My Experience with a Local Chevrolet Dealership

(Dowagiac, Michigan)

You figure out which one

BTW only one Chevey dealer in that town

Update april 23, 2006

First I want to say this has nothing to do with the sales staff of this dealership, only the service department.

I am not going to get specific on dates or exact Mileage. The events speak for themselves.

Vehicle number 1

Update april 23, 2006

I talked to the shop doing the new motor. Seems there is a part where the oil pump connects and something to do with the timing case cover that has signs of severe scoring. The location of this would cause a loss of oil pressure. The scoring would be caused by lack of oil or water in the oil. We have NEVER been low on oil. He is not sure yet about any other damage. He is also going to have another person look at it to see if they can determine when the damage occurred and if these parts were replaced or are original.

In 1999 I purchased a 1997 Buick with 22,000 miles on it. Nice car. It had the remaining factory warranty plus I purchased an extended warranty policy.

Within a year it developed a coolant leak. I took it in for repair. It was covered under the original equipment warranty. The dealer repaired the coolant leak. Said it was the manifold that was leaking or something to do with the timing case cover and water pump. The significant thing is they did not tell me the antifreeze coolant had gotten into the oil. Had the dealer had to repair the engine under the original warranty how much would GM have paid them for the repair? Being repaired under the Extended warranty I know what they were paid. I saw the bill. All they had to do was wait a couple more thousand miles for the engine to blow and the original warranty would have expired and they could repair it under the extended warranty.

Within a year again, at approximately 50,000 miles the car lost oil pressure and the engine began knocking. I took it in to the dealer again for repair. They diagnosed it with bad rod and main bearings. We couldn't understand how this could be. We had always changed the oil.

It was determined the anti freeze that got into the oil was the cause. They contacted the extended warranty company and got authorization to repair the engine. Once the engine was disassembled they determined that virtually every moving part had been damaged. (DUH!)...Anti freeze in the oil tends to do that.

I told them I wanted a new engine. or, at the very least a remanufactured engine with a decent warranty on it.

They refused. Said they would rebuild it. I said that was not what should be done. The engine was to badly damaged. It should be replaced. First they tried to just have the journals turned on the crankshaft but it was so bad they had to put in a new crankshaft (or so they said).

The dealer rebuilt the engine..

Last year I had the car in for service. They dealer told me there was a coolant leak in the intake manifold. I said well that's not good. that was what caused the motor to get rebuilt before.

You know what they said?..... Uh ....Uh....Oh! no. This is a different problem..... Hmmmm, Maybe.

Keep in mind that I usually keep my cars for many years. 200,000 miles is not unusual for me.

They rebuilt the motor at approximately 51,000 miles. At about 110,000 miles I noticed a little noise from the motor and a loss of oil pressure. Then within a few days the oil pressure was at zero at idle.

The car still looks great and drives great. but.....the motor is a goner. 60000 miles on the rebuild.

The bill from their rebuild was close to $3,000. I talked to the dealer and they said sorry but we only guarantee our rebuild for 12,000 miles.

I spoke to 3 local auto parts vendors. I could have had a remanufactured motor put in for less. PLUS. the motor would have been guaranteed for 60,000 miles.

I now have the car at a local repair shop. I will have a remanufactured motor installed. It will have a 3 year unlimited mileage guarantee. And will cost about $450 less than the rebuild done by the dealer less than 3 years ago.

Needless to say I did not take it to the dealer for the work.

Vehicle number 2.

Bought from and serviced by the same dealer.

In 2003 I bought a "GM Certified" used K1500 Silverado Chevy Pickup with 13,000 miles on it.

If you don't know what "GM Certified" is Google it.

At 28,000 miles I heard a slight rub coming from the front brakes. I took it in the next day to get the brakes checked. They told me it needed a complete brake job, including new rotors. The rotors were to far gone to be able to turn them. I balked at this. I have NEVER had to have a brake job that soon. There must be something wrong. And the brakes were "GM Certified" at 13000 miles. So you are telling me I wore the brakes out in 15000 miles. they said, "Yep"

Brakes are not covered under warranty. I cost me almost $1000 for the work.

