Mr. Goodwrench Warranty Problems

I own a 1990 Chevrolet Suburban and I am the original owner. It has approximately 185000 miles on it and overall I have been satisfied with the vehicle. We have had almost all repairs on the Suburban done at GM dealers as we travel a lot and want to be treated fairly and consistently with warranty work nationwide. The vehicle has a GM certified transmission, alternator, etc., all done at GM dealerships over the last 14 years and up to this point we were satisfied with the service at GM dealers. We tow a cargo trailer. We have been towing with the Suburban for 11 years, with excellent results. Our home base is the Chicago , IL area. Our problem experience with Mr. Goodwrench occurred on our trip to Massachusetts and New York October 2004.

When in MA late Saturday 10/2/04 the differential in the Suburban started to make noise. We drove in to Chicopee Chevrolet in Chicopee , MA on Monday 10/4/04, and had the rear end/differential rebuilt end to end. The bill was $1907.73. We were told we have a 12 month 12000 mile Mr. Goodwrench warranty good at any of the Chevrolet dealers nationwide. They repaired the Suburban in 2 days and we picked up the vehicle late Tuesday afternoon 10/6/04 . The service was friendly, the truck was quiet, and we went on our way to Chicago on Wednesday about noon 10/6/04.

We spent the first night on the trip home Wednesday 10/6/04 in Syracuse , NY , the suburban was running fine, and we checked it every rest area.

The next day Thursday 10/7/04, we stopped in a New York rest area because we smelled differential oil. I looked under the Suburban and the differential was leaking oil from the front seal and the differential was hot. I felt the rest of the axel housing and there was no excessive heat from the axel bearings area. I noted a ringing sound at acceleration as we left the rest area.  At this point we figured we better get to a Mr. Goodwrench to fix the problem. We took the nest exit off the NY Freeway.

On 10/7/04 we pulled into Glen Campbell Chevrolet in Williamsville , NY mid-day and we explained we just had the vehicle repaired 2 days ago, had an oil leak and noise, and here is the warranty receipt. We wanted it fixed under warranty.  The service consultant Dan at Glen Campbell looked at the receipt, and said this is between us and Chicopee . He didn’t know how the differential was installed, and it could be they installed the parts wrong, and we shouldn’t be towing a trailer, and Chicopee is responsible, etc. Dan informed us if additional repair and parts are needed, I’ll be personally responsible for more money.  I said I thought I have a nationwide warrantee. Dan said they will inspect it and get back to me.

The diagnosis was the differential was shot. All the new parts were ruined. I asked him to contact the other dealer to figure this warranty stuff out, and who is responsible. At this point, Glen Campbell Chevrolet was simply giving us a hassle on this warranty work. The implication was it really was not Glen Campbell’s obligation to cover this under warranty.

So Dan made a suggestion. They have a supplier of used parts that will guarantee the part. The parts come from wrecks and so on, so the part was good when taken off the vehicle, and it’s guaranteed anyway. Dan had assured us there was no problem with the quality since the parts he gets from this supplier are trouble free. These parts would be better than new, broken in, and so on.

He punches in some numbers on a calculator, and comes up with $760 and shows me the calculator. Sounds OK to me, and since I was told I might have to be dealing with Chicopee on this issue I figure it will be covered (Since I have a $1907.73 Goodwrench receipt /warranty) and I said go ahead and install it.

We rented a car, grabbed a motel in Williamsville, and called back Dan to figure how long we would be held up. Dan said he had to get the part at another supplier, as the first supplier made a mistake and does not have the right differential.. He said the cost will be $1000, as the other place charges more. I said OK. I asked what they do about the brake assemblies. He said they pick the best brakes. I said my brakes would be the best, as they were recently replaced, so I want my brakes assemblies on the replacement part. Dan said OK and did not mention additional charges. So, at this point, I had a $1000 repair, and I guess someone will have to get Chicopee to cover it. That’s how I was told this Goodwrench warranty works. I didn’t like the situation, but I’m more than 500 miles from home, and 900 miles from Chicopee ,  so I don’t have much of a choice.   Dan figured he couldn’t have the vehicle operational till at least Monday 10/11/04.

We really had to be back to before that date, so we told Dan we will pick the Suburban up Saturday 10/16/04. We gave him our business card with our phone numbers as we would no longer be using our cell phone once we got back.   We borrowed a pick up truck from  our Son in Law who resides in Syracuse , and were back in Chicago Saturday night 10/9/04.

