone that is experiencing the problem would report and identify the tire brand\size to maybe nail this bird if that's the case...It would be prelude of an internet score of sizable achievement with possibly more to come

Just a thought!

Cheers!

Hmm!...

I suppose it is possible the Potenza tires got a bad "batch" somehow in that size, after all Bridgestone did buy Firestone, and we know their past is filled with how shall I put it..."Controversy" I'm thinking (stretching) cross contamination? LOL!. We do not have Potenzas in ours and have no balance issues so far...So good...

It would be nice if everyone that is experiencing the problem would report and identify the tire brand\size to maybe nail this bird if that's the case...It would be prelude of an internet score of sizable achievement with possibly more to come

Just a thought!

Cheers!

EC,

I agree. I have the "shimmy" issue and have Potenzas. The shimmy comes and goes and got a little worse after a 300 mile expressway jaunt yesterday. I checked for a lost weight noted that the dealer gave up on the "tape" weights and glued on lead weights when they rebalanced the tires earlier.

I would make sure the tire pressure is the same on both sides and if it is, try rotating the tires where the pull is,

Good luck!

Cheers!


The tires were rotated and air pressure checked at my previous trip to the dealer. No change in the pull. :(

...if there’s no improvement I would get in touch with Mike at dms to send U his caster kit


No call from the dealer yet on getting the shim pack they ordered in. As soon as they call, I'll be taking the car in and I will post the results. If the car still pulls at that point, I might just take your suggestion and get w/ Mike. My only issue will be getting Pontiac to pay for it. Anyone been thru getting the manufacturer to pay for an outside vendor to fix something they couldn't?

EC,

I agree. I have the "shimmy" issue and have Potenzas. The shimmy comes and goes and got a little worse after a 300 mile expressway jaunt yesterday. I checked for a lost weight noted that the dealer gave up on the "tape" weights and glued on lead weights when they rebalanced the tires earlier.

I've had my dealings with them before.

Cheers!

Tires don't "round out" as te car dealer stated. Tires need to be dynamically balance or spin up on a wheel balancer. The best way to balance a car with the problem you discribe is balancing the tire/wheel on the car, but this doesn't sound like a problem that needs more than just balancing the tire/wheel assembly.

Check for damaged spindles, inproperly assembled or installed front wheel bearings/rotors, misaligned or damaged brake calipers, warped or out of balance rotors and damaged or defective front end components.

When you had the original tire/ wheel asseblies balanced; how much weight did they take? If they have alot of weights in the wheel, you have something your that needs more than just more wheel weights.

In general, car dealers no nothing about tires. They are not trained on tires and since they don't warranty tires, they frequently blame anything they don't understand on the tires.

Well.... finally got my car straight. The dealer ended up replacing the Strut Bearings and Re-Aligned it. Now it's running down the road straight. Sad thing is, I told them about the Strut Bearing problem (that other G8 owners had been having) in one of my many previous visits but they never thought that was my problem. I recently started getting a clunking noise in the front end and when I took it in they tell me that there is a bulletin on the Strut Bearings. Go figure.

Well.... finally got my car straight. The dealer ended up replacing the Strut Bearings and Re-Aligned it. Now it's running down the road straight. Sad thing is, I told them about the Strut Bearing problem (that other G8 owners had been having) in one of my many previous visits but they never thought that was my problem. I recently started getting a clunking noise in the front end and when I took it in they tell me that there is a bulletin on the Strut Bearings. Go figure.

THE CLUNK NOISE, YES, WE ALL DISCUSSED THIS. BUT OTHER THAN CORRECTING RIDE HIDE, BY REPLACING THE BUSHES, I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS BUSH WILL CAUSE IT. BUT THE GOOD THING IS ITS FIXED!! CONGRATS!!

MIKE
DMS

Well.... finally got my car straight. The dealer ended up replacing the Strut Bearings and Re-Aligned it. Now it's running down the road straight. Sad thing is, I told them about the Strut Bearing problem (that other G8 owners had been having) in one of my many previous visits but they never thought that was my problem. I recently started getting a clunking noise in the front end and when I took it in they tell me that there is a bulletin on the Strut Bearings. Go figure.Did the dealer replace both strut bearings or just one?

