GM Dealerships: Your Biggest Concerns?

[Rob]

When bringing your Corvette or other GM vehicle in to a dealer for service, what is your biggest concern?

[Wegone]

Getting it fixed right the first time!!!!

[kingman]

The biggest problem that l have noticed is if the vehicle is still under the orig warranty and how close it is to the end of the warranty on how they handle the situation.

The imported cars are handled much better (BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and even Volvo) as far keeping the owners happy.

I always get a loaner and it is done right most of the time.

The domestic brands is like pulling teeth and Chevrolet treats the vette owners like you own a Yugo.

What you have to do is find the best service advisor and slip him $50 and you will be taken care of for sure.

Alan

[Erik S. Klein]

I won't let a dealership touch my '72 but I have a 2000 Olds that I get serviced at regular intervals. For most of the work I've found that the quality is about the same between the dealership and the GDIs. The costs, however, can be significantly different. . .

[kingman]

Now you can understand why GM, Ford and Chrysler are going to go the way of the DoDo !!!!

They are closing down plants and letting go workers left and right because we can not compete.

Alan

[gmjunkie]

The biggest problem that l have noticed is if the vehicle is still under the orig warranty and how close it is to the end of the warranty on how they handle the situation.

As some of you Know, My vette was just in for warranty repairs!!! Had only been in once before for Tire Monitor Reprogram. My warranty ran out Jan 9 06,I took it in Dec 28 05 with a Grocery List!! They Checked it out and I picked it Up Dec.30 05 as they had to order Part's, I took it Back Jan 2 06 And got it Back Fri Jan 20 06 Repaired to My Satisfaction!!!
Jim Cook Chevrolet in Marion NC. "ROCK'S" :_rock junk!!

[Pseudomind]

I cannot vote as they are all important to me, none more so then the other.

Cost
Proper Diagnosis
Proper Repair
Time in for service

And I can also agree with this line


Now you can understand why GM, Ford and Chrysler are going to go the way of the DoDo !!!!


The impression I get when I go to the dealers is that it is all a game to them and you the consumer are not of any importance. It is like you are some money dispenser to them.

One cannot even ask a simple question with them wanting $85.00 - $100.00 for an appointment, and then if they maybe think you need a part (part cost non-refundable if it is electrical or special order) or even if the part is not the correct part needed. (My case gas door actuator).

So you need an initial appointment $85.00 - $100.00
Order part $79.29
Schedule another appointment to have part installed $100.00 - $200.00

So let’s see lost wages or personal time for two appointments

$264.29 minimum without factoring wages for two appointments and you still may not even have the problem corrected

[gmjunkie]

I cannot vote as they are all important to me, none more so then the other.

Cost
Proper Diagnosis
Proper Repair
Time in for service

To me Proper Diagnosis is #1.
With Proper Diagnosis Result is Proper Repair!!
With Proper Repair Result is Lower Cost and Less time in for Service!!

:upthumbs junk!!

[Pseudomind]

With Proper Diagnosis Result is Proper Repair!!

If all goes smoothly from the proper diagnosis, if not then (...)

[gmjunkie]

If all goes smoothly from the proper diagnosis, if not then (...) Then You need to Slide down to Rodger Dean Chevrolet in Vero Beach and ask Steve Wallen the Part's Manager,Who is the Best Vette Man in there Service Dept!! and then ask for that Man to work on your Car!! I don't know who is there anymore!! But Steve will, I've dealt with Steve for 20 yr's and He is the BEST GM part's man I have ever known!! Tell him Jesse Anderson (Fuzzy, formerly at the Body Shop of Vero) sent ya!!

:upthumbs junk!!

[Scottsredvette]

I too can't really pick one. I refuse to go to the three Chevy dealers in Colorado Springs. Two of them took my wife for quite a ride on some repairs to our truck and I'm afraid to go to the third one. Now the local Caddy dealer is a bit different. I take my Olds Aurora there and they do exactly what needs to be done and no more. The service manager we deal with is excellent, keeps us informed of whats going on and seems to go out of his way to keep our business.
The Vette goes to people in our local club that just happen to own their own repair businesses. Being Vette owners themselves and also being members, they take very good care of us.

Scott

[*89x2*]

Overall treatment and care of the car


Also, how I am treated.

[Grizzly]

I too can't really pick one. I refuse to go to the three Chevy dealers in Colorado Springs. Two of them took my wife for quite a ride on some repairs to our truck and I'm afraid to go to the third one. Now the local Caddy dealer is a bit different. I take my Olds Aurora there and they do exactly what needs to be done and no more. The service manager we deal with is excellent, keeps us informed of whats going on and seems to go out of his way to keep our business.
The Vette goes to people in our local club that just happen to own their own repair businesses. Being Vette owners themselves and also being members, they take very good care of us.

