A popular pastime of GM enthusiasts is pointing out everything the automaker we love is doing wrong and theorizing about how we would do everything right. While we wait for General Motors to recognize the genius of its fans on the internet and give us C-suite positions, here are The General’s five worst failures during 2024.
Oh, and to prove that GM fans don’t just complain, we applauded the company’s five greatest accomplishments of 2024 yesterday.
1. What Cruise Could’ve Been
While pulling the plug on the Cruise self-driving subsidiary was ultimately the right move, it’s still a little sad to think of what could’ve been. GM poured $10 billion into Cruise since 2016 and has nothing to show for it. All of that research, data, and development for what? One could argue that General Motors threw the baby out with the bathwater by ceasing Cruise’s funding rather than reforming it. The next generation of Super Cruise better be amazing.
2. Handling Job Cuts
We get it. It seems like big companies everywhere are making cuts, both in and out of the automotive industry. We also get that some folks are just plain bad at their job and need to go. But did GM have to fire employees by email or announce the termination of Cruise to its employees through Slack? Surely, meeting 1,000 employees one at a time can’t be done elegantly. Still, receiving a Friday morning 5 AM email being told not to come into work because you’re fired can’t be the best way to execute job cuts. The automaker tried to save face with the hashtag #iworkforgm on social media, but from what we’ve seen, it looks like only executives use it.
3. No Android Auto/Apple CarPlay In EV Models
This was a 2023 decision, but the 2024 calendar year was when it became real for many GM drivers that they’re excluded from convenient smartphone connectivity features that many people can’t live without. Some of you don’t care that General Motors is moving away from Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but a whopping 87 percent of the respondents in our poll in February 2024 said the lack of these features is a dealbreaker. GM thinks it can eventually charge owners for in-car connectivity features, but judging by the public outcry, it looks like that will be a tough sell with consumers. At least we get Google Maps as the native navigation system.
Don’t tell GM we told you this, but if you want an electric crossover with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, the BEV3-based Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX have these handy features.
4. New Models Not Ready For Prime Time
2024 was a banner year for GM EV sales, but let’s not forget just how rocky the launch of the Chevy Blazer EV was early in 2024. It was plagued with software issues that were panned by the automotive press, and it would go on to have problems with poor phone call quality, defective door strikers, a bad serial data gateway module, and windshield wipers getting stuck at high speed. Now, GM is dealing with a recall of the Blazer EV and Equinox EV for just a little problem: the front electric drive unit needs to be replaced entirely because of a bolt that’s too long.
It wasn’t just EVs that were a problem for GM in 2024. The new Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave are stuck with transmission issues and the Cadillac Escalade’s available power-assist doors aren’t fully functional yet pending an over-the-air update. The Chevy Equinox’s garage door opener doesn’t even work. These are problems we’d expect from a startup like the defunct Fisker, not a century-old giant like GM.
5. Discontinuing The Chevy Malibu
It would be easy to say General Motors killed off the Chevy Malibu because nobody wants sedans anymore, but is that really true? Although production of the Malibu ended in November, it’s currently GM’s fifth best-selling nameplate. Many GM enthusiasts are upset about the sedan’s demise, with no replacement in sight. The two cars that own this segment, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, prove that there’s still a market for non-luxury sedans. However, General Motors is unwilling or unable to challenge their dominance and failed to keep the Malibu competitive. Not everyone wants a crossover, and not everyone who wants a sedan has a Cadillac budget.
It wasn’t that long ago that Chevy had a full lineup of four-door passenger cars: Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Impala and Volt. With the Malibu gone, all of the above are now toast.
Comments
Excluding Corvette, GM fails miserably in producing vehicles that a person “wants” to buy.
Bingo. General Mediocrity applies to all products except the C8 and thats only because the beancounters were kept away.
Escalade/Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon dominate their segments and for the first 2-3 years of their current iteration were practically sold before hitting the lot.
Envista/Trax – Monster sales numbers, universal appraise
Sierra/Silverado – growing market share late in their life cycle.
Lyriq – 2nd best seller in its segment behind Model Y
Canyon/Colorado – Sell out every year with minimal incentives, also positive press reviews
Forced errors and misses? For sure, but to say they aren’t producing vehicles people “Want” to buy would seem to not be based in facts.
Dominating segments with no real competition lmfao. Thats not an achievement. Ford’s expedition is much more expensive than the Tahoe snd even more unreliable. Jeep is junk.
So what else competes with it? Take GM’s crossovers and cars that have real competition. GM isn’t winning sales in actual competitive segments.
