expecting too much from a dealer?

[21Rouge]

A TSB I became aware of made it more obvious that the rotten egg odour my car was generating was due to a defective cat. converter. So for warranty work I brought it too the dealership over 3 weeks ago. The service rep said he would order the cat. Later in the week I called for an update he explained that in this case he had to get permission from the District Service Manager for the order. It has been now over 3 weeks and I have inquired several times in that time frame but it has still not arrived. Today I asked if there was a case/reference # for this order in case I needed to refer to it  if at some point I chose to call GM Customer Service re the delay. He seemed a bit taken aback and claimed that such a delay was not unusual and it would come when it would come. And there was no such case #. Maybe I am being to harsh on the big GM?

[articsteve]

No.  Gm is just very disfunctional at the moment.   It would make for an interesting comparison if a like Matrx was brought in for the same problem to a Toyota dealership.

[mdxtasy]

No reference number?  No order number?  No method to track it?  Funny.  That's very strange and to me, sounds like a little bit of a cranky service guy.  3 weeks is an unusually long time.  Any part I've had ordered from Acura took 1 week max. 

[barrie1]

3 weeks does seem unusal for any part let alone a bad Cat convertor. Either the warehouse is out of this part which can happen on rare occasions or he hasen't really ordered it yet. Its a warranty item so its not really any skin off his nose to look after to you in a proper fasion. Could be the supplier is slow in supplying the parts depot and the part is really on order. Not everything needs a complete detailed order statement to make happen. I would wait a few more days and then approach him again on this subject and get a full answer at that point in time. GM is just as organized a Company as anybody else and the folks do do their jobs quite well when they have the parts, Normally a part should only be about 48 hours away at the most if it is in stock in Canada. 

[articsteve]

The repair is probably not authorized yet which might mean that GM has not fully come to grips with this particular issue (the TSB mentioned).  This may be due to the fact that it might not be the suppliers fault and something other issue is wrecking the converters if they are in fact damaged beyond use.   It could be that they have decided due to costs that they are not going to replace them as long as the vehicle runs normally excluding smells.

This car is from Toronto so parts should be next day.  This problem should be showing up on the Matrix as well.  I will ask.

[21Rouge]

The repair is probably not authorized yet which might mean that GM has not fully come to grips with this particular issue (the TSB mentioned).

Various forms of this TSB have been around for a couple of years. Just recently it was enlarged to include 5 speed vehicles. The initial delay as I recall was that the dealer service rep needed approval from the District Service Manager for this particular part. And as I recall this cat. request is a 'consignment' order...or something to that effect.

It could be that they have decided due to costs that they are not going to replace them as long as the vehicle runs normally excluding smells.).

But I have never been told this. Supposedly it has been ordered. But that is why I would like to have some sort of Case #. Have any of you hear of the SPAC (*S*pecial *P*arts *A*ssistance *C*enter)? Someone I know who is in the parts end with GM in the States claims that a dealer should go thru SPAC when needing a short supply part.

This car is from Toronto so parts should be next day. 

I guess if the part need to come from the states it would be longer.

[Turbo Bob]

GM is just as organized a Company as anybody else

Unforunately I disagree there Barrie, out of all the local car dealers, the SAAB/GM one was the only one that didn't have a test drive car, couldn't organise one within 7 days, and then never rang us back.

Sounds more like grumpy/lazy service guy..?

[21Rouge]

Sounds more like grumpy/lazy service guy..?

I dont think so as I have called many times in the past month asking for the status of the order. Too much prodding on my part for him to maintain his inertia.

[safristi]

 CALL DR. S*P*A*C*K err SPOCK...!!!!! STEAM ME UP wif HYDROGEN SULPHIDE SCOTTY!!!! Phaaarrrpptttt!!!!!

[articsteve]

Thats what you get when you mix chilli and alcohol with cabin fever.

[Snowman]

I would have been happy to see this guy blowing the 25cm of snow that was in my driveway this morning. Stupid clipper, the only way westerners can influence the east. 

