this is a JD Power study where they rank major failures the same weight as "excess wind noise"

the level of scrutiny is measured from the owners opinions...GM may make semi dependable cars but they are built cheaply from design to the actual quality of the parts

a Honda or Toyota owner has a much higher level of scrutiny b/c any little thing that goes wrong is a big deal to them

the new Saturn Ion my friend has parts coming off of the interior and the passenger seat was permanently reclined and wouldn't sit up straight but she owned buick before and didn't car...the car still started and drove and she wouldn't complain...she says for $2-3 k below invoice it's worth it to have a cheap car and live with it so long as it doesn't break down often...all the small stuff is just an annoyance but not a concern to even get fixed under warranty

my buddies 98 Suburban which is great to tow with the interior is in shambles as nothing fits anymore and though the Suburban is a huge truck...we'd take turns sitting in my Element to see the huge difference in interior design and packaging...you'd think the Suburban would be way larger inside than the much smaller Element...but it is marginally so (the Element can fit in compact parking spots)