GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Well, i bought my 2004 vibe gt used in February of this year and i checked the carfax report on it and it said that it was sold of the dealers lot in november of 2005. I brought it into the local pontiac dealership to have a bit of minor work on it (all should have been covered by the warranty) and they took it back to do the work. well, about 30 min later the guy that was going to do the work on it came over to me and said that my car was no longer warranted. I showed him the carfax report and told him how it had left the dealers lot at the end of 2005 and he said that the warranty starts when the dealer takes delivery of the vehicle, which was in like june of 2004. so i didnt end up having any of the planned work done...sorry for the rant but i was wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem? oh by the way, the car had 24k miles when i bought it so that wasnt the problem...

Our warranty papers make it clear that the 3/7/8 years started on the date when we took delivery of the Vibes from the dealers and have nothing to do with when they arrived at the dealership. Does the Carfax report give any indication that your car might have been put into service (say as a rental) while it was still at a dealership?

nope, although my dad and i figured that it could have if it wasnt warranted when it should have been...

What did the carfax report show for mileage when it was sold in 2005? If it was a couple hundred or less, it was sold new and the warranty started that day. If it had a couple thousand miles on it, then it was a demo or rental and I think the warranty starts the day it goes into service as a demo or rental.

it had less than 75 miles on it...

I think you should call Pontiac and find out for sure. It looks like it sold as a new car to one owner. 1-800-762-2737

I think I will as the date the warranty SHOULD end is coming up in a couple months, thanks for the number!

Warranty starts the date the vehicle is delivered to the customer as long as its sold new. If for some reason say it was used/demo or something else... that means the warranty started the day the car was registered under that title.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »Warranty starts the date the vehicle is delivered to the customer as long as its sold new. If for some reason say it was used/demo or something else... that means the warranty started the day the car was registered under that title.When I worked at Acura the warranty began when the car was sold to the customer as all dealerships work. The new owner signs the warranty papers when they take delivery.If the vehicle was used for demo (i.e. the managers get a car every few months for so many thousands of miles, typicall 6-10) The car is not warrantied then because it is not registered. The managers will typically have a Dealer plate put on the car and the car is covered by the dealership itself for any repairs or work needed. Therefore when the car is sold, it is sold as a Certified Pre-Owned car with a NEW warranty. So you get the new car warranty Plus the CPO warranty so you end up with a better deal on a managers special as they called them. Instead of say a 3yr. 36,000, you would get a 7yr. 100k warranty on the powertrain, plus an addition 3 month 3,000 miles on top of the 3/36 for bumper to bumper. I would call the Better Business Bureau and also contact Pontiac directly and complain to them, I am sure they can help you out.

thank you so much for your help and concern, i will be making a phone call tomorrow!

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »When I worked at Acura the warranty began when the car was sold to the customer as all dealerships work. The new owner signs the warranty papers when they take delivery.If the vehicle was used for demo (i.e. the managers get a car every few months for so many thousands of miles, typicall 6-10) The car is not warrantied then because it is not registered. The managers will typically have a Dealer plate put on the car and the car is covered by the dealership itself for any repairs or work needed. Therefore when the car is sold, it is sold as a Certified Pre-Owned car with a NEW warranty. So you get the new car warranty Plus the CPO warranty so you end up with a better deal on a managers special as they called them. Instead of say a 3yr. 36,000, you would get a 7yr. 100k warranty on the powertrain, plus an addition 3 month 3,000 miles on top of the 3/36 for bumper to bumper. I would call the Better Business Bureau and also contact Pontiac directly and complain to them, I am sure they can help you out.well every dealership I have worked at does it differently from the acura dealership you worked at. basically the car's warranty begins as soon as the car is titled, as a demo (they were all plated) a loaner, or a rental. Even though they were not "sold" it did not matter. When they were turned in, they were sold as certified used cars. Thats how we got the wife's car. It was registered in the dealership as a rental and when that program ended, the car was put on the used lot with 199 miles on it. Its warranty already started even without an owner. And since he bought used, there is nothing he can do other then have his VIN run on GMVIS which I believe some folks on here have access to. It tells the in service date which no BBB can argue or change. Carfax does NOT decide the in service date and depending on how the car was registered at the dealership, its very likely he's SOL.I've worked for GM, Dodge and now Subaru. I dealt with in service dates every day and still do. I'm often argued on when it expired but all I do is print out the report from the manufacture which shows all the fine details.As far as I'm concerned, its not a matter for BBB. Its how the original dealership registered the car. It would seem like they plated it, and car fax is far from perfect.thats my 6 year in the industry opinion.