...
but for passengercar tires, the road force should be under 15. This came from Porsche that uses very aggressive tires, and are very prone to tire balance issues.
...
mike
dms


Good news for everyone. I finally got the shake taken care of. I called GM and got them involved, and the dealer I have been going to really seems to be trying. In an earlier post, I described them replacing one tire, and this time, they finally replaced the other three tires.

There is some shake when it is cold outside and only for the first minute of driving, but it smooths out when the tires warm up after a minute or two. This is a HUGE improvement. The nagging constant shake from 45 to 70 was definitely the tires.

Thank you GM for saying you care and actually replacing the tires. I had the same thing happen when I bought a new Nissan and Nissan would never do anything.

I am still having some alignment issues, the turn-by-turn OnStar Driver Information Center integration that gets stuck on a street name and turn arrow after about 3 turns, and the plastic rattle when the stereo is turned up and the music has a lot of bass.

Also good news: GM has authorized the Pontiac dealer to have my G8 plastic rattles taken care of by soundproofing at a sound shop, not the dealer. So to all of you whom keep having issues with the rattling plastic noises from the back shelf, make sure you bother the dealer enough that GM authorizes this.

All in all, it seems like GM and my dealer are really making a great effort at getting this all finally taken care of.

Thank you GM!

I will post again when I get my car back, and hopefully everything else I mentioned is taken care of. I'm very happy that the tire shake issue seems to be over! I also hope everyone else takes my advice and involves GM.

:):):):):):):):):)

Good news for everyone. I finally got the shake taken care of. I called GM and got them involved, and the dealer I have been going to really seems to be trying. In an earlier post, I described them replacing one tire, and this time, they finally replaced the other three tires.

There is some shake when it is cold outside and only for the first minute of driving, but it smooths out when the tires warm up after a minute or two. This is a HUGE improvement. The nagging constant shake from 45 to 70 was definitely the tires.



Glad they took care of you. What was your stock wheel/tire combination?

Glad they took care of you. What was your stock wheel/tire combination?

I'm doing this from memory since I took the car back for the alignment and plastic rattle issue.

I have the sport package 19" rims, and I believe the tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE050A summer only tires. I think they are size 245/40-19.

With the stock wheels on my G8 GT (19"), they were perfect. When I got my aftermarket wheels, I had problems and still do. ...

Those wheels do look awesome, though.

The dot on the tire sidewall is the LIGHT SPOT not the heavy spot. The dot should be aligned with the valve stem on the wheel NOT oppositie the valve stem. Look it up on the tire manufacturers website under technical bulletins/information or at Tire Rack; http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=20 .

If a tire is "out of round" it can be measured with a run out gauge that measures in 1,000's of an inch. Tires should measure for radial (up and down on the tread surface) and lateral (sidewall movement side to side) run out. Both measurements have a max they can be before it might create an issue.

A steering wheel shimmy side to side should be investigated by looking at;

1. Front brake rotor warping
2. Alignment issues
3. Tire balance
4. Tire and or wheel out of round
5. Incorrect tire mounting (bead not seated correctly)

When tires are mounted, beads and rim flanges need to be lubed with bead lube. The asseembly needs to be inflated to a specific max inflations and then bled off to the correct spec inflation pressure shown on the car's drivers door jam sticker, not on the tire sidewall.

High performance (high speed rated with a "H" or higher rating) tires that have nylon used as a belt cap or strip can have a set or flatspot when cold and as you start driving, but it goes away once you start driving and tires "warm up". This flatspoting is not a permanent condition. It's the nature of nylon.

Nylon is used in HP tires as a belt cap or belt edge cap to increase high speed durablity and control tread distortion or crowning at high speed due to the centrifical forces at high speeds. Nylon shrinks when heated and counters the centrifical forces tires experience at high speed. Once an HP tire runs a few miles, the flatspot feel should fade as it gets warm.

Most car dealers know very little about tires and there are thousands of bad opinions and solutions for vibration issues. Tire could be the problem or used by the clueless as an out since car dealers don't warranty tires. Go to a high performance oriented tire dealer or contact the tire manufacturer's engineering dept to get the facts Vs wives tales.

