A coworker has an 2000 Vert, auto, most options. She has already had hassles with the rear diff leaking which we are all too familiar with. I own an 02 Z06 and mine does it... And the front filling with water from the heater/condensor or some such. We're not really friends but she gave me the rundown on all the issues she has had with this car. It's a lemon. Doesn't even have 40K on it yet. But now it is out of the warranty she got when she bought it used from that dealership.

She has had it in the dealership 5 times now for ABS problems. Her indication is always the "Service ABS" warning. Dealership told her it was a sensor first. Replaced it. Then next it was a different wheel's sensor. Then it was something to do with needing to replace the front sensor, caliper, rotor on the original wheel. Then 4th time it was some other excuse that didn't work. Now on the 5th trip they are telling her they've decided it must be the ABS computer and assembly (since it's the only thing they hadn't guessed at so far). So of course they throw a quote at her for $2500+ but they won't guarantee that will fix it.

So my question is how would she escalate this through GM. The dealer is just acting like she has no recourse. For anyone who has been down this road could you please let me know how the process goes and who she should contact?

PS: This is not a "let's bash GM thread". I tried searching the forum but really wasn't sure what keywords to use.

Thanks, Graham

 

She needs to present her case to the Zone Rep with all documentation. It is possible they will eat it, but it might be a battle.

 

She should call the Zone Office and talk to a Factory Rep!

 

Ok so far so good. I have never had to fight with GM since I rarely ever buy a new car under warranty. So please excuse my ignorance. But what is a Zone Rep? And most importantly how do I find out who this is and their contact info (phone, address, etc.)

Thanks.

 

Lets see... She has a 5 year old USED car... And she wants, What? the zone rep tell the dealership to hire a good mechanics that can fix things?
Her best bet is to forget the dealer, and find a good independent Corvette shop, or at least a good mechanic who is familiar with them.
Dealership mechanics are there for one reason only, and that is to fix warranty problems on new cars. The dealership has no problem with a tech throwing a bunch of parts at a car and hope that it fixes the problem. They don't pay for the parts, and a mechanic who can swap parts fast is the one they want. The factory pays squat for diagnostic time, so the mechanic is money ahead if he just changes a bunch of parts.
Now you come in with your 5 year old car, and these guys have no idea of how to trace and diagnose problems, so they sell you a bunch of parts and hope that it fixed the problem. When it doesn't, they quote a ridiculous price so you will go away.
Find an independent 'Vette mechanic and avoid the dealership, In the long run, the time and aggravation will far outway any "policy adjustment" you might be able to wraggle the zone rep for.

 

THIS IS 100% TRUE, This message should be a 'sticky' at the tpo of all the forums!

 

While I won't disagree with Atascadero_Kid. I've only had 1 car in the dealership under a warranty claim and they fixed it asap. It wasn't my Vette but it was a Chevy at a GM dealership. I understand your point all too well. That's why the Vette will never see the inside of a dealer garage. I can pull parts and guess myself... Pretty sad when you think about it though

But that is not the info I was looking for. I was looking for how to find the Zone/Area rep? Anyone?

She is willing to escalate this and chase after them and push the issue.

Graham

 

I believe the dealer is required to provide this info. when requested. I've read that they must even post the # in the service dept. Good luck. In my experience with GM everything is always normal tolerance this, acceptable vibration that. Ooops. i'm bashing again.

 

I would suggest going to a different dealer first.

 

From my experience...
I have 2001 coupe purchased new and I've had most of the common problems except replacing the rings!!! Leaking diff, loose hubnut, warped brakes, sucky parking brake, window control module failure, fuel pump failure, split'n seat bolster, rocking driver's seat rails, squeaky headlight doors, door speaker rattles, and faulty hazard button which cause the signals to not work.... hmmm... I think that's about it! All of this is documented and can be pulled up by any dealership... so they can see their own track record of problems/items fixed.

I took all my problems into the dealership... documented, supporting problems from our corvetteforum threads, and GM service doc's! I got nothing but, "So what do you want us to do???" and "So we don't understand what problem you are having???" and "We've had other cars with more problems than yours!" <----- Actual quotes!!! NO polishing of the story here! They even told me that they don't like people bringing anything from the internet into their establishment!
Then I was told... Well, sorry Sir but we aren't GM!!!
Folks... the folder I brought in was thick!!! Enough supporting reading material because they will tell you that your problems have never been seen at their dealership before!!! <---What a LIE!

