GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I just discovered this forum because I really need help. I own a 2004 Vibe. I'm not sure if this is a faux pas to name dealers, but I've recently had some horrible experience with Jack May. Long story short, in July I brought my car to them because my transmission was making a funny noise. They tried replacing the transmission fluid to a "thicker" kind - twice. In September they had to replace the transmission - took 3 weeks. I noticed the gear shift was really stiff, it required muscle to put it in first and second gear. I figured it was normally and it would work itself out. Then 3 days ago I was in rush hour and I lost second gear. Managed to squeeze my way into Chevy Myers who noticed right away I was missing a "high pressure port cap" on my a/c line and that a retainer clip that holds the front shift cable was missing. He said if it was installed improperly it would fall off and when I described the initial stiffness he said that it's a result of them putting it in the wrong place 'cause it should never be that way. Perhaps that's not so short, but I will spare you the details about the arguments I have had with the people at Jack May. My concern now is, if it took 2 seconds for a Chev mechanic to spot a problem with an engine he's never seen before, what else did Jack May miss? Is my transmission installed properly? Do I have to sell it? Could someone tell me if Turpin, or Surgenor are capable of good service? I'm willing to drive anywhere! I need to have a full inspection done before my warranty runs out. Then I'll decide whether or not I will keep it since the integrity has been compromised. Thanks for any advise.

welcome to the board and sorry to hear about your issues. I know there are several Vibe owners in your area that might know of great places to get service work done. I don't know of any personally myself however. I would not think you would need to sell your car because of this. The Chev place got you fixed up?

Turpin is a definate NO, don't go there. My best luck has been at Donnelly's or Surgenor's. I would say Surgenor's was my first pick.

I've had great service at Turpin. They messed up once on an oil change but immediately fixed it and I got free oil changes out of it. They also gave me a free oil change for having to wait so long once.

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »I've had great service at Turpin. They messed up once on an oil change If they messed up on an oil change it makes you wonder. I had work done there several times and was ripped off each time. They have a variable shop rate up to $87.50/hr for the most skilled mechanics. I had a block heater put in on my old truck and they charged me $87.50/hr. I could have done it myself. The same truck was in an accident and when I had it repaired and painted at Turpin's, there was no paint PERIOD on the underside of the rocker panels and fenders. Bare metal. My tonneau cover was not reinstalled, when I told them and they did it, it was so loose it was flapping in the breeze. They are are scammers that prey mostly on an aged clientele that don't know any better.

even the most experienced of ppl can accidently mess up something as simple as an oil change.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »even the most experienced of ppl can accidently mess up something as simple as an oil change.Yeah they just left the oil cap off. They shampooed my engine afterwards for free of course.

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »Yeah they just left the oil cap off. They shampooed my engine afterwards for free of course.Thats pretty sweet.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »Thats pretty sweet.Yeah and the next oil change was free. I'm all about the free stuff!

I bought my Vibe from Jack May and had a mixed experience.The car came from another dealer and was covered in mud from the drive from Orangeville Ont. They warrantied my battery to the 550 CCA and after a lot of grief two Contintial tires. However, they chipped my rims and could never fix my brake peddle squeak.I had great parts experience from Turpin but I have heard not so good things about service.I'll try Surgenor next.Cheers

I'm actually going to switch to Surgenor despite that fact that I like Turpin. Surgenor is 5 minutes from my house, and Turpin is moving out to Kanata and their service is moving as well to where their collision centre is.

By the way OttVibeGirl, welcome to Genvibe! Sorry I was a bit late on the welcome it seems, but its great to see other Ottawa Vibers on here!

