sending a letter to gm

[Rogue Leader]

Originally Posted by SuperCarEnthusiast

I never thought a dealership service repair would every end up like this; disassembled as the final end of service and then charge the owner for storage on top of it too. Wow! It is a 2010 model too.

I would for sure get a consumer advocate lawyer and maybe contact old Ralph Nader outfit. I sure Michael Moore would "kill" to get this story and make a documentary on it! The dealership in question would most likely have to sell out to someone else and change the dealership name. GM which I think is still owned by the government; I write to Obama and see what happens. He could turn it around and use it for his re-election.

This is just completely wrong and you have been robbed by the dealership - bad service, charging for storage, incomplete repairs, did not honor/complete warranty repair, etc....

I am outraged at hearing your tale. It a tragic!

Ugh... seriously

Originally Posted by Russ

Huh? A dealer is a represenitive of GM. If its a "dealer thing", its a "GM thing". Duh!! They are one in the same.
Are you saying that GM has no ties to the dealers? Or that GM cant or shouldnt do anything about bad service recieved from an "authorized" dealer?
Its almost like your saying this guy is SOL. I dont understand your post at all.
GM should be looking out for its customers. And that is "Simple as that".

They aren't one and the same, dealers are independent businesses. Yes GM may assist someone in a case, but this car won't be warrantied no matter what unless the selling dealer wants to eat it for BSing this guy. However it seems too late for that, as he has modded the heck out of the car after the fact as well and had additional work done. Thats what he was saying.

[Mark Myles]

Originally Posted by 2SS 2011

Hopefully you Get some sort of resolution.. But honestly when Conte took the trans apart (and judging from the earlier posts by the OP about all the aftermarket parts installed on the car) And then they saw this Frankenstein mess of a tranny, rear etc..They called GM and explained the mods on the car and like someone stated earlier GM SAID NO..

I have to say that original dealer the OP bought the car from sure had some good lines of BS and really really sold the car.. Any sheister of a dealer to just say "Oh yeah""Yep" "No problem" .. "Sure it's covered by GM warranty" to every question asked I would have sat with him in his office and talked to a GM rep before spending $40K on ANY car..

Like Rogue Leader said.. I'd call the original selling dealership out and say what gives You told me it was warrantied..

If the OP was me .. and if I knew then what i knew now.. over 7k in layout money .. I would have had the car towed to PA for like 300 or 400 bucks and let them fix it..

In the end again I hope You find a resolution to your situation.. There are definitely 2 sides to every story.. We are all going by what you told us.. Anybody in their right mind would have to be pissed off at the situation at hand.

Good luck

Originally Posted by Mark H

The only question I have is this,
What does it say on your sales agreement?
Full warranty or as is?

Originally Posted by PQ

We should remember that GM is sticking strictly to policy. Moded is Moded. And Moded is not covered. Simple as that.

I don't think this is a GM thing at all. It's a dealer thing. And for all we know, GM is looking in to it. BUT, GM is not responsible for this. A dealer would be. A dealer can't tell GM to cover a moded car. Adn a dealer can't throw non-GMPP stuff on and call it covered by GM. I suppose they can call it covered by themselves. But they would have to let the buyer know that it's a delaership coverage and not a GM coverage.

This is it in a nut shell. The original dealer should have their feet held to the fire. And the dealer that tore the transmission appart and put it in the trunk, REGARDLESS as to the OP's conversation with them is just...

And as mentioned earlier, what does it say on the bill of sale about warranty coverage..?

Both dealers need a good...

M

[Eich]

Regardless of the complete factual story here, it does send a few cautionary shivers down the spine at the thought of buying a used Camaro. How can you be 100% sure that you're buying something that is under full warranty?

I could see people easily buying something without knowing it had a few mods done on it and only finding out when it's time for warranty work.

I don't have an issue with GM sticking to their policy. I'm sure they've been burnt before. But the issue with the particular dealer in this story... it would seem that they are either completely in the wrong or the original poster is not being completely truthful. What other option is there? The dealer took the car apart and refused to put it back together without being paid by the OP. Either the OP knew it wasn't under warranty from the start or he didn't.

