Complain about a product or service

GM Throws a One-Week Sale

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

February 13, 2007

• Truck and SUV Sales Plunge in August • GM Aims High-Mileage Cruze At U.S. Market • GM Offers Employee Prices to Spur Slow Sales • U.S. Consumers Favor Japanese and German Automakers • Automakers Report Huge Drop in Sales • GM Cuts Prices for February • Toyota Sales for 2007 May Surpass GM • New GM Sale May Challenge Bargain Hunters • GM Hangs on as World's No. 1 Automaker • Saturn Outlook Gets High Marks from Consumer Reports • Summer Car Sales Start to Sizzle • Consumer Reports Lists Best New Car Deals • Chrysler Dumps Remaining 2006 Inventory on Used Car Market --- • More about Auto Sales ...

General Motors, in a one-week effort to unload unsold cars and trucks left over from January, is offering zero percent financing or $500 bonus cash to consumers who will drive off one of the vehicles cluttering dealers' lots.

Don't be fooled by the television advertisements however. Not all GM cars or trucks are part of the sales deal and all of the incentives will not be available everywhere in the country.

The bonus cash is on the table for consumers in the Midwest and Northeast and zero percent financing is part of the deal for up to five years on some cars and trucks everywhere else. The free financing will be available in the Midwest and Northeast only for 2006 and 2007 model year GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickups.

The GM sales promotion does not include hot sellers like the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Saturn Vue Hybrid and medium-duty trucks. The Cadillac, Hummer and Saab brands are not part of either the bonus cash or zero percent financing program either.

The GM sale runs until February 20.

GM has repeatedly avoided big discount programs when other automakers offered incentive deals. The GM strategy is focused on at higher profitability at the risk of reduced sales.

Now GM is trying to boost sales following a nearly 17 percent decline in demand in January. GM's incentives in January were at their lowest level since 2002 averaging $2,365. DaimlerChrysler averaged $3,853 and Ford Motor Co. $3,502 in January.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |