Worst experience I have had with a service department. - ryant
Worst experience I have had with a service department...
Repair Order #6220499
A month has transpired since we dropped off our vehicle for a ticking noise from the engine. No check engine light, no misfires, fuel economy normal. The technician diagnosed it as a failed lifter. Valmark service charged my extended warranty company $10,000 for lifters and a camshaft job. First attempt at repair failed. Valmark opened a case to have GM (TAC) send another set of lifters. Second attempt at repair failed. Our vehicle went from running on all eight cylinders to being inoperable.
Valmark now claims there is a "blockage" in the engine keeping oil from getting to the lifters correctly. Based on expert advice and technical guidance on the engine lubrication cycle of operations, this is highly unlikely and almost impossible that it "all of a sudden" happened after two failed attempts at repair. Note: Valmark caused the current state the vehicle is in. The dealership quoted me an engine replacement close to $15,000. Extended warranty has now denied an additional claim, stating the failure is not covered.
I attempted to get them to drop the price on the engine replacement, and they could not hit the reasonable number I asked for, $10,000. Mind you, the dealership has already received the money from my extended warranty (over $10k) for the work completed that did not fix the problem. My thoughts are that this money should go towards the engine, and I should only owe $5k (seems fair). Instead, people are going to get paid, and we are left stranded.
Now I have involved GM Corporate, and they have heard the situation and are happy to investigate further. I also reached out to Chevrolet technicians I know who seem to believe a mistake was made with the cam install concerning damage or improper procedures. Previous repairs by the dealership include a failed repair on an oil pan seal (still leaks), a bolt they stripped in the cylinder head they had to tap out, and claimed someone from the outside put the wrong bolt in, along with preventive maintenance, and a new transmission.
In conclusion, I brought my running, well-maintained vehicle in for a noise. Valmark Chevrolet, New Braunfels, misdiagnosed and failed at two major repair attempts, costing well over $10k, and now I am forced to either pay $15k for an engine, trade it in for nothing, or try to get outside help resolving this issue. BTW, the warranty company did not cover everything with the previous failed repairs, and I owe the dealership close to $1k just to have the ticket closed and the vehicle towed away.
This whole experience has greatly changed my view of the Valmark service department. All I want is our vehicle back running properly, or a reasonable replacement. Valmark Chevrolet is not there for the customer in this scenario. Waiting to hear back from GM corporate and explore other legal options as well. I will provide updates as this situation unfolds.
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