Hate to come back to the forum like this

[the_yellow_dart]

Having an issue with GM right now...

My Cruze engine light went on while I was on my way from my home in Toronto to Algonquin Park a camping trip for the Labour Day weekend (Friday evening). Pulled over and checked the coolant and realized it was quite low. Turned around and drove to a Canadian Tire in Huntsville, and picked up some coolant before they closed. Put the coolant in, but the idle was lumpy so I decided not to drive it. Got a friend to pick me up and drive me into the park (Huntsville is part way there).

Went back to Huntsville the next day to get the car taken into the Huntsville GM dealer that was supposed to have Saturday hours. Was rather disappointed when their Saturday hours were cancelled for the labour day weekend, and I was not quite far enough from Toronto (over 200 km but not over the 250 km cutoff) to qualify for "Trip Interruption" service - whatever that means - the lady on the phone wouldn't tell me. So I was left renting a Fiesta to get around the Huntsville/Algonquin area for the weekend, and taking Tuesday off work so that they could look at it.

Stayed at the campsite by myself on Monday night after my friends left, then brought the Fiesta back to the rental shop in Huntsville on Tuesday and went to the GM dealer where they looked at the Cruze. When they did, they realized that there was a plastic part leaking coolant and that it would be 5-7 days to get shipped in. They said that it was not covered under the powertrain warranty. I am over 60,000 km so the powertrain is all I have left. It was not practical for me to take that much time off work and stay in Huntsville at my expense. A tow to Toronto would be $500+ and not covered by GM. The Huntsville garage recommended driving it back to Toronto as the coolant leak was slow. I paid about $100 to the Huntsville garage for the diagnosis. They recommended taking several stops to check the coolant level and allow the engine to cool somewhat, which I did. No apparent issues on the way back, but it was nerve racking thinking that I shouldn't really be driving this thing. I had also called and ordered the part in a Toronto garage from Huntsville before leaving.

I took transit to get to work for the Wed-Fri of the next week (turning my 35 min commute into 2 hours). Took the Cruze the short distance into the Toronto dealer (Dean Myers) when they got the part in. Had to get a rental Mazda 3 to get myself around on the weekend as I had places to go that transit couldn't take me. When they installed it on Monday, they realized two things - one was that the lumpy idle was caused by a vacuum leak (misdiagnosed as a "sweating turbo bearing" by the Huntsville garage) and also that the plastic part was covered by the powertrain warranty. The cause of the vacuum leak was also a powertrain warranty issue. Immediately they got me to come in, and I got a rental Impala covered by the warranty. They also cancelled my payment for the plastic part for the coolant which I had ordered from them and performed all subsequent work under the warranty. I took the Mazda 3 back and drove the Impala for the next couple of days while they fixed the vacuum leak (another long lead part).

Dean Myers recommended calling GM customer service to get reimbursed for the rentals and the Huntsville garage charges, as they said that should all be covered under warranty. I'm trying to do just that but it's very slow and difficult. I submitted all the reciepts by fax shortly after calling, and they did recieve them - I've called back several times and they say they're still looking into it - something about debating the driveability of the car. I can't believe I'm still going through this over a month later - I think they're just stalling hoping I'll go away.

I'm starting to get really frustrated by how long all of this is taking, and worrying that they will stiff me for all of this. It's really pissing me off every time I think about it, and I'm just starting to hate GM more and more.

What does everyone here think? Do you agree with the dealer - should all this be reimbursed?

[ocnblu]

Seems like they owe you for the $100 diagnosis charge and for renting the Mazda 3. They should at least reimburse that much. Talking perhaps from GM's point of view, a slow coolant leak and a rough idle do not make the car non-drivable. The incorrect GM dealer diagnosis and the Mazda 3 rental bill should be paid back to you, for sure. Hopefully they will step up, as those are verifiable unnecessary expenses.

Welcome back, if under difficult conditions. I hope this gets ironed out soon for you. Hopefully you've enjoyed your Cruze overall, and now that your car is fixed rightfully under warranty, you can continue to motor well into the future, trouble-free. Your Cobalt, IIRC, treated you pretty well over a long distance. This car should last you at least as long.

Every manufacturer will cite their warranty to a "T" if a dispute comes up, you can count on that. Whether it be Ford, or Mazda, or Toyota, or Hyundai/Kia... or BMW or Mercedes. A lot of times, a "goodwill" repair done out of warranty for the customer is eaten by the dealer, with no reimbursement from the parent company.

Let us know how you make out.

[the_yellow_dart]

Thanks, ocn - one question though. The 3 should be refunded but not the Fiesta? What's your logic on that?

[Camino LS6]

I think you just got caught between a bad dealer and a good one - be glad the good one is your local shop.

GM should, and probably will, cover you for all of it.

[G. David Felt]

wishing you the best, I think GM will make it right as they have on my few issues I ran into so far.

