28K miles no issues here...

 

16k miles and 2+ years - no issues here.

 

40K miles, no issues. Just the 04 brake rotor issue, solved Baer rotors.

 

I have 70k miles and have replaced the radius rod bushing and the tie rods. Nothing unexpected for living on LI. Some cars have had problems with struts, strut rub and strut mounts. Are there cars with problems...yes. Is the problem exagerated to sell parts? That depends on who you talk to.....

 

you just have to watch your car. Several vehicles have had every problem in the book, others, like mine, have had no problems at 40k of service.

I'm already proactively replacing parts. It would be resonable to just drive it till something breaks also.

 

28k n 1yr no problems here

 

Not all cars as you can see. However, it's a good idea to have that stuff inspected. At 5K my radius rods bushings were completely blown and most of the other rubber was in bad shape. I didn't help that the dealer frigged up most of my front suspension while they replaced failed components. I finally had enough and took it to a pedders dealer, never been happier since and the car handles way better than stock.

 

every gto has rear squat, does it mean you need springs/shocks, no. does it make for a rocky ride yes, does it handle like shit after 30000 Mi yes. are they needed, no. over 30000 miles every gto needs new RR bushings, and if your gto has actualy not had a RR bush problem. Definatly worth the change either way because the difference in steering and braking delivers a new confidence in the drive. Those parts suck, and they only get worse, can you deal with tthem yes. but its not that expensive of an upgrade and makes all the difference in the world in the drive.
Theres many of other parts that most say "need to be changed" but reallly, nothing NEEDS to be changed unless its broken. But i couldnt deal with the effects of those crappy parts so i felt the need to change them. after 25000 miles my car hated all turns, the body roll was ridiculous on long or sharp corners and the steering was so sloppy i wanted to blow it up. now i love it again ... of course im not done with the suspension, but those mods make the car alot nicer to drive in all aspects and i spent maybe 700 installed. If you dont care about "The best" handling then it makes the gto perfect as it still handles good, dont feel like its going to tip over at parking lot speed and the steering feel really awakes with the new caster settings

So, the real question is. what drive feeling annoys you most about your gto? for me it was the rear squat, steering response, and body roll. cause as far as im concernd, even though all those parts were still working, they were still broken.

 

43000 miles and no problems so far.

 

Some Do and some Don't at 20k alot Need some type of replacement Parts...frank

 

two really easy test for your radius bushes and strut mounts

1. have someone drive your car while you stand to the side watching the front wheel.
5 mph stomp the brakes if the wheel shoots back you need RR bushes if it bounces the struts are blown too.

2. have car running and have someone turn the wheel back and forth if you see the strut mounts turning then they are shot as well

Then call up Frank Beck from prior post and get yourself the parts you need. im gonna bet that if most of the people that said they have no problems and all those miles do those tests they will probably need parts. its really a safety issue.

 

OP:

no. bushings and front struts are the issues that you should worry about. i'm pretty sure all other issues come from problems with alignments, not problems with the actual parts.

 

At 10k miles, my strut mounts were shot and the rear springs had bad sag, this on a car that was babied.

 

I had 4200 Miles on my 06 when I installed the Street I.

Left Strut Mount was starting to go bad.

Right Strut Bearing was cracked and several Ball Bearings were missing.

Rear was sagging by about 15 mm

 

there are about 40,000 GTOs. you only hear about the problems, not the ones that are working fine. as far as a "safety issue" the biggest ones i've read about are the drivers....

 

I expect more ...

While I love my GTO both before and after having to replace the right side tires after only 16,000 miles due to inside tread wear, I do feel that General Motors and Pontiac both have a responsibility to the 40,000 car owners that purchased GTO's based on their heritage as a "the first muscle car" to thereafter build a car with adequate suspension parts that will last longer than what you read about in the many complaint threads reported in this forum!

Come'on ... you have to agree!!

 

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like something I should keep an eye on at the very least. Suspension upgrades are a definite in the future, in stages, with the goal of making it a great handling daily driver, not a track car.

 

16000 miles and mine have been shot for over 7000 miles and more than likely since new. Unfortunately I made the mistake of having a non dealer alignment done.

 

Dealer is best for alignments ...

I agree ... after an independent tire dealer mucked up my alignment in the first place, I then went to my Pontiac Dealer who knew what the for real "Specified Ranges" should be while also knowing how to "tweak it" correctly to get it within range ... which the tire dealer could not do!

 

You have reason to worry

My 06 m6 has had suspension problems from day one... Pulled heavily to the right out of the dealer.. That problem is 95% solved. Just had the dealer work on a clanking noise, causing the car to feel loose on the front end.. changed some bushings, sway bar was loose and leaking... left rear strut was leaking, replaced... All with 2800mi on the car.. love the car... hate the issues.... I still have a slight rubbing noise coming from the steering wheel area... maybe something is shot or dried out..... just got an emission check light on my dash board today.... dealer says that it could be the gas cap... or to bring it in.... Still hoping to get the car staight.... Best of luck...