Scott

Scott hit the nail on the head, it's the service manager that's the key. Can't imagine a reason why I would take my '67, but have had my '92 in twice, once for AC and alignment work for which I don't have the tools, and once for a bad water pump that I just didn't have time to fix.

[IH2LOSE]

I only bring my car to the dealer when its under warrenty and its something I can not correct myself.

My hole house is GM (6 with only 2 drivers)

My company fleet is gm aprox 24 vechicles with the exception of 2 scions and 2 freightliners,

I have alot of GM vechicles,It pains me to have to go to a dealership,

Now I know some where someplace at a dealership there are real mecanics,Not just salesmen,Bull****ters,Liars,and thiefs. But I have not met one yet.

Its a mistake for us the consumers to have to have our car repaired underwarrenty buy a commisioned mecanic who family eats at the end of the week from what extra work he sold.

So pretty much it means the Mecanic working on your warrebtied vechicle makes less money then if he was working on a car he could sell the consumer some extra billable services or parts,In turn he then rushes your warrentied repair so he can make the money by doing it in less hours then gm alots them to do the repair,giving him more time to do billable repairs.

Its also insulting to have some idiot service wrighter try to BS about the repairs or the timing of it.PLEASE I am working on mecanical things since I was child

I have had nothing but greif with ever repair done by a GM dealership,from parts being billed to gm and never replaced,fix one thing and they break another, Grease on my steering wheel,seats,rug.
Screws left out,cover installed incorrectly,spare parts left in a coffe cup in my console, I can go on but I wont thank goodness my C5 has never needed to see the dealer ship,

My 2004 silverado was in the dealership atotal of 17 days intermitently over the first 24 months of owning it for a water leak they could never find. I finally go fed up and found and repaired it my self (it was an un sealed body seal by the cowl) Funny part was they rented me a dodge pickup truck from enterprise while they were trying to repair it. Enterprise charged me in full for the rental 2 months after i gave the rental truck back.I called enterprise and they said the dealership never paid the rental bill and would not issue a po for the rental.I called My service wrighter who had enterprize pick me up at the dealership and he said dont worry he would get it corrected,Every month I get my credit car bill,see it wasnt corrected then call the service wrighter and he would say "I have it corrected today" needless to say this went on 4 months and I finally drove to the dealership and asked to speak to the owner. They did every thing they could do not to allow me to speak to him. The Service manager was asking me whay I needed to see him,the General manager wanted to know untill finally the salesman I purchase all of my trucks from came in and brought me right to the owners desk.I told him what happened and he cut me a check on the spot.The service manager then came in and told the owner he should make sure I have proof with all of my credit card statements showing the original charge and no refunds from the dealership or enterprise.(I had all of that information with me and when I was trying to show it to the owners he said I did not have too he belived me) The owner stood up and told the service wrighter his turn to handel this problem was 5 months ago when enterprise asked him for a purchase order, at this point its his problem. he then told the guy to get out.

I hate going to dealers,as i hate to be made a fool,

[sorbet02]

When bringing your Corvette or other GM vehicle in to a dealer for service, what is your biggest concern?



my biggest concern is that they have mechs that know how to service a corvette..

[CVnut]

my biggest concern is that they have mechs that know how to service a corvette..

The last time I made an appointment to take my 99 roadster in to a local GM dealer for an oil change the service advisor asked me if I would like the tires rotated. That's an indication of how much some of them know about vettes.

[Scottsredvette]

The last time I made an appointment to take my 99 roadster in to a local GM dealer for an oil change the service advisor asked me if I would like the tires rotated. That's an indication of how much some of them know about vettes.

Hmmmmm, wonder if he's related to the GM guy that asked me if I'd checked the antifreeze on my old Corvair years back----;LOL

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Proper diagnois with the proper repair - without damage or soiling of the vehicle! I usually don't care how long it takes - just do it right!



We all have our GM dealer-service horror stories. My latest one - I took my 1999 C5 coupe with 40,000 miles to Mr. Goodwrench (where I bought the car new) for a "metal knocking" noise from the engine at idle.

The service writer called and said an idler pulley was bad. I authorized repairs. Then the service writer called and said the power steering pump was also bad. I authorized repairs.

When I picked up the car, the noise was still present. Back to the mechanic. The service writer called and said the alternator was bad (actually the decoupler pulley on the alternator) and could be replaced for $600.00 with no labor charge. I threw a fit and the dealership installed a new alternator for $200.00.

I am convinced the idler pulley and the power steering pump were NOT defective. I didn't even get an apology for the misdiagnosed work that cost me $$$$ and time without the car. It was obvious the mechanic was guessing at what caused the noise. It was also obvious that the mechanic and service writer did not care about the dubious misdiagnosis and work.