Sequoia, Armada. That’s 4 competitors for the Chevy and the GMC, yet GM is clearly winning. You seem to have your own definition.
GM full size pickups combined sell more than the F-Series.
Trax is the go-to pick in the small crossover FWD segment.
They don’t honor the cars they already sold. Even when it comes to mistakes they themselves made with interior dash boards & door panels. Customer service is a joke !
My Gm car was worth $22,000 on the used car market one year ago, now it is worthless and
unsaleable !!
What about the dumpster fire at Cadillac?
Escalade, then a bunch of cross overs that Buick is arguably doing better at, non-competitive sedans, 2.0 turbo fours in a ‘premium’ vehicle (this is just embarrassing), EVs nobody wants… don’t worry that little number badge on the back will sell more of them.
With the exception of a few standout models all the brands lineups border on Russian nesting doll line-ups of choose your size crossover.
GM has no idea what the pubic actually wants to buy. They’ve pretty much turned the market over to the Japanese and Koreans.
It’s not that they don’t know what the public wants, they don’t CARE what the public wants.
Ask Stellantis & Nissan what happens with that attitude.
GM is going to learn the hard way.
Actually neither one of you are correct. The truth is, GM does not want to let go of their cheapness. And they can’t afford to make a reliable ho-hum sedan. Why? Because it would cost them more money to make the car than it would sell for.
Poor Management.
Ms Mary B DOES NOT CARE….
I am 100 percent sure that if she was replaced with EITHER Duncan Aldred or Mark Reuss, we would not be in as bad debacle as today…
Bob Lutz I believe was somewhat better, but in general I am not close to any of these men.
I have a 2025 Blazer RS and I have Android Auto. Did GM change it’s mind?
No Android auto/CarPlay is EV’s only. I am not sure why everyone is up in arms over this. No one is really buying the EV’s anyway.
because maybe, just maybe , the beancounters in all their “wisdom” might be starting with EV and than expanding to ICE. Do not put anything past these brainless, out of touch with reality, dimwits.
@Marvin, @Izzy
If GM either discontinues or doesn’t offer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you do know what comes next, right?…..the buyers will go back to doing what they used to do before the Automobile Manufacturers decided to offer different “factory” customizations and trim levels to keep the buyers from tampering with their products. Buyers will just, once again, start going back to the Aftermarket Custom Shops right after they buy the “cheaper versions” of the vehicle in order to have “thousands” left to spend at the Customs Shops (Manufacturers will lose chunks of money at a time if they either refuse to listen or don’t keep pace with competitors in technology). Oh, and if you thought that EV Technology is too hard to customize, computers get hacked daily (almost hourly). So it’s just a matter of time before the Local Custom Shops in ANYCITY, U.S.A. can add features to a vehicle that the manufacturer had no idea could be done.
But you are missing HD Tuning that is mysteriously missing.
Cadillac killing off ice vehicles XT4, XT5, and soon XT6, and replacing with only EV’s is absolutely ridiculous. GM has no idea what the public wants.
It’s time for the GM President to be fired.
agreed, she is clueless about running a car company. She should be in charge of selling shoes.
GM President Mark Ruess, you say she’s clueless? Interesting.
Mark Reuss should be RUNNING than Ms Mary B….
Ms Mary B only wants EVs, Mr Reuss ACTUALLY is interested in real vehicles with ICE engines….
The problem of Japanese and Korean automakers is that they focus on value and efficiency. That is arguably where GMC/Chevrolet falls flat. A Camry will have much better performance and efficiency as opposed to a Malibu (reliability OF BOTH depends on how well one takes care of theirs) (based on the trim), and Toyota/Lexus and the Koreans market their sedans better unlike Chevrolet which has largely left it to rot…..
On the opposite end, the Tundra and the Seqouia have not made ANY “sizeable dent” in truck and SUV sales of Chevrolet/GMC. The Tundra now is selling 200k ONLY because of discounts (and fear of engine problems), otherwise in 2021 it sold a mere 80k or so….Silveradoes alone were 250k-300k…if I am not mistaken.
The Seqouia was introduced in 2001 and costed around 32k or so for the RWD with the 2UZ V8, the Tahoe of that year was more expensive (with the 4.8L V8) yet sold a LOT MORE…
I guarantee that I read somewhere that Toyota was interested in buying GMC/Chevrolet when they went bankrupt. That would change the company…no 2500/3500 would be produced anymore, Suburban/Yukon XL/Cadillac would have gotten cut, even more brands would have gotten removed, and also less freedom of choosing+ higher prices. Quality at a cost- that is WHY Seqouias are expensive new and used (resale does not matter if YOU DRIVE it to the ground..).
