Dealership Woes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 157
Likes: 38
From: Mount Pleasant SC
Dealership Woes
I am convinced that the biggest problem with Corvettes is the fact that they are sold and serviced by Chevrolet dealers. They seem to be better equipped to service Malibus and Impalas, but not anything borderline exotic. I know there are exceptions, but my experience today has me shaking my head in disgust. My 19 GS was due its first service. I arrived at the dealership early so it wouldn't screw up my entire Saturday. They checked me in and took the car in the back. 30 minutes later, the advisor said there was "bad news". The GS takes 10 qts of oil and they only have 8. I told them to pick up the other two quarts somewhere. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Apparently, the spec changed on the oil for 2019 and nobody has any in stock around here. They supposedly called every GM dealer as well as retail auto parts stores and nothing. They DRAINED the old oil before they discovered this. I left the dealership driving a Hyundai Santa Fe instead of my new GS. It is hard to believe that they would schedule a job two weeks in advance and NOT make sure that they have the parts in stock to do the job. Now it will be Monday or Tuesday until I get it back. Very frustrating.
Popular Reply
Jul 21, 2018, 10:46 PM
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,746
Likes: 916
If they don't have the oil by Monday or Tuesday, I would have them top it off with good ol' Mobil 1 5W-30 and call it good, unless you are planning to run it on a track once you get it back.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,652
Likes: 2,106
From: Left Coast, San Diego
I am convinced that the biggest problem with Corvettes is the fact that they are sold and serviced by Chevrolet dealers. They seem to be better equipped to service Malibus and Impalas, but not anything borderline exotic. I know there are exceptions, but my experience today has me shaking my head in disgust. My 19 GS was due its first service. I arrived at the dealership early so it wouldn't screw up my entire Saturday. They checked me in and took the car in the back. 30 minutes later, the advisor said there was "bad news". The GS takes 10 qts of oil and they only have 8. I told them to pick up the other two quarts somewhere. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Apparently, the spec changed on the oil for 2019 and nobody has any in stock around here. They supposedly called every GM dealer as well as retail auto parts stores and nothing. They DRAINED the old oil before they discovered this. I left the dealership driving a Hyundai Santa Fe instead of my new GS. It is hard to believe that they would schedule a job two weeks in advance and NOT make sure that they have the parts in stock to do the job. Now it will be Monday or Tuesday until I get it back. Very frustrating.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 157
Likes: 38
From: Mount Pleasant SC
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,822
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I am convinced that the biggest problem with Corvettes is the fact that they are sold and serviced by Chevrolet dealers. They seem to be better equipped to service Malibus and Impalas, but not anything borderline exotic. I know there are exceptions, but my experience today has me shaking my head in disgust. My 19 GS was due its first service. I arrived at the dealership early so it wouldn't screw up my entire Saturday. They checked me in and took the car in the back. 30 minutes later, the advisor said there was "bad news". The GS takes 10 qts of oil and they only have 8. I told them to pick up the other two quarts somewhere. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Apparently, the spec changed on the oil for 2019 and nobody has any in stock around here. They supposedly called every GM dealer as well as retail auto parts stores and nothing. They DRAINED the old oil before they discovered this. I left the dealership driving a Hyundai Santa Fe instead of my new GS. It is hard to believe that they would schedule a job two weeks in advance and NOT make sure that they have the parts in stock to do the job. Now it will be Monday or Tuesday until I get it back. Very frustrating.
Bill
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,448
Likes: 160
From: JARRELL TEXAS
Don't feel bad guy's I had to order 0-40W Penz Euro Ultra from Wal Mart to do my oil change in my Dodge Charge Scat Pack 392. Yup dealer had 0 as did Autozone, O'Reilly's & Advanced Auto. Got shipped to my door free in the same time as the other 4. I DIY my own as I don't trust any of these oil jockey's. Cadillac over filed my 14 ATS 2.0T by a qt. So much for free oil changes. Besides I have a 4 post lift at my shop.
Just did the Vette before a 11 day 2,400 trip.