Sounds like a tipical "Stealership" to me.... I hate them... I have since i bought my frist new car, a 92' VW GTi....

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »Sounds like a tipical "Stealership" to me.... I hate them... I have since i bought my frist new car, a 92' VW GTi.... its not a method to jerk around a customer, its regulation with the manufacture and the DMV. Has nothing to do with the dealership.

well, i called pontiac today (via the number that nygiant gave me) and they couldnt tell me why it had no warranty, it was a total waste of over half an hour... i sat there with my carfax info in one hand and the phone in the other and the lady knew less then i did. i told her that we have owned 2 saabs and a pair of chevy trucks and we have never had such a problem like this... i told her that if pontiac customer support was that bad then they didnt deserve our business anymore...this sucks

Keep note that Carfax is not always 100% accurate. They only report what is given to them. i.e. if you buy a car that has no accident history yet was in an accident. Could have been fixed privately as they only report what insurance companies gather. BTW what kind of work were you having done?

Go back, raise the dead.... Rant and rave until something happens... I know for a fact that dealerships can be some of the most underhanded places EVER, they make you feel all warm and fuzzy until it comes time for you to drive off the lot and then come back for service. Then the tables turn... Start working your way up the managerial food chain, chewing (removed) as you go...

It sounds like you got stuck dealing with a poorly trained or new rep. I had to contact Pontiac last week with an Onstar subscription issue and I emailed them. Here's the link: http://www.pontiac.com/divisio...ion=2The isuue involved my wife's new G5 (GM Certified Used). Dealer had advertised 1 year of Onstar included and after the sale claimed we would only get 3 months. It took Pontiac 2 days to resolve it and the dealer had to pay for the subscription. I chose to email because I didn't feel like sitting on hold for a half hour.

Right after I got the Trix I brought it to Toyota to have them check a grinding coming from the front wheel. I figured somethin was wrong with the brakes or a warper rotor or something. Well when I called and told them it was a Certified Pre-Owned and did the warranty cover the diagnosis, they said yes of course. Even when I got there I said, I don't want any work done to it if the warranty doesn't cover it, but I want to make sure it's still free for them to look at. Of course Mr Whelan, it's no charge to look at the car for you. Also asked them to give it a quick wash as it was colder outside and it was pretty dirty. I felt better cause with my Honda warranty I could bring it in for anything and I was never charged for the diagnosis, ever!Well I get a call a few hours later that night (service dept. is open till midnight on weeknights) and they said they didn't really find anything, so it could be sand or a rock in the pads. I figured it was as well, but I wanted to make sure ya know. New car, hear a sound, warranty. Anyways, they then try to slap me with a $69 Diagnosis fee for looking at the vehicle. I said no way. The advisor comes over and is trying to explain to me that the warranty does not cover them looking. I explained to him how my Honda warranty worked, then explained to him what I was told both on the phone and when I got here. He reluctantly took the charge away and I went to my car. The guy pulls it around and the advisor wishes me a good night. I sit there and stare at a filfthy car and he goes, is something else wrong sir. I told him that I had asked for them to give the car a quick wash for me, which apparently either happened then they threw dirt on it or it was never washed. He said if I had 10 minutes they would do it now, I said don't bother, I will just go do it myself now. Got in my car and drove off. I got a call from Toyota the next day in regards to my experience. I told them it sucked, people were horrible, treated me like a little kid who knew nothing. I still go to them but just for an occasional alignment and oil filters.

