Warranty Issue? HELP
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Warranty Issue? HELP
OK - I have searched the forums but found little to help me in my current nightmarish situation...
Here goes. I had a prang last year (Sept) - 15mph - replaced radiator, hose, lights, hood - under the insurance. Drives fine for 5000miles.
Dec - 30K service - $900. They do all the usual things.
Drive another 900 miles and the radiator hose comes off at the engine end due to a loose clamp - clamp undamaged. Happens on the freeway - I probably go a couple of miles before I realize that I am the idiot smoking on the freeway.
Pull off freeway - roadside repair by a small repair shop I happened to pull up next to. They reattach hose, fill with coolant. I drive off - engine overheating - I assume it was a lack of bleeding the coolant system - take it to dealer who has a quick look - thinks it is ok and hoses off the engine. I drive it to a meeting and back but it is overheating some of the way (gets real hot, then cools down) - next day, I take it to dealer - leave it over the weekend and find Head Gaskets are blown - so dealer says.
Dealer says he will fix it under warranty. Takes it apart and finds my Vishnu uppipe. In middle of warranty repair, he refuses to continue. He tries an insurance scam which fails (incomplete repair of initial crash damage) but obviously not true.
Now dealer wants me to pay $4000 plus for repair.
Needless to say, I am furious - but I am not sure who to be furious at. Myself, the dealer, the repair shop.
1) My gut tells me that the dealer should just fix it under warranty since the uppipe played no part in the failure and consequent problems (it was a 20c clip left untightened). Am I wrong?
2) The dealer should have found this loose clip when it did the 30K service - they are supposed to check hoses etc. I would count this under checking hoses. Am I wrong?
3) Can the dealer deny my warranty anyway due to the new uppipe after he has started the repair (the car is in pieces) and already accepted that he would - it is not as though I can move my car to another place very easily.
I am driving around in a PoS rental, trying not to go postal - and not really knowing who I would go postal at. I think I need to go over my service rep's head but I am not sure of my 'rights' - if any.
Thanks for any help any of you can offer
Cheers,
Rob
Here goes. I had a prang last year (Sept) - 15mph - replaced radiator, hose, lights, hood - under the insurance. Drives fine for 5000miles.
Dec - 30K service - $900. They do all the usual things.
Drive another 900 miles and the radiator hose comes off at the engine end due to a loose clamp - clamp undamaged. Happens on the freeway - I probably go a couple of miles before I realize that I am the idiot smoking on the freeway.
Pull off freeway - roadside repair by a small repair shop I happened to pull up next to. They reattach hose, fill with coolant. I drive off - engine overheating - I assume it was a lack of bleeding the coolant system - take it to dealer who has a quick look - thinks it is ok and hoses off the engine. I drive it to a meeting and back but it is overheating some of the way (gets real hot, then cools down) - next day, I take it to dealer - leave it over the weekend and find Head Gaskets are blown - so dealer says.
Dealer says he will fix it under warranty. Takes it apart and finds my Vishnu uppipe. In middle of warranty repair, he refuses to continue. He tries an insurance scam which fails (incomplete repair of initial crash damage) but obviously not true.
Now dealer wants me to pay $4000 plus for repair.
Needless to say, I am furious - but I am not sure who to be furious at. Myself, the dealer, the repair shop.
1) My gut tells me that the dealer should just fix it under warranty since the uppipe played no part in the failure and consequent problems (it was a 20c clip left untightened). Am I wrong?
2) The dealer should have found this loose clip when it did the 30K service - they are supposed to check hoses etc. I would count this under checking hoses. Am I wrong?
3) Can the dealer deny my warranty anyway due to the new uppipe after he has started the repair (the car is in pieces) and already accepted that he would - it is not as though I can move my car to another place very easily.
I am driving around in a PoS rental, trying not to go postal - and not really knowing who I would go postal at. I think I need to go over my service rep's head but I am not sure of my 'rights' - if any.
Thanks for any help any of you can offer
Cheers,
Rob
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From: Funtown
Car Info: A limousine with a chauffer
Well, the up-pipe should not have caused the issue.
I would look at the insurance angle though. If the repair was done as a result of an accident, then the place who did the repair work should be liable if within their warranty period, and if not, I would expect the insurance company to compensate me.
I would look at the insurance angle though. If the repair was done as a result of an accident, then the place who did the repair work should be liable if within their warranty period, and if not, I would expect the insurance company to compensate me.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 263
From: $$white for da clean, gold for da bling$$
Car Info: white/gold sti
yo like sonic says the uppipe couldn't have caused the problem and should not inhibit the work. i would take it- the problem to the source: who did the 30k service? even when beating your car you should never blow a hose or expect rad. problems. someone didn't tighten the clamp enuff. the result is a blown hose, loss of coolant, overheating on the highway which caused the blown head gasket.. it's like a+b+c=d- a chain reaction which caused that gasket failure. i'd put it on the people that did your 30k... best of luck to ya bro you have my prayers!
peace.
oh yea important to note when you try to stick the dealership- a 30k service should consist of a rad. flush b/c i believe they're due 30k/ two years and would engine end be where the thermo is b/c that's usually where you pump in on the CT2 flush machine. the problem wouldn't be the mechanic not checking the hoses but not tightening the clamp.
peace.
oh yea important to note when you try to stick the dealership- a 30k service should consist of a rad. flush b/c i believe they're due 30k/ two years and would engine end be where the thermo is b/c that's usually where you pump in on the CT2 flush machine. the problem wouldn't be the mechanic not checking the hoses but not tightening the clamp.
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