We got a call from Dan on our cell phone Wednesday 10/13/04. We responded Thursday 10/14/04 as Dan was calling the wrong number. He said we have a problem. The used “guaranteed to be good” differential they installed was indeed no good. During the installation my shock absorbers broke and were replaced without my authorization. I had lifetime warranty heavy duty shocks, and I requested them returned. He said he hopes he has them. I said I didn’t want the shocks they installed without my permission.

But matters were worse. When they got the used rear end they found it needed axels. So they went ahead without authorization and put several hundred dollars worth of used and new axel parts in this used rear end. Dan informed me when road testing the vehicle, the ring and pinion was noisy. He recommended a replacement, or at least all new bearings. However, Glen Campbell Chevrolet wanted to do this mechanical experimentation at my expense.

I said of course no…and what are my options. I was told the vehicle is sitting with  approx. $1600 worth of work in it and they can’t get another used guaranteed part.

They did nothing as the vehicle was disabled when I drove in, and $1600 and one week later the vehicle is still disabled. I feel they did no work, as they did not fix it.

We should be back to square one. Simply put Glen Campbell Chevrolet did a major error in judgment in this repair. Their service department should have handled the warranty (if this really is a warranty) with GM parts, and get me back on the road. They decided on a used part, and since they created a disaster they want someone to pay for their mistake in judgment. Glen Campbell Chevrolet employs certified GM mechanics and  is a Certified AAA repair facility. They should know what they are doing, and accept the responsibility for their decision by backing up their work, and fixing their error.

Glen Campbell Chevrolet Service Department feels the Chicopee dealer should cover this as they say it is Chicopee ’s fault. As a consumer I don’t want to hear about the squabbles among the dealers. I have a Goodwrench warrantee backed by GM..…right?

Well, not really. As the story unfolds we’ll get to how this worthless Goodwrench warrantee is not supported by GM.

So at this point, I told Glen Campbell Chevrolet I drove in with a broken vehicle (under warrantee) and you tore apart the truck, replaced broken parts with broken parts, and really nothing was done. They should not be paid for doing nothing.

BUT. they cannot find another used guaranteed rear end to replace the defective one they installed originally.  A rebuilt Jasper rear end could be installed. BUT Glen Campbell Chevrolet insists on being reimbursed for the faulty rear end in my Suburban presently.

Really, no one should have to pay for this judgement error done by certified GM Goodwrench mechanics. This dealership should absorb the cost and be fair, and get me out of there under the Goodwrench warranty. Why is this dealership not trying to get reimbursed from the parts supplier (source of guaranteed used part)???? Glen Campbell’s solution, which is the most expensive route, was to “repair the repair” they did so far.

Now, granted, if we start from square one a quick internet search shows a Jasper rebuilt differential is about $1350 retail..plus their installation..would bring the repair to about the $2000 originally spent. BUT Glen Campbell Chevrolet would not accept the responsibility of their error in judgment by their service department, so the final bill they faxed to Chicopee Chevrolet was over $3000 to get me back on the road. Chicopee would not agree to this, as Glen Campbell Chevrolet was not accepting reasonability for their error in judgment. In the meantime no one will proceed with repairs and I still do not have my Suburban..

I was told I should go to Chevrolet’s Customer Service number to rectify this. I have a Goodwrench Warranty, right? I called the 1-800 222 1020 number 10/14/04 and talked to Jacqueline Nichole Patton, who gave her “direct line”in case I have to reach her. I got a case number.  Told her the ugly story, she told me she would get right on it. She also said she will have a Dan Murphy call me Monday as she wouldn’t be in the office. Well, no calls from Glen Campbell, no calls from Customer Service…Monday passes and I figure she dropped the ball. She never returned calls and all I would get is voice mail with her direct line.

On Tuesday 10/19/04 after waiting 20 minutes for the Customer Service number Cecilio Nurse answered, and I explained the original representative disappeared, and he said he’ll take the case number. He’s going to call me back in a couple days. I thought he’ll get the scoop and they should work on the truck and I would be on my way…right? Wrong. Cecilio gets back to me after I called his direct line a couple times and he had called on one of the dealers and that’s it. He’s working on it…in the meantime a week has passed; it’s 10/22/04, and there is no end to this mess in sight…the Suburban has been sitting over 2 weeks at Glen Campbell Chevrolet.

