Lemon Law and GM
11-10-2018, 01:33 AM
#1
Lemon Law and GM
I've written about my 2016 Corvette ZO7 M7 in the past. I will review it briefly. At 5000 miles the lifters, rockers, guides etc on one side and the cam literally imploded. GM offered a new engine but I decided to let the dealer rebuild the engine. At about 11,000 miles the electronics went out inside the cabin, No navigation, no radio etc. It took a month to get the parts. At about 19,000 miles the car started eating oil. Dealer checked it out and said its what powerful engines do. At one point I needed to refill a quart every 400 miles. The engine also started to lose power. GM told the Dealer to remove the engine and disassemble. Two large gashes were found in the cylinder walls. GM replaced the engine. Then the clutch failed, it was repaired under warranty. Plus a number of other issues.
I hired a Lemon Law attorney. He told me that with all of these issues GM would probably buy the car back. After 4 months GM said the following. WE WILL NOT BUY THIS CAR BACK BECAUSE THE ZO7 IS A TRACK CAR. THE CAR ALSO HAS THE 100 OCTANE CALIBRATION. GM SAID THIS MEANS THE CAR SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE TRACK. I told the attorney that GM advertises the ZO7 with M7 tranny as a track car. They also honor the warranty for the car even if it is a track car. Then GM said we will pay $11,000 because of all the issues. $4,000 will be paid the attorney and my piece will be $7000.00. The attorney calls me to say there is nothing more they can do. You can hire another attorney and sue GM, but you will have to pay the attorney his fees win or lose. What a crock of BS.
I hired a Lemon Law attorney. He told me that with all of these issues GM would probably buy the car back. After 4 months GM said the following. WE WILL NOT BUY THIS CAR BACK BECAUSE THE ZO7 IS A TRACK CAR. THE CAR ALSO HAS THE 100 OCTANE CALIBRATION. GM SAID THIS MEANS THE CAR SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE TRACK. I told the attorney that GM advertises the ZO7 with M7 tranny as a track car. They also honor the warranty for the car even if it is a track car. Then GM said we will pay $11,000 because of all the issues. $4,000 will be paid the attorney and my piece will be $7000.00. The attorney calls me to say there is nothing more they can do. You can hire another attorney and sue GM, but you will have to pay the attorney his fees win or lose. What a crock of BS.
11-10-2018, 09:49 AM
#4
Le Mans Master
I've written about my 2016 Corvette ZO7 M7 in the past. I will review it briefly. At 5000 miles the lifters, rockers, guides etc on one side and the cam literally imploded. GM offered a new engine but I decided to let the dealer rebuild the engine. At about 11,000 miles the electronics went out inside the cabin, No navigation, no radio etc. It took a month to get the parts. At about 19,000 miles the car started eating oil. Dealer checked it out and said its what powerful engines do. At one point I needed to refill a quart every 400 miles. The engine also started to lose power. GM told the Dealer to remove the engine and disassemble. Two large gashes were found in the cylinder walls. GM replaced the engine. Then the clutch failed, it was repaired under warranty. Plus a number of other issues.
I hired a Lemon Law attorney. He told me that with all of these issues GM would probably buy the car back. After 4 months GM said the following. WE WILL NOT BUY THIS CAR BACK BECAUSE THE ZO7 IS A TRACK CAR. THE CAR ALSO HAS THE 100 OCTANE CALIBRATION. GM SAID THIS MEANS THE CAR SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE TRACK. I told the attorney that GM advertises the ZO7 with M7 tranny as a track car. They also honor the warranty for the car even if it is a track car. Then GM said we will pay $11,000 because of all the issues. $4,000 will be paid the attorney and my piece will be $7000.00. The attorney calls me to say there is nothing more they can do. You can hire another attorney and sue GM, but you will have to pay the attorney his fees win or lose. What a crock of BS.
I hired a Lemon Law attorney. He told me that with all of these issues GM would probably buy the car back. After 4 months GM said the following. WE WILL NOT BUY THIS CAR BACK BECAUSE THE ZO7 IS A TRACK CAR. THE CAR ALSO HAS THE 100 OCTANE CALIBRATION. GM SAID THIS MEANS THE CAR SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE TRACK. I told the attorney that GM advertises the ZO7 with M7 tranny as a track car. They also honor the warranty for the car even if it is a track car. Then GM said we will pay $11,000 because of all the issues. $4,000 will be paid the attorney and my piece will be $7000.00. The attorney calls me to say there is nothing more they can do. You can hire another attorney and sue GM, but you will have to pay the attorney his fees win or lose. What a crock of BS.
buybacks rarely work on the car owners favor. I would assume they would depreciate the car significantly because of the miles or give you private party price.
In the olden day’s Chrysler didn’t warranty the some 426 hemi cars or maybe gave other hemi cars a 90 day warranty.
if I understand they are offering you 7k. Take that money and move on.
11-10-2018, 02:37 PM
#5
how many track hours on the car?
buybacks rarely work on the car owners favor. I would assume they would depreciate the car significantly because of the miles or give you private party price.
