quick04Z06

Corvettes are increasingly complex, and the new C8 promises to be even more so. In looking at dealer service departments, is there any guidance Chevrolet provides about which service departments and mechanics are trained and equipped to service Corvettes? Is there any reliable source of complaints against particular service departments that a consumer can access? How would you suggest a new Corvette owner evaluate and choose a dealer service department or particular mechanic within any service department? Thanks.

MMD

Doubt you will be able to obtain specific information that you're looking for. Bad reviews could make a person legally liable and subject to civil litigation. You can go to the Regional Forums on CF and occasionally you can get a nugget or 2 that will point you in a direction you might want to explore further.

quick04Z06

Chevy should certify Corvette dealer service depts. That is where I am heading with this.

MMD

They have certified Corvette mechanics. Have you never been to a Chevy dealer before?

quick04Z06

Delightful answer. If I have to physically go to a dealer, talk to a service manager, ask if he has a certified mechanic, see if I can actually talk to the mechanic (you sure won't be able to do so by phone), find out if he has all of the tools or just the training, etc., that is just too much.

And have you ever had a car need repair away from home before?

If I go to a Porsche dealer, I know they can service Porsches.

I want to be able to go online and see every Corvette certified "dealer" and know that this means the business has at least 3 certified mechanics (people do take vacations or get sick), that they are certified in all areas of Corvette repair, that the dealership service dept has all of the right tools, software and manuals, and will be held accountable by Chevy if the car is not serviced correctly. In short, what a premium brand should have.

But, I wanted Tadge to answer my question and see how close Chevy has gotten to doing this correctly and what if anything Tadge suggests along these lines.

MMD

They have a remarkable invention, it's called a cell phone. Try using that. You can also get assistance from Onstar if you want info regarding nearest Chevy dealers and contact info. You can also get information from your Navigation system to track you closest Chevy dealer. There is so much information online I am surprised you ask these questions. Chevy dealers will be glad to let you know if they have certified Corvette mechanics. I have used all these suggestions and have never had difficulty getting info I need. You should get out more.

quick04Z06

Cute.

RapidC84B

To sell a Corvette the dealer must have the required tool kit for each new generation and have trained technicians... to GM that's "certified". Sure they could do more to have "gold tier award" ratings or something like that. Trick is to go to the various dealers around you and go meed the SA before you need service. You will quickly figure out if their a straight shooter, or an idiot. Or, use your local Corvette club as a resource. We have four close dealers and only one is "acceptable". They've done good work for me, but some folks will drive an hour away to another dealer out of town. Suck, but it's the nature of the beast. A tech once told me he could make a lot more money doing brake pads on Cobalts vs. technical repairs on Corvettes. GM warranty time isn't great and it's hard to turn a lot of hours on a more complex vehicle. As such, finding a tech who's really passionate about being a Corvette specialist is getting harder.

Batman 357

There is a big need for dealer service accountability.

jvp

Well since they're independently owned and operated, and not part of GM, there's only so much accountability to be had.

James Dean

It's really scary how even now in 2019 some dealers don't have alignment machines capable of getting a 2001 Z06 on the lift. Or how they do not know how to perform a dry sump oil change.

Usually it boils down to not wanting to pay the Corvette/Master Tech 0.3 for an oil change and lose MORE money but my local Chevrolet Dealer charges 192.50 per hour since they also have a Nissan/BMW/Mercedes franchise they just set one rate.

I have had very few good experiences as a customer when I myself am an ex-service manager.

vince clortho

I don’t care about dealer service. Any new vehicle should go to the end of warranty with virtually no repairs. After that, go to an independent shop. The whole dealership model is asinine. I should be able to go to the GM website and order a car with no haggling and have it dropped off at my house.

Bill Dearborn

That isn't true of any man made product. If they were capable of going to the end of the current warranty without failure there wouldn't be any need for a warranty and the extra cost built into the price of the product to pay for the warranty. Newly produced items are more likely to fail than items that have been around and used for a while until late in the life cycle when things begin wearing out and failures start to ramp up quickly. Look up the Bathtub Curve: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_curve This is why you don't purchase an over 3 year old used extremely low mile car without cost consideration for the lack of a warranty. They don't deserve a price premium they deserve a price consideration as they haven't passed through the infant mortality phase of their life cycle.

Bill