Don't Buy Chevrolet. Don't Buy GM

There are two very important reasons why General Motors is not doing well: Poor quality. Poor customer service.

It's no wonder why GM's stock fell to its lowest level since 1954!

I HAD a Chevrolet Cavalier. There were so many problems with it. This last repair brought on a whole new set of problems with their customer service.

Without going into the details, work was done on my car that ruined another working part. The service department refused to pay for the damage. I complained to the corporate office. After their "investigation", they told me that they were not responsible for the ruined part. They came to this conclusion solely based on the service manager's word, which constantly changed according to the evidence provided.

Apparently, a customer's word doesn't matter to them. To top this all off, the corporate office didn't even have a copy of the invoice/ service ticket, which supports my claim and refutes the statements made by the service department.

I have my new Toyota and I love it!

Please share this information. Link to it, blog about it or just talk about it.

Do not invest your money in a company that both makes poor quality cars and doesn't believe in good customer service.

Comments

[Peter]

You did what you could. And you bought from their competition. That company is doomed. Expect bankruptcy in 2009.

[El MarvelOso]

You're right. And since this post, they've had a lot of white-collar layoffs.

My voodoo dolls are working!

[SB]

I will never buy from GM again... They have me so screwed right now with my car i cant even try to get something else without putting 6000 down with a 800+ credit score.... what a shame... i supported a bad cause

[marsky]

Yes! That is TRUE don't buy CHEVROLET because their service really sucks.

I bought a Chevrolet Spark (a smaller car than Aveo) last April 2007. In less than a year the instrumentation gauge broke down and then followed by wheel bearing problem. I took them four months to call me back regarding the parts.

And then there was flood in our area and then the car engine broked down. I managed to settle everything with the insurance all the expenses involve but the service center still not fixing the car for almost 6 months up to now.

I am still paying the car to the bank and for the 6 months I wasn't used it. I decide that I will forgo it should they not fixed it in another 15 days.

Moral lesson... don't buy Chevrolet EVER.

[dmitchell]

My family will never buy another GM product again.

Here's why. Our old GM vehicle (a Chevy Venture) came off lease in this past Christmas. We went to our local GM dealer to test drive a vehicle that was on our short list (Chevy Equinox). We liked it, so we decided to purchase it (since GM got out of the leasing business).

I spoke to the sales representative at the dealership about my concern about getting a bill from GM in the months after for "excessive wear" on the off-lease vehicle. I was concerned about this since our we got one of these letters 4 years ago after our last GM vehicle's lease was done.

Our dealer assured us that (a) there would be no letter, and (b) if there was, he would take care of it. Guess what? After we turned in the leased Venture and bought our new GM vehicle, we got a letter (well, a bill actually - and threatening one at that) from GMAC to the tune of 1116.00 for, again, excessive wear. Just as a sidenote, here is how GM nickles and dimes it's loyal customers: they charged us 50 dollars for a missing windshield washer hose clip.

Naturally when I called the salesperson who assured us that this wouldn't happen, he's very evasive about saying (a) it would never happen, and (b) he would take care of it. So now we're out 1116 bucks.

Thanks GM, and thanks Mews Chev-Olds in Orleans Ontario (don't buy from them!). You've proved to me exactly why GM will be non-existent in a very short period of time.

Good riddance.

[LibsRstupids]

One more reason NOT to buy GM, Chrysler and everything else Obama is in charge. Government Motors. I can imagine what it will be like in a year. Probably worse than Yugo.

[walter vandergronde]

hello.. I have and excellent gm car made by toyota.. a pontiac vibe. Its a great car the problem is the dealership where i get it serviced is constantly bugging me to do service to the car that is not needed. I have had a ford which was a big mistake in the 70's and I will never buy ford again because of it. I have though had two hondas and a nissan and liked the service I got from the dealership. I do not like the service from the gm dealershio and I will not buy another gm product because of it.

[Joey]

Absolutely!
Buy something that is made by American workers, not union morons!

[FRED]

It has come. The government owns it now!

[Damn G.m]

Your correct, and now they have our tax dollars they have the nerve to price gouge on the 2010 camaros. Thats criminal. They are in bankrupt because they couldnt sell cars. Now they have accsess to our money they are going to price gouge us on their vehichles.