[2SS 2011]

Look we all expect our cars to perform as advertised and have reputable quality service from the dealer you bought it from or any dealer for that fact.. (in a perfect world) . But when you start modding a factory car without taking the necessary precautions to strengthen up known weaker parts of the car that the other parts interact with, you are asking for trouble and holding the dealer liable for the negative repercussions that transpire after the fact is not right either.. Thats why some of us get looked at funny when we have a CAI or exhaust or a short shifter etc.. BASIC mods... Now while NO DEALER has the right to treat any existing or potential customer in a way that the OP is stating We have to hear the other side..I do not have any personal ties to that said delearship.

[Mark H]

What I would do now if I bought a used car from dealer is ask for them to send a snap-shot of the computer to make sure it has never been flashed and have that in writing.

[sad54189]

Originally Posted by Rogue Leader

They run a reputable business so for something this extreme to happen there HAS to be a good reason, as well as a legal one. .

Just because it is a good reason doesn't always mean it is legal.

[Rip]

Originally Posted by sad54189

Just because it is a good reason doesn't always mean it is legal.

I'm sorry, but it's very difficult for me to see a good reason for giving the guy his tranny back in pieces in the trunk of his car. No question doing at least cosmetic damage to his car in the process.

Rogue Leader may have had terrific experiences with them, and so he feels the need to defend them, but IMO what they did is completely indefensible.

[lawman007]

HI all,
I read the thread(No easy task). Several things come to mind.
OP buys the Camaro in PA. He asks if the car is warranted, dealer says yes.
1. Dealer knows the car is moded, did OP?

He signs on the dotted line and pays the $40000.
2. What did the contract say?

~800 miles later he gets grinding noise. Calls dealer explains the grinding. Asks if he brings it to the dealer. Dealer advises to bring to local NY dealer.
3. Why?

Ok so he brings it to the Corner Camaro shop in NY. Tells repair Dept. about grinding.
4. Did shop ask for his warranty?
5. Did shop see shifter right away?
6. If they did, did they continue or stop right there?
7. If they didn't, how long before they did see shifter or other mods for that matter?
8. Did they offer him an estimate?
9. Did they test drive the car?
10. Did he authorize any repairs after he signed the estimate?
11. If he didn't authorize repairs did they take it apart anyway?
12. If after it was apart, and they informed him of cost w/o warranty did he say don't repair?
13. Does "don't repair" and "put it back together" mean the same in English?

So at this point he is told to get his POS out of the shop. Ok so he can't be driving it anywhere hence the storage fee. So now he has to pay storage and tow it to be repaired somewhere else. While he has it being repaired, has the mods added since now he knows there is no warranty to void, so full steam ahead.

I make light of the situation and I appologise for that. It seems to me that the PA dealer did not inform him at the time of sale it was moded since they obviously knew. They told him to take it to his local NY dealer for the "warranty" repair. Used cars are sold "as is" in most states. I also believe there is a 90 day implied warranty with a used car in most states. I think this was the warranty the salesman was referring to. If there was no warranty at all the salesman should have stated that and emphasized as such.
Either way that NY dealer was wrong to treat him in that way. If he couldn't afford it or didn't want the out of warranty work done then they should have put the transmission back and said, "Thank you for your business, sir" and left it at that. Instead they stuffed it into the trunk and dinged up the car.
You really want to know what I really think? I think right wrong or indifferent the customer is always right. It doesn't matter what. The salesman or mechanic or service manager all had bad days, or what ever their stories are, this customer deserves the best quality service they can provide, no matter if he is Donald Trump or whoever; he was the CUSTOMER! So what if they are out the labor charge for the removal and installation of the transmission. What could it possibly be, $25.00/hr, $35.00/hr or $45.00/hr? So you run this cost under operating expenses on the ledger. You take it out of petty cash if you have to. The whole point of this is that the dealers needed to make this customer feel like like he was inmportant and they fell short. Now I doubt the OP was out to rip off or defraud the dealer in NY and I believe he would have met them halfway if they had been up front with him. Sorry if it seems like I am ranting. Some first post I picked...lol. If I am wrong or if I have offended someone then so be it. Opinions are like elbows...everyone has a couple. Hope all works out!
You have just been listening to the ravings of the certified lunatic
Troy Lawson
Y'all have a nice day!