[articsteve]

The repair is probably not authorized yet which might mean that GM has not fully come to grips with this particular issue (the TSB mentioned).

Various forms of this TSB have been around for a couple of years. Just recently it was enlarged to include 5 speed vehicles. The initial delay as I recall was that the dealer service rep needed approval from the District Service Manager for this particular part. And as I recall this cat. request is a 'consignment' order...or something to that effect.

It could be that they have decided due to costs that they are not going to replace them as long as the vehicle runs normally excluding smells.).

But I have never been told this. Supposedly it has been ordered. But that is why I would like to have some sort of Case #. Have any of you hear of the SPAC (*S*pecial *P*arts *A*ssistance *C*enter)? Someone I know who is in the parts end with GM in the States claims that a dealer should go thru SPAC when needing a short supply part.

This car is from Toronto so parts should be next day. 

I guess if the part need to come from the states it would be longer.

I phoned a colleague at a local GM dealer and both cats for the 05 Vibe are on back order at AWC (American Warehousing Corporation) and noted in the computer as being assigned to a "Consignment Facililty".  In other words the part had a problem and is either being redesigned or has been redesigned and is in the process of being built or is now built and slowly filling previous backorders.  He said if ordered today it could come in 2 days or 2 months but it will come but dealer has no way of finding out and you can't open a case file on it without first complaining to GM directly.  Dealer retail is $649.

It will be interesting to see if Toyota has the same problem or did they source a superior cat supplier.  In other words did they pay the extra few dollars for a better part?

[ovr50]

I would have been happy to see this guy blowing the 25cm of snow that was in my driveway this morning. Stupid clipper, the only way westerners can influence the east. 

Great picture of ya out on the driveway there, Snowy. Blowing stuff out your ass, as usual I see..............

[21Rouge]

I phoned a colleague at a local GM dealer and both cats for the 05 Vibe are on back order at AWC (American Warehousing Corporation) and noted in the computer as being assigned to a "Consignment Facililty".  In other words the part had a problem and is either being redesigned or has been redesigned and is in the process of being built or is now built and slowly filling previous backorders.  He said if ordered today it could come in 2 days or 2 months but it will come but dealer has no way of finding out and you can't open a case file on it without first complaining to GM directly.  Dealer retail is $649.

What can I say articsteve?!! Thanks very much for the detailed information. Definitely above and beyond the call of duty. Ill give the dealership some slack. There clearly is a problem which isnt their fault.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The Matrix has a couple of TSBs (EG003-03 & EG017-04) dealing with the same issue.

I haven’t noticed a problem with my Vibe, but I don’t have many kms on it yet.

[02Jetta]

Could this have something to do with them going broke??

[ShadowDog]

Three weeks?!

Man, I had a complete jobber tailgate incl. assembly shipped to my local body shop from Taiwan on a ship in less time.  While the problem may have been out of their hands at the service shop, they certainly could have used a better excuse...like, the truth?

I suppose the guy just didn't know what the delay was?

[21Rouge]

Three weeks?!

While the problem may have been out of their hands at the service shop, they certainly could have used a better excuse...like, the truth?

I suppose the guy just didn't know what the delay was?

It is now 5 weeks and no cat. converter. I did get a phone call from the service manager at the Pontiac dealer about a week ago and his explanation was very much like Articsteve posted in this thread ie being redesigned/ rebuilt or ... Sounds like 'they' are back to square one re this Cat. Converter for a Pontiac Vibe.

[barrie1]

I am sure GM is just as frustrated over this problem as you are but at least now you know they did not lie to you in any way and the dealer is still trying to resolve this on your behalf. I have waited longer for parts then this from a different company that had the part in California sitting on a shelf. This had nothing to do with GM and was not even a product I bought from them but to me it shows sometimes its out of their hands until the Product producer gives them the correct parts that they have paid for. 

[21Rouge]

Got a call today from the dealer. Cat. converter has arrived at the dealership...I think 6/7 weeks from start to finish.