[road_racefan]

I am one of the lucky guys. After Cruisefest 05, C4C5 Specialist discovered an intake manifold leak in the C4, I took it to my nearest dealer. As C4C5 advised I asked if any of their mechanics were World-Class rated, and the service manager said all of their mechanics were world class, and didn't need any certification. There are now 2 very long black strips leaving their service area.

I then went to Andy Mohr Chevrolet in Plainfield, IN. Asked the same question. The service coordinator, said they had one, and 4 were working toward it. Then he paged the mechanic that would work on the car. Introduced us, and let him look at the car. He suggested some additional work that made sense, and I was given a loaner. The work was done perfectly, and the bill was below estimate. Then because it had rained that night, my freshly washed car was left in the service area to keep it dry.

Fast forward 6 months later. My battery failed, and recognizing the need to take the front panel off to get at it, I decided to let the dealer do it, to make sure the alignment was right. The battery was installed, and the labor charge was waived because "everyone knows what a pain in the butt it is to change the battery on a C4."

Think I might get my work done at this dealership? I don't know if I have paid more than at another place, but this kind of service is going to keep me coming back.

This is one place where the customer is not treated as a mobile cash machine. If all of the American dealerships treated their customers like this, maybe Honda and Toyota wouldn't be making such inroads.

Mike

[Samauriwarrior]

They are all my concern. Not sure any one has priority over the other.

[B17Crew]

I voted proper repair.

Rob, are you still considering opening a Corvette repair facility?

B17Crew
:w

[Pseudomind]

I take it this is a valid and recognized rating? As I did not know about this or was I even aware of the rating system, hopefully I will learn more and more from the boards.


I asked if any of their mechanics were World-Class rated,

[82ColEd]

All of the above, Rob. I would have picked Cost & Time, but also (of course) proper diagnosis leads to a satisfactory repair.
While i usually dont take my car (the 82 or the other GM car) to the dealer, i had had the 82 serviced in Levittown PA once. After my local mech couldnt trace down a problem with Cyl#4 fouling out every couple of month. They went and replaced a LOT of parts (cables, plugs, etc etc).. While that fixed the problem for good, it was also very expensive and it took a long time to get done (almost a week).
I couldnt agree with Mike/Road-Racefan more.. If any of my local dealerships were anything like that, i might give them a try again. Until then, regular mechanics with good instructions..

:w
-Stefan

[BruceBed]

The level of concern, commitement and value is a major deterent in returing to most Chevrolet dealerships. I think that most Vette owners are looking for their cars to be done properly. Have them returned clean. We are willing to pay a fair and generous fee for our cars. However, when they return cars that are not repaired properly , dirty and overbilled- we vote with our tires.

[Dad]

None of them really have more importance over each other where I deal. With the present group in the service, sales, and parts departments it's a great experience with all of the people, from the owner to the wash girl, they all treat me the same. Labor is fair, repair (if ever required) is quick, car is clean, they discount parts to match net prices, and above all they are friendly to everyone when they are with a customer. They just make spending money to easy, can't say that about all of the dealers I've been in but then thing do change don't they. Getting older I find it easy to say "I won't go back there because, bla bla bla, but that was then and I've learned to live in the now.

[BruceBed]

When I take my wife's Lexus in for service, that's perfection. The car is always right, clean and a loaner provided(under warranty). They call for a follow up. They charge up the wazoo, but it's a pleasant experience. It's my second Lexus and I will be back.Unfortunately, that's why GM is in the s$%t house.I hate to generalize about most dealerships, but this is what I hear consistantly. Gm's market share is dropping like the Hindenburg.

[mtdriver]

I would say proper repair is the top priority and I consider proper diagnosis as an intergal part of proper repair. I expect the mechanic working on my car to be a properly trained corvette mechanic and to take pride in the corvette and his work. Unfortunately, this person is very hard to find.

[6 Shooter]

If it's something I can't fix . . .

Who performs the repair(s), if I can watch him/my Corvette and all the following!

> Cost
> Proper Diagnosis
> Proper Repair
> Time in for service

[Greg Gore]

Having some bozo with very little experience getting assigned to my car and finding out afterwards he caused more harm than good. Splitting delicate plastic parts by overtightening fasterers. Not putting all the bolts back in, throwing the left over parts in the trash. Transmission fluid on the door handles and steering wheel and dirty greasy shoe marks on the carpets. If I have to have something repaired under warranty I don't know what I will do...trade it instead and hope for better on the next one I guess.

Greg

[outwest]

I have no compaints about my Chevy dealer. I have purchased six vehicles from the same guy there. They treat me like a king. I had my last oil change for free, no reason except they wanted to say thanks. They probably have a couple of the best corvette techs in the area.