Opel Blazer ad

I am writing in response to General Motors latest ad to catch clients for their Opel Blazer.

May I suggest that GM would be better to improve on the car's quality and/or real after-sale service because current car owners would be GM's best advertisers.

I was going to buy a Nissan Terrano but my wife persuaded me to go for the Blazer as she felt it looks nicer. Generally, the car is a good product but like all technical products, it has occasional hiccups and problems and the factory should attend to these promptly, should they be interested in return customers.

Look at the Volkswagen, how people buy it again and again, and how Japanese manufacturers adapt to each country various conditions/demands.

I find the Blazer has problems with its horn, windshield, headlights and gear system because when I talk to other Blazer owners, they seem to be experiencing the same problems.

I have faxed PT GM regarding my following problems:

a. It seems that the horn does not function at speeds over 80 kilometers or when accelerating fast. I was told that the pad in the steering well is hard and it takes some familiarization to find the right spot. I feel that a horn is an important item and one should not have to fiddle around, it should work from the usual spot any and all time, and it should not need an athletic person to push it. GM agents on Jl. Fatmawati tried to fix it, but it still does not work at high speeds.

b. The windshield looks milky on rainy dark nights and it is difficult to see. I have tried all solutions on the market to no avail. GM recommends going to a "car boutique". And all this after only one-and-half years. Our Kijang is almost nine years old and the windshield is still as good as its first days.

c. The headlights may be all right in the U.S. and Europe, where streetlighting is bright but in Jakarta and out-of-town driving, brighter lights are required. GM does not encourage adding to the headlights because it will not be responsible for any consequences. Both our Toyota cars seem to have brighter lights and there are no problems to change the headlights to obtain better output, or to add headlights. Again, it seems the Japanese make a real effort to assure their vehicles are safe in countries like Indonesia and Thailand.

Also, two weeks ago, I was out of town when suddenly the battery did not work and we had to push the car. Although I had parked the car for only a few hours, the battery was dead. I had bought the GS battery only two months ago from GM's agent, Fontana Indah. I faxed Fontana and also PT GM on July 9 to complain about the battery so that they could check into the battery manufacturer's record to see whether they have a problem with their production. I can accept that sometimes there are some faults along the manufacturing or inspection line, but until today, I have not received any news with regard to my complaint and concerning any warranty on this battery.

If they wish to keep their clients or their relative good name, I hope PT GM will check into its customer service department.

D. CHAMPEL

Jakarta