Discontinued Cars: Consumer Reports

FAQs for car buyers: Should I buy a Chrysler or GM?; Are rebates and deals available?; Is government help available?; Can I get financing?; What models will be available?; What if your dealership folds?
FAQs for car owners: Is my warranty backed?; What if my dealer closes?; What if I want to sell my car?; What if my brand is discontinued?; Will parts and service be available?
Chrysler: Chrysler reduces dealers; What does bankruptcy mean?; Chrysler to delay 2010 models; Chrysler and Fiat reliability; Chrysler bankruptcy, Fiat merger
GM: GM closes 1,100 dealerships; GM viability plan, Pontiac cut; GM closes factories; Saturn dealers closing
Resources: ChryslerRestructuring.com; GM.com

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What happens if my car’s brand is sold or discontinued?

Among its U.S. brands, GM has announced that it will phase out Pontiac by the end of 2010, is selling Hummer and Saturn, and is in talks to sell Saab.

Regardless of what happens to those brands, GM has said that it will continue to provide warranty support and parts for discontinued models. But for phased-out brands, you might have to go to a dealership for one of the automakers' other brands to get dealer service.

For brands that have been bought, the new owner may continue to provide warranty support and parts for current owners, although details have not been released yet. Follow the Auto Crisis category on our Cars Blog for the latest updates.

For more advice, see What If My Dealer Goes Out of Business?

A likely problem for vehicles of discontinued brands is lower resale values. For more on this, see, What If I Want to Sell or Trade In My Car