NASTYC7

So I took my car in for an oil change, fuel thingy recall, a clicking noise in front tire and roof gasket.


Get the car back a day later.I didn't like one fix saying it was my roof panel causing the clicking. I said that sounds odd but if it's fixed whatever. On the way home I smell burning oil. Figured tech touched header or something. I don't drive this car everyday. I get a call from service telling about survey and how important it is. I said no problem.


The next drive I again smell oil burning only when coming to a stop and it wouldn't do it every time and was just random. I open the hood look around, let it run in the drive way for about 15 minutes no oil on ground, but I noticed after looking up from the hood I had swirl marks in my paint.... SOB!!! I don't swirl my cleaning rags when I hand wash.. I am the only one who washes it. So the dealer did it. I won't be able to prove it so it is what it is. I will make sure they do not wash my car after service.


3rd drive the clicking comes back, the oil smell is there. before I pull into the parking spot into the garage I see a small puddle of oil. Now I am livid. late afternoon dealer service is closed. Call the next day.


But that night I get my survey. I tell it like it is. What's the point in a survey if you lie about your experience right. I said customer service was great just was not happy with the bogus story about the wheel clicking and that it was fixed and was extremely upset a tech could not properly tighten a drain plug. At the end of the survey it asks if you want to give your name, so I went back up to the comments and said. I really don't have a choice because this is not a Chevy cruise and my issues will point right to the BLUE CORVETTE...


I have the wife take the car in. With a hand written note. saying I wanted the drain plug and filter checked, then new filter and oil, then I wanted the underneath power washed and I wanted the clicking checked out again.AND DO NOT WASH THE CAR!!


The next day I get a call from service explaining the "oil leak" was coming from the pan gasket and they were changing the gasket and they are having a hard time finding the clicking noise. so they will need it a couple of days. I said I don't care what you tell yourself and do to make it look like it was a faulty pan gasket, just make sure the tech properly tightens the filter and plug this time.


At the end of the call I get a little song and dance on how I hurt him with the bad survey and he wished I didn't do that and next time come to him first. Alright F.U. This was my experience and I said what needed to be said. Now this guy has the nerve to try and make me feel bad about shotty work, instead of saying " Hey I got your survey and I am sorry you feel this way I will make sure this time around you will get the service I intended for you the first time" or something to that nature not a "How could you do this to me" song and dance.


So now I pick up the car they can't locate the clicking, I said if you took apart the wheel to look it probably went away like last time. He said they did not touch the wheel they just could never duplicate it. Fine as long as it is noted on record and I die from the wheel flying off in a corner should be enough for the wife's lawyer to get a chunk of change for her. I mean I can't believe what they tell me anymore, but why wouldn't you inspect the bearings and proper nut torque on wheel??


He said we did not wash your car like you requested.. OK but next time don't park it where rusty water drips on it...Really??


Now on the way home I check the oil meter.... 94% Did they change it? or did they just tighten the nut.. Paperwork said they replaced gasket, oil and filter, but yet didn't reset the meter..


Guess next survey is really going to hurt them. New dealership is going to get my business and let's hope they are a little better at their jobs. I let a lot of things slide on the most part but the lies and not checking/resetting the meter, tire pressures (which they needed air) and not taking the tire off to inspect everything to be OK, because I plainly said right front tire is clicking on full lock turn to the left.

DAFFYDRUNK

Really dreading the day I need to have my car worked on more and more. I'd hate to be a typical dbag Corvette owner but I feel there's no choice. How insulted would the service guys be if I put a note on the steering wheel pointing to the bag of jacking pucks and a note with detailed instructions of what I want done and what I do not want done? They'd probably **** in the gas tank and try to charge me for some fuel additive.

Vegas1500

I dread the day but unfortunately the OP's story is all to common. Some people just don't understand how to treat a car. 25 years ago I started writing notes on explicit instructions and got the SM to sign off on them. I always tell them under no circumstance is the car to be washed. I often try and speak directly to the tech working on the car. It's very frustrating that getting our pride and joy worked on should be so stressful.

