Lemme tell you about my experiences with GM and why I will NEVER buy one of their products again. I bought a Gran Prix brand new in 97. In under 18K miles the trans developed an intermittent problem of not going into low gear when coming to a near or complete stop. In the course of three different trips to the dealer I kept getting the line "we don't know what is wrong. We are waiting for Detroit to tell us what to do." This was going to get me killed as it always happened at the same corner by my house when I needed to pull out onto a busy 4 lane. They replaced the torque convertor, a wiring harness, several servo's or relays and eventually the valve body but never fixed the problem. Never offered me a loaner or a trip to the rental place 3 blocks away.
On the day I went to pick it up for the trans prob. (the last time) I get in it to leave and the steering makes a horrible noise like no fluid. The first brainsurgeon/mechanic goes to get another brainsurgeon who proceeds to drown my shock towers and everything else with WD40 telling me that the rubbers are dry. Yeah right. I throw a fit and run off a few customers as I am still parked right next to the service writer's booths and at least 10 cars are lined up waiting to get in first thing in the morning. Eventually a proper diagnosis happens and they have to replace the entire steering rack AT 22K MILES!
Next year more intermittent problems lead to replacing the main engine wiring harness.
The final straw was when my wife went out to go to work at 5 AM and she couldn't get the car into Drive. It was towed on a flatbed to the dealer who diagnosed a bad shifter. They fixed it 6 fukin' times before they got it right. First they tried to blame it on her. Then they tried to blame it on spilled soda or something into the mechanism. Then after the second trip to get it fixed (yes another tow) the shifter actually came off in her hand! They said "that can't happen. The design won't allow it." Do you see the shifter in my hand you stupid MF'r!!! Then the replacement did the exact same thing. After picking up the car on trip number 5, it wouldn't go into gear for me less then 30 mins. after leaving the dealer. I almost punched out the General Mgr. when he told me GM wouldn't authorize a rental after my 5th trip in.
I have dealt with 5 different Pontiac dealerships in the course of owning that car and they all treated me like shit. None of them was interesting in retaining me as a GM customer. You guys that buy GM cars and trucks I will never understand. Fuk em !!!
Sorry for the rant. Don't taz me bro
I was a GM service technician from 1988 to 1990, your story is not an unfamiliar one.
The problem with dealer service shops is, someone, somewhere within the organization, needs to give two sh!ts...Most don't, not all, but most.
I had a guy bring a 1990 Corvette Raodster 4+3, dark blue, black top, bitchen car. Anyway, he brings it in and I am the driveability tech in Gridly ca (near Yuba City) and his complaint is a rod knock. So I have to keep it overnight because he says it only does it in the morning. No problem, get him a ride home all is good. The next morning, I start this thing up (it has 6,600 miles on it) and it has what sounds like a rod knock for about a minute and half, then slowly fades and goes away (totally away with 40# of oil pressure), I drove the car (hauled ass
) and told the service manager what I found, basically a collapsed piston (common). He says write it up as "no problem found"...
..
Well, I told the service writer to call GM tech and tell them I have another one...The service writer says "another one what?", so I said motor. I was not going to let this guy live with a badass car he probably saved for years for to have to live with a knock...Cold or not...
The service manager, who is the worlds biggest A-hole, threatens to fire me, I lose it and went off on this jackhole for twenty minutes (in the showroom) and finally asked him "what gives you the right?" His answer almost made me fall down....."He'll never buy another car here anyways"...What?!
To make a rediculously long story short, he OK's the engine change, I get the dude taken care of, and he comes in weeks later with his dad who buys a brand new Z71 extended cab pickup, loaded. BTW, I got the comission and an apology from the service manger.
90 days later, that aluminum headed 350 was in my 1972 K5 CST Blazer 4X4 after a piston swap....Factory OEM parts BTW.
I quit two weeks after my Blazer ran.
Paybacks a bitch.
GT
