Latest airbag recall is out

[wally2000]

When you go in, be prepared for the service writer to shrug his shoulders and say he has no idea why your airbag light is on. They will most likely tell you it isn't related to the recall, and for $110.00 they can diagnose the problem. I called Pontiac and talked my way up one level above the original customer service person. They wouldn't budge. I filed a complaint with the NHTSA. I'm going to pull the airbag module when the weather get's a little warmer. There is a service on Ebay that will rebuild it for $40.00. That will clear all codes (codes sent by the defective inflator) and reset it to original.

[BenWA]

So far, the dealer who said they were ordering the parts hasn't called me back. I'll call them next week and see what the hold up is. They probably can't get the parts very quickly though. Unless they got lazy and just didn't call me like they said they would.

I found this article saying it's affecting 34 million vehicles in the US...
http://blog.caranddriver.com/massive-ta ... -vehicles/

[BenWA]

A day or two ago, I got a call finally from the second dealer. They got the parts in and I'm set to take the car in early Tuesday afternoon.

[Caretaker]

I agree with a previous poster. When you drop the car off with the service writer, I would not sign anything until the service writer clearly writes on the official order that NO airbag light is on at the time of dropoff. That will provide proof just in case the light goes on after their monkeying around with your vehicle.

[jayoldschool]

Before I dropped mine off, I took pics of my dash, and did a screen shot of my Torque app indicating no codes. Thankfully, didn't need them.

[BenWA]

BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For better or worse, I left my 03 Vibe at the Chevy dealer and their shuttle brought me home. I had to sign a repair authorization and RELEASE OF ALL LIABILITY that in the event of ANY KIND OF DAMAGE caused to the car while they have it, they will not be held liable. Yes, you read that right.

GM dealers assume no responsibility if they tear up or destroy your car.

This also basically means there is NO WARRANTY ON ANY REPAIRS PERFORMED BY A GM DEALER.

The shuttle driver told of how some "lot kid" working at the dealer drove a lifted 4x4 over a customer's BMW, totaling it and the dealer wasn't liable since you "sign your life away" as he put it. He said he himself is scared to take his own car anywhere due to that. HOW IS THAT EVEN LEGAL?

So, I imagine airbag lights on after they do repairs is the same thing. They will hold up the agreement you sign and say they aren't liable for causing it.

[BenWA]

Wow. The dealer is really terrible. (Chevrolet of Puyallup) They just called and told me they SOLD ONE OF MY RECALL PARTS when I had an APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIRS and now they are trying to source another one from another dealer so they can TRY to get it done today. REALLY?

Maybe I should just go get it before those clowns start tearing it to pieces.

[BenWA]

I got the car back, I see no SRS light, but they sure enough did tear up other things.

The storage compartment under the shifter no longer opens properly and they took a box cutter to the carpet on the passenger side. My stereo's OEM stock LCD is screwed up now too. So much for being able to resell that now, despite it being in otherwise working condition.

I noticed the compartment before I left because I tried to open it and it wouldn't except forcefully. It was after hours for the service dept but they have some new car thing going on tonight so they still were open in the main showroom and had people standing at the service dept to tell people they moved the new car event next door. A manager, who was standing nearby, came over and tried to fix the compartment but couldn't. They messed up the spring that makes it pop open, it seems.

When I got home I leaned over to pick up something and i saw this:

[BenWA]

I took it back in and then I found the other metal spring for the compartment laying in the passenger seat. No wonder it wasn't working. They properly fixed that.

The carpet, they first to say it was "normal" for the cut to be there. I firmly disagreed that I have seen other photos on the web of this same year and model and there is no "cut" there. Then he finally caved and acknowledged it was cut. When I got it back, they claimed "the seam came undone when they pulled io back" which is complete bullshit, but at least they lined it up so it's a little less visible.

Regarding my damaged stereo, they wouldn't do anything. I couldn't quite make out what the guy said but it sounde dlike "the technician did [or didn't?] notice it when he drove it in and he didn't write it down." or some BS. I said "it was fine when I drove it in, when I got it back it was damaged. He just kind of shrugged and said "I can get you a quote on a new one". Yeah, sure, $300 for a CD player plus $100-200 install. So basically I'm hosed on that. They damaged it, they know it but refuse to say so. Sadly, I have no evidence otherwise so yeah.

EDIT: The compartment no longer stays in like it should. *sigh* I guess the plastic got worn from being inserted and removed a few too many times. Now it's loose and likes to come out sometimes. But at least the spring stays put (so far). I just have to be careful about it.

[Erinmwink]

When you go in, be prepared for the service writer to shrug his shoulders and say he has no idea why your airbag light is on. They will most likely tell you it isn't related to the recall, and for $110.00 they can diagnose the problem. I called Pontiac and talked my way up one level above the original customer service person. They wouldn't budge. I filed a complaint with the NHTSA. I'm going to pull the airbag module when the weather get's a little warmer. There is a service on Ebay that will rebuild it for $40.00. That will clear all codes (codes sent by the defective inflator) and reset it to original.