At that point I took it upon myself to call everyone I could reach to get my Suburban back under the warrantee. Go to the GM Goodwrench website…there’s no one to call, unless you want a dealer in your area. When I finally found someone to talk to about warrantees at Goodwrench, they only discuss Lifetime warrantees, like alternators, starters, and so on. Since my warrantee is 12 months, 12000 miles, that isn’t handled by Goodwrench customer service. Go back to Chevrolet customer service is their answer. Neither line is doing anything constructive for me.

So, the customer (me), with the Goodwrench waranty? is the negotiator  between Glen Campbell Chevrolet and Chicopee Chevrolet. So on 10/25 I started again calling both dealers to find out how to proceed.  Should I be doing this as a customer with a Mr Goodwrench GM warrantee in my hand?  I tried to get managers involved, like Area Parts Managers, Area Service Managers, and Zone Managers.

On 10/25 I got a call that Cecilio from Chevrolet Customer Assistance will contact me in a couple days and has a supervisor involved. On 10/26 AAA suggested I talk to the General Manager of the dealership. Jay Campbell, one of the owners of Glen Campbell Chevrolet and I discussed this error in judgment by the service department, and the broken part installed. I urgently needed Jay Campbell’s help to get my vehicle back. He was going to discuss this service matter with his team. Jay Campbell called me back in the afternoon and asked if I would  be satisfied to get my vehicle back with no additional cost under the warranty. I stated that was my original intent and asked what kind of warranty was I getting with Glen Campbell Chevrolet’s repair. Jay wasn’t sure, because of the used parts, and was supposed to call me back about this but never did. Jay Campbell was to call me back the next day, 10/27. When I didn’t hear from Jay I called Chicopee and was informed Glen Campbell Chevrolet now wanted around $2400 for this repair. They also wanted Chicopee to cover this amount since they believe Chicopee was responsible for all the damage that has occurred. Chicopee Chevrolet refuses to pay any amount over their original repair of  $1907.33 which personally I feel is justified.  My Suburban now has been held hostage at Glen Campbell Chevrolet for 3 weeks!

Glen Campbell Chevrolet still avoids the issue that they are repairing their faulty repair, and it is obvious they do not want to absorb the costs of bad judgment  by their service department. I called back Jay Campbell 10/28/04 and asked that they take responsibility for their mistake and get me back on the road under the warranty. He said he’ll discuss it with the team. On Friday 10/29/04 I called again and Jay at Glen Campbell said he talked to Chicopee and they are the ones holding up the warranty work. He explained that Chicopee will not “split the difference’ over the $1907.73.  Glen Campbell is holding out for approx. $2400 plus tax.

Jay Campbell also asked me who will pay for this repair, as he doesn’t want to collect this from Chicopee . I told him that Chicopee said they will refund the $1907.73 to me on my credit card but I preferred to have him handle it internally with the other dealer. Honestly, after holding my vehicle three weeks I thought that was a bit outlandish. Is this how warranty work is handled at a GM Goodwrench facility?

So, Glen Campbell Chevrolet says Chicopee is the reason my vehicle as been disabled for more than 3 weeks at Glen Campbell Chevrolet. Now even the owner at Glen Campbell Chevrolet is not accepting responsibility. This bill would be much lower if they did not install a defective used part in my vehicle.

I also called Cecilio at Chevrolet customer service and he told be the area managers felt this is a dealer issue and will not intervene. He asked to close the case number because he would not do anything else. I  called GM Executive Offices in Detroit and spoke to Michael Thomas (313 667 7153) who said this is a question about the assembly of the repair, so only the dealers can work it out. It doesn’t matter there is a GM logo on the building. It doesn’t matter GM certifies the mechanics. It doesn’t matter they keep talking about the Mr Goodwrench network of 7000 service departments under the GM logo and Goodwrench logo and the nationwide warranty. Thanks GM!  What about me, the customer?  GM will do nothing else for me, as dealerships are independently owned.

The conclusion is any GM Goodwrench warranty is really not a warranty if a “tear down” is involved. If you have anything installed by a GM Certified mechanic that is not a rebuilt unit from GM, it’s a dealer issue. GM offers no customer support for dealer issues. That means repairs of differentials, engines, brakes, driveshafts, etc,(anything where a certified GM mechanic takes something apart)  are not supported by GM. The parts are guaranteed, but the liability for the warranty lies with the dealer who installs it. As far as I’m concerned, the 12 month 12,000 warrantee nationwide has proven to be customer fraud. GM is advertising something it does not offer. GM and GM Goodwrench service departments should be required in writing to state how these warranties work to the consumer when they have repair work done. Currently this is not done.  If a 12 month 12,000 warranty is in effect, the vehicle should be fixed immediately and the customer should be on his way. If there is a dealer issue to settle it should done internally and the burden should not be on the customer. The vehicle should not be held hostage while the dealerships sorts out responsibility/liability. As I see it, the GM Goodwrench 12 month 12,000 mile warranty is not enforceable by the consumer.