I spoke to a Regional Rep. and he said... "Well Sir, there is nothing I can do about a car with 40000+ miles on it! Bring it back in and we will look at it again!!!"

I also filed a case with GM and they never returned my Phone call like they promised. So I called back and basically vented on one lady... I feel bad for doing it but nobody wanted to help me. Not even an offer of a free oil change!

Honestly... I wish you luck! I hope your issues are handled better than my situation because GM and CHEVY sucks at CUSTOMER SERVICE!

 

Sorry but GM is going to do nothing about a 6 year old car. The dealer is an INDEPENDANT service provider and this is not a warranty issue.

Good luck

 

The dealer will provide the Zone Rep for the car. I met the zone rep for our area and the car was out of warranty but the problem was repetitive. The zone rep was authorized to OK the repairs. They can also make a deal with you on the percentage you pay if that is what they want to do. While the dealer doesn't care much when it is out of warranty you can get some satisfaction out of GM.
Also the manual should have the toll free customer rep number but the dealer can definitely give you the zone rep number. At least try it-it worked for me.
Good luck. Jim

 

"Dealership mechanics are there for one reason only, and that is to fix warranty problems on new cars."

I disagree with this statement because I know the auto dealership business.

1. If a dealership only made money by selling cars they would be out of business real quick.
2. If a dealership only made money by fixing warranty problems they would also be out of business real quick.

A dealer makes his money from the Service Dept. Having his service bay full of out of warranty cars is money in the bank for the dealer. The factory will only pay a small amount for warranty compared to what a car out of warranty costs to get fixed at a dealership.

 

Good luck.

 

Flat rate from GM to change rings under warranty 01 C5 - 18 hours
Actual time taken - 24 hours

Some dealerships pay the techs a commission on parts, others do not. Suggest that you find service shop where the latter is the case. A friend who is a mechanic quit a Mopar shop because he could not handle the greed. Little old lady comes in for new brakes and goes out with a new transmission as well.

 

With the latest announcements from GM and Ford "Zone Rep's" are probably out looking for another job rather than solving our problems!

Good Luck!

 

I agree that the dealership should be able to tell you the number of the zone rep. If not, GM customer service should be able to. It is worth a shot with the zone rep - my brother had a problem with the heated seats in his Impala and it was out of warranty. He called GM and although it took him a little while to get it worked out, they ended up replacing the seat, saving him about $1K in repair costs.

 

I had some similar issues when I first bought my 02 coupe. The dealer could not find the problem and waited until the factory warranty expired. Then they figured it out just after the factory warranty expired and my extended warranty took over. Then they wanted to charge me the $100 deductible. I told them I was not paying for the deductible no matter what since I took the car to them twice. They ended up eating it.

I know your problem is worse, but it sounds like they are giving the lady the run-around since she is a lady. Also sounds like they don't know how to work on vettes--I'd try another dealership.

Good luck.

 

Thanks folks. I'll start making some calls and get her hooked up with the right person. She has all the receipts and paperwork showing the dealer has already worked on this 3 or 4 times. The 1st 2 times were before the warranty ended. They are now saying it is a different ABS problem. I don't think they have a clue. The code is the same every time.

I'll post back and let you know what the end result was. It might take a while...

Thanks.

 

You can contact your local office of the Better Business Bureau and file a claim against the dealership. The BBB will have her file her claim in writing and the dealer will be given the same opportunity. The BBB will attempt to negotiate the case, but if both parties cannot come to a mutual agreement, then the claim will be forwarded to a BBB Arbitrator. The BBB arbitrators are local businesspersons who are selected and paid for by the BBB. The arbitrator will have both parties come in to his/her office at the same time for an arbitration hearing. In my case I was personally in the arbitrator's office and the dealership representative was on the speakerphone as he was out of state. We both told our sides of the story, which was tape-recorded, and we both supplied all of our receipts and written documentation for the record. The arbitrator rendered his decision within 10 working days. If the dealer is a member of the BBB, then the arbitration is binding.