Shining shoes would be more appropriate.
Bring back the diesel on the Caddy.
Honestly, after buying GM for 50 years I am disgusted with the poor management decisions that are being made. GM needs a CEO that is a car guy!
If GM is so enamored with EV then they should move the headquarters to China!
After all, they don’t care about the AMERICAN customer. As I drive around town all I see is more and more Asian labeled vehicles. GM on the street is now a minority. If it wasn’t for the truck line, GM and FORD could pack up and go to China or Mexico. GM has failed all of us. Apple pie and Chevrolet is just now a forgotten part of my life!
it is sad, what they did to GM. To think what it used to be and what it is today. Brings a tear to any die hard Chevy guy.
So STOP the imports. Get those POS off the road. I am so tired of seeing foreign vehicles.
If traditional nameplate companies would make what the USA public wants, you wouldn’t see so many foreign origin nameplate vehicles. Tesla outsells all the domestic USA brands, because regardless of what you think of Elon Musk, he knows what he is doing.
I find it interesting that USA won’t allow Chinese vehicle imports yet the Buick Envision , Encore, Cadillac CT6 are all made in China. Hypocrites much, USA?
And we sure demand that China let us sell our vehicles in their country. Wow… Double standard much, USA? Yes, a lot.
@Dennis, @Jim Payne, and obviously BlogZilla.
I write this in AGREEMENT with Y’all. I believe the thing that aggravates me the most is when people complain about the U.S. economy, but make all of their Major, High-Dollar purchases (except for their homes since they live here) buying everything Foreign! To me, why complain about the state of America, if you’re funding Foreign Economies?! #Buy merchandise made where you live
ill add some:
6 – camaro discontinuation (again)
7- still pouring everything they have into EVs and not hybrids despite having to dial back on EVs
8 – not making sedans / coupes in general
9 – not making their ecotec engines competitive
what did i miss?
1. Discontinuation of All Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac Passenger Cars Hatchbacks Coupes, Sedans and Convertibles. Not everyone wants or needs an SUV Crossover or Pickup Truck. People still want regular passenger cars. Ford and Chrysler did the same thing by dropping All of their passenger cars. Stupid decision by GM, Ford and Chrysler.
2. Moving Vehicle and Engine, Transmission as well as Parts and Components production overseas to China, Korea and Mexico for cheap labor costs and more money and better wages which equals 💩🚽 quality and quality control. Everything is mostly JUNK nowadays because of this in addition to everything being computerized and lots of electronics in cars today needed to run and control everything. Everything should be made here in the USA 🇺🇸 and in Canada 🇨🇦.
3. Closing Assembly Plants when they could have moved vehicle production to that
plant and invested in vehicle manufacturing in the USA and Canada. Examples would be Lordstown Ohio and Janesville Assembly in Janesville Wisconsin and Buick City in Flint Michigan. Reopening closed assembly plants for upcoming vehicle production. All of these plants should have been saved and retooled for upcoming vehicle production instead of everything being made overseas in China, Korea and Mexico resulting in poor quality and quality control.
4. Phasing out and closing Oldsmobile in 2004 and eliminating Pontiac in 2009. Saturn and Hummer shouldn’t have been created. All of the money used and spent to create Saturn and starting Hummer should have been spent and used directly for Pontiac and Oldsmobile. Both brands might have still been around today. My personal opinion is that GMC should have been eliminated instead and Pontiac should have been kept. They were really getting it right when they were eliminated. I miss Oldsmobile and Pontiac.
5. Closing Buick City and the Buick World Headquarters in Flint Michigan and discontinuing the 3800 V6.
6. Not listening to what customers want from GM and not making products that they want and having bean counters controlling everything.
7. Buying Saab in 1989 and completely ruining the brand. I miss Saab and truly wish it was still around today like Volvo is. I really liked the brand and the way their cars looked. Saab could have had some real potential and would have made beautiful and sexy cars like Volvo currently is today. I’m surprised that Saab wasn’t purchased by one of the European car companies like BMW, Mercedes Benz AG, Volkswagen or Volvo. Spiker tried to buy it but the deal fell through. GM should have never bought out Saab. Saab could have had a chance and true potential if it weren’t for GM buying them out. Saab was their own company before GM and were inspired by and started making airplanes and jets before making automobiles. Their headquarters and assembly plant and museum are all located in Trollhattan Sweden.
