Road & Track

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

61 months

Saturday 7th February 2004
quotequote all
Looking ahead to the new C6 I took out a 2 year subscription to R&T last October ($36 including postage to UK). They've been slow getting started and the first copy arrived on the doormat this week with C6 on the cover! As well as C6 the contents include C5 reliability survey and customer reaction. Reliability is above average and most participants (91%) said they would buy another.
The C5s best attributes are listed as
1. Performance
2. Handling
3. Styling
4. Engineering
5. Value

Other articles covered the Cadillac CTS-V with ZO6 engine and also Goodwood Festival/Revival (great events). Not bad for £2!

Take a look at www.roadandtrack.com

C5RagTop

1,610 posts

255 months

Saturday 7th February 2004
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Steve, does R&T highlight any specific weaknesses with the C5

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

61 months

Sunday 8th February 2004
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The survey found the C5 more reliable than US average with areas identified being mainly the high quantity of electronic systems. Plus,
Battery is mentioned - I suspect related to the electrical load. Mine was replaced under warranty at 2 years old.
Brake rotors and tyres - perhaps due to the suitability of Corvettes for the occasional track day! (Step forward Te51cle)
As regards failures that would leave the car at the side of the road it came out twice as good as average - Blackpool eat your heart out!
Overall a clean bill of health.

jaytee368

2,058 posts

251 months

Monday 9th February 2004
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This intended as a constructive comment, was there no mention of the tendancy of the car to turn sharp right all of a sudden due to an electronic glitch?

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

61 months

Monday 9th February 2004
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jaytee368 said:
sharp right all of a sudden due to an electronic glitch?

??? Haven't heard of that one!

ZR1427

17,999 posts

256 months

Monday 9th February 2004
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Right Turn Clyde...........SLAP!

jaytee368

2,058 posts

251 months

Tuesday 10th February 2004
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5usa said:

??? Haven't heard of that one!

There was a factory recall over that, I understand.
I won't say too much more simply because I don't know any more details and I don't spout when I know nowt!

LuS1fer

41,784 posts

252 months

Tuesday 10th February 2004
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Was that the steering lock glitch?

jaytee368

2,058 posts

251 months

Wednesday 11th February 2004
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Could have been, that does sound familiar.
But the 2 stories I recall, one of which was quite 3rd hand, the other was closer to the horse's mouth was along the lines of:
C5 cruising on the freeway, State-side, all of a sudden a black box decides the car is unstable and the stability conrol system (or whatever driver aid it was) kicks in and makes the right front or left front brake grab and turns the car in the immediate relevant direction. Thankfully, again my recollection only, traffic was fairly light or maybe the guy was just plain lucky, the driver was able to bring the car safely to rest.
I won't, though, describe the contents of said driver's nickers.

Camaro SS

243 posts

253 months

Wednesday 11th February 2004
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We had the problem with active handling deciding to apply a rear brake when going in a straight line, started at approx 100 mph, then 90, the eventually 40mph, quite scary when you,re heading for the crash barriers! However over a period of about 2 years (yes it took that long for it to be recognised) Chris MacDonald at Bauer Milletts got it sorted after a lot of investigation, replacing every component of the active handling system at different times, only to find the problem was caused by the bracket which holds the sensor in place, the bracket flexed too much, the sensor thought car was unstable, talk about the $1 part, everything seems okay now except with the extra power we have we seem to overpower both the traction control and the active handling. All the work was done under warranty by Bauers and they are extremely helpful!

jaytee368

2,058 posts

251 months

Wednesday 11th February 2004
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Was that on the pace car, I assume it was?

Camaro SS

243 posts

253 months

Thursday 12th February 2004
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Yes it was on the pace car, we assumed the problem may have been that it was only the pace cars that had active handling in 98, available on any 99 onwards. Nothing much came from GM in the first couple of years, but eventually after many trips to Manchester some notices from GM started appearing.