DAFFYDRUNK

So they're cool about it and don't give you attitude? Haven't done service visit notes yet but I've always bought used and have been able to fix most things myself. This car being new is just about perfect though and an unnecessary new scuff would be a bummer. There is a thread about a scratch on a guy's steering wheel caused at the dealer. I was initially thinking that the C7 owner was being a whiner, but really I think I'd be pissed too.

JoeD-C8

This is my first Corvette but service is service. I always make a point of meeting the service manager and finding out just how many employees there are. My first service will be coming this week and I will bring donuts. Always a people pleaser and it goes a long way. It is a nice thing to do and goes a long way.
Just a guess but those guys have a thankless job and if you can make it better they will always remember you and your Vette.

As far as the service folks go, they all have bosses, time to seek one out, whether it be in the dealership or in the region. It isn't personal, these are normal expectations, if the dealership gets offended, so be it. You should always leave the dealership satisfied that all there a are professionals and your car gets treated with respect.

SRQStingray

After experiencing two really bad service departments, my oil is changed in my buddy's shop. I am under the car and see everything as it happens. Warranty work happens 55 miles away at a dealership that sells hundreds of Vettes. Even the name of the dealership is appropriate.

C7Joy

Bad experiences for sure. I prefer to do my own oil changes just to avoid situations like those described. I have also has 2 cars swirled by improper dealer washes. That really sucks!

meyerweb

I've said it before: The achilles heel of this car is the Chevy brand. We're paying Lexus prices for our cars and getting Chevy Cobalt levels of service. If Chevy would actually act on poor service surveys, and yank a few franchises, I bet you'd see quality at the remaining dealers take a sudden jump. The surveys are a joke to make buyers think GM cares. But as long as people keep buying Corvettes, Chevy couldn't care less what happens after the sale.

DAFFYDRUNK

I'd almost be a little leary of giving a honest or bad survey. If you go back, they might just decide to retaliate and really earn a bad survey. GM needs to re weight the survey so it's not all or nothing. In its current form its essentially worthless to the consumer unless you're planning on trashing the dealership and moving on to another one. Also, in its current form, these surveys have next to no value for marketing or quality control feedback. Garbage in garbage out.

I recently did a survey for my 15 vert that I got through Macmulkin. Half the questions didn't even apply but I was happy with how everything went down, so I made some $hit up and gave em 100% on everything.

slick316

I haven't completed my GM survey because of issues I've had with the service department just a week after I bought the car. One of the questions was regarding the likelihood to recommend the dealer to a friend or relative and I cannot answer 10 or whatever the best score is. I am never going back to that dealer under any circumstance.

But at the same time, I would feel bad for not recommending the dealer on the survey because I didn't have issues with the sale. I just hate the fact that dealerships try to make the sales side and service side two separate entities. Sorry, its the same thing to me.

I have chosen to not complete the survey.

TennisFreak

OP I completely understand your frustration and have done the same thing before (at a Toyota dealership) in regards to a negative survey due to poor service.

The survey must have hurt them pretty bad because they went out of their way to make me happy and even gave me several hundred dollars in free "credit" at the service department.
They must have also marked my account with "Dont f_ck with this guy" because every visit after that they made sure I was 100% happy before I drove off.

After talking with the service manager I realized that while the things that were wrong were their fault maybe instead of leaving angry I should have had them address the issues.

Anyways on my last car I took the approach of telling them anything I was not happy with before I left. It worked out pretty well and no need to give the service center bad surveys.

Its a little disappointing to know that I have to go over the car with a fine tooth comb before I leave but it is what it is.

69L79

Basically, I equate going to the Dealer with going to the Electric Chair.

Vegas1500

I think it's all how you approach it. I ask the service writer to speak to the SM or shop foreman. Explain that I am real **** about my car and would like to go over a few things. He then gets the notes put on the WO so it is noted. Proceed from there. They may hate it behind my back........but I don't care. If that's what it takes to try and get competent service...

