dissediver

A year ago my beloved C6 'Black Girlfriend as my wife called it was hit by a truck, run off the road, and was totaled. I replaced it with a 2010 CTS-V as I am awaiting the arrival of the C7. This week on the 1 year anniversary of my C6 accident I blew the engine on the CTS-V. My question here will concern the 100k warranty on engine and dealer responsibility. This next phase will lay the ground for my question.


My car had modifications to it I was not aware of until last year after I bought it. I took it to a friends shop and when he had it in the air he noted that there was a rear main seal oil leak and that it had long tube headers. As it had but 32k miles on it I took it to the dealer. They had my car for a week and when I got it back I was told that there was no rear main seal leak that it had been the oil pan gasket and that it had been replaced and repaired.


Two weeks later prior to a trip to Louisiana I checked the oil and noticed I was a quart low. I looked under the car and low and behold it looked as if the car still had an oil leak. I took it back to my friends shop who again got it in the air and once again told me I had a rear main seal oil leak.


I then took it to a different dealer to do the warranty work. They in turn verified it was a rear main seal oil leak but since the other dealer had initiated the repairs for the reported problem I had to go back to the other dealer to have them fix what they started under the warranty.


I spoke to not only the GM of dealer but the service manager as well who assured me there would be no further problems with getting my car repaired with them, then or in the future. My car spent another 7 days with them and they did indeed verify and make the repair to the rear main seal. It was at this time they pointed out to me that I had long tube headers on the car.


Last week my car did not start, thought it was battery, tried to get jump, didn't work. Called road side assistance and they got car started and told me it was starter and to take it to dealer. I took it to dealer and told them of starter problem. I also told them I needed oil change and that in the two days prior I had started hearing knocking noise from engine, told them I thought it was lifter. I explained to them how it could be heard with at speed and at idle by revving engine.


They told me I needed rear tires (which I did-imagine that) and I told them I was getting them from Discount Tires. They asked if they matched price would I buy from them, I said yes.


On Wednesday they called me to tell me car was ready and tried to sell me $1,700.00 worth of front brakes and rotors, told them no thanks, I do my own brakes. They said tires were on, oil was changed and that starting issue was not starter but software update and to come get car. I asked about noise, they said nothing abnormal was heard. I told them point blank noise was NOT normal.


On Thursday morning I showed up at dealer to pick up car and again asked about noise I had been hearing. I was told it was nothing to worry about as they had heard nothing unusual. I then left dealer and as soon as I got on freeway I began to hear noise. I called dealer and left message for service advisor that I would be bringing car back in evening.


This did not come to pass because within 30 minutes of leaving dealer the noise became a loud noise and whatever was giving way broke in major way. I had almost total engine power loss and got off to side of freeway instantly. I called dealer, they came to tow car, got loaner and was on my way.


Yesterday I stopped by dealer and was told I needed new engine. I was also told that they had to get data from the engine and send to GM for warranty claim. They again pointed out I had aftermarket long tube headers on car and that GM would make determination on if engine would be 100% covered, 50% covered, or not covered.


My question is how accountable can the dealer be held to allowing a car that was DRIVEN into their shop with complaint of engine noise, then to allow customer to drive away only to have engine commit hari kari and be towed back in? I have it on my receipt my concern of knocking noise and their determination of nothing abnormal being heard.

I also want to know how much blame GM may try and bestow it upon long tube headers and how much their presence may affect claim.


Regardless of warranty issues I may have with mods, how much responsibility lays in the lap of the dealer? This is the same dealer who said I had no rear main seal oil leak them weeks later made the repair to fix rear main seal.

I am just trying to be proactive for fight I see on horizon as my 556 HP LSA Supercharged engine will cost 12k to replace, not including labor.

saplumr

All I had to read was the header thing. You're more than likely toast on any warranty.

MLCRookie

I would be surprised if the dealer or GM would take the brunt of this claim simply because the headers indicate the car "could" have been "abused".

VET4LES

Be prepared for the worst. Your at the mercy of GM.

