Bad Warranty work at local dealer.... [Archive] - GrandAmGT.com Forum

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GS10GA
09-06-2002, 09:21 PM
Ok, let me give you some background. First I am a sevice tech for Moxy Trucks of America so I know a fair amount about turning a wrench. Second, if you see an axle seal and a water pump leaking you shouldn't have a problem getting it to the dealer for a repair and getting it back in atleast in the same running order you left it in.

The car in question is a 1998 Grand Am GT 2.4L manual, we bought it with 27k on it november of 2001. The car ran great drove ok(dry rotted RSA's). We were very happy with the 1992 2.3L manual we bought as is in 96 so we thought "well what the hell we'll take it" (and a warranty just to be safe, wifes idea).

The dealer we bought it from was the same dealer we took it to fo repair here in south west Ohio. My wife dropped it off on her lunch hour on a monday and picked up her loner. Our car was in the shop the next morning and on the rack(kinda insulting that they have to find out what's wrong with the car after you a trained mechanic told them what's wrong). At lunch time they called my wife and said "your left axle seal and water pump are leaking" well DUH... but my wife just said politely "yea we know, so when can you fix it and when can we get it?" they told her thursday and she said cool. The next day they called her and said they were waiting on a part and it would not be ready till friday(that was cool with me I know how bad a parts department can be, I deal with it all the time). Friday we picked up the car and drove home(not an uneventful drive but that's another story). Later I started the car and drove to Pep Boys with a friend of mine, the more I drove the more the car started to sound like a K car with a rod knock, what the hell was going on? I drove it home parked it, asked the wife "if it made any noises when she drove home?" she said no! then I called the dealer back and very nicely told the service manager what was up. After he checked to see if he had anyone who could fix it on saturday (no), he asked if I could bring it in soon, DUH like I'm going to wait and drive it around! The next day I drove it into the shop infront of the service manager and let it run till he said "ok you can turn it off". They worked on it monday and tuesday when we picked it back up and they told us that the "Timing Chain Tensioner was loose" and that he couldn't understand why, Mark was one of his best guys, I about ****!! LEFT MY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER LOOSE!!!! THAT COULD HAVE CRAPPED MY ENGINE!!!! This is why I don't like warranties, if I do the work it's done and done correctly. The wife wanted the warranty. Now the car has this strange wissle, kinda low pitch, but it's not going to the dealer after what happened over an axle seal and water pump!!

Kirk

iceman
09-09-2002, 08:33 AM
If you are having bad dealings with one particular dealer, or have some useful information about warranties to post.. Please do.


This section isn't really for getting rants off of your chest.

scaredpoet
10-02-2002, 07:46 PM
(kinda insulting that they have to find out what's wrong with the car after you a trained mechanic told them what's wrong).

With all due respect, being a mechanic yourself, do you just tear into an engine when someone else professes to know exactly what's wrong with their truck? Even I've found that no matter how dead sure someone else is about their problem, it still pays to have a look yourself, if anything so that you're not wasting your time with additional visits if it turns out that the diagnosis was wrong.

BMOBYLE
10-02-2002, 08:30 PM
Originally posted by scaredpoet


With all due respect, being a mechanic yourself, do you just tear into an engine when someone else professes to know exactly what's wrong with their truck? Even I've found that no matter how dead sure someone else is about their problem, it still pays to have a look yourself, if anything so that you're not wasting your time with additional visits if it turns out that the diagnosis was wrong.

Scared is right dude! I'm a tech over at NISS, MITSU & SUZUKI.
You would of been more ****ed if they just replaced what you said and that wasn't the problem. I know you are a tech also but alot of people think they know about cars telling my $hit like there alternator is bad cause they actually are hearing the idler pulley whine. They have to double check or they AREN"T good you know what I'm saying cheif! I know your ****ed and want to vent though.

GS10GA
10-03-2002, 01:17 AM
Look the car had oil coming out of the left axle seal, and oil coming out of the water pump. If some shmuck off the street told me that was the problem I would have looked for it to verify it. If another tech who I've talked too before told me the problems I would have jumped on it knowing that the guy is quite knowledgable. It just gets to me to think they charged me more money for leaks any parts changer could have found and then messed up by leaving the timing chain tensioner loose, that would not have happened if I did the work myself , but its under warranty. They know me well and have offered me a job twice now. I'm being concidered for Field Rep at my work which means I go around telling dealer and customer mechanics what to do and how to do it to fix a truck, I'm 27, I'm good at what I do, so it is a little insulting.

Bob
10-08-2002, 10:11 AM
GS10GA,
Which dealer did you go to in Cinci? I just want to make sure I stay far away from there. :)

GS10GA
10-08-2002, 10:39 AM
Tri-county Pontiac, but I wouldn't avoid them till they get some more bad postings, maybe I was just "lucky", I'm not saying I feel any less ****ed about it. I'm learning most dealerships around here have the same problems, most seem to have parts changers not trained techs, Tri-county has all trained techs except one guy. God I long for the old days!

qwik99gt
10-08-2002, 10:49 AM
GS10GA,
Sorry to hear about your experience:( . Unfortunately any time you allow someone to touch your car anymore there is a risk of grenading an engine. A friend took in an Escort for an oil change and they neglected to replace the drain plug. You would think they'd notice 4 quarts of oil on the floor:rolleyes: . And don't let Seth (Iceman) get to you. He's a good guy, just stressed from trying to organize the board.lol What would be the best section for this? Maybe General, with the subject as "Warning: bad dealership experience"? At least it was fixed before any major damage was done.
And since I haven't talked to you, Welcome to the Site!

Bob
10-08-2002, 12:46 PM
Originally posted by GS10GA
Tri-county Pontiac, but I wouldn't avoid them till they get some more bad postings, maybe I was just "lucky", I'm not saying I feel any less ****ed about it. I'm learning most dealerships around here have the same problems, most seem to have parts changers not trained techs, Tri-county has all trained techs except one guy. God I long for the old days!

Wonderful, that is where my car goes for service. :)
The only problem I have had with them so far is they won't do anything with my super noisy RSA's with 53,000 miles on them. The tread is still good, but they are noise as hell.
On the plus side, they know my name and face so if I have any issues I just call them right back up until I am satisfied (unless I give up, like on the tires).