What would you do? Dealer negligent on warranty repair, now out of warranty and out $1675

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Doubeleive

Wes
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Posts
26,252
Reaction score
39,353
Location
Stockton, Ca.
I don't think you understand what "willfully and negligently" means. Have you ever lost your car keys and couldn't find them? Does that mean you willfully and negligently can not find them? But then you found them a few days later? How far do you tear apart your house to find them?

Would you really want your vehicle "randomly" torn apart trying to find a leak or put dye in the system and recharge it to hopefully see it coming out somewhere?
pretty sure keys are not regulated and certified by the EPA, bad example, when you are certified to work on a/c systems you have to follow the law in order to remain certified.
 

Beagleman

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Posts
102
Reaction score
105
with all the good advice so far, my 2 cents worth would be to be persistent, and keep going up......firmly, BUT POLITELY, if you keep talking to the guys at the dealership they will keep putting you off, and you will not get the results you are hoping to get......persistence and keep going up the corporate ladder.... my wife has done this in the past with spectacular results..... these dealerships and corporate folks have to realize it is people like us that pay their wages, with out us, they would not be in business, so they should take care of the hands that fed them..... just don't back down...
 

dang74

TYF Newbie
Joined
Dec 23, 2015
Posts
8
Reaction score
2
Being a service advisor. If they inserted freon in to system while you were still under warranty, they know that it's a sealed system. So that condition should be repaired under your warranty. They're just wanting to take your money. They get paid more in customer pay than they will under warranty. So they're gonna want to go the customer pay way. But they'll tell you that you're out of warranty due to the mileage. The receipt that shows they installed freon when you originally went in shows the original mileage you were there with with the condition. SO THAT REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. Good luck with trying to get the money in return. That should have been a good will gesture.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

KatGV

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Posts
44
Reaction score
15
Location
Nuevo,Ca 92567
So I took my 2017 Tahoe LT to Dimmit Chevrolet in Clearwater FL for AC service and to get a washer nozzle replaced, as AC was not blowing cold, figured I would get the last couple things fixed before my 3/36 warranty ran out. This was July 2018.

Dealer said they "couldn't find the leak but they put in Freon so now the AC is working fine" . Which is NOT the way you repair AC, I have a ton of experience with AC systems on homes, and its the same on vehicles -- its a closed system, so if you are losing Freon, you have a leak that needs to be repaired . Period. Freon doesn't leak out of a properly functioning system, its not like adding air to your tires .

Same dealer said they didn't have the washer parts, so I waited 2 weeks for a phone call, then gave up on "Dim-wit " Cheverolet in Clearwater FL and went to Dick Norris Buick/GMC, right down the road. They repaired the washers within an hour and I was on my way.

Flash-forward to this year, April it starts to get warmer in Florida, so I take the Tahoe back to Dick Norris Buick/GMC, they tell me I have virtually NO Freon in the system, they can't find the leak, but they don't give up, they finally located leak in the rear condenser in the back . But now I am at 37,000 miles , so I have to pay $1675, for something Dimmit Chevrolet should have found and fixed under warranty.

So I know things happen to expensive trucks, I'm a big boy, and I am not going to cry about paying for repairs, but still feel like Dimmit Chevrolet was negligent in not finding the leak, it AC 101 that its a closed system, I would expect a shady used car lot to pump in Freon and send me on my way, but NOT a franchised, large dealership like Dimmit Chevrolet .

What would you guys do? Obviously a lawsuit would be silly for $1675, but thinking there has to be some recourse for their screw-up.

Friend of mine works as a Ford service manager, he said there should be a CLP (customer loyalty program), that might reimburse me at least something.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Aside from ripping them up on Yelp and other sites, I don't really know where to start to get any kind of positive result.

ANY and ALL replies are appreciated!!!
 

KatGV

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Posts
44
Reaction score
15
Location
Nuevo,Ca 92567
Yes GM does have a customer Loyalty Program we used it on our 05 when the trany went out last year ... I would contact GM corporate find an email online and let them know what happened they will reach out to you I can't guarantee that anything will change but it's worth a shot.
 

dnt1010

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Posts
416
Reaction score
259
Location
Tennessee
Should be pretty straight forward if you are able to document the first visit where they added refrigerant to a known leaking system. Call GM customer service and open a case, they will most likely get you taken care of. Since you had it repaired yourself, you may have to provide some extra documentation. Please update the thread as to the final resolution.
 