8. Not building any of their concept cars especially from Cadillac and Buick which have some of the Best and most Beautiful Concept cars out of All of the GM brands. If GM had built their concept cars Cadillac and Buick could have had some real profits and foot traffic into their showrooms. People of all ages especially Generation X and Millennials would be interested in both Cadillac and Buick. Their sales would have gone up had GM produced their concept cars but would be really expensive to create and build and then release them to the buying public.
9. Discontinuing the Cadillac 4.2 liter TT V8 engine with 500 HP that was in the 2020 Cadillac CT6-V. The engine should have been continued to be produced and should have been used in the All-New 2021 Cadillac Escalade as well as the Cadillac CT5-V and possibly the Cadillac CT4-V. Could have been used in the current C8 Corvette as well.
10. Using current Chevrolet and GMC platforms for current Buick models like the Encore GX, Envista and Envision as well as Enclave and producing them in China and Korea and importing them to the USA. Buick and Cadillac should be sharing and using current and future platforms and technology together. Maybe Buick could also develop and design their own vehicle platforms in the near future. All Future Cadillac and Buick vehicle platforms should be designed and built in North America and NOT in China or Korea. Buick could develop and design new models using Cadillac platforms. Examples would be:
Sollei= Riviera
Celestiq= Park Avenue
CT5= Regal
Optiq= Encore GX
Lyric= Envista
Vistiq= Envision
Escalade IQ= Enclave
10. Not getting the refreshed Xt5
11. Not Getting the Ct6
12. Replacing the V6 with Turbo 4s
No one wants their sedans. That’s what they’ll never tell you. From drive train problems to other inexcusable points. Yet they want $50, 000 for the vehicle. Seriously?
I see plenty of sedans from Tesla, Honda, Toyota, Kia. So the claim that people don’t want sedans is a flat out scapegoat lie. I always knew it was a lie. They don’t the balls to say, “People don’t want General Motor’s sedans.”
GM is the number one U.S. sales leader. Claiming they don’t understand what the public wants seems inaccurate. As a full-line automaker, they produce vehicles in almost every segment. While they’re not perfect, no automaker truly is.
No clearly the comment section of a blog knows what’s best!
Every segment? How about front wheel drive sedans, four seater sport coupes, competitive full size vans, a Wrangler/Bronco competitor, a Maverick competitor?
Some segments are not profitable.
Bronco Competitor: Trailblazer S10 4X4 in Latin America is the nearest.
Maverick Competitor: Chevrolet Montana exists
No sport coupe. Small economy sedans exist in other markets such as Latin America.
Clearly many things will NOT be profitable depending on the situation…unless you know it all and claim I do not know business…
Having owned several Cadillacs, through the 80’s, I converted to Mercedes, truly, vehicles engineered like no other. After retirement, I went back to a new XT5 Prem/Lux AWD in 1/24, & though aesthetically pleasing, overall quality, fit & finish rate at about 3 of 10. It is obvious that, even their “top quality” vehicles suffered with the last 10 years devoted to EV’s. I’ve had an ongoing issue with the “infotainment” system that the selling/servicing dealer cannot figure out. I can’t wait to go back to Mercedes. It’s crystal clear that Cadillac is no longer the crown jewel at GM, and are nothing more than an afterthought to the GM corral.
Mercedes cars have better quality, but buying one out of warranty? Good luck with one (unless it is a diesel)…get ready to PAY for its maintenance costs. German cars cost more in maintenance (depending on model) than Cadillac cars…
Do you really think MB cars don’t have issues???? Especially infotainment ones??? Better search in the web…..
Corvette,
Pouring billions into a mid-life crisis missile instead of the rest of the Chevy car lineup. It’s almost like Toyota putting all their resources into the Supra…
Let’s review. 2023 Corvette sales were the 2nd highest in history with 57,000 sold. 1st was 1979 with 57,700. Not bad for a car with an average sale price of about 100,000. It’s profitable. Armchair critics may have their opinions, but it’s the sales that tell the story. If only the other GM market segments were as successful… No need to pick on the Corvette.
Mary and Mark are driving GM over the cliff, getting rid of lower priced sedans and pushing their EV’s that no one wants!!
EV’s have a small place in the market but the market decides. You do not overbuild and then try to force them on consumers.
Toyota has the best quality and have been smart sticking with hybrids that people actually want.
GM treats their dealers and employees like $hit.
Toyota has the best quality- TELL THAT TO the owners of Tundras with blown engines…even MY25s are blowing up…
Like it or not if there was money to be made see in sedans and coupes they would be selling them. T he fact is there is little profit in the Bu or Camaro.
Sales have declined on near all sedan including Honda and Toyota.
