I should have bought that Daewoo

[Number_35]

Didn't Daewoo build cars under contract for GM? Is there some sort of link between Daewoo and the Chevy Aveo and Chevy Sonic?

I spotted a Daewoo in Bemidji Minnesota on one of our bike trips - I'd never seen one before. I don't think they were ever sold up here.

I did some work on my friend's Lada Niva some years ago. The valve cover was only $2 at the dealer, and yet I was OK without owning one myself.

 

[GumbyJarvis]

Originally Posted by Number_35
Didn't Daewoo build cars under contract for GM? Is there some sort of link between Daewoo and the Chevy Aveo and Chevy Sonic?

I spotted a Daewoo in Bemidji Minnesota on one of our bike trips - I'd never seen one before. I don't think they were ever sold up here.

I did some work on my friend's Lada Niva some years ago. The valve cover was only $2 at the dealer, and yet I was OK without owning one myself.

GM bought Daewoo. It's now GM Korea.

The Aveo was a rebadged Daewoo

The second generation Aveo is the Sonic.

 

[eljefino]

And here I am thinking $4 shipped for brake shoes for my prius was a bargain!

(These were brand new in a shop-worn box and they grab great, vs the originals that still had meat left but must have been glazed or hardened with time.)

Daewoo got their big moment in the limelight in the late 1980s making awful hatchbacks for GM that GM then called the "Pontiac LeMans", but not the sweet LeMans from the 70s and before that we all actually remember.

 

[fdcg27]

There was a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealer here who opened a stand-alone Daewoo store back in the day.
It was gone along with the marque in a few years time.
I can understand why a dealer principle would have jumped at the chance.
After all, they would by then have missed out on the opportunities offered earlier by Toyota, Datsun and Honda and between Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo, it would have been pretty much a coin flip as to which to choose and Kia and Hyundai had already signed up plenty of dealers by the time Daewoo came along and the two surviving Korean brands weren't all that well regarded when Daewoo took their shot.
Never heard anything really bad from anyone who owned one of these cars and they were certainly no worse than many of the era from other makers.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted by 5AcresAndAFool
Back when I was young, dumb and poor (Now Im middle age, dumb and poor) I looked at a 99 Daewoo Lanos with red "leather" inserts on a black leather seat. I bought a 99 Kia Sephia instead which I put a had 100k miles on and I mean HARD.
Well today I looked on Rock Auto for some reason and Brake pads for a Lanos, can be had for just over 1.00, Raybestoes brand to boot. There is a no name brand made out of compressed cow poop for 1.11
If Only I bought that Lanos, drove it 20 years, I might be on my way to being independently wealthy now....
You bought the better car. The only way that any car built in a Daewoo plant would last 20 years is if you parked it in a garage and put it on blocks.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

I had my Sephia for 6 or 7 years put over 100k on it. I maintained it very well, and it was a ok car overall. It had an issue with doors freezing in the winter, which required me to keep up on spraying everything with silicone to keep the door seals freezing to the body. I had to replace a starter, and the rest was maintenance I believe.

One thing about that car is if it got to near -10 or so it simply would not start, It always cranked ok but would not fire. This went on over the years, it was not the fuel, nor anything mechanical I could find, I always wondered if it wasn't the ecm programming or something. I got to the point if it were to get that cold out I simply would let it run.

Funny thing was when I was working at a dealership we had a Kia Rio on the lot, a late model low mileage unit, I was -5 or so and would crank but not start. Got it into the shop thawed it out and it was good to go again we could not find any mechanical or electronic issues. I just figured they were just not good winter cars.

 

[dja4260]

I just bought front brakes for my Highlander for $8.11 from RA. I feel like I got ripped off!

 

[4WD]

[/quote]
GM bought Daewoo. It's now GM Korea.
The Aveo was a rebadged Daewoo
The second generation Aveo is the Sonic.
[/quote]

Just a car deal - shipbuilding (DSME) and other industries rock on

 

[ls1mike]

My mother in law had one. I remember thinking "Why did you buy that pile" I dreaded it because I would ultimately maintain it.

She delivered news papers with it. It had a miserable life. Brakes and timing belt in 162,000 miles.

Much better than the cars that followed which she delivered papers in. A 2004 Ford Focus and 2009 Kia Optima.

I was surprised at how well the Daewoo did. I figured it was going to be a nightmare. I was a good little car for here.