I am having the same issue with Pontiac and the Dealership. I will be making a complaint with NHTSA as well.

All Pontiac keeps doing to talking in circles. I am up to my third person, second supervisor.

[wally2000]

I received a response from NHTSA yesterday. They appear to be about as bright as the guy I talked to at Pontiac. The summary of my complaint stated that parts were not available and would not be installed. It appears to be some canned response to anyone who complains about an airbag problem. I got my car in within 24 hours of calling Pontiac corporate, and the parts were installed that day. They tried to bilk me out of $110 to diagnose the airbag light. How can they stand there and tell me the light has nothing to do with the recall, if they don't diagnose it? From what I read the dash airbags will not deploy with the light on. It is sensing error codes (from the faulty inflator) and will not deploy.

[gskatz2015]

My 2006 Base Vibe is going into the GM dealer tomorrow to get the passenger inflator module replaced. I got the letter from GM on Tuesday indicating the parts are ready and I was able to get it scheduled for Thursday! I'm in the Denver area.

EDIT- It's Recall #14491

[RRich89]

I received my the notice that the part is available for the airbag recall GM#14491 yesterday. I called my closest Buick/GMC dealer and set up an appointment for today. Took it in at 9:45 AM and had my Vibe back at 12:15 PM. Besides trying to be sold close to $500 of "recommended" maintenance I had no issue with my recall work. I'd suggest searching out a Buick/GMC dealer first if feasible, I was told they are smaller and will probably get you in and out quicker over a Chevy dealership.

[BenWA]

I received my the notice that the part is available for the airbag recall GM#14491 yesterday. I called my closest Buick/GMC dealer and set up an appointment for today. Took it in at 9:45 AM and had my Vibe back at 12:15 PM. Besides trying to be sold close to $500 of "recommended" maintenance I had no issue with my recall work. I'd suggest searching out a Buick/GMC dealer first if feasible, I was told they are smaller and will probably get you in and out quicker over a Chevy dealership.

Smaller town dealers tend to be faster since they have less work. If you have an appointment, that also helps. The Chevy dealer I used offered free shuttle service, but don't rely on it per say if you have time constraints such as work. I had them bring me home since they SOLD one of my recall parts and had to scramble to find another when I showed up for my appointment. They were quick to bring me home but the pickup was a 45 minute delay from when I called, and the same guy who dropped me off was lost when he came back, driving around and around and us trying to find each other when on the phone...but admittedly it was dark when he came back and there's not a lot of street lighting around here, plus he came back a different route than he dropped me off (he took a wrong exit when bringing me home) so he was turned around and confused. He drove past me as I was waving to him from about 40 feet away as he drove past slowly, but he couldn't see me.

[BenWA]

Ford Rangers are also in the same boat, having Takata airbags.. http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/dri ... gn=content

Except if you read the comments, Ford isn't actually doing anything about getting the airbags ....

[Mark]

I called the local GM dealer Tuesday to schedule an appointment for Frosty, and asked several times whether all of the required parts were in for both recalls (14877 and 14491). I was assured that all the parts were on hand. Took it in Thursday morning and an hour or so later they called to tell me that they didn't have the parts for one of the recalls.

Took it back today, and the SRM they had turned out to be bad so now I have a blinking SRS light. They will have a new one in the morning so I can take it in Saturday or wait till Monday. The way this is going I'll probably take it in Saturday just to get it over with. Wish Toyota dealers were doing this recall, but who knows that may be just as bad.

[Mark]

Well, took it back this morning and they got the new SDM (not SRM) put in, but it's still throwing the same code as before. So now I get a loaner while they try to figure out what the right part number is for this car.

I hate dealers.

[Mark]

Update: The part didn't come in till Tuesday, but it was the right one and worked. Picked it up Tuesday evening finally.

Now I'll have to deal with the 08 when the recall comes out for it, but I'm only going to talk to one of the service writers, and I can guarantee that he won't tell me they have the parts unless he is 100% certain that they have the right parts on hand.

I did get a loaded 2016 Buick Verano as a loaner for a few days. Nice car, but I doubt I'd ever buy one.

[Evergreen53]

I have been a "lurker" here for a while, as I am responsible for maintaining my mothers 2007 Vibe. After my experience with recall 14491 so far, I thought I would sign up here and share my experience.

The dealership where my mother's Vibe was purchased new no longer handles any GM products. Which is a shame because they had a good service department. So I called the only other GM dealership in my town, a Chevy dealership. I asked if they could perform the recall and they said they could. So I went ahead and booked the appointment. Here is where it got interesting. Afterwards, the appointment taker (who is not a service writer and does not appear to have much automotive experience) told me that "not all of the 2007 Vibes are affected by the recall" and "we have to make two appointments, the first one is to inspect the vehicle to see if it needs a recall" (If they ran the VIN they would discover that, yes, it has an open recall) I then informed this person that my official GM recall letter states' "Your General Motors dealer will replace your vehicle's front passenger airbag inflator." Nowhere did it say anything about an inspection (as it did with an earlier recall for the computer) The person on the phone then began to argue with me and basically said "we have to inspect the vehicle before ordering parts regardless of what GM says." I became suspicious and called another dealership, a Buick-GMC dealership about an hour away. I spoke to an actual service writer who told me that there is no inspection necessary and they keep the part for the recall in stock.