In the olden day’s Chrysler didn’t warranty the some 426 hemi cars or maybe gave other hemi cars a 90 day warranty.
if I understand they are offering you 7k. Take that money and move on.
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jpmotorsport (03-15-2022)
11-10-2018, 04:13 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
I am taking the money and moving on. The owner of the dealership told me that GM did buy back two other Corvettes in 2017. The owners received the total out of pocket spent on the car. It includes the purchase price, sales tax, any additional warranty purchased by the owner. In my case, the cost of the car including the sales tax was $118,300. Prior to the ZR1 the ZO7 was GMs most expensive car. When you pay that much for a GM product you expect it to work and you expect GM to treat you fairly. This is my last GM car. I should have stayed with Porsche.
11-10-2018, 08:57 PM
#7
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
In the first post, there appeared to be 4 things that went wrong with the car, all of which were fixed by the dealer. It seems this is, in fact, a quite used "track car."
But, you will take a net of $7,000 settlement. Does that mean you KEEP the car + the $7,000? Or, you give the car back?
But, you will take a net of $7,000 settlement. Does that mean you KEEP the car + the $7,000? Or, you give the car back?
12-18-2018, 09:16 AM
#11
Pro
There are lemon law attorney's that will take on a case for nothing and will only collect if they win. This is usually an all or nothing type thing so perhaps taking the offer and running is ideal here. Maybe they could extend the warranty a bit further?
12-20-2018, 01:22 PM
#12
Instructor
If I were in your position, I'd fix it, sell it, get another C7 and move on..Even if they straightened out all the current issues I'd always be worried about what's coming next.
12-20-2018, 02:32 PM
#13
Tech Contributor
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I have the same question. The person who did the rebuild probably made the mistake that caused the next failure. That is why GM really wants to replace engines Vs rebuild them in somebody else's shop (and the dealership is somebody else's shop). It is always better to go with the replacement Vs rebuild. Having a matching engine serial number won't mean anything until 20 or 30 years have passed.
Bill
Bill
12-31-2018, 01:57 AM
#14
First of all, let me say that you are 100% correct. On many occasions, the dealer who fixed the car actually caused other problems down the road.
This horror story with my 2016 ZO7 continues and never seems to end. I did take the $7000 net from GM. I also signed some documents about what I could not do to GM in the future. As an example If you review my previous remarks about the installation of the second engine, it's evident that the clutch failed the next day because of a bad installation.
I continued to lose significant power on any day the temp was above 60 to 65 degrees. I had enough of the Dealer so at my expense I decided to have an Alky meth system installed to lower the air temp. I knew I could lose the warranty on the entire powertrain. I took the car to West Coast Corvettes in Anaheim, CA. I asked them to go ahead with the Alky system and to go ahead with a full tune on the car. West Coast installed the Alky system tested it.
The next morning I get a call asking me if I knew the trans was leaking fluid? NO, I just had new tires and an oil change at the dealers, and they should have caught the leak. Then they tell me they found the real reason for the car losing power. WHEN I HEARD THE ANSWER, I WAS FURIOUS.
I was already losing power before the 2nd engine was installed. The Supercharger coolant tank was down nearly 2 qts of coolant. This would cause the timing to be pulled back after it warmed up. The Supercharger has its own coolant system. He explained that it requires a special tool to open and check the coolant.
When the first engine was rebuilt, the entire supercharger system was removed. The dealer should have checked the coolant level before returning the car. Secondly, the dealer (different dealer) who installed the new engine should have also checked the Supercharger coolant level. I have owned the car for just over 3 years. I am not confident the car ever produced the 650 HP except on cold days.
West Coast Corvette would not tune the car or turn on the Alky system until the trans was repaired and the dealer checked the supercharger. The Dealer fixed the trans, but when the tech saw the Alky system, he refused to touch the car. I had already told the dealer that an alky system was installed, but it has never been turned on. I believe the tech blindside the Customer Service people with his refusal. Later another tech did check the supercharger and said it was fine. But the Service rep said they could not replace it if it broke under warranty. WHAT A F......ING NIGHTMARE.
This horror story with my 2016 ZO7 continues and never seems to end. I did take the $7000 net from GM. I also signed some documents about what I could not do to GM in the future. As an example If you review my previous remarks about the installation of the second engine, it's evident that the clutch failed the next day because of a bad installation.
I continued to lose significant power on any day the temp was above 60 to 65 degrees. I had enough of the Dealer so at my expense I decided to have an Alky meth system installed to lower the air temp. I knew I could lose the warranty on the entire powertrain. I took the car to West Coast Corvettes in Anaheim, CA. I asked them to go ahead with the Alky system and to go ahead with a full tune on the car. West Coast installed the Alky system tested it.
The next morning I get a call asking me if I knew the trans was leaking fluid? NO, I just had new tires and an oil change at the dealers, and they should have caught the leak. Then they tell me they found the real reason for the car losing power. WHEN I HEARD THE ANSWER, I WAS FURIOUS.