[ronald]

DONT BUY GM! I own a Chevy 2006 colorado. It got out of warranty because its more than 36 months but It has less than 21K mles and the vehicle is stalling while drving. I tried to work with dealers and GM but they are unable to fix it. Their excuse is simply: Oh well its out of warranty and so its not their problem. Bottom line, they make bad product and provide bad service. They deserve to be bankrupt and not my hard earned tax dollar. Dont buy GM.

[ted williams]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQtQxUbzQB0 Why I got screwed by gm.

[Andy]

I finished University in April of 2005, shortly after graduating I moved to Calgary. As you can imagine cash was a little tight at the time and I didn't want to put down a large payment for a car, but wanted something new and reliable. I shopped around and at the end of the day decided to lease a Pontiac Pursuit. I know realize this was a HUGE mistake. GM hooked me in by offering 2 lease payments for free, seeing as I was a recent grad and my monthly payments were $300. Within the first two years of leasing my car I had to have the steering shaft replaced twice, break pads replaced and had to have my tires replaced. If you can believe GM put high performance tires on my car so they lasted all of 40,000 KM. Like seriously, was I driving a sports car around, no. To make matters worse when i called my GM dealership for tire recommendations and asked how many KM they were rated to for warranty I was told that tires don't have warranties. I realize I was only 26 and a girl so maybe they thought i was stupid but I know better. I called around and found tires warrantied to 80,000 km. They tried to pull the wool over my eyes.
At 60,000 km i took my car in for a annual check and was told that I needed to have all the fluids in the car flushed an replaced, again I made the mistake of trusting my dealership and wanting to do the right thing and ensure my car was in good shape I said ok. $900 later and some research I found out that you only have to have this done at 100,000km. I was not impressed and felt taken advantage of. Even wrote some letters to GM and they did nothing.
While finally my 4 year lease was up and I returned my car which just caused more frustration with GM. In my rush I forgot to remove the plates from my car. When I contacted the GM dealership that I took the car to it took 4 phone calls, and finally a conversation with the receptionist to get a call back, only to find out they didn't know where the plates were and i should report them lost. Fine did that.
I then received a bill for $538 for my car, i had handed it in early and that was the value of my two remaining lease payments. When I reviewed my lease I thought it stated i would not owe those payments as the car was sold right away. I contacted GMAC to clarify. 5 phones calls with voicemails left, 3 emails and FINALLY I got a hold of a rep. When I asked why they hadn't returned the calls they said they had never received any voicemails.
Honestly GM needs to pull their heads out of their asses and pay attention. No wonder they are going under, their cars are below industry standards and their customer service is horrible. I will never buy GM again and will make sure all my friends don't either.

[Andrew Matton]

GM the worst car maker of all time. Had a Chevy cavalier. It was more in repair shop than on road. My brother had a Chevy truck with lots of problem. Bottom line will never ever ever buy GM again in my life. Even if somebody offer it for free, I would rather trade it in for some cash at the junkyard. Because thats where all GM belongs. My friends, fellow Americans: Boycott GM. DONT BUY GM.

[rob]

i hope you all burn in hell

[El MarvelOso]

Nice Rob. It would help if you gave a reason why we should all burn in hell.

Have a nice day.

[Roger]

There are several reasons not to buy GM: 1) They have a long history of making poor products. I am a Michigan native and can tell you they rust out fiercely. Now, I am stuck in the deep south, where rust is not a problem. Many 10+ year old cars on on the road in Alabama. GM products are the ones with paint peeling off in sheets, parts hanging off, etc. Mechanically they are no better. And yes, I have owned GM products including a Chevy S-10 and a 1968 1/2 ton that was good because it was made back in the day. The elephant in the living room is that GM cannot be competitive because they skimp on quality to maintain a competitive price point. Take two sedans at a given price, with one being being GM and the other being Honda, Toyota, etc. The "foreign" one (which might be made in Alabama by Americans) will always win. Which leads to....2) When you buy GM, you are subsidizing the UAW and a worker mentality of entitlement. I went to college for 8 years to get a highly specialized degree (psychologist) and don't make much more than a union line worker. When you toss in the "Cadillac" (pun intended) benefits of deluxe medical insurance, perpetual medical insurance, etc etc I make less. I am not one to begrudge someone a decent living, but it pisses me off that MY and YOUR tax dollars are subsidizing an unprofitable company so the UAW folk can keep their subsidized job at a company they essentially choked to death.

