Chevy vs GMC warranty

x219c · August 16, 2017

So I was introducing my father in law to Laura GM pricing the other night and he brought up an interesting point I hadn't considered. He said he has purchased a GMC Suburban and would never buy another (around MY 1998-99?). He had run into some trouble with it while traveling and had a hard time finding a dealer nearby that would do anything. He went to a Chevrolet dealer, and although it was the same truck as the Chevrolet, they couldn't fix it under warranty. They sent him on his way to find a GMC dealer. He ended up just coming home and getting it fixed at the local dealer.

I thought there was no way this was true any longer, but sure enough, right on GMCs website it says you can only get service at GMC dealers under warranty. I'm sure a Chevrolet dealer will fix it, but you'll be stuck with the cost.

I happen to have a Chevrolet/GMC dealer in town, but he would prefer the larger network of Chevrolet dealers while traveling.

Is there another dealer on the Chevrolet side that is similar to Laura?

Or, any input on the warranty situation?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Doug Rosewood · August 16, 2017

Uh, the dealer I bought from is strictly Chevrolet but they service anything under the GM umbrella no questions asked...

1990dtgl98 · August 16, 2017

My friend is a Gm master tech working at a small Chevrolet dealership. He can get any gmc warranty work done.

rully1012 · August 16, 2017

I've only taken my GMC to a Chevy dealer after my original purchase. And no questions asked they'll fix it the same...on the service paper it actually has the logos of all the gm brands lol

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

aseibel · August 16, 2017

My Chevy dealer also sold us my wife's GMC Terrain, and services it.

Dealerships just want to get out of doing warranty work any way they can. That doesn't mean they CAN'T do it.

parthery · August 16, 2017

I've driven GMCs since 2005...had work done at both a Chevy store and the local Cadillac dealer. Never once has there been a warranty issue.

Texas Daddy · August 16, 2017

They get paid the same for warranty work - about $130 hour I see here; can't imagine they wouldn't want to do that work. Chevy dealer had no problem doing warranty work on wife's GMC acadia last year...

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

David in WXW · August 16, 2017

I had a front wheel bearing go out on a GMC Yukon while on the way to the coast for vacation. My Yukon was out of warranty. I decided to have a dealer do the repairs anyway since I had no knowledge of the local independent repair shops. I searched and found the closest GM dealership, which happened to be a Chevy dealer. . I was at the dealership when they opened the next morning, which happened to be a Saturday. I noticed an employee pull up, so I met him at the door wile he was unlocking. He asked what I needed. I told him that I was traveling and desperately needed a wheel bearing replaced, he replied "We don't work on GMCs here". I made it clear that it wasn't warranty work and he replied "You need to go to the GMC dealership." The closest GMC dealership was another 30 miles down the road. Luckily they had the hub assembly in stock and agreed to squeeze me in on a Saturday morning when they were short staffed and closed at 12:00.

Donstar · August 16, 2017

Interesting! I've owned Silverado and Sierra and never had to think about which gm dealer to choose for warranty coverage. Maybe I've been lucky or GM Canada operates their dealerships differently.

SilsbySilverado103 · August 16, 2017

That is the weirdest thing I've ever heard. Why would they not do the work? Sounds more like dealerships being stupid than any corporate policies.

L86 All Terrain · August 16, 2017

My dealer sells GMC, Chev and Buick. The owner also owns a Ford dealership in a different city. In some of the bigger cities in Canada, GMC and Chevrolet are separated. The dealer makes money on a warranty issue, so I don't know why any GM dealer would turn away from helping a GM vehicle owner with a warranty issue, simply for the fact you didn't purchase from them.

Thomcat · August 16, 2017

I had a front wheel bearing go out on a GMC Yukon while on the way to the coast for vacation. My Yukon was out of warranty. I decided to have a dealer do the repairs anyway since I had no knowledge of the local independent repair shops. I searched and found the closest GM dealership, which happened to be a Chevy dealer. . I was at the dealership when they opened the next morning, which happened to be a Saturday. I noticed an employee pull up, so I met him at the door wile he was unlocking. He asked what I needed. I told him that I was traveling and desperately needed a wheel bearing replaced, he replied "We don't work on GMCs here". I made it clear that it wasn't warranty work and he replied "You need to go to the GMC dealership." The closest GMC dealership was another 30 miles down the road. Luckily they had the hub assembly in stock and agreed to squeeze me in on a Saturday morning when they were short staffed and closed at 12:00.

Sounds more like a competitive agreement between local dealerships than GM policy. Chevy and GMC dealers can only service the brands they sell under warranty which naturally includes any brand of used vehicle sold on their used car lot under a local dealer provided warranty. Out of warranty they can choose to service anything they want including other make vehicles which they routinely do on pre-owned Fords, Chryslers, etc. sold on their used car lot. I've been to the service areas of many Chevy and GM dealerships I've observed other brand vehicles on their lifts.

Under normal conditions Chevy warranty work can only be done by a Chevy dealer, same for GMC because they cannot obtain reimbursement for the parts or repairs done under warranty without prior GM permission. Under warranty an owner is provided with free roadside assistance including an emergency tow to the nearest GM dealership for repair. If there is no servicing brand nearby, and if the dealer chooses, they can obtain permission from GM for warranty repairs on another GM brand. Might be their choice not to do so, but it can be done under an emergency situation.

Bad Bowtie2 · August 16, 2017

I've worked at several dealerships over the last 18 yrs.

Back in 2000-2002 GM would not allow warranty claims at a dealership on a GM line they did not sell. The only exception was someone traveling out of state with a driveability issue warranty claim.

Of course, all of this has changed since the early 2000's.

Owners can now take a GMC Sierra truck to a Cadillac only dealership for a transmission shift concern or even a broken cupholder under GM warranty. A Chevy Impala owner can take their car into a GMC-Buick only dealership for an inoperative power window under warranty, etc, etc.