need legal help. have a 2005 gmc canyon, 42k miles, now off all warrenties, has a crack in the head and needs a new one. do I have any grounds to get this done for no cost? or am I paying the bill, any help appreciated…vtsteve
I personally think you might have to bite the bullet on this one, but maybe if you go to the dealer and give them a calculated hard time and possible a sutle threat as to bad poblicity, but not too much, they might work something out. Women are great at this.
I think we’ll need a little more information. Did you do anything to the truck (aftermarket mods, racing, etc.) that could have damaged the head? If your tinkering has caused the damage, you’re SOL.
If you’ve only done “normal” driving, I’d say you’re probably running low on luck. I’ve heard that GM (and other manufacturers) at times will split the labor or parts with customers if the vehicle is just out of warranty, but that’s all hearsay. Good luck to you.
You can discuss it with the dealer, but their hands are tied. They must do what GM tells them to do. You might contact GMC customer service and calmly explain the situation. They may give you something, but won’t do it all for free. If you have to pay the full load, which is likely, see if you can find a private shop to do the job. It might cost less. As long as you have the head off, you night as well get a new top end - head, valves, and lifters. Installation time is less that way. You might even find one at a junk yard. Equip it with new parts, too. See what the cost is both ways.
If you consistently had this truck serviced at the dealership, there is a decent chance that GM customer service will help you with perhaps 1/2 the cost of the repair, but only if you approach the situation with tact. Do not attempt threats (even subtle ones) as that is a sure way to turn off the people whom you are trying to convince that you are worthy of aid.
If you begin with threats, you will get nothing, simply because you are legally entitled to nothing. It is up to you to charm them into giving you something that you are not legally entitled to. Sometimes it works, but not for those who threaten.
And, has been pointed out, if GM is not willing to come to your assistance, there are always independent mechanics who can do the job for less than a dealership would charge.
I agree with the others. I had the dealer honor the warrenty at 52K on a 50K warrenty but it is really up to them and GM. Talk to dealer first and then zone manager and ask for help like a 50/50 but not the whole thing.
On a bad design, there are so-called “secret warranties” where the company will settle with the owner for reputation’s sake. Honda, Toyota (before they acknowledged the sludge problem) and others have fixed things which they knew were caused by design flaws.
Not sure your vehicle and it’s problem fit in that category. As the other poster said, the sqeaky wheel gets the oil! If you maintained the vehicle well, I would certainly raise the issue very strongly.
Some years ago my wife’s Maytag washer broke its drive shaft, 6 months out of warranty. This type of thing is unheard of at any age. I called the president of Maytag and explained we had only 4 people in the family and no one worked in a coal mine! He gave us a free drive shaft and gear box, but we paid for the installation.
So, if you think you have a case, and all your maintenance bills, complain loudly!!
many interesting thoughts>>the truck has been well maintained, by myself, not at the dealership. I’ve made no modifications to the trucks engine. gmc has made some changes to the valve design, but not a re-call level problem. the mechanic has never seen this problem before. it’s at the dealership now with parts on order for repair, different from the dealer I purchased from.
think I may try a plea to gmc, only can hope for the best. thanks…vtsteve
Good choice. I hope you get something.
I saw my mechanic friend replaced that motor, and i was like shttttt, that aluminum looks so weak, like aluminum foam, they also found on Saturn 1.9L.