well that guy was right Whelan, warranty only covers actual repairs and not the tech's time invested finding nothing wrong or anything else. I have every customer authrize diag time even if the car is under warranty just in case. Warranty covers repairs and like I said, if no repair is perform. you own the car and are responsible for time spent working on your car.

to whelan: the mechanical trunk latch doesnt work but the electrical one does, there is a weatherstrip thats gone bad on the drivers door, and weatherstrip on the front windows that is coming out and effecting the way the window goes up, all of which should be covered by the warranty... to sublimewind:i rose the dead believe me...to nygiantzz1: i wouldnt even know what to say that would help me get anywhere, everything i said came back to "sir i dont know why your car isnt under a warranty"i mean honestly, we have had two saabs and our last one had a major issue with the air conditioning system that ended up with them having to replace most of it and it was 10k after the warranty, no joke, they did it all (including labor) free of charge...that is true customer service that keeps customers...i wish pontiac could be like that

I would just ask for confirmation of the service date(11/05) and briefly explain the issue with the dealer. I was actually impressed, I got a reply the next day from a real person who promised to call the following day at a specific time and discuss the problem. We had it worked out in 2 days. I still think you got stuck talking to an idiot. Call Centers hire anybody who can answer a phone and read from a script. I'd be mad too, but you got to find out if you have any coverage left.

yah, thank you soooooo much for the help, im gonna try this method next and see if it gets me anywhere!

Well I realized that they charged after the fact, I would not have brought it in except I had two separate people tell me no charge would be applied, that was where the argument ensued, two people tell me one thing, then one guy slaps me with a bill. Dealerships always have to eat their errors.Wyatt:-The issue with the mechanical trunk latch you mean the handle itself? The button on the dashboard is not mechanical like your hood pop or fuel door. Those are opened by a cable. The hatch is electrical, as is the remote. Also are you referring to the glass cause that is electrical too. Could be a busted switch. As for the weatherstripping, I know the warranty issue has you ticked. But go get two new weatherstrips from the Dealer and install them yourself, they are inexpensive and takes 5 minutes to do.

im talking about the key in the back of the hatch, the electrical lock works fine, the mechanical, key operated part of it doesnt work...im just going to pop the plastic off of it and set myself to work on it, its just a series of rods and connectors so it cant be that hard to figure out...for some reason i was thinking the window weatherstrips were expensive and fairly annoying to install but im probably wrong, yah i think i will do that on the door one thoughthanks!

Typically those rods are held into place by little pop off plastic pieces similar to your door handles. I would pop it off and see what you got. Worse case is you need a new lock which is cheap itself. Forget the key and use the button, I'm getting those keyhole covers once he fixes the hatch one to match the depth.

Quote, originally posted by wyatt89 »im talking about the key in the back of the hatch, the electrical lock works fine, the mechanical, key operated part of it doesnt work...im just going to pop the plastic off of it and set myself to work on it, its just a series of rods and connectors so it cant be that hard to figure out...for some reason i was thinking the window weatherstrips were expensive and fairly annoying to install but im probably wrong, yah i think i will do that on the door one thoughthanks!I can't yet coment on the Vibe i don't own yet, BUT, on my subaru, i have a switch ON THE LATCH, that disengages the inside cable release, to keep people out of the trunk (hopefully) if they break in... or valets.. or at a dealership... I doubt this is the issue, but, just wanted to let you know of another possibility to look for...

uuhhh, well i dont see anything like that, it looks like the linkages popped off, im gonna try to figure out which one goes where and we should be back in business...

A lot of complaining on here, but I'm amazed how many people still take it to the dealership if they don't trust them...it's just like people always wanting to pay under invoice and MSRP and all the other stuff...it is fair to ensure that you get a good deal, but it needs to be understood that they are also running a business, and thus they have to cover something.When I bought my VW Passat brand new, I haggled and fought for "every last dime" I could get. It took me 5 hrs to buy the darn thing...When I bought the Vibe, I had done my research, made them an offer that I felt was fair to me and the dealership - allow them to make some money on it but I don't get every last dime out of it - the manager even took $1500 off the price I offered. It took 45 mins from start to finish.I brought the car in a couple days later to take care of some issues we had discussed and written into the contract and the manager told me he wished people would be like that more often. He told me I paid what they would've let me get out of there for it had I nickeled and dimed and hassled, but since I was making it easy for them, he made it easy for me.Do I take it back there for service? Only if it is something I can't take care of myself. Bottom line is I understand that they don't owe me anything just because I bought a car from them. I don't owe them anything. We treat it as a mutual business transaction and I know they'll mark up parts, but they are just trying to make a living. The market will dictate whether they can rip you off, not sheer stupidity.