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I guess in my rant I forgot to say that yes, Chevy Myers did get me back on the road. I may have also forgotten to mention that as of yesterday I have 40,436km put on my car, so no I don't think I'm hard on the engine. Myers didn't have the right part because they obviously don't carry Pontiac parts. But they managed to find something else to hold me until I could get the right part installed the next day. The worst part is, after speaking with GM customer service, they said because Jack may had done the warranty work on the transmission, and this problem was related, I HAD to take it back to them to get the part installed. I said I didn't have confidence that these people could install something as small as a clip since they didn't do it right the first time. I felt I should be able to take it to any GM certified garage. My analogy was that if I had a surgeon botch my heart surgery, I wouldn't go back to the same guy to fix it. Why should this be any different? So when I was forced to call JM. I said I could get my car there after work around 5. They said their service department would be closed at 5pm and they weren't going to stick around 1 minute after. I couldn't believe they said that. That's their idea of great customer service. I told them that I was not going to quit my job in order to accomodate them and I was going to let GM know how "willing" they were to help me. So they met me at work the next morning to pick it up and dropped my car off as well with a work order that says they did the work. I found the gear shift to be "ok" but first gear is stiff and getting it into fifth was stiff. I'm taking it to Chevy Myers Monday to have a full inspection done since they seem to be able to give me an objective opinion. I'll try Surgenor for any other service work later.Thanks again for the advise and warm welcomes everyone.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »I would not think you would need to sell your car because of this.Oh dear. I'm digging a little deeper into this forum and it would appear there have been several other Vibes that have experienced the same problem I did with my transmission.http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...age=1 GM told me I was the first they had ever heard of that has had this problem. This is obviously a lie since many of us have had to have our transmissions replaced under warranty. My confidence is really shaken now. I am going to start researching into a new reliable car (perhaps none exist) and pray my car can hold out till then.

Quote, originally posted by OttVibeGirl »Oh dear. I'm digging a little deeper into this forum and it would appear there have been several other Vibes that have experienced the same problem I did with my transmission.http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...age=1 GM told me I was the first they had ever heard of that has had this problem. This is obviously a lie since many of us have had to have our transmissions replaced under warranty. My confidence is really shaken now. I am going to start researching into a new reliable car (perhaps none exist) and pray my car can hold out till then.U have to love toyota quality.lol..but CR says they are Gods gift to the daily driver.

OttVibeGirl, welcome to the site. Why don't you go and start a new post to intro you and your Vibe. As for your problems, good help is hard to find that is why I do most repairs on my own, however, transmission work is a bit beyond me. I have had 2nd and 3rd stiff sometimes but usually when I was not being gentle. It is hit and miss with service but if you find someone good let us know. GenVibe is full of good advice so search widely and you will usually find what you are looking for buried deep in the post.Cheers

OttVibeGirl...As a member of the Service Department at Myers, I'm glad to hear that you had a good experience. I believe it was our shop foreman that took a look at your car when it was in. We can take care of any maintenance and warranty needs on the Vibes. If any members are ever into Myers, please ask for Cameron (Evening Service Manager) and I'll do my best to make sure you're happy!And yes, there is a Vibe in my house. It belongs to my wife.

Where is Myer's? I used to go to Turpin, but don't have any desire to go to either of their new locations as its not near me anyway.

Sputnik...Myers is at the corner of Merivale Rd. and Baseline. Not far from Turpin's old location. It's a Cadillac / Chev dealer.

Interesting, thanks! I will probably go to Surgenor though as its very close to me. But I'm always open to other options for good service.

Hey - just wanted to put my 2cents in - I bought my '06 Vibe at Donnelly's and have had exceptional service. When my car got broad sided in my work parking lot - the collision center was awesome

Quote, originally posted by bull77 »Hey - just wanted to put my 2cents in - I bought my '06 Vibe at Donnelly's and have had exceptional service. When my car got broad sided in my work parking lot - the collision center was awesome I've had body work done there 3 times and every time the work was superb. It's funny that they do the body work at Donnelly Ford but paint is paint.

The little woman and I just signed the papers for our new Vibe at Donnelly's today. We'll probably be doing most of the (major) maintenance there, since we liked the service and we're often in the area. (I haven't decided whether I'll do the oil changes myself...)

Congrats on the Vibe - I've had mine since Dec '06 and have had all my work done at Donnelly's. Shane from the Service Dept. is a nice guy to deal with. Who'd you buy your car from? Our sales guy was Trevor

Our salesperson was Alex, he seemed pretty knowledgeable. We just picked the car up tonight, it was delayed because it was on the top of the transport trailer they're using for their Vibe promo and they couldn't get it down for almost a week...Ah well, we got a bunch of free oil change coupons and a bottle of wine for our troubles (there were insurance issues as well).We liked Donnelly's, I think we'll do most of the maintenance there.

Quote, originally posted by OttawaNeptune »We liked Donnelly's, I think we'll do most of the maintenance there.kudos to donnelly's -- they repainted my drums/calipers for me yesterday, and gave me the spray can i didn't ask or expect that

i dont know if you have one in your area but ive always found great serivce and price at master machanic

anyone hear of other dealerships set to close?Marcel Belanger in Orleans is going to close next year ---> http://www.ottawacitizen.com/n....html

Bought three vehicles from Donnelly's, Bank & Huntclub (area)(more Bank than Huntclub but you get the drift) REcently bought my Vibe from them, All serviced at Donnelly's and have had nothing but good experiences with them. I'm the type to call a spade a spade so if they had pissed me off at some point I'd let you know.

Quote, originally posted by bull77 »anyone hear of other dealerships set to close?went to get an alignment on Saturday -- saw Amtron on the way home -- found out Turpin in Kanata is set to close next year.Found a partial list of closing GM offices off redflagdeals.comQuote, originally posted by rfd »Here are a list of other GM Dealers that I was abale to find:A O'Farrell Chevrolet LTD 465 Westville Rd ew Glasgow, NSBEAUCAGE CHEVROLET CADILLAC 4339 boul. Bourque SherbrookeBelanger Pontiac Buick GMC Inc at 1492 Youville Dr, Orleans, ON Bill Spencer Chevrolet Ltd 1090 Elgin Street West, Cobourg, ON Bill Storey Pontiac Buick GMC at 1515 Lansdowne W, PeterboroughBirchwood Pontiac Buick GMC 3965 Portage Ave. Winnipeg ManitobaBonnyman Pontiac Buick GMC 29 Crescent Drive, Stn Main Kentville. New Minas, NS Border Pontiac Buick GMC 4318 Portage Rd South Niagara Falls On.Brodeur Brothers Chevrolet Po Box 100 Stn Main St Adolphe MBBrodeur Chev - 372 Main St, St Adolphe, MB Budds Saturn Saab 2400 South Service Road West Oakville OnCheckpoint GMC Pontiac Buick LTD 349 King George Highway, Miramichi NBDemers Chevrolet Inc. 868 Maloney BLVD Gatineau QCDennis Murphy Pontiac Buick GMC LTD - 2200 Eagle Street North CambridgeDevon Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd 7 Saskatchewan Avenue West Devon,Don Howson Toronto Chevrolet - 2135 Sheppard Avenue East TorontoDYSON & ARMSTRONG INC. • 555, CRAIG, RICHMOND, QCEastern GMC Pontiac Buick Ltd. 63 Beech Hill Road Antigonish, Nova ScotiaFormule Pontiac Buick GMC Inc 2595 rue Saint-Olivier Trois-Rivières, QCFrowler Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd 3900 Victoria Ave. West, BRANDON, MB,Gary Cooper Chevrolet LTD South David Rd Elora On.GILLIS SERVICE GARAGE LTD Pontiac Buick GMC 14 MAIN STREET, ELIE, MBGus Brown Pontiac Buick GMC LTD 10 Vanedward Drive Port Perry, ONHatheway Pontiac Buick GMC LTD 1945 Miramichi Ave. Bathurst NBHawley Pontiac Buick GMC 225 DUNDAS STREET EAST, MISSISSAUGA On.Jerome Taylor Pontiac Buick GMC Inc1155 Provincial Road Windsor, ON NJohn Logan Chevrolet; 241 Queen Street East; BramptonLamoureux Pontiac Buick (Fax)396 Rue Main Ouest CoaticookLarocque Pontiac Buick GMC 825 boulevard Saint-Joseph DrummondvilleLaurie Williamson Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd 3045 Glen Erin Drive Mississauga, ON Marvin Starr 3132 Eglinton Ave East Toronto, McNaught Landmark Pontiac Buick GMC 333 Main St. Landmark, MB.Meadow Mills Pontiac Buick GMC 6600 Turner Valley Road MississaugaMountain Motor Products LTD Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC 402 Railway Ave Strasbourg, SkOld Mill Pontiac Buick Toronto Ontario, DundasPark Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd 1459 Regent Avenue West Winnipeg, MB PARKWOOD AUTO LTD. Pontiac Buick GMC 33 MAIN STREET, ERICKSON, MB,Pearce Motors Ltd at 130 Simcoe St, TillsonburgPine View Pontiac Buick LYD 3790 Highway #7 VaughanPlaza Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC - 240 Val-d'Amour Rd, Campbellton, NBPlaza Pontiac Buick GMC 3400 Dufferin Street TorontoRichardson Chevrolet. Regional Road 25 South, Milton, OntarioRick McCall Pontiac Buick GMC 144 Queensway East Simcoe, OnRobinson Pontiac Buick GMC located at 875 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph OntairoRosenort Motors (1979) Ltd 205E General Delivery, Rosenort WinnipegROSENORT MOTORS Chevrolet HWY #205, ROSENORT, MBRoyal Chevrolet-Cadillac Inc 633340 Hwy 10 OrangevilleSaturn Isuzu of Brampton 8046 Dixie Road Brampton, ON Sheridan Chevrolet Cadillac Ltd 1800 Kingston Road Pickering On, STE-THéRèSE Chevrolet 105, boul. Desjardins Est Sainte-Thérèse, QuébecThibault Pontiac Buick GMC 1761 rue Sherbrooke MagogThrasher Sales Chevrolet Ltd 251 Simcoe Street Amherstburg, ONTillsonburg Chevrolet 130 Simcoe Street Tillsonburg, ON Turpin Pontiac Buick GMC LTD 2500 Palladium Dr. Ottawa, OnPonoka Chevrolet Ltd 6305 44 Avenue Ponoka, AB Sundre Motors Chevrolet Address: 104 Main Avenue East, Sundre, ABRempel Chevrolet 4601-49 Street Hardisty, ABShaganappi Chevrolet Shaganappi & Crowchild Tr NwCalgary, AB Stedelbauer Chevrolet Inc 13145 97 Street NW Edmonton, AB Schwab's Wetaskiwn Chevrolet 4710 - 56 Street Wetaskiwin, AB59 out 245GM Dealers making "no Comment" statements:AB Cox Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd 305 Wellington Street East Aurora, ON Georgian Pontiac Buick GMC 65 Barrie View Dr. Barrie OntarioHighland Chevrolet Cadillac Ltd 15783 Yonge Street Aurora, ONHumberview Chevrolet 3200 Bloor St W TorontoAddison Chevrolet LTD 1220 Eglingtion Ave E. Mississauga On.Kerr Cadillac Pontiac Buick Inc 410 South Service RD W. Oakville OnHumberview Pontiac Buick GMC LTD. 1650 The Queensway, Toronto OnCourtesy Chevrolet LTD 1635 The Queenswat Toronto OnGM dealerships in Amherst, Antigonish, Bridgewater, Glace Bay, New Glasgow, Sydney and Truro either declined commentRoy Foss Chevrolet 2 Auto Park Circle Woodbridge, ONCheyenne Motor Products in Melfort, Unity Motors GM, and Lakewood GM in Nipawin.Gateway Chevrolet Brampton Ontario

Jack May where I got my Vibe will stay open. Customer satisfaction surveys was mentioned in the media but the truth be told it was numbers of sales, if there were a full service dealership and also if they carried a full GM product line up.Overall it is going to suck to lose your job. Especially for the owners who upgraded their facilities. Still I don't know why close down dealership at all but instead let they fight it out? Does GM pay dealers?I don't get it.