They can sell more CUV models at a better profit and less incentives.
Killing Malibu is outrageous! The next Malibu required zero R&D and could have been a Buick LaCrosse minus the french stitching and higher end trims. The current front fascia doesn’t even look US Buick.
With Impala discontinued long wheelbase size no longer internally mattered and being a tweener could have eaten at Accord and Camry sales while keeping Kia-Hyandai at bay. Every Chevrolet should have Buick’s noise deafing technology that costs little and the brand sells 180,000 units.
GM, especially regarding Chevrolet, always misses the opportunity for excellence that would dazzle Consumer Reports and finally offer cars on par with rivals. Barra is too focused on quarterly profits/ margins thus factory space went to the new, bloated Bolt family competing directly against Nox EV. Adding an overnight shift could have even been a solution. Tooling shouldn’t have been a problem.
GM has great EVs but no Android/Apple will create the impression of a GM unable to compete with modern rivals. GM forcing drivers to re-upload tunes is a chore not worth it.
Lastly, the GM CFO who resigned because Barra refused to ssd pin off Cruise was 100% correct and should be begged back. Every automaker can buy autonomous driving technology provided GM a small advantage with no way to recoup billions. Cruise selling to Stellantis and Honda would have been a profit driver.
I’m not a huge Barra fan. She’s made good choices–Simcoe for design–but has increased debt while making every decision about short term Wall Street satisfaction. GM needs long-term planning. It cannot exist as an Americas only OEM. This is why selling Opel, just as it became break even, was an error.
Buick’s current Chinese vehicles, especially EV line up, would have been ideal for Opel. Opel could have reduced Russelheim staff or transferred contracts to GM Europe. Remember: Vast majority of current GM platforms such as those underpinning Nox, Malibu, Traverse, CT4, 5, and XT4 and 5 were dedicated in Germany.
A combo of Buick and Chevy rebadged would have cut costs, globalized Opel, and made it the best EV brand in Europe.
Barra destroys long-term viability for short term share price. With GM China in trouble, Europe is a needed market and Opel could have sold the best of GM.
IMO, the biggest failure they’ve undergone is the new design of Buick. I’ve always liked Buick, but the more I see new models on the roads, the more they’re starting to look like imports. And that’s because they originate from there. And they are UGLY!!! The new Enclave is especially just hideous and everything but the side profile of the truck is utterly terrible.
I also can’t get over the new logo. Who thought that looked ok?!?
How about the Valve Body Debacle!! Loads and Loads of trucks dead with bad valve bodies they can’t get parts for !! How about all the stupid electronic options that people don’t need, that constantly crap out and create chaos for Service Departments !!
If GM sticks with petrol, then they are finished in China where they already lost 40% of their market compared to last year. And soon they will lose market share in Brazil, Mexico and other countries where Chinese are gaining.
Lithium battery for EVs has fallen to just $97 / KWh and this will make them on parity with petrol vehicles in cost.
ALL the brands are losing market share in China ( especially) and México …..not even talking about other Asian countries, where Chinese brands will rule in less than 10 years ( where Japanese brands dominantes for a while )…..
PHEV are the best of tri-world rather than both worlds since they can run on
Electric (50 – 150 km range)
Petrol
Alcohol (Methanol & Ethanol)
CUV (crossovers) with van like space with co-passenger & rear seat(s) folded can carry huge items and if a provision is made for a sliding/removable roof can double down as pickup as well to carry items that dont fit in a van.
With CUV segment already having 50%+ market share in China, USA, EU and even in many developing countries, and PHEVs getting 10% market share globally and is fastest rising segment, what if all automakers narrow in on CUV design with PHEV instead of going with so many body styles like sedan, coupe, hatch, SUV, van, pickup, etc.
With Lithium battery price at $97 / KWh, its certain that more PHEVs that has the tri-world will gain more market share.
Another big fail is the lack of hybrids. The Equinox should have been launched with one. Put one in the Colorado/Canyon geared for MPG vs what Toyota did with the Tacoma, and I bet you would need to boost production of those trucklines.
Both Ford and GM made a huge mistake getting rid of sedans. I went to replace my 2017 Fusion Sport and there were not any American made sedan models to chose from. I don’t want an sUV, forcing me to go elsewhere. I endedupwith a Hyundai elantra Hybrid which gets 50 mpg and zero problems in 3 yesrs. if American manufacturers won’t build what the public wants, we will continue to buy from foreign manufacturers., who see there are plenty of edan customers left. Im a big Ford man and their discontinuing all cars but the Mustang was one of the worst moves by any manufacturer ever.