BWFitz

Pretty much the same experience here. Ordered my car with black wheels, it came in with silver. Nav doesn't work, PDR doesn't work and the radio is hosed. They tell me the nav/radio/pdr problem needs a new module and there won't be any for a month. To get the wheels done wanted the car returned so thay could send the wheels out for powdercoat so I bring it back and wait three days. no car. Then they tell me it takes two days for the powdercoating to cure which is BS. All powders cure in 20 minutes between 375 and 400 degrees. Two days later they tell me they can't get the tires mounted. Finally after two weeks of dancing ariound I get the car back.

Two more weeks of waiting and they tell me the module is in and to bring it back. I get on the ramp an 6:30 when they open, no appointment. Some fool cancelled it. Sigh. They take the car, I call for status at 2:00 and they tell me the car is finished but the paperwork on a warranty return is just sooo complicated to fill out that i can't pick the car up until the following day. Call the following day and they tell me the paperwoirk isn't finished and they will not release the car. Same story next day. I call the Corporate Customer Service line, explain the problem to a very nice lady named Christine. An hour later, the Stealer calls and says my car can be picked up. Swirled paint, scuff marks on the door panel on the drivers side, mud on the carpets and 300 more miles on the clock than it had when I brought it in. E-mail to Christine at corporate with photos and a PDF of the service sheet showing incoming mileage and I get apology and a year addition on my Sirius XM subscription. The following day the Service manager calls complaining that I lied about the mileage. Not only will I never go there for service but I filed a criminal complaint for 'unauthorized use' with the local PD. They took copies of the worksheet and recorded the mileage. Case is still pending.

For all of you that have a complaint about service, call the Corporate Customer Care line. They have a way of REALLY getting the dealers attention. Remember, the profit the dealer makes on the sale of a car is the "holdback" and corporate can change that at will. And they do! It affects every sale for that year, not just one car so believe me, it will get their attention.

blkvett01

I will trade you!

One motor and drive shaft 6 weeks in dealer!

500 miles later one drive shaft 2 weeks in dealer! Car come back to me with grease on the seat red lol takes me few times to get the drivers seat clean. Car is so dirty that I thought it was now brown! It is white lol. Oh also the broke the hood struts and had leak in radiator hose and few more things just saying.

300 miles later one more drive shaft and I am waiting 2 more weeks. I will see what it looks like this time.

GM will not talk to me, send letter for lemon law. Service manager says GM may make one payment for being in shop so long lol.

YES it is 14 build on line 822 only 10 k miles and out of 10 months owning the car it has been in the dealer for 2 months total.

The dealer seems to be doing good job but they could do a little better.

So I understand your complaint but remember there is a bunch of us with the known drive shaft problem that GM is hit or miss on admitting that they should fix our cars right or replace it do to so many failures.

Good luck and hang in there it can be worse.

MikeLsx

agreed. I have a BMW M3 to sit a long side my vette, i do like the service a lot more over there at BMW.

but this why GM gives us a long lasting warranty lol.

Bucknut2006

I always answer the surveys honestly. It's a tool for them to be proactive with their service, not reactive if they get a bad score.

Koufax

I guess I'm lucky. I go to a dealership that sells lots of GM cars but probably hasn't sold a new Corvette in years. (Too near MacMulkin, not competitive). They treat me like a minor celebrity when I bring my C5 into the shop, they have a young guy who knows his Corvettes, and they are prompt and courteous. Of course it helps that I've never had a problem with the car, only oil changes and needed assistance with a couple of mods that I did not want to complete myself.

LHarper

I could not agree more with you. I have experienced great and terrible dealer services. Large gamble when the car approaches $100,000 and you read these kind of stories.

Busa Dave

WOW--I always -- always -- provide a written notification the first time in--also documents the total time! This has gotten me 3 different vehicles in the past and working on my Vette right now...


In accordance with TEXAS MOTOR VEHICLECOMMISSION CODE (ARTICLE 4413(36) VERNON’S TEXAS CIVIL LEMON LAW STATUTES)Section 6.07 Warranty Performance Obligations you are herebyformally notified of the following known defects of the subject vehicle: