Question: The real question is, if you had a problem with your new Toyota similar in > severity to the gasket problem you had with your GM, and Toyota did > nothing, would you drop that brand too? By the way I have seen you talk > about Toyota, I doubt it. And I mean no offence by that either.

Answer: I would denounce any automobile company that behaved as GM did, and would refuse to buy their products. And that is a fair and honest assessment.
GM problems I have experienced, lest you get hung up on this plenum issue, include:
Rotting panels under rear windows Cracked blocks (Iron Puke) Shoddy alternators (ECS100, etc), doomed to fail Poorly engineered rear disc brake systems, (piston actuated parking brake) The well known, doomed to fail early, Metric transmission The V7 air conditioning compressor, early failure guaranteed The gasket and coolant problems GM were conspirators to The failure prone GM HVAC computers, and lets not forget the shaft leakage prone regular GM compressors The self destructing aluminum evaporators (earlier GMs) and now you can add the idiotic plastic plenum.
Contrary to the beliefs of some, I am not a cheerleader for Toyota. I own two of them however – my first two ever – and they have been spectacular – so far.
Time will tell.
I owned many Fords, and none of them had the durability and reliability problems that my MANY GM’s presented, but by the same token they rode like haywagons.
My last attempt at a Ford was in 1990, when I tried to buy a new Thunderbird.
I drove 6-7 of them. They bumped, rattled, and shimmied, and the sales personnel alibied that they probably needed wheel balance, etc.NOT
My sis DID buy one and it had the Ford V6 engine problems that are similar to the ones GM has had – leaking internals, etc.
I have owned two Italian cars, both Fiats, and one was a POS and the other was really quite good and reliable..But I wouldnt buy another.
I have had two Passats, both extremely good cars, one AMC Sportabout wagon (good for old technology), a Dodge van (unbreakable but rough), a SAAB ( pre GM -excellent), a plethora of Ford Mustangs (reliable, but not very refined in the ride department).
I have probably forgotten a few.
But I have never had such a run of products such as GM, ALL with built in weaknesses, outright defects, and poor support.
I dont know why I bought them all those years. If they really improve their product and their attitude, I might buy again, but not for a while.

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