Because our elected officials have deemed the banking industry (don't get me started) and auto companies "too be too big to fail," I have one way to vote (at least for now): with my pocketbook. Currently I own a Chrysler PT Cruiser and a Ford 4 x 4 Ranger, which I use as a work vehicle. When O'Bama et. al. decided I had to keep GM afloat, I made a conscious choice to never buy another GM or Chrysler product. I wish for the hasty demise of these companies and the UAW that killed them. I will buy a Ford (unless they sell out too) or "foreign" car with pride, knowing I am doing my part to tell "Government Motors" to F off. There are plenty of people like me who have long memories and do not take kindly to being used.

[lonepop]

My son's HHR has 40,000 miles on it. In December 2009, the steering failed (luckily NOT on freeway). Gene Harvey Chev in American Fork Utah, where he bought it,"fixed" it. For $800. "Nope. Not on warranty." It failed again in February 2010. They fixed it for free, but wanted to argue about it. It failed AGAIN May 1, 2010. Of course, when he said they should buy it back, the manager told him they could never give him what he would want, since the steering is questionable; and he should sell it to someone else and not tell them about the steering! Is this crooked?

[Leilah McBride, Canada]

I currently lease a Saturn Vue that has had electrical problems since before its first oil change. I have lived with it for 3 years and finally have had enough. When I asked GM to help, they told me I needed to pay my residual in order to get into a new car. I told them what to do with their residual. I will stick out the remainder of my lease and then buy a used luxury vehicle with all the bells and whistles I could possibly get for the same price as their bottom of the line SUV. See you later GM. I have been a leyal customer for 23 years. Shame on me

[fuck toyota]

fuck you hater go just suicide yourself and suck tiny dicks of japaneses toyota, then at 200 in front off a wall and cannot stop because your breaks aint working

[El MarvelOso]

wow, such an articulate comment.

[Barry Hopkins]

My complaint involves a replacement timing belt manufactured by General Motors Detroit and purchased on my behalf from the Parts Department of Steve Rayman Chevrolet on March 29, 2010 by Ken Black of Fairground Auto and Body Shop for installation on my 2004 Chevrolet Aveo. The replacement of the timing belt was routine maintenance and was intended to protect my auto from damage that might occur when a timing belt fails. At that time my car mileage was 69631. On October 1, 2010, this replacement timing belt failed after only 4327 miles and 6 months of service. A section of the teeth which engaged the timing belt separated from the body of the belt. The defective belt flew into my engine causing extensive damage. I had the vehicle towed to Fairground Auto where this damage was repaired at a cost to me of $2098.30. Mr. Ken Black advised me that since the belt was defective he believed that General Motors should reimburse me for the repair. He took the belt back to Steve Rayman Chevrolet where he showed it to the Parts Manager Mike Stewart who concurred that the belt definitely had a manufacturing defect and made attempts to get GM in Detroit to stand behind the part and take care of my damages. GM refused to do anything. These details can be verified with Ken Black of Fairground Auto at 770 429 8473 as well as Mike Stewart, Parts Manager at Steve Rayman Chevrolet, at 770 953 0100 Ext 3047.

After paying the repair bill of $2098.30, I filed a Better Business Bureau complaint against General Motors (case file 71-886754) which was processed by Constance Stevens at:
BBB of Detroit & Eastern Michigan
26777 Central Park Blvd, Ste. 100
Southfield, MI 48076-4163
Phone: (248)223-9400

In response to the BBB complaint, I was contacted by Sonia, a Customer Relationship Specialist at General Motors (phone 1-866-790-5700, ext 41480) who advised me that a casefile number had been assigned (casefile 71-886754121).

