Jim Fullerton

Mac Haik Madison Chevrolet responded

Rick, Thank you again for being a valued guest here at Mac Haik Chevrolet. I don't take your time and consideration in doing business with us for granted. I did reach out to my Chevrolet service representative and he explained to me that GM actually removed the timeframe requirement from the trans service on Corvette due to this exact scenario. It is recommended that you do this service at 7000 miles and only at 7000 miles no matter the timeframe. With that being said, I know this wasn't explained to you very well or at least with the depth it should have been. I would love to meet you in person and provide a complimentary service for your Wagoneer or the Corvette. I want to prove to you that since my takeover of this dealership in May of 2025 we have made quite a few detrimental changes to ease the service and sales experiences. Also, just to clarify, the old CDJR dealership is now our go-to express service center. All oil changes, tires, etc. are handled out of that side now. Thank you again for communicating with me and I do look forward to meeting you one day soon. Have a great rest of your weekend and God Bless. -Jamie McElroy, General Manager

rick.heilshorn responded

Thank you for reaching out. Here is all of the detail I have regarding the situation: 1- I called on Saturday, August 22, explained exactly what service I wanted performed, and was told to bring the vehicle in Monday morning. I was also told I should have it back Monday afternoon or evening. So the dealership was aware of the requested service in advance. 2- I specifically asked whether I needed to make an appointment or leave my contact information. I was told no, that they already had my information, presumably from caller ID. 3- When I arrived at the Chevrolet dealership Monday morning, the person I spoke with was pleasant but told me I needed to go a few buildings down to the former CDJR service area because that is where they perform the more complex services. 4-When I arrived there and explained why I had been sent over, I was told I needed to go back to the Chevrolet dealership. I explained that I had just come from there and had specifically been directed to their building. At that point, the person became visibly annoyed, said they were not supposed to have sent me there, walked away for a minute or two, and then came back and took my VIN. 5- He then called the service manager, who explained why they were refusing to perform the requested service. I attempted to explain that their interpretation was incorrect and that I simply wanted the vehicle maintained according to GM's published recommendation. I was again told that they would only change the engine oil. Based on that response, I decided to leave and handle the matter elsewhere. Unfortunately, this is also not my first poor experience at that facility, although the previous issue involved the CDJR side before it was moved out of the building. We owned a Wagoneer that required multiple warranty repairs. We were repeatedly told for months that the necessary parts were on back order. Every time we followed up, we received the same answer. Eventually, the vehicle went out of warranty. We later learned that the person we had been dealing with had been fired, the parts apparently had never been ordered, and the dealership had no record of what we had repeatedly been told. By that point, of course, we were out of luck! Until this incident, I had not had any dealings with the Chevrolet side of the dealership. Unfortunately, this experience is essentially at the same level as my previous experiences on the CDJR side. I believe my review is fair and accurately reflects what occurred. I am not looking for compensation, nor am I looking to return to the dealership. At this point, I am more likely to sell the vehicle altogether because, for me, dealership service is a significant part of the ownership experience. My purpose in posting the review was to make other customers aware of my experience and, hopefully, encourage the dealership to address these issues internally. Thank you for taking the time to reach out. Rick

rick.heilshorn responded

Thank you for taking the time to personally look into this and respond. I genuinely appreciate that, and I also appreciate the offer to meet and provide a complimentary service. The Wagoneer has since been sold, and the Corvette will likely be sold soon as well. That said, I do want to clarify the transmission-service issue because the information you were provided by your Chevrolet service representative appears to conflict with GM’s own published service documentation, including documentation newer than my 2023 Corvette. You stated that GM “removed the timeframe requirement” and that the transmission service is now recommended “at 7,000 miles and only at 7,000 miles no matter the timeframe.” I have been unable to find any GM documentation supporting that statement. GM Technical Service Bulletin 24-NA-081, revised October 9, 2024, specifically addresses Corvettes that are driven very little and discusses the scenario where a Corvette has fewer than 7,000 miles after three years. The bulletin distinguishes between the external canister transmission filter and the transmission fluid. The approximately 7,500-mile interval applies to the initial external canister filter service. However, when the bulletin separately addresses the transmission fluid, GM states: “The entire fluid volume in the transmission must be replaced after three years per the owner’s manual maintenance schedule.” GM also notes that the onboard transmission fluid-life percentage does not account for the three-year calendar interval. That same requirement continues to appear in newer Corvette documentation. The 2026 Corvette Owner’s Manual still states that the transmission fluid must be changed at least every three years. I also checked the 2027 Corvette Owner’s Manual, and it continues to make the same distinction. It states that the initial external canister filter change is due at 7,500 miles. Separately, it states: “The transmission fluid must be changed at least every three years and the Fluid Life System must be reset.” It also states that if the Fluid Life System is accidentally reset, the fluid must be changed at 45,000 miles or three years since the last fluid change. I think that is especially relevant because the 2027 manual is ©2026 General Motors LLC documentation, so this is not simply an old requirement that remained in a 2023 manual and was later removed. So, based on the published GM documentation I can find: -) My 2023 Corvette Owner’s Manual requires the transmission fluid to be changed at least every three years. -) GM TSB 24-NA-081, revised in October 2024, specifically states that the entire transmission fluid volume must be replaced after three years. -) The 2026 Corvette Owner’s Manual still contains the three-year requirement. -) The 2027 Corvette Owner’s Manual, ©2026 General Motors LLC, still contains the same three-year requirement, while separately identifying the 7,500-mile service as the initial external canister filter change. If GM has issued newer guidance that supersedes these documents and eliminates the three-year transmission-fluid requirement, I would sincerely appreciate it if you could ask your Chevrolet service representative to provide the specific GM bulletin number, Service Information document number, revision, or other written GM documentation supporting that change. Since this discussion is now public, I also think it would be helpful if that documentation could be posted here publicly so Corvette owners reading the exchange can see exactly what GM is currently requiring. I am not looking to argue the point or rely on anyone’s interpretation. I am simply looking for something official from GM that can be pointed to, just as the owner’s manuals and TSB can be pointed to. Based on the documentation currently available, it appears the 7,000–7,500-mile requirement applies to the initial external transmission filter service, while the three-year requirement still applies to replacement of the transmission fluid itself. Again, I appreciate you taking the time to respond and look into it. I am simply trying to make sure the maintenance performed on my Corvette follows GM’s documented requirements, particularly when transmission maintenance can become important if a warranty issue ever arises.

Mac Haik Madison Chevrolet responded

I completely understand. I would most certainly want my Corvette to be handled with the utmost care and caution. I will ask Mr. Pat for that documentation to support what he told me and forward it to you. Can you email me so that I can send it directly to you? jmcelroy@machaikms.com. Thank you, Sir.