NB68

Anyone else lied to like this or otherwise by their "trusted" dealer?

So I hear a clicking in the tire one morning. I am ready for my oil change anyway so I take it into the dealer for that and ask them to check if I have a rock or something in the rear tire, (it was not losing any air).

They call back and tell me I have a nail right in the center, and bad news...run flats cannot be patched...I'll need to buy a new tire from them for $580 bucks!

I say I'll get back to them. I call the local tire places just to check and they all say, sure we can repair that?!

So just to clarify, I call Michelon and they confirm, yes, no problem fixing a nail puncture flat, (but they only officially recommend doing it one time as it would be classified as affecting the speed rating if patched more than once,,,but technically could be done anyway).

Goodyear, similar story.

I call them back...the service guy gives me the ,"well, that's what we're told" line. I ask him to check into it and get back to me.

Sure enough he calls back and says, oh, well, "it turns out that's just our policy" for liability purposes...what?

So, it gets better.
I take it about 30 mi to a trusted local tire shop, (3rd gen family owned type of place).
They say they'll fix it for $25 bucks, great...except after inspecting the tire, they find no nail, no rock, (clicking sound stopped after leaving the dealer but they said they did nothing), sprayed it down and no sign of any puncture!

So, what am I left to think?


a) dealer service guy is just an idiot following what he was told and the nail fell out on the way to the other shop and just happened not to puncture through.


b) Never was a nail and dealer was trying to scam me for a new tire when they saw an opportunity?


Either way the experience seemed less than honest to me.
If it is your "policy" not to repair but to replace, tell the customer that so they have a choice, vs lying and saying flat out, it can't be repaired and hope I spend the $$ blindly without checking into it.

Bill B 1

buyer beware!

NB68

Supposed to be able to trust your big local dealer, right?...

carpe dm

I assume the dealer sells tires?! In all fairness, the dealer might not know much about tires; or any other part off the car......

MJZ

He know so little he can state there is a nail where there is not? I got to call BULL PUCKY!
Write your situation up, send to the owner, copy service manager, GM and Chevrolet Customer Service. I bet you will get quickly satisfied.

RussM05

Look in your manual and you should find details from Michelin regarding tire repair and warranty. In other words, the final say regarding tire repair and warranty is NOT the Chevy dealer. Its a Michelin tire dealer. Take the issue up with them.

Zymurgy

Since you reported hearing a clicking noise before you took it in, and did not hear it when you left, I'd say it is likely that they removed a nail or some other object that happened to not puncture the tire.


Many shops require run flat replacement due to liability concerns. Really not unusual.


Discount Tire would repair it for you for free, even though you did buy it from them.

MJZ

The way I READ the post there never was a nail, correct?

Elegant1

As long as the hole is 1/8 of an inch or under and in the tread it can be repaired. This would include standard roofing nails and standard sheet metal type screws.

ATXRAY

I had three flats repaired by Discount tire. 1 in left rear and 2 in right rear. They can do up to 2 repairs per tire per Michellin before it needs to be replaced. No issues at all with the repairs. Dealer has no clue what he is talking about.

Zymurgy

Sorry, that information is wrong. Michelin allows ONE repair per tire:

TennisFreak

I had one repaired today by Discount.

Unfortunately they scratched the rim and actually chipped it on one spot.

After a call to the district manager they have decided to buy me a brand new wheel from the dealer where I purchased my car.

They insist on putting the new wheel on for some reason. Hope they don't mess that one up too.

stevedun

New tire is not even close to $580 bucks.

millpond

Sounds like b to me.

Oldfalguy

I agree with the above this was a bunch of baloney and bother for the owner.
What I gotta wonder is if a tire is properly patched just how much that really effects the speed/tire rating. In other words, for instance, with one patch I can't go 160 anymore and with 2 patches I am limited to 127......
Really? Heck, I'd plug it and see if I have any leak problems or if I KNOW a tire fixer really can unmount, patch and remount the wheel without making a mess of it I would have it patch way before I would ever just chuck it for a new one.

juanvaldez

Do y'all really believe a dealer would try to bend over a customer?

sdk

Patch it and enjoy!!
I went to a tire shop for my patch.

owc6

Happens all too often, on all sorts of issues.

As far as RF repairs go: They are just as reparable if the puncture is in the same place and of the same size as non RFs. DON'T let anyone tell you differently. If the shop has a liability issue, they should tell you that don't want to repair it, not tell you it cannot be repaired. Certainly, they should not try to rip you off to the tune of almost $600 bucks for a new tire.

I gave up almost a decade ago when it came to dealers and tires. Go to a tire shop that has a good rep.

phileaglesfan

Sounds like you had a rock or something causing the noise. Could have been a tack or something.

Dealer is a crook. I doubt complaining to them would help. Maybe the BBB and Chevy. Probably a good idea to find another dealer to repair your car.

Someone probably can't be held liable for repairing a tire that can legally be repaired but some businesses won't take the risk. $580 seems real high since the C7 sizes are supposed to be more common than the C6 Z06/GS sizes.

Vette_17

you can absolutely patch/repair a run flat tire!! I tracked a 2009 Viper coupe with a patched tire. Done properly it works fine


ps had no choice, couldn't get a new one on in time