I was already losing power before the 2nd engine was installed. The Supercharger coolant tank was down nearly 2 qts of coolant. This would cause the timing to be pulled back after it warmed up. The Supercharger has its own coolant system. He explained that it requires a special tool to open and check the coolant.
When the first engine was rebuilt, the entire supercharger system was removed. The dealer should have checked the coolant level before returning the car. Secondly, the dealer (different dealer) who installed the new engine should have also checked the Supercharger coolant level. I have owned the car for just over 3 years. I am not confident the car ever produced the 650 HP except on cold days.
West Coast Corvette would not tune the car or turn on the Alky system until the trans was repaired and the dealer checked the supercharger. The Dealer fixed the trans, but when the tech saw the Alky system, he refused to touch the car. I had already told the dealer that an alky system was installed, but it has never been turned on. I believe the tech blindside the Customer Service people with his refusal. Later another tech did check the supercharger and said it was fine. But the Service rep said they could not replace it if it broke under warranty. WHAT A F......ING NIGHTMARE.
12-31-2018, 09:05 AM
#16
The dealer can make good or ruin an experience. Sorry to hear this but it seems like you gave GM and the dealership justification to resolve this matter the way they did by adding the meth system.
07-07-2020, 09:57 AM
#19
an american revolution
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2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I've written about my 2016 Corvette ZO7 M7 in the past. I will review it briefly. At 5000 miles the lifters, rockers, guides etc on one side and the cam literally imploded. GM offered a new engine but I decided to let the dealer rebuild the engine. At about 11,000 miles the electronics went out inside the cabin, No navigation, no radio etc. It took a month to get the parts. At about 19,000 miles the car started eating oil. Dealer checked it out and said its what powerful engines do. At one point I needed to refill a quart every 400 miles. The engine also started to lose power. GM told the Dealer to remove the engine and disassemble. Two large gashes were found in the cylinder walls. GM replaced the engine. Then the clutch failed, it was repaired under warranty. Plus a number of other issues.
I hired a Lemon Law attorney. He told me that with all of these issues GM would probably buy the car back. After 4 months GM said the following. WE WILL NOT BUY THIS CAR BACK BECAUSE THE ZO7 IS A TRACK CAR. THE CAR ALSO HAS THE 100 OCTANE CALIBRATION. GM SAID THIS MEANS THE CAR SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE TRACK. I told the attorney that GM advertises the ZO7 with M7 tranny as a track car. They also honor the warranty for the car even if it is a track car. Then GM said we will pay $11,000 because of all the issues. $4,000 will be paid the attorney and my piece will be $7000.00. The attorney calls me to say there is nothing more they can do. You can hire another attorney and sue GM, but you will have to pay the attorney his fees win or lose. What a crock of BS.
I hired a Lemon Law attorney. He told me that with all of these issues GM would probably buy the car back. After 4 months GM said the following. WE WILL NOT BUY THIS CAR BACK BECAUSE THE ZO7 IS A TRACK CAR. THE CAR ALSO HAS THE 100 OCTANE CALIBRATION. GM SAID THIS MEANS THE CAR SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE TRACK. I told the attorney that GM advertises the ZO7 with M7 tranny as a track car. They also honor the warranty for the car even if it is a track car. Then GM said we will pay $11,000 because of all the issues. $4,000 will be paid the attorney and my piece will be $7000.00. The attorney calls me to say there is nothing more they can do. You can hire another attorney and sue GM, but you will have to pay the attorney his fees win or lose. What a crock of BS.
2014 i did have the same problems blown engine... etc yeah I called a local attorney and for $4000 (GM paid him) did the paperwork and and advise me that if the car went to the dealer three or more times or was there for more than three weeks is eligible under lemon law
after two years I got my check never had an issue with GM Get a different opinion
07-07-2020, 10:13 AM
#20
Sounds like a terrible situation.
As other have said, I would have chosen to have my engine replaced the first time instead of rebuilt. Regardless of this, the engine failed again and you had it replaced, that SHOULD have been the end of the problem... it clearly wasn't.
Going aftermarket once the car was failing was a mistake imo. The car was failing before the alky system was installed, even if it was never turned on, it is a reason for the dealer to grab onto to refuse warranty work.
If the car is not red flagged in the system at GM for aftermarket parts, I would suggest going back to complete stock and getting another dealer to rectify the issues. Get it running completely solid, then modify it if you'd like.
Whatever happens, I'm glad you got something out of GM for this. Sucks to have spent all that money just to have a pure problematic car
As other have said, I would have chosen to have my engine replaced the first time instead of rebuilt. Regardless of this, the engine failed again and you had it replaced, that SHOULD have been the end of the problem... it clearly wasn't.
Going aftermarket once the car was failing was a mistake imo. The car was failing before the alky system was installed, even if it was never turned on, it is a reason for the dealer to grab onto to refuse warranty work.
If the car is not red flagged in the system at GM for aftermarket parts, I would suggest going back to complete stock and getting another dealer to rectify the issues. Get it running completely solid, then modify it if you'd like.
Whatever happens, I'm glad you got something out of GM for this. Sucks to have spent all that money just to have a pure problematic car