In response, I sent Sonia the following letter with documentation regarding my damages:

November 14, 2010

952 Villa Rica Road SW
Marietta, GA 30064

Dear Customer Relationship Specialist Sonia,

This letter and the supporting documents are in reference to my BBB complaint (case file 71-886754). Last week I received a phone call from you stating that I would have to take my Aveo and the defective belt to a GM dealership for evaluation. Since my car has been repaired, it would make no sense to have a diagnostic performed on it at this point. Furthermore, I do not feel the opinion offered by a GM dealership would be impartial. The parts manager at Steve Rayman Chevrolet in Smyrna did in fact examine the timing belt when the belt broke in early October. Mr. Kim Black, the owner of Fairground Automotive, took the belt to the dealership and the parts manager agreed that it was defective and offered a replacement belt but would not consider the damages to my car caused when the defective belt broke. I have emailed the parts manager several times this week for a statement but he does not respond.

I am enclosing the following:
1. a copy of invoice 557038 from Steve Rayman Chevrolet showing that a timing belt was purchased on March 29, 2010 by Fairground Auto and Body Shop;
2. a copy of repair order 0051577 showing that the timing belt was installed on my Aveo on March 30, 2010 and that the mileage on my Aveo at that time was 63961;
3. a statement by Mr. Kim Black on preliminary repair order 0054062 dated October 5, 2010. This repair order shows towing charge and diagnostic. Mr. Black’s statement relates his visit to Steve Rayman Chevrolet during which the Parts Manager agreed that the timing belt was defective. This document also shows the mileage on my Aveo on October 5, 2010 to be 73688. The timing belt had disintegrated after only 4327 miles.
4, a copy of the completed repair order 0054062 dated October 6, 2010 which shows the total amount paid to repair the damages caused by the broken timing belt to be $2098.30;
5. a photo of the defective belt clearly showing section where teeth separated from the body of the belt.

I believe this documentation is enough to show that GM produced a defective timing belt which caused damage to my car for which I should be reimbursed in the amount of $2098.30.

There is a principle of law which states “the thing speaks for itself”. The fact that teeth are missing from the body of the belt causing it to fly off and damage my engine is very clearly demonstrated by my evidence. A timing belt should certainly stand up to more than 4327 miles of service. A defect in the manufacturing caused the belt to fail and damage my vehicle. The thing speaks for itself.

I would like your written response in the form of a letter to my home address or email to [email protected]. I do not wish a phone call because it is so difficult to document a telephone conversation.

If we can not come to an agreement, I will certainly pursue filing a small claims suit against General Motors in Michigan’s 36th District Court. I have looked into the process for filing suit and since I have flight privileges with Delta Airlines, I would be willing to come to Detroit for a fair and impartial hearing.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Barry Hopkins

In response to my letter, Sonia called me again and requested that I once again take to timing belt into Steve Rayman Chevrolet and have the Parts Manager examine it. She told me that she would phone him after he looked at it and get his opinion. I did as she asked and took the belt into Mike Stewart, Parts Manager, again. He told me unequivocably that the belt was defective. He said that he would be happy to tell Sonia the same thing and that he hoped GM would do something to reimburse me for my damages. Sonia called me the following week and verified that she had indeed spoken to Mike Stewart and that he told her exactly what he had told me. Sonia said that she still could do nothing to reimburse me for my damages. She asked me to take the belt in again to Steve Rayman Chevrolet and this time I should show it to the Service Manager. I told her that I was not going to keep taking the belt in for different people to examine and that I felt she had sufficient documentation and an expert opinion from Mike Stewart. I am contemplating coming to Detroit to file a small claims suit against General Motors to recover my damages of $2098.30.

[Dick Gray]

I leased a new 2011 Equinox LTZ on Feb 12, 2011. I previously had a 2008 Equniox I was very happy with and decided to get another Equinox when the lease ended on the 2008 car. On Fed 19, 2011 I had to take the new Equinox back to the dealer I leased the car from because of a defective switch in the liftgate that caused the lifgate to open at various times. Chevrolet knew about this problem because they had a service bulletin about the problem and which part number to order so the liftgate could be fixed. It's going to be two weeks to get the part Chevrolet knew needed to be replaced when simple logic says get the part to the dealersip overnight once the warranty parts order is entered and get the customer taken care of. But no, Chevrolet doesn't care about customers once they've sold or leased a car so they take their own sweet time getting the customer taken care of. In the mean time I'm paying for a car I don't have access to while it sits at the dealership because its unsafe to drive. Chevrolet had a happy multi-purchae customer. They just lost me and I'm going to every location I can find to tell people don't buy Chevrolet.