Now hearing two different stories, I called the 800 number in the recall letter and, after explaining the two different stories, asked what GM's official policy is. The GM person told me that there is no inspection necessary.

To make a long story short, I got a really sick feeling about the Chevy dealership's lack of knowledge of the recall. I could have argued with the service manager, but there seemed to be a lack of communication, or somebody (the appointment taker) who did not take their job very seriously. I called the Chevy dealership back and canceled my appointment. When they asked why, I told them that I do not feel comfortable having them do the recall after they argued with me and basically told me they are right and GM is wrong, she then said that I could talk to the service manager who would just agree with her statements. I then told her that I spoke to a person with GM who told me that there is no inspection required, but she still insisted that they were wrong. I politely asked them to contact GM instead of arguing with me. I also mentioned that this is a serious safety issue and this is not something you have a right to dispute and then hung up.

I now have an appointment at the Buick-GMC dealership instead.

It looks like you are better off taking the Vibe to a Buick-GMC dealership who also at one time sold Pontiac for this recall.

[johnz]

I have been a "lurker" here for a while, as I am responsible for maintaining my mothers 2007 Vibe. After my experience with recall 14491 so far, I thought I would sign up here and share my experience.

The dealership where my mother's Vibe was purchased new no longer handles any GM products. Which is a shame because they had a good service department. So I called the only other GM dealership in my town, a Chevy dealership. I asked if they could perform the recall and they said they could. So I went ahead and booked the appointment. Here is where it got interesting. Afterwards, the appointment taker (who is not a service writer and does not appear to have much automotive experience) told me that "not all of the 2007 Vibes are affected by the recall" and "we have to make two appointments, the first one is to inspect the vehicle to see if it needs a recall" (If they ran the VIN they would discover that, yes, it has an open recall) I then informed this person that my official GM recall letter states' "Your General Motors dealer will replace your vehicle's front passenger airbag inflator." Nowhere did it say anything about an inspection (as it did with an earlier recall for the computer) The person on the phone then began to argue with me and basically said "we have to inspect the vehicle before ordering parts regardless of what GM says." I became suspicious and called another dealership, a Buick-GMC dealership about an hour away. I spoke to an actual service writer who told me that there is no inspection necessary and they keep the part for the recall in stock.

Now hearing two different stories, I called the 800 number in the recall letter and, after explaining the two different stories, asked what GM's official policy is. The GM person told me that there is no inspection necessary.

To make a long story short, I got a really sick feeling about the Chevy dealership's lack of knowledge of the recall. I could have argued with the service manager, but there seemed to be a lack of communication, or somebody (the appointment taker) who did not take their job very seriously. I called the Chevy dealership back and canceled my appointment. When they asked why, I told them that I do not feel comfortable having them do the recall after they argued with me and basically told me they are right and GM is wrong, she then said that I could talk to the service manager who would just agree with her statements. I then told her that I spoke to a person with GM who told me that there is no inspection required, but she still insisted that they were wrong. I politely asked them to contact GM instead of arguing with me. I also mentioned that this is a serious safety issue and this is not something you have a right to dispute and then hung up.

I now have an appointment at the Buick-GMC dealership instead.

It looks like you are better off taking the Vibe to a Buick-GMC dealership who also at one time sold Pontiac for this recall.

During my first attempt at scheduling an appointment for my airbag recall earlier this month, I called a Chevy dealership right down the street from me and the service writer told me Chevy dealerships won't be able to do it, just call a Buick-GMC dealership since they will have the equipment and parts for the recall. Don't know if this varies by location. Either way your experience with the first place is definitely strange.

[jayoldschool]

My recall was done at a Chevy dealer. Any GM dealer can do it. There are no more Pontiac dealers, lol.

[BenWA]

My recall was done at a Chevy dealer. Any GM dealer can do it. There are no more Pontiac dealers, lol.

Wrong. One Chevy dealer said they couldn't, saying it was because they didn't sell Pontiacs. They referred me to another one.

[jayoldschool]

Ben, I'm not wrong, the dealer is. They are a GM dealer, they can do it. They just don't want to. Call GM and report them.

[BenWA]

Ben, I'm not wrong, the dealer is. They are a GM dealer, they can do it. They just don't want to. Call GM and report them.

It's not worth my cell minutes and time/hassle.

[Evergreen53]

Update: I went to the Buick-GMC dealer today. No issues whatsoever, and I was in and out in about an hour. I stand by what I said about seeking a Buick-GMC dealership if you can.