I got to thinking on it. I decided to pull a carfax report on the truck. Guess what I found. The truck had been in for brake work at 9,000 miles. They also did some work on the drive shaft. No details on what was done.

In the winter of 2004 I was driving on a nasty snowy day. I started down a slight incline and there was snow pack on the road. Now, I have been driving on icy snow covered roads since 1959 so I know how to drive in these conditions. I realized the road was very slippery and felt the truck fishtailing a little. I was doing about 35 mph. The truck has anti lock brakes. I applied gentle pressure and immediately went sideways. I tried to recover but every time I touched the brakes I lost control. I wound up in a ditch with the truck on its side. Damage $7000.

When we got the truck righted I had a flat. I went to get the spare tire from under the truck. To my amazement it was a bald tire on a rusted rim that looked like it was 20 years old. A "GM Certified" used bald spare tire I guess. I had had the tires rotated by the dealer that summer.

I had the damage repaired.

About a month after I got the truck back I noticed the brakes acting a little funny. I took it into the dealer. It turns out there had been a recall on the Anti Lock system from before I had the brakes repaired.

I discussed this with the service department. I told them I believe that is what caused the accident and probably why there was so many problems with the brakes. The brakes I had to pay $1000 to get fixed.

Now I have about 70,00 miles on the truck and the alternator is whining. But, It has been 42,000miles since I had the brakes done and the breaks are fine. I just pulled a 5th wheel camper to California and back. This from a guy that "wore his brakes out in 13,000 miles". I have several friends with similar trucks, with similar miles, and they are not having these problems. But all did get the recall notice or there dealer repaired it when they went in for routine service. This dealer did neither. My neighbor has a 2003 truck like mine with 50000 miles and his brakes are fine.

So, Do I have a truck with problems or, hmmmmmm. wonder how many miles are REALLY on this truck

Matter of fact I have talked to another dealer and he said, "something ain't right about all this"

What do you think?

Vehicle number 3.

Now I will say my Granddaughter was probably a little at fault on this one. Being a naive 18 year old.

I helped her buy a 2001 Chevy Prism (I thought). I also purchased a $1800 extended warranty for the car.

A couple months later she took it to the dealer for an oil change. She told them it seemed to use a "lot" of oil. They told her they could check it out but it would be a $80 service charge. She didn't have the $80 so she said she would have it checked later. On a couple other occasions she mention it to them again. She told them it used a lot of oil. Same thing, they could check it out but it would be an $80 service charge.

Dumb 18 year old. The extended warranty pays for it. You only have to pay the service charge IF it is determined it is not covered by the warranty. I think burning oil is covered by the warranty. Especially since it was doing it from the day she bought it. Good way to stall her off till the warranty runs out.

Well, as it turns out, She could not afford to keep up the payments and insurance so I bought the car from her for the balance owed (which of course was more than it was worth).

Now she told me about the oil problem. I figured she meant a quart every 1000 miles or so. Uh Uh. It's a quart for every tank of gas. more like a quart and a half.

Well, when I got the car I needed to put new plates on it. I pulled the old plate and what do you think it says under the plate on the rear bumper in nice big letters

TOYOTA

Not chevrolet. seems the bumpers are interchangeable. The cars are built in the same factory? Or was it in an accident and they couldn't get a chevy bumper so they stuck a Toyota bumper on it.

So, I have a Chevrolet Prism/Toyota

I have told you about the big problems. It would take a book to list the other little things. Including service on other vehicles I took to them.

I'm not gonna try to influence anyone here on where they might want to have their cars repaired.

I know where I will NEVER again take my car or truck for repair.

And I doubt I will ever spend another dime in that dealership. I figure I have purchased cars and service at that dealership amounting to about $70,000. I guess they can afford to lose the business. Btw. I know three other people who will also never go there again.

Except for maybe a new car if I get it below invoice and then get it serviced somewhere else.