NHTSA Complaint #10118460 — 1998 CHEVROLET BERETTA

WHILE CHATTING WITH THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER I RECENTLY HEARD THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE NEW STYLE ORANGE ANTIFREEZE CORRODING HEAD GASKETS ON SOME OF THEIR V-6 ENGINES. WORD HAS IT THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM BUT HAVE KEPT QUIET ABOUT IT. I ALSO HEARD FROM ANOTHER MECHANICTHAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE VALVE SEATS. THEY BOTH WORKED AT THE CHEVROLET DEALER. WHICH EVER THE CASE, I HAD A CHEVROLET BARRETTA WITH A V-6 ENGINE. WITHOUT WARNING WATER STARTED COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WERE NO BROKEN HOSES OR OTHER LEAKS PRESENT. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE. I TOOK IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD REPLACE THE HEADS, BUT THEY WOULDN'T GAURANTEE THAT WOULD FIX IT. THEY TALKED ME INTO BUYING A NEW CAR. ALL I COULD AFFORD WAS A LOW MILEAGE DEMONSTRATOR.NOW THE NEW CAR IS APPROACHING THE SAME AGE AND IT HAS THE SAME ENGINE. *AK I TRAVEL TO OHIO FOR CHRISTMAS. NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT THIS CAR. I'M A MILITARY WIDOW AND I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW CAR EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS. I ALWAYS TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND SERVICE. I AM LUCKY I WAS HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IF IT HAD HAPPENED LAST CHRISTMAS ON MY WAY TO OHIO, I WOULD HAVE FROZE TO DEATH. MOST OF THE DATES HERE ARE GUESSES. GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD HAVE ALL THE CORRECT DATES ON FILE. I BOUGHT THE FIRST CAR IN CABOT, ARKANSAS AND I BOUGHT THE SECOND CAR IN BRANSON , MISSOURI. MY FRIEND HAS BEEN A MECHANIC MOST OF HIS LIFE AND HE CAN'T DO IT ANY MORE. HE PRESENTLY OWNS A 1990 CHEV. ASTRO VAN WITH A V-6 ENGINE WITH 250,000 MILES ON IT WITH NO PROBLEM. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD THE OLD STYLE GREEN ANTIFREEZE IN IT. I FEEL THAT IF THERE HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM THEY SHOULD WARN PEOPLE ABOUT IT. AND IF I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BEFORE I BOUGHT IT.