 

I did not notice uneven tire wear on my car at 8K miles. Mine showed the inside wear on the front tires at 13K. I suspect the strut mounts on my car deteriorated as a function of time and mileage. I do not know if yours will do collapse also. I see others report no problem on this forum, so that may indicate inconsistant quality of the mounts??
I have attached a photo on what you will see when you open the hood if your mount is collapsed. Mine took about 2yrs before the mount collapsed. The ride height dropped about 10-12mm and camber angle was .9deg. neg. I am in the process of installing the Pedders strut mounts and bearings.

 

I have sold Pedders parts for 2 reasons:
1. To make significant improvements in handling and control
2. Resolve tire wear issues.

the tire wear issues vary radically and are very much associated, but not limited to how you drive. A daily commuter GTO will have a much better chance of not having significant tire wear issues over someone who drives the vehicle like Pontiac advertises, or illudes to. Just watch your tires. You need to turn the tires all the way every month of so, and look at the inside edges. The are sometimes hard to see.

If you are happy with the way your GTO handles, and you have no tire wear issues, then you have no need to upgrade. But parts like strut bushes and radius rod bushes go thru a life cycle, so watching tire wear, is something you should do at least monthly, and maintain your tire placard tire pressures

mike
dms

 

At less than 20k miles, my radius rod bushings were blown (one good panic stop can do that), and my front struts were totally shot/weren't doing anything but taking up space. So, too was the right rear spring (car was sagging/observed ride height was visually lower). Tires were wearing a little odd, too, even after an alignment. I don't autocross the car or drive super-aggressively. I was not happy with the ride quality and looked at my options.

Ended up with Pedders struts, shocks, springs and mounts and SuperPro bushings. VERY pleased with the results... no more body roll/it's like I got a new car. Improved ride quality AND handling. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Interesting to note is that my strut mounts were fine. I think that's partially a fact of where/how your GTO was secured on the boat/train, and how rough the trip was..

 

EVERY GTO should have left the factory with aftermarket style RR & x-member bushes, HD strut mounts, higher rate rear coils, and nitrogen charged gas / oil struts. The difference in a GTO equipped with these bits is night and day. The GTO is transformed from a very good quality Pontiac to a car that compares with German brands that cost twice as much. IMO

In all the Pedders Days we have held across the country and at major GTO events, I have yet to see a set of OE radius rod bushes pass the 5 MPH brake test with more than 10K on the clock. It doesn't mean there aren't GTOs on the road with good OE radius rod bushes -- it means we have not tested them. Even a brand new car with brand new RR bushes stops and drives better with aftermarket RR bushes -- even blue ones . The GTO OE RR bushes are just not what a performance car should have. IMO

To directly answer your question -- not every car NEEDS upgraded suspension bits. Would every GTO owner be more pleased with their Goat if equipped from the factory with the upgraded parts I mentioned -- IMO absolutely. Very few people who have gone down the suspension upgrade path would go back to stock. The GTO has enormous potential with just a few moderate suspension upgrades. At 40K you should be making plans for these bits. Not as upgrades, but as maintenance.

 

Do it now for yourself or later for the next owner to enjoy. If you plan to keep the car forever there is no hurry. It makes a world of difference.

 

I've drag raced, road raced, and autoX my car and it approaching 40K miles. The stock tires did wear out on the inside tread area at 25K miles. I had the car aligned and so far the new tires look good. Haven't replaced any suspension parts yet.

 

I had three alignments....due to strut rub noted at rotation....Had to get independant out of pocket alignment to make it bearable...Now I have unexpected inner wear on rear driver tire...last 1 inch. That tire was my best front tire at t rotate....In 5k almost to cords even though ALL my other tires are good for 5 k more miles. Looks like spring sag....I can get two fingers under passenger side and 1 finger under driver side.

I noticed the wear installing my cat back. I was planning on new tires in the summer...not NOW. Plus it looks like 500 bucks worth of pedders...so about 1500 bucks to cure it....counting tires....IF that helps. That is very crappy for a 33000 dollar car with 16k miles. And I am only one if a bunch of sad suckers just like me or worse.

My car is a garage queen...and antilock has never been used....

 

I too was disappointed to have to make the suspension upgrades, but it is worth the effort for me because I really like my GTO and plan to hang on to it for many years. Sounds like you may have reached your threshold of frustration with your GTO issues. When your frustration exceeds the enjoyment factor there is allways the option to replace the car. Life is too short to stress out over a car you hate...sell it to someone that can appreciate this unique vehicle in spite of the required suspension upgrade. You will be much more relaxed and the buyer will have a low mile garage queen...that is a win...win situation for both parties!