So here’s where we stand. Glen Campbell Chevrolet has my Suburban for over 3 weeks now, with an installed broken part they installed, and Mark the service manager tells Chicopee the truck will sit there until someone figures who will pay.

And I’m the customer in the middle of this.

Glen Campbell Chevrolet is an accredited AAA repair facility. I have asked AAA to step in. They will negotiate the problem.  The date is 10/29/04. Glen Campbell Chevrolet has refused to complete the repair under warranty and it’s more than 3 weeks they have had the vehicle.

Cecilio at Chevrolet customer service called and said he cannot help me any more, and can he close the case. Pretty much he was a waste of time, and he didn’t accomplish anything.

AAA seems to be the only people Glen Campbell Chevrolet will listen to. They started the repair and on 11/1 I was told by Dan at Glen Campbell all the new parts were replaced with new parts,  the repair will be completed shortly. On 11/3 I requested the bill/paperwork on the vehicle but the bill was still for $2700. After questioning this  I was sent the bill for $1907.73 plus NY sales Tax of $207.84. I sent the bill to John at AAA and  I later got a call from Jay Campbell that they will reimburse me the tax.

So, end deal is AAA negotiated for me so I would get the warranty work at no additional cost.

I had to get a full refund from Chicopee Chevrolet and repay Glen Campbell Chevrolet. So much for Mr. Goodwrench facilities working together.

I drove back to New York picked up the vehicle  11/6.  I asked to see the axels and casing, because I still wanted to verify my differential casing and axels were really bad.

They could not find the original casing or axels. They did have the intact differential from the “Reconditioned” rear end they installed. It had scouring on the ring, and the spider gears were chipped. Since the “guaranteed used” rear end also had bad axels, what they installed was beyond junk.

This verified to me it was their mistake. Because they could not show me the damage to my original casing or axels, I have to think there was not damage, and they made a bad judgment call recommending this used part. They wanted someone to pay for their mistake.

The Suburban drove OK back to Chicago , but a quick inspection showed some sloppy workmanship in mounting the emergency brake cables. The casing they used was so rusty the bolts that mount the cables had broken off, so Glen Campbell used plastic ties to hold up the cables. I’ll fix that myself later. There is a “shudder” when I turn left or right from a stop. I’ll have to see what that is. I do not appreciate they tore apart so much of my vehicle unnecessarily, which leads to this kind of unprofessional repair work.

In conclusion, a Mr. Goodwrench warranty  is worthless to the traveler. The so called network of dealers and repair centers are really not a network. If you have any repair done that requires significant labor, and not just a part replacement (like an alternator or starter), there really isn’t a warranty. When you pull into a different Mr. Goodwrench for warranty work,  the repair facilities do not work together. It’s the traveler’s responsibility to get his money back, repay the facility doing the warranty work, and you are at their mercy for unwarranted additional costs. General Motors, and Mr. Goodwrench, have no customer service dispute system. You are just on your own.

Think twice about using a Mr. Goodwrench dealer for any major repair. If you are local, and your dealer is honest and treats you fairly, no problem. The nationwide warranty, is at best, a scam. All Mr. Goodwrench shops are not “good”, some are quite bad as I found out.  I was under the impression Mr. Goodwrench is connected with GM, but they wash their hands of these issues, as all dealers are “independently owned.” Might as well take it to “Joes Garage” down the street, possibly you’ll be treated better. The treatment I received by Mr. Goodwrench and General Motors was a deciding factor in my purchase of a new 2005 Ford pick up truck recently.

I want to thank AAA for arbitrating this issue. They were instrumental in settling the problem with Glen Campbell Chevrolet. I also want to thank Chicopee Chevrolet in Chicopee , MA for backing up their work with a full refund. They were ethical and honest, and I would recommend their dealership. I cannot say the same for Glen Campbell Chevrolet.

Larry Urbanski

Box 438

Orland Park , IL 60462

Contact us here: Larry Urbanski