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »I can't yet coment on the Vibe i don't own yet, BUT, on my subaru, i have a switch ON THE LATCH, that disengages the inside cable release, to keep people out of the trunk (hopefully) if they break in... or valets.. or at a dealership... I doubt this is the issue, but, just wanted to let you know of another possibility to look for... yup, I get people calling me all the time to make an appointment because their trunk only opens with the key. I tell them to check that switch, they usually have hit it somehow.

Quote, originally posted by wyatt89 »the mechanical trunk latch doesnt work but the electrical one does,The liftgate does not work with the FOB, only the Hatch glass. If you double click Unlock on the FOB, you should be able to squeeze the liftgate handle to open it. But, this must be done in a few seconds. If it doesn't, there may be a disconnect between the handle and the lock. You should be able to see it if you remove the inside cover of the liftgate. Also, if I recall, the rear liftgate opens when you turn the key in one direction, and the hatch glass if you turn the other direction. Have you tried all of this? This was confusing for me at first, but I finally got it right.

well, the glass part pops fine, its when the car is fully locked and i try to unlock the trunk with the key, it doesnt open anything, like i said i think the linkage might have popped off the plastic connectors...

which way are you turning the key? the key needs to be turned past the trunk lock position to pop the window, that means to the right.

its not the glass i am worried about, i cant get the liftgate itself to unlock so i can pull the handle

should just take off the plastic in the back and see..if it is then it's all good..just put the linkage back together and find a way to secure it.

Hey, I work at a Pontiac dealer so I can run a VIS on you car to check out your warranty issue. I just need the last 8 numbers of your VIN.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »well that guy was right Whelan, warranty only covers actual repairs and not the tech's time invested finding nothing wrong or anything else. I have every customer authrize diag time even if the car is under warranty just in case. Warranty covers repairs and like I said, if no repair is perform. you own the car and are responsible for time spent working on your car.GM's warranty covers diagnosis, even if no problem was found. I have brought in two Malibus, a Vibe, a Rainier and a Century and every time, there are no charges, even when nothing was found wrong or the problem was not duplicated. I would never pay for diagnosis on warranty problems, because of the high number of times that the dealership doesn't diagnose it until I bring it in two, three, four, five or more times.

Quote, originally posted by NewNeptune »GM's warranty covers diagnosis, even if no problem was found. I have brought in two Malibus, a Vibe, a Rainier and a Century and every time, there are no charges, even when nothing was found wrong or the problem was not duplicated. I would never pay for diagnosis on warranty problems, because of the high number of times that the dealership doesn't diagnose it until I bring it in two, three, four, five or more times.Well that would be odd because I was a service advisor for GM for 3 years and we always charged diag if no problem was found. Oh well.

That is odd. I'll scan in my service sheet from yesterday, where they couldn't find anything wrong with my engine. I had asked them to investigate why it doesn't accelerate smoothly (it surges at 3200 RPMs).

I guess asking for payment on diagnosis time is a gray area since I cannot see why the dealer should pick up the cost of trying to diagnose something that is not a problem. On the other hand it is clearly open to abuse as they could either take several attempts to “find” the problem or an incompetent tech could take several attempts to do that.If possible the best way to deal with this would be to try and get the dealership to look at the problem with you and get them to acknowledge there is a problem. Once that is done it is upto them to find it or not. At least that’s how I would do it. I’ve only had to see a dealership about a warranty repair once and I insisted on seeing the tech and showing him the problem. When there is no warranty involved I do the work myself – much less hassle overall.