Bo3131

Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2016
Posts
40
Reaction score
19
Location
Woodbridge, Va
I just had mine repaired at 59,000 miles and they covered it. There was a letter that came awhile back extending the warranty on the condenser for 5year/60,000 miles. Its a well known issue and is sketchy that they didn't cover it.
 

petethepug

Michael
Joined
May 4, 2016
Posts
3,025
Reaction score
3,285
Location
SoCal
If you already paid to have other dealer fix it and still have ppwk from 1st dlr who refused to fix it, take a trip to Orig dealer with a copy (not orig’s) of the r/o’s. Speak to Serv mgr and splain the sitch that you need reimbursement. If u don’t have original r/o get copy b4 u ask 4 reimbursement.

Odds are you’ll get it if he knows you’ll climb the ladder to the top of his dealer and eventually to GM. It’s a cut & dry case. In 95 during my 5 yr apprenticeship in HVAC, our VW dealer waxed us on a non op AC in my wife’s first new car. The dealer was using 9v battery operated refrig sniffers on the (then) new r134 gas, LOL! The standard back then was a GE made h10 or h10b halogen leak detectors costing $1k a pop.

Like yours, our leak was in the fins, but on the hi side of the condenser. I did a leak check it in front of the service mgr. He denied the oil residue as road grime until the h10 picked up the residual traces of gas. The guy deserved an ass gasket hat. He had to bow down after doubling down on his undetermined leak theory. VW Sr. Mgmt stepped in and a TSB on 93+ VW condensers was drawn up because of it.

Most of the condensers and evaporators are made in Mex now. When a new gen or version is put up, it’s not uncommon to have an entire shit load turn out with subpar alum tubes that are too thin. Auto makers order sub par tubing from China that’s priced to fit the margins, knowing it’ll fail. GM’s gamble on their recent supply of aluminum tubing for a/c parts was an epic fail.

When sub par parts are brought to sub par dealers, it shakes the corporate foundation, and the ordinary David consumer gets screwed. Occasionally, David meets Goliath and we all know how that story plays out.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

mountie

Supporting Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Posts
4,581
Reaction score
8,374
Location
Wellington, Fl., (formally Kalifornia)
Oh, boy...... I had this *****,n GM warranty problem with my old truck.
#1 - Save your correspondence, repair orders & invoices. Organize by dates.
( repair order is what the dealer is going to do as per customer complaint)
( invoice is what result, the dealer performed as repair )
#2 - Dealer service-work is a 1-year warranty into it's self.

#3 - Once a RETURN service request on exact previous problem is DOCUMENTED, then, there is no warranty time limit on that repair, AFTER, if your 2nd return is within that 1st year.

#4 - Highlight the written invoice repair that states " we found no leak". ( unlawful to then fill freon if system is low or empty ).

#5 - Contact GM corporate with prepared paperwork of repairs & service sheets.

#6 - " Talk to the supervisor" at corporate. Don't waste time with, who answers the phone first.

( I was in Orange County, Ca. - The dealers were hampered by the GM "service-area Rep" denying, even though GM corporate said 'OK")
 
Last edited:

mountie

Supporting Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Posts
4,581
Reaction score
8,374
Location
Wellington, Fl., (formally Kalifornia)
1988 GMC C2500. ( extended 70,000 warranty )..... What GM said, "screw you".

1 ) Complaint: R/F fender upper ( metallic brown ) "peeling clear coat".
GM : "Color sand & polish" .... PEELING PAINT??
2 ) Complaint: Leaf spring set does not match ( one leaf spring was for a Chevy Van, as per expert)
GM : " It works, doesn't it? " ... They said Screw you.
2 ) Complaint: 700R4 Transmission " chattering on soft acceleration ". ( Bad lock up as per expert) - Have them warm up transmission on freeway then back to dealer to see problem.
GM : Kept truck over night, drove truck around block ONCE at 8:00am, then parked it. GM says "drove within spec". They said Screw you. ( even though a TSB was for same issue)
ALL with less than 70,000 miles.
I had to take care of the defects on my own dime. So, FU*K GMC !!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,369
Posts
1,866,886
Members
96,996
Latest member
Brynedic

Latest posts

Top