[sad54189]

Originally Posted by Rip

I'm sorry, but it's very difficult for me to see a good reason for giving the guy his tranny back in pieces in the trunk of his car. No question doing at least cosmetic damage to his car in the process.

We do not know both sides of the story. And I do agree that he should not have received the car back in pieces.

[WadeWilson]

[sad54189]

Originally Posted by Shardik2SS

Funny Shit bro.

[Dr Jkel]

What this is here is a catch 22 situation. We all know that anytime we take our cars to a dealership we sign a piece of paper when we do. UNLESS we expressly tell them we want a written estimate of repairs we have to pay.

NOW on a vehicle we THINK is covered by a manufacturor not dealer, nor salesman, not chief bottle washer, but MANUFACTUROR WARRANTY we sign and go on. I have done it and pretty much we have all done it, thuus putting us in a bad position.

With this being a low mileage car that had minor bolt on mods like a shifter ( UNLESS I am mistaken) that obviously did not cause the failure ( See the write up from the people who actually fixed it) then this issue should be taken care of by the "Manufacturor's Warranty"

From what I learned, again I may be wrong, warranty work and customer paid work is charged at different rates. GM MAY have a different protocol that would have to be followed and it MAY have not been followed thus putting the problem right back on the DEALERSHIP. ( May have been the reason in this situation they got upset don't really know)

I will say this about the selling dealer. I know for a FACT that 9 vehicle have been bought from this dealer by friends of mine in ALABAMA and none of the 9 have had one issue.

I say all that to say this, just because Person A didn't have an issue does not mean Person B won't and vice versa. Sometimes we get caught up in well I didn't so Person A is crazy or did something wrong. Each situation is different and unless your are standing there when it goes on you really don't know for SURE.

I believe what the Fixing dealer did was wrong based on personal preference, putting the parts in the trunk and saying see ya is not cool in my book, was the OP a dick, who knows definitely not me.

Hopefully this issue will get resolved to the satisfaction of all involved in this matter.
Everyone here would be SUPER Pissed if they bought a car and had 800 miles on it, still under warranty and it broke, and if everything we know is true, to be treated this way, then have to fork out this much money to have it fixed. Especially if the claim is the SHIFTER broke it. YEAH RIGHT.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Russ

Huh? A dealer is a represenitive of GM. If its a "dealer thing", its a "GM thing". Duh!! They are one in the same.
Are you saying that GM has no ties to the dealers? Or that GM cant or shouldnt do anything about bad service recieved from an "authorized" dealer?
Its almost like your saying this guy is SOL. I dont understand your post at all.
GM should be looking out for its customers. And that is "Simple as that".

Uh, NO they are NOT one in the same. GM does NOT own the dealership. Maybe the rights to sell, but not the dealership.

So if I buy a used Toyota from my local Chevy dealership, I can hold GM responsible for the car? You probably would.

There are many aspects of a dealership that are binding to GM but not all. A delaership is perfectly free to mod any car they want. AND sell it to the customer. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. Who do you think GTAHVIT takes his blown THR Camaro to if he has engine failure. NOT GM. He takes it back to Tom Henry. Is Tom Henry in good standing with GM? EEEyup. Is Tom Henry liable to fix GTAHVITs car. EEEyup. Is GM gonna cover it? Nope.

Dealers are free to make the deals they want. AND warranty the cars they want. IN whatever way they want. They can't tell GM what to warranty and what not to.

And you must have just wanted to rip my post becasue you didn't read it close enough. I said - "For all we know GM is looking into it" - So I understand that GM has to police their dealers. And I'll say again, maybe they are here. But GM is NOT responsible for this car.

[DS1937]

It's only a matter of time. I have owned several new Fords over the years and was involved with 2 different dealers and they both sucked! So far, I have had the best luck with Chevy. They are a long way from perfect but they are miles better than what I went through with Ford.