Need Warranty Info quick!

shipcamein · December 9, 2017

Hi, All, first post here, appreciate all the good info.

Long story short (I can provide details, but I don't think you'll miss them...).

I started a warranty claim BEFORE the warranty expired. During the repair process, the warranty expired. Now the dealer will not cover the repair.

I've been told by a few folks that paying any amount will free the dealer from further obligations on this repair. That seems...sneaky but believable

To be clear - this is not a wear item or anything even remotely on the fence. It's a real powertrain issue, they've said as much, they wrote it down...then said, Oops...your five years just passed by, now we can't fix it.

This has to be wrong. Maybe illegal (here in Ohio).

I need to make a decision by Monday morning to pay or not pay (they're willing to "assist me" for some of the cost, good will and all that), but I am really out of my element. Help! Thanks in advance....

tbarn · December 9, 2017

Warranty coverage is dependent on mileage and the date the repair order is written. If it is covered when the r.o. is written then it is covered. Period. Does not matter how long it takes to fix it. Parts shortage, busy shop, etc.

shipcamein · December 9, 2017

Tbarn, thank you - that would seem to be common sense - but I am getting no where explaining that to the dealer. (I use "explaining" in the most generous kind sense possible...)

Having googled this problem for about 20 hours now - with very little success - I am surprised there isn't a ton of info on this. Maybe it's rare? I don't even know what to call this situation, and as a result - how can I point clearly at the law (if any) that protects consumers from this kind of nonsense?

I spoke with GM today - they're "bumping me up to a sr. advisor" whatever that means - but they will not budge so far. This is no different than "Day 1, I buy a new car, and Day 2 - the seat adjuster breaks - Dealer says - We're out of them - please come back in 3 years or 36000 miles, whichever comes first.." It is literally that type of situation, compressed. They do not deny it's broken, nor that it's under powertrain, or that I filed it in time - only that it is NOW past the day, so "Too Bad."

I would submit the opposite - they are on the hook until the original problem is fixed - even if it takes nine more years. I filed it on time, what else could I have done?

(that last part is hypothetical)

It's a frustrating day - but I don't want to go back there Monday with zero legal points to point out.

newdude · December 9, 2017

If your dealer left the paperwork open from before it expired and is still using that repair order, you might be safe. Worst case a call to GM for "warranty assistance" might be all it takes.

carnau · December 9, 2017

8 hours ago, shipcamein said:

Hi, All, first post here, appreciate all the good info.

Long story short (I can provide details, but I don't think you'll miss them...).

I started a warranty claim BEFORE the warranty expired. During the repair process, the warranty expired. Now the dealer will not cover the repair.

I've been told by a few folks that paying any amount will free the dealer from further obligations on this repair. That seems...sneaky but believable

To be clear - this is not a wear item or anything even remotely on the fence. It's a real powertrain issue, they've said as much, they wrote it down...then said, Oops...your five years just passed by, now we can't fix it.

This has to be wrong. Maybe illegal (here in Ohio).

I need to make a decision by Monday morning to pay or not pay (they're willing to "assist me" for some of the cost, good will and all that), but I am really out of my element. Help! Thanks in advance....

I work for a dealership. If you have proper paperwork then tell the service manager that you want the number to the district manager. If you brought your vehicle to the dealership for an issue and it leaves and isn't fixed or they could not find the problem because it was intermittent then they are responsible for repairing it. BUT if it was fixed and broke AGAIN then they are not responsible. I will give you a couple examples.

Example A. while your vehicle is under warranty, Your blower motor stops blowing air. You take it to the dealership and they replace the blower motor resistor. You leave and your air is fixed. A week later the air stops blowing again because the new blower motor resistor went bad but your vehicle has went out of warranty because of mileage. They are not responsible for replacing the resistor because the new resistor is only good till the end of the base warranty. Unfortunately you are responsible.

Example B. While your vehicle is under warranty, Your blower motor stops blowing air. You take it to the dealership but it has started working again before you got there and they can't figure out why your vehicle was acting up and they let you leave with no repairs done. A week later you take it back because it has stopped and they figure it out but the vehicle is out of warranty. They can refer back to the old repair order and get it covered.

Regardless if you are A or B, I would still ask for the district managers number.

So are you A, or B, or something else?

shipcamein · December 10, 2017

I am b. Lost 1&7 sparkplug /cylinders something about the afm but they have to do the repairs in a certain order, burning lots of oil etc, so they changed valve cover first, that fixed nothing, still burning oil, so now its pistons and rings. "but in the mean time your warranty expired."

carnau · December 10, 2017

How long after the valve cover was replaced did they need to do the pistons?

shipcamein · December 10, 2017

Hm... About six weeks?

tbarn · December 10, 2017

Ahh. No current R.O. That's a problem. Now you are GM's mercy. The dealer is correct. Out of warranty. Still should be covered in some fashion though.

shipcamein · December 10, 2017

I don't understand....?

shipcamein · December 10, 2017

I guess I don't know the process of dealer service. If I take it in for a problem which they cannot fix, I would have thought it would be under warranty for as long as it takes, even if that is twenty years. It's the very same problem, not fixed yet, it is not a new problem.

tbarn · December 10, 2017

They are all GM rules. Not dealer rules. Dealer does not want to be left holding the bag. Your issue at this time is with GM. They should cover it but who knows.

carnau · December 11, 2017

5 hours ago, shipcamein said:

I guess I don't know the process of dealer service. If I take it in for a problem which they cannot fix, I would have thought it would be under warranty for as long as it takes, even if that is twenty years. It's the very same problem, not fixed yet, it is not a new problem.

If it left for 6 weeks, there is probably nothing you can do. If it was the same problem why didn't you take it right back?

shipcamein · December 11, 2017

Because they told me to take it and drive it and bring it back in 1000 miles... So that's what I did. They did not say it was fixed, only that they have to follow gm's bulletin for this, which starts with valve cover, then moves to pistons and rings if problem isn't resolved.

tbarn · December 11, 2017

You'll have to fight it unfortunately. Probably have to talk to the AVM (district manager). It absolutely should be covered. They may try to get you in a goodwill situation but that will cost you a percentage of the repair (better than nothing). It's getting to the point everything needs to be recorded. Sad.