08Roadster

I read Tadge's article on Corvette Service at local dealers. Is there a list of the dealer's that are "Corvette Certified"? If so, how do we access that list and if not, why not?
I think as a Corvette buyer, even thought we would like to support our local dealer, we want our Corvettes serviced by someone who is totally familiar with the vehicle....at least I would.

JaxC7

It would be nice if they made this info easily accessible.

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CT Grand Sport CE

I agree. Being a first time owner and new to the Corvette world I would like to know where to find dealer service that is familiar with Corvettes.

Red C8 of Jax

Not positive, but I think if a dealer sells new corvettes he has to have a mechanic trained by GM for the corvette. Most dealers who sell new corvettes have two mechanics trained on the corvette.

RFBHD

Just because GM says someone is certified does not do it for me.... I want someone with dedication and experience with Corvettes anyone can take a class .....that said its all about the technician as well as the dealership.... do a little homework in the corvette community in your area and that guy or gal can be found... When I got my 14 stingray out of state I went to a few local dealers met the service manger and asked to meet the corvette tech... 2 did it others did not.... the ones who did wanted my business.... Both techs had at least 20 years at the dealership working on corvettes.. The guy I went with only works on corvettes and its not a top ten dealer in sales but they sponsor a large corvette club and he has a major following because of his solid reputation. He took me into his service bay showed me some of the special tools he has for the C7 ... When I took my 16 ZO6 into him for the first oil change he went over the car like it was dealer prep...of course the differential needed to be topped off... Steve will be the only person to work on my car... I didn't buy either car from this dealership but they do not care...service makes money

z28lt1

The best answer here is to discuss with your dealership and decide if their answers are satisfactory for you. The problem some have reported on here is even though the dealer is certified, and they have Corvette certified mechanics on staff, there is no guarantee those mechanics are actually working on your car. The one or two certified mechanics may be on vacation or busy with other cars, or the dealer may have decided your oil change or door trim repair can be done by anyone, and they keep their certified mechanic(s) reserved for major repairs. So talk to the dealer. For those that do oil changes at the dealership, they would argue (for the wet sump cars at least) if you are getting the oil you want (Mobil 1 for many) and the mechanic knows how to put a Corvette on the lift (not to be overlooked), it doesn't really matter who changes the oil. Would be up to each individual to agree or not.

meadowz06

A little insight from Toyota. There is only 1 technician at my service department that can touch the 2020 Supra, when they bring it in for training. We were given the special connection cord that mates to the laptops this week. There are also special PDI instructions, and special lift modifications, exclusive to the Supra. It takes 3 hours to PDI a new Supra. The car comes off the truck in sleep mode. It must be programmed, in order to exit sleep mode. The C8 will be no different. Very specific instructions are being given to the dealers and certain technicians.

brandyspaw

It was the same with Nissan and the GTR. The GTR came out before I retired from the dealership group I was with for over 25 years. At my old Nissan store where I used to be the service manager we only had one tech who was trained and certified to work on the GTR's. Of course, the Nissan GTR was and is pretty limited in production relative to the Corvette.

We also had a Chevrolet store in the group but we sold it back during the end of C5 era. Back then it was dependent on the classes a tech took as they had to have certain classes completed before the dealership could be paid for warranty repairs they performed.

Vetteman Jack

Yep Do your homework and ask the service manager/technican plenty of questions to get a feel for how they would work on your car. If uncomfortable, check other places.

owc6

I'm probably going to be the outlier here.

I simply don't understand the Corvette Whisperer mentality. Just what is so different about it than every other Chevy? Why grant him some sort of Demi-god status? Sure, in its extreme state, the car costs more than any other Chevy, but for the vast majority of us, there really are a lot of other GM cars that cost more.

I would prefer a shop that cares rather than one who can throw the car to a tech that went to a "school" if that tech is only resting on his "Whisperer" laurels.

dave_2012_tt

the corvette is a little different..at least this why I think so..Dry sump - so it has 2 oil plugs - one for pan and one for the oil container. Also, the dry sump system has a different fill system. With the trans in the back it can make some repair jobs more time consuming and the procedure a little different. There are also little things to know about the alignment process.

I am sure there is more but I have only had a corvette for 30 days.

Null Pointer

Given that many dealer service departments still can't do a dry sump oil change correctly, after how many years including C6's, it's going to be a very interesting ride with the C8 when they start needing service.

Zjoe6

If you don't know the difference between working on an Impala and a Corvette, I doubt you'd listen if I explained the difference. You're already fixed in your thinking.

pnsnkr

This. Even standard fare items such as replacing the battery, headlamp bulb, etc., require dexterity.

imaposer

I'm a mechanic. Not a car mechanic, but elevator mechanic. I can tell you with 100% certainty, if you can find a mechanic who spends the majority of his time working on one specific product from one specific manufacturer, you will see exponentially better results if you take it in to diagnose an issue. At one time, I worked for one of the major companies as a specialist in the latest released product. I traveled all over the country to fix problems that the local long time go to gurus couldn't solve, and almost always had it fixed quickly and correctly. You can be a genius on the same manufacturers equipment, but a different vintage or style, and be lost on a specific product. I eventually left that job due to the traveling and took a local route where I'm now expected to fix anything I come across. If it's oil and grease, and replacing any standard part that is the same across all product lines, it's an easy job. But, I run in to those issues quite often where I call on the specific product specialist for help because I know I'm outta my league.
I pick up my C7 next week. I'm buying it 750 miles away. I've already done the research to find out which local dealer has the best corvette guy, and I can guarantee you, I will take it to that shop for everything from oil changes to any major repairs. I agree, I wish GM made it easy to see what dealers have the best corvette specific mechanics, but since they won't, I wish the regional section of the forum had a city by city listing of recommended dealers by the forum users.

fyreline

We have found locally that the Chevrolet dealers that are sponsors of our Corvette Club, host events, have techs (not just sales personnel) that show up at those events, answer questions, own Corvettes themselves, and have a good reputation among local owners are the places you want to go. This isn't gene splicing, folks Use your heads.

SilverGhost

It is real simple. First ask the dealership if they have the special tools to do the rear caster adjustment on the C7. Many do not. if yes, it is a dealership that is investing in the cost to do business as a corvette sales/service dealership. Second ask them when their tech is going out to the C8 training course in Nevada. Dealer pays, so they are making the continuing investment to sell/service Chevy's halo car. (nota bene: Chevrolet keeps pushing back the date of this C8 training, according to my dealer and his tech. it was supposed to be in early June, but my tech had not heard a peep from Chevy for scheduling purposes, and it is now the last week of June.)

NoRuls

I see you live in CT, take your Vette to Key Chevrolet in Middletown. Paul Koerner is a terrific Corvette tech. Google his name, you'll be impressed

CT Grand Sport CE

I do. That was posted 2 years ago and about a week after I picked up my car. I saw another thread that mentioned Paul and he has done all my services since the 500 mile oil change. I also enjoy his tech seminars. Great guy.

roadbike56

One action anyone looking for a service dealer can take is, look up the list of the top 50 dealerships for Corvette sales. While this may not answer everyone's needs, it's a good place to start. If you've got a dealer close by who is on that list, they would be a good place to begin your search.