You can't diagnose a problem without see the car so find a knowledgeable expert and avoid people that are not.

Hope all this helps.

I am having some of the issues others are having. A brand new car with steering wheel vibration starting at 50 mph, vibration throughout the car at highway speeds (it shakes the passenger seat like a guitar string). Memory steer problems. Took to the dealer twice, then tried another dealer. They say within spec???!!!. I told them that I've got a 98 volvo with 160k miles on it thats vibration free and straight as an arrow, surely a brand new performance car should be. No help. The G8 is a great car and the engineers really did a great job. I've "seen this movie before" with a Ford I owned. The problem with American cars is not the cars themselves, but that they come with American car dealers and service depts. I am so dissapointed. All I can say is that, even though I'd be giving up some level of performance, I should have bought that Nissan Maxima I was considering.

I am having some of the issues others are having. A brand new car with steering wheel vibration starting at 50 mph, vibration throughout the car at highway speeds (it shakes the passenger seat like a guitar string). Memory steer problems. Took to the dealer twice, then tried another dealer. They say within spec???!!!. I told them that I've got a 98 volvo with 160k miles on it thats vibration free and straight as an arrow, surely a brand new performance car should be. No help. The G8 is a great car and the engineers really did a great job. I've "seen this movie before" with a Ford I owned. The problem with American cars is not the cars themselves, but that they come with American car dealers and service depts. I am so dissapointed. All I can say is that, even though I'd be giving up some level of performance, I should have bought that Nissan Maxima I was considering.

Keep bothering them. Call GM directly befor your next visit. Go to the same dealer; that is required to "lemon law" a vehile in FL and it could be similar wherever you are.

I involved GM ad the dealer and GM took care of things with the shake and alignment. I have four new tires and front strut springs, bushings, bearings, and plates. That did the trick for the shake but to get the alignment close to perfect took two tries.

I think you should call GM. It can't hurt.

I am having some of the issues others are having. A brand new car with steering wheel vibration starting at 50 mph, vibration throughout the car at highway speeds (it shakes the passenger seat like a guitar string). Memory steer problems. Took to the dealer twice, then tried another dealer. They say within spec???!!!. I told them that I've got a 98 volvo with 160k miles on it thats vibration free and straight as an arrow, surely a brand new performance car should be. No help. The G8 is a great car and the engineers really did a great job. I've "seen this movie before" with a Ford I owned. The problem with American cars is not the cars themselves, but that they come with American car dealers and service depts. I am so dissapointed. All I can say is that, even though I'd be giving up some level of performance, I should have bought that Nissan Maxima I was considering.

I feel your pain...and am hear becuase I am considering purchasing one of these cars...

For what it's worth, my Nissan Murano kept breaking radiators. We had 3 break in the seam over a 3 year period...dealer said we must have had an accident and the radiator mounts are not aligned?...the car was never wrecked or bent....

I am having some of the issues others are having. A brand new car with steering wheel vibration starting at 50 mph, vibration throughout the car at highway speeds (it shakes the passenger seat like a guitar string). Memory steer problems. Took to the dealer twice, then tried another dealer. They say within spec???!!!. I told them that I've got a 98 volvo with 160k miles on it thats vibration free and straight as an arrow, surely a brand new performance car should be. No help. The G8 is a great car and the engineers really did a great job. I've "seen this movie before" with a Ford I owned. The problem with American cars is not the cars themselves, but that they come with American car dealers and service depts. I am so dissapointed. All I can say is that, even though I'd be giving up some level of performance, I should have bought that Nissan Maxima I was considering.

I am having similar issues; an initial balance by the dealer softened the thrumming / vibration some, but it is still there. 09 g8 gt with 18's - RS-As. Have an appointment with the dealer to have a tech ride with me (on Monday) - they claim they fixed it on the first balance, but it's still there, obnoxious as can be. It's killing my new car experience. They get 2 more tries and then it's lemon law time. As per the one of the above suggestions, I will call GM while it is in the shop the second time, and attempt to get some sort of process started between the dealer and GM.

Steveua, i tried to PM you, but your inbox is full. PM me when you empty it.