Keep 'Em Flying

Those wrecked Z06 pictures make baby Jesus cry

dvilin

My guess is even with all your documentation they are going to use the addition of the long tube headers to make you pay the whole shot. Hope for your sake I am wrong, good luck.

simplegto

You are saying you did not know the car had headers when you bought it? Long tubes are noise and would be hard to hide. I would guess the owner that installed the headers may have beat on the car and would give the dealer and GM a way out.

dissediver

I went from a C6 Z06 with Corsa exhaust to the CTS-V last year, the 'noise' it was making was quiet if you ask me. I purchassed car from a dealer, not an individual.

z51vett

Then I would go to that dealer because he failed to tell you about the hedders and tune if it has one was it sold with warranty by that dealer?
z51vett

simplegto

Good luck the headers did not cause the failure but it is a way out. I had a cam and headers on my GTO and went to the dealer for a rear end oil leak and they found some rubber in the fender wells and said no way. They put the deniel on the record and it showed up when I went to trade the GTO on the C6 I have now. The Chevy dealer ran my vin and told me I should sell the car my self. Another story I knew a guy who had a cam and header GTO that broke a valve spring and lost the engine. His dealer gave him a new motor no questions ask. The valve spring was a Comp Cam spring that broke. It is all about the dealer.

dissediver

The dealer and service manager said they are recomending full replacement to GM and I somewhat feel they are on my side as their repair and service to this car has been questionable at best.

PatriotZ

Talk about some bummer luck....

dissediver

I wouldn't use the word luck at all to be honest!

saplumr

The problem is GM has the final say and their rules are strict. Your only shot is the dealer covering their a$$ and pay something.

londonk

Very sorry GM is tough about that stuff .. But if it's determined that the headers did not cause the problem the warranty should remain in force. Grey area .... Do a forged ls3 and role keep you stock crank save the money

ChevyDave

good news, and bad news. giving you the bad news first.

bad news..... GM and or dealership can do whatever they want to you and you cant do anything what-so-ever about it. except for a lawyer if you wish.

good news.... GM and or dealership can not legally void warrenty unless they can PROVE (not say , not suggest, not wish) your aftermarket parts caused failure. Not maybe, prove in such a way that a jury would say.. yes, your headers made the engine break.

ok, so here we are...
http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/magmoss.htm

for small issues, the fed act is worthless. for big issues, very important. you need to understand a few issues in the act.

1) they must state in writing (MUST and in WRITING) why they are voiding. not verbally. not 'its voided'. WHY its voided, and that WHY is possible to win in front a jury. NOT 'oh we added new reasons' later to a jury. anyway, my point has been made
2) you must attempt to resolve issues through rules spelled out in the act
3) you have a right , to fight until you reach a court if you desire. your right.

so... you speak spoftly carry a big stick by letting them know you understand the warrenty act, and will pursue it as they push back harder and harder against you

think of it this way, if your car has a tune, your f'ed cause that would be a winable argument. your car has new exhaust pipes. so........... ya think a jury would fall on their side. nope.
if your HP went up +170 , youd lose in court. if your HP went up +10, they would lose.

anyway, read the act, always thinking... do i want to spend 6K+ on a lawyer or spend 12K+ on a motor

same act, just different links...
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...ty-intact.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuso...s_Warranty_Act
http://autos.aol.com/article/warrant...rmarket-parts/

dissediver

Thanks ChevyDave, appreciate the input

ProfessorDeath

Not going to go into details, but I would pursue the dealership you purchased the vehicle from. I won a suit against a dealer who claimed abuse to my car and denied warranty work. Then again at the time I had no mods done, but don't lose your head just yet. Be assertive and business professional.

saplumr

Sounds like a good story but the reality is GM doesn't have to put anything in writing, it's already in the warranty section of the owners manual. Case closed. Any attorney will suck away all the money and more to take something like this to court.

JKbride

This is very true on trying to get something in writing, however you can document where you attempted to get in writing why the warranty was voided and not provided the info. This will help demonstrate you sought the info and were not given an explanation. You do this via registered letter. Go to court with a handful of unanswered registered letters and the other party will look bad.

Going to court can be costly and time consuming, but the threat of going to court can be very effective. From the dealers view it's not about right or wrong, but more about dollars and cents. A $12k repair will cost them $8K. A lawyer to fight a customers law suit will cost them at least $5K. So, is it worth the dealers time and effort to fight? In most cases not.

Just a well worded note from a lawyer will make them come to the table. In this case only bargain down from their costs, not costs plus margin. I suspect you could work a deal for the repair (assuming they don't cover it) for $3-4K.

Good luck and let us know the outcome.