3L337 C6

I have read numerous threads on this site stating that dealers will perform an alignment on your z06 while under 6000miles for free, no problem. Took my car into Paradise Chevrolet in Temecula this morning for the 500mile oil change, requested the allignment done since its there already and its early, they rejected the request, stating it is a warranty issue that needs to be verified prior to checking the alignment on the machine. What's the deal? Is my dealership just bad or am I missing something here?

BOBSZ06

Is there a problem with the current alignment?
Does it pull left/right; unusual tire wear for 600 miles; steering wheel not centered?
ETC, ETC.

If not then difficult for the dealer to say why for warranty purposes it needs to be done.

3L337 C6

pulls to the left slightly, but since the car has not passed break in period i don't want some tech ruining the engine on a test drive.

davepl

I think your odds of saying "No you can't drive it, just align it" and getting a useful outcome are low.

If it pulls, let them drive it and fix it. If there's no symptom, I wouldn't expect them to do it for free.

What you could do is be prepared to pay for a track alignment out of pocket with the understanding that if the "BEFORE" numbers turn out to be out of spec, you don't have to pay. That's what I'd do, anyway. And maybe mention that if they forget to write down the before numbers, same thing...

sTz

There is always the exception, but "generally" a dealership will not simply perform an alignment unless they can verify that the car is not properly aligned.

If it is pulling to the left, perhaps you can request to accompany the tech during the test drive if you're worried that the car may be abused.

3L337 C6

Yeah - they refused to do the alignment today at the dealership until they sent me a picture of my right front tire which has a gash in it all of a sudden, which I have never seen before. They claim it didn't happen on their lot of course and of course I have no way of proving it either way. That is the last time I bring my car into a dealership without taking a video the entire car on my cell phone. The tire is ruined and it is going to cost me $400+ - so pissed right now. But they said they'd do the alignment as I requested without issue, for free, when they put the new tire on. lol. The car isn't even a month old yet and I'm down $400 on a tire. What a f'ing joke.

ZR1Bob

I had a concern about alignment when I picked my car up new. Dealer said they would check it and align if needed. Tech said alignment was off and corrected it but GM would not cover cost, said they will only cover alignment cost after the car had gone 500 miles to allow the suspension to settle in. Understand why, but disappointed. But my dealer split the cost with me so I was OK with that. Cost $140 or so. So far it has been fine although I do notice a little extra wear on the inside left front tire. Will keep an eye on it.

If you have 600 miles on the car and a legitimate alignment related complaint (like pulling to the left, etc.) they should be willing to do the alignment under warranty.--Bob

Bill Dearborn

It is highly unlikely the gash in the tire occurred at the dealership. Think about it. You drove the car into the service area, they drove it to a temporary parking spot and then drove it to the place where they changed the oil, then parked it again and gave it back to you. How likely is it that some sharp object happened to be in any of those areas? Not very. It is more than likely from something you ran over while driving the car.

As for letting the mechanic drive the car whether or not it is broken in that is just being too **** retentive, who drove the car before you did? A mechanic from the dealership before you took delivery. Loosen up and let them do their jobs.

By the way it is broken in at 600 miles.

Bill

383vett

I would think you would want to thank the dealership for finding the gash on the tire which possibly could have saved you from a catastrophe. You said you didn't see the gash before. How often have you gone down on your hands and knees and looked at the tread on all 4 tires all the way around? Are you insinuating that the dealership knifed your tire to make a hundred bucks or so?

MMartin

When I bought my brand new 2009 ZO6 the steering wheel was off center. I asked them to line it up and they said the same thing. No can do. So I just paid the 80 bucks to have it done.

Connman

After Paradise ran my Z06 into the lift while in for the 500 mile oil change, gashing the CF splitter, I NEVER leave it there without setting it to valet mode.
In the PDR, you can set it to record every time the car is started/driven when in valet mode. Works like a charm. I see who drives it, how they drive it, and where they drive it.

Both times I've dropped it off since the "accident", they've asked me to turn off valet mode - once because they say they can't reset the oil life meter in valet mode...
To which I pleasantly declined and told them they could reset it when I came to pick it up.

RichieRichZ06

In order for GM to pay a warranty claim for an alignment, there needs to be a customer concern that is verified. If there is a valid concern, the before and after alignment print outs have to also be submitted. If all is legit than GM has no issue paying.

I would imagine that in most typical business, a valid concern followed by verifying that concern would be required before handing the customer free goods or services to fix the issue. Just throwing it out there, but why should a dealer be any different.

You can't walk into a shoe store and demand a new pair of shoes because your soles fell off the first set, but not bring the defective shoes with you for verification.

3L337 C6

you know I thought about putting it in Valet Mode - should have done it and also took a quick video on my cell phone. To Bill Dearborn, I washed the car a few days earlier and went over the entire car, including chrome polishing the rims, and adding tire wet. I would have seen it. So either my quick trip to the gas station or on my trip to the dealership - a sharp round object, similar to a tool, happened to find its way into the side wall of my tire. Yep, likely, that tool happened to be on the road over there right? As far as techs joy riding, come on, videos everywhere of it. The problem with z06 vettes is having to service them at the same place they service 15k sparks and being treated in the same fashion. When I take my wife's $50k Acura in for service, the customer service level is incredible. Not so much for my $100k brand new z06, which is extremely disappointing.

AORoads

I don't know if you would've seen a gashed tire. It could be the tire was turned to the bottom, resting on the gash unless it was in the sidewall facing you.

But, another way to "test" tires to see what's gong on with the alignment that doesn't require necessarily a test drive is: a tread depth gauge, the least expensive of which is under $2. Sometimes, with only a couple or three hundred miles on tires, an out-of-alignment tire will start to show it with a tread depth gauge. Just sayin'...