Just did the Vette before a 11 day 2,400 trip.
Last edited by oemtech; Jul 21, 2018 at 10:22 PM.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 655
Likes: 114
From: Orange County, Southern California
Well, I have stated it before - not all dealerships are bad. I've been very satisfied with mine, and have used them for decades (DeLillo Chevrolet in Huntington Beach). No, I do not work for them or paid or reimbursed in any way from them. I have repeatedly been one of the "1st adopters" of things like adding Android Auto and the Mag Ride update, because DeLillo apparently has the technical expertise to do it. My service advisor, Phillip Villegas, is a straight-shooter, and tells me when he knows something, and goes and finds out the truth when he doesn't. I feel he's always done his reasonable best for me. Can't argue with proven success. And all the times they've lifted my 'vetted through the years, they've never damaged one. Knock on fiberglass....
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Commerce Texas
They could have put any kind of oil that meets the specs..... for a few days you could have put dino oil into it as long as you didn't rag on it.... it's just another high-performance car engine, not some kind of specialty unit that requires extreme care..... lubrication is the key, not some magic elixir.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: Colorado Springs, CO/Augusta,GA Colorado
I was going to say, why not just put in the 5W-30 instead, offer you another oil change when they get in enough of the new oil, and send you on your way. At least they did tell you what happened and not try to sneak it by you. I actually would call this a good dealership.
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If your dealership scheduled the service that far in advance, there is no excuse for them not having the proper supply of oil on hand. They should make it up to you somehow. But, good for them for at least telling you that there was a problem.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,668
Likes: 888
I see an honest dealership that made a mistake. They could have filled the crankcase with anything and called it a day; you'd never have known. They owned up to the error, (they are correct, Chevy changed the spec before ensuring a supply of the new oil was in the distribution pipeline), they put you in a loaner and will get you on your way in your ride ASAP. If still unhappy, I'd recommend you to Baker Motor Company of Chas, - RR, Mercedes, Porsche, Maserati, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera....but their dealerrater.com rating is only 1.4 out of 5; and Rick Hendrick's dealerrater.com rating is 4.6 stars out of 5, (111 reviews.)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 285
From: Ten Mile TN
As far as scheduling the service several weeks in advance why would you think they would bothr checking to see if the parts were available? The parts could be available the day they check and not the next day. Just because you schedule an oil change doesn't mean they are going to hold parts for you.
Bill
Bill
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Joined: Oct 2016
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I've had a similar dealership experience recently and was thinking the same.
Took my 15 z51 in for a trans issue (A8) and an problem with the radiator fan. Ended up being in service for 3.5 weeks. They kept giving me timelines for cimpletion then on the day it was supposed to be completed I would call to check, as they would never call me, and they would push it back some more. After 2 weeks of delays I finally got a call from soemone, the first I received, who said the transmission was 3 bolts away from coming out and that it would be finished the next day. This is after they had told me 4 different times that it would be finished in the weeks prior. When it was finished they never actually called me like they said they would. I had to call and check.
The entire time I kept thinking that this has never happened with any of my service trips to the BMW dealership.
Took my 15 z51 in for a trans issue (A8) and an problem with the radiator fan. Ended up being in service for 3.5 weeks. They kept giving me timelines for cimpletion then on the day it was supposed to be completed I would call to check, as they would never call me, and they would push it back some more. After 2 weeks of delays I finally got a call from soemone, the first I received, who said the transmission was 3 bolts away from coming out and that it would be finished the next day. This is after they had told me 4 different times that it would be finished in the weeks prior. When it was finished they never actually called me like they said they would. I had to call and check.
The entire time I kept thinking that this has never happened with any of my service trips to the BMW dealership.
Team Owner
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,876
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Please say it isn't true!!! A dealership that size has nothing better to do than make sure you have oil when you show up. Did you buy it from them new? Treating the Corvette buyer this way certainly puts the 1% of their business at risk that Corvette sales represents. They certainly could afford to spend 90% of their time taking care of your parts needs!