6 Month and 12 month Check by dealer

[whytea]

So i got home from work today and received a letter stating that im due for my 6 month check up on my 09. It also went on to say that if i don't get the 6 and 12 month check up done on my car it VOIDS the warranty.That being said has anyone heard of this before or is it just gm's way to make some money off of me as i do my own oil changes and servicing

[ColonelPanic]

Was this from GM or the dealer? Sounds like a slimeball dealer. They probably just want you to bring it in so they can sell you all kinds of BS "services" that your car does not need. And if you say no, they'll threaten to void your warranty.This kind of thing really ticks me off. I've got a Hyundai now that has a 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty and I've heard several times how I'm "jeopardizing my warranty" by not bringing it in and doing all the stupid expensive crap that the dealers insists is mandatory... yet for some odd reason the manufacturer doesn't list any of the garbage they want to do on the maintenance schedule. hmm! The extra long warranty somehow gives them the right to lay the threats down pretty good. I just tell them no and make them do what it takes to follow the schedule.If you have proof that you have properly maintained your car, I don't see why your warranty should be in danger. Unless it specificially states in your warranty book that you MUST have the car inspect by a dealership, or serviced at a dealership, I don't think they have a leg to stand on. Not sure how GM Canada is, but I know GM here never gave me any crap like that. They may be a little more strict now with the 100k powertrain in the US but I haven't heard any horror stories thus far.So, save your receipts, maintain detailed records, and I think you should be OK.

[whytea]

The letter from the dealer. It doesnt seem as bad as when i first read it but im sure they get alot of people with this and make tons of money off of it

Attached files

[ColonelPanic]

LOL, "Remember, General Motors requires you to fork over several paychecks to your dealer semi-anually and annually to keep your warranty in good standing." Hmm, perhaps call GM Canada and read them the letter and see what they say.

[808 Vibes]

Wow. I know our dealer has suckered my mom into $100+ services (boy was I livid when I heard that!) I want to take both cars myself from now on so they can't pull those commissioned tactics again. They tried to get me to get an alignment at one of my first oil changes, and this and that, and I say "I ONLY have enough for the oil change", and that is the end of that.

[renate]

I have a new 08 Vibe that I bought in April and I never got a 6 month letter.It just hit 5000 miles today so I amgoing to take it in after Christmas and get the oil changed(2nd) and tires rotated.The first oil change was at 2300 miles,but I had the car for about5 months,and who knows how long it was sitting on the lot.

[zionzr2]

my vibe has never been to the dealer for routine maint.I also have never recieved letters with that threatening language. Once in a while I have gotten general service advertisements.I do most myself and what I cant do I use a shop. (ie. Goodyear, Firestone, Midas, etc.)

[jake75]

The maintenance they are talking about is "inspect this", "inspect that", and THAT will be $150. But they also advertise that with an oil change they do all of these inspections - included in the oil change fee. I am sure if they had it up on the rack and found a problem they would tell you about it and fix it under warranty - at GM's expense. They look at the brakes with the tire rotation I am sure. Coming up soon on 6 years, I have had oil changes, a couple of coolant changes when it was on special, an air filter I changed myself, new wiper blades I changed myself. tire rotations, a new battery I bought at Costco and installed myself, one alignment, and just last month about $200 to replace the actuator that changes from inside to outside air.

[ClunkClunk]

Just remember, your warranty is through GM, not through the dealer. Read your original maintenance schedule for what GM's requirements are for service.Furthermore, at least in the US, you're not required to have the scheduled maintenance done at a dealer. You can use any shop you'd like.EDIT:I took a look at the 2009 Vibe US owner's manual, and it states this:"Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and recommended fluid and lubricants as prescribed in this manual are necessary to keep this vehicle in good working condition. Any damage cause by failure to follow scheduled maintenance may not be covered by the vehicle warranty."In my opinion, that means that these are guidelines to keep it functioning normally, and while they're not required, they're strongly recommended. Furthermore it doesn't explicitly state that your warranty will be void if you alter from the schedule.Then in the following pages, when I was reading through the printed maintenance schedule, there is zero mention of a timeframe for these schedules, ONLY a mileage schedule. To me, this means the letter the dealer sent you is full of BS when it states that this maintenance has to be done at 6 months and 12 months to keep your warranty in "good standing".

[zionzr2]

Quote, originally posted by SLORegal »Just remember, your warranty is through GM, not through the dealer. Read your original maintenance schedule for what GM's requirements are for service.Furthermore, at least in the US, you're not required to have the scheduled maintenance done at a dealer. You can use any shop you'd like.EDIT:I took a look at the 2009 Vibe US owner's manual, and it states this:"Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and recommended fluid and lubricants as prescribed in this manual are necessary to keep this vehicle in good working condition. Any damage cause by failure to follow scheduled maintenance may not be covered by the vehicle warranty."In my opinion, that means that these are guidelines to keep it functioning normally, and while they're not required, they're strongly recommended. Furthermore it doesn't explicitly state that your warranty will be void if you alter from the schedule.Then in the following pages, when I was reading through the printed maintenance schedule, there is zero mention of a timeframe for these schedules, ONLY a mileage schedule. To me, this means the letter the dealer sent you is full of BS when it states that this maintenance has to be done at 6 months and 12 months to keep your warranty in "good standing".the passages you quoted also do NOT mention that these "inspections" Are required to be done by the dealer.

[kowell]

GM warranty inspections on new cars are now to be done twice a year insted of once a year like it used to be. 100% pure profit there. I got the news as well from my dealer and the maintenance guide on my 09 mentions this as well. However, you can have the inspection done in any other garage as long as you keep a detailed bill as proof.

[ColonelPanic]

Hmm, that must be a GM Canada thing.

[NibCrom]

Save your money. Don't go.

[ned23]

Quote, originally posted by kowell »GM warranty inspections on new cars are now to be done twice a year insted of once a year like it used to be. 100% pure profit there. I got the news as well from my dealer and the maintenance guide on my 09 mentions this as well. However, you can have the inspection done in any other garage as long as you keep a detailed bill as proof.I've never had the dealer inspections. I've also never made a warranty claim on a Vibe. If this is a new requirement, I would go to a third-party mechanic, first, before going to the dealer just to make sure they don't try to sell me something I don't need. If they did, I'd file a consumer complaint with The State Attorney General's office.

[mikey123]

This letter doesn't seem particularly threatening, and doesn't state that the dealer has to do the work. They are of course going to try to get you to do the work at their delearship.I just did my first service at the dealer here in Calgary, and all they did was an oil change for $50. Not cheap, but the satisfaction of having it done at the dealer was enough to make me happy. I have had other car companies charge more, and pull things like filling the windshield washer fluid and charge me, so I didn't feel ripped off. They also completed the service in about 35 minutes, which was great too! My dealer also provides a ten year warranty on power train if I do all of my service at their location, which is worthwhile (as long as their servicing remains relatively inexpensive).It is definitely a good idea to have your vehicle serviced at least once every 6 months any way. Something as expensive as a car should be regularly checked and maintained.

[ned23]

My last vibe went 5 years with absolutely nothing but oil changes and one radiator flush. I'm not too worried.