[A Horse With No Name]

Good luck, and sorry to hear you had trouble with the cruze....

[ocnblu]

Well, I guess I was thinking with the Fiesta, the parts were not immediately available, and the car was technically drivable until the parts arrived. And I think you said the parts came in at your home dealer pretty quickly after the correct diagnosis found the problem coverable under the powertrain warranty, so they were ready to work on it and get the rental covered.

[the_yellow_dart]

They are claiming that nothing should be covered. They are "meeting me halfway" with a $200 gift card for Goodwrench service.

GM just lost a customer for life. This is ridiculous.

[G. David Felt]

They are claiming that nothing should be covered. They are "meeting me halfway" with a $200 gift card for Good wrench service.

GM just lost a customer for life. This is ridiculous.

Is this the dealer who came back with this or you actually talking to GM customer service? I would challenge GM on this, the gift card for service is stupid.

[Drew Dowdell]

GM Customer service has been notified of this thread

[the_yellow_dart]

It is gm customer service that I was already speaking with.

[ocnblu]

That's not "meeting you halfway", that's the opposite of humility, thinking you will not go anywhere else, thinking this will make you quiet, thinking this will buy time until you are calm.

They are "paying" you, but for future visits, instead of paying you for concrete, real expenses you paid out and are entitled to reimbursement for, that is all you're asking for, if I may speak for you.

I'd be mad, too.

[Camino LS6]

Wait a minute, didn't the dealer already say that you were covered for the repairs/parts, and one rental?

Something's fishy here.

[daves87rs]

GM Customer service has been notified of this thread

And hopefully they read it..

Co worker had a few issues with their Cruze, and even though it took a bit longer than expected, GM took care of it.

Hope they take care of ya..

[the_yellow_dart]

Wait a minute, didn't the dealer already say that you were covered for the repairs/parts, and one rental?

Something's fishy here.

Yes. The one dealer covered the parts, their repairs, and the one rental. The other two rentals and the Huntsville diagnosis came out of my pocket. They claimed that the Huntsville diagnosis cannot be warranty covered since no work was performed. Also they claim that the two rentals cannot be covered since they were not GM vehicles.

[Camino LS6]

Hmmm....

[ocnblu]

I have never heard of a rental having to be of the same manufacture as the customer's vehicle. A rental is a rental, it's not a loaner. Unless it's a Canada thing.

[vonVeezelsnider]

If I'm up on the terms and conditions of the GM Canada new vehicle warranty, they will only comp a rental car if they need to keep your car for more than one business day to complete repairs. I think the case is different under the Cadillac warranty, which is somewhat more generous- I read somewhere that they give you a comparable loaner even for one day, but for Chev/Buick/GMC that's usually the bottom line. Once the Toronto dealer determined they needed to keep your car for more than one day they rightly put you in the Impala and comped it, and I think that's usually the extent of their coverage.

Our usual dealership has a Budget Rent-a-Car franchise right in the service department and on one occasion GM comped a truly awful Mitsubishi Lancer for a couple days when they needed to keep my Impala for warranty work. While I'm not sure that warranty should pay for either the Mazda or the Fiesta rental, the reason they fed you for why not isn't kosher.

They should also be refunding you the whole cost of the diagnosis at the first dealership. Diagnosis and shop costs for items covered under the 5/160 powertrain warranty are always not the owner's responsibility, and it's not your fault that they misdiagnosed at the first dealer. Given the correct diagnosis and a copy of the workorder from the Toronto dealer there should be absolutely zero arguing with you on that point.

[the_yellow_dart]

They are claiming that the Huntsville garage did not misdiagnose my car. That was the most aggravating part of the conversation.

[G. David Felt]

They are claiming that the Huntsville garage did not misdiagnose my car. That was the most aggravating part of the conversation.

WOW, I feel for you as this just stinks of people not wanting to be accountable. Everyone is trying to push the buck to someone else so it does not hit their bottom line when they screwed the pooch. I say stick in there and demand they honor the powertrain warranty and cover the poor diagnose and cost at the first dealership.

Good Luck.

[ocnblu]

Did they incorrectly diagnose the problem though? Were they ignorant of what parts were covered under the warranty? Or were they being shady, trying to get the customer to pay retail for something they would get paid wholesale from GM if they submitted the repair under warranty?

[the_yellow_dart]

I don't know. All I know is, in my opinion, they made two mistakes. One is not realizing that the part for the coolant leak was under warranty, and the other was not finding the vacuum leak, which really was the reason the engine was acting strange (down on power and lumpy idle) in the first place.

To me, that's a misdiagnosis. GM Customer service says it's not.

Is anything going to come of this thread going to GM? Oldsmoboi, have you heard anything?

If this is left as it is, I won't even consider GM for my next vehicle.

[Drew Dowdell]

I did hear back from them, but the person who contacted me only deals with US stuff and not Canadian.