GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

A couple days ago, one of my head lights burnt out. Of course, it was on the drivers side, (the FUN one to get to!). So I called the dealership to see if there was a "trick" to replace the bulb without taking out the battery. They said unfortunately there wasn't BUT they did ask me how many miles I had on the car. I told them 35,000 on an '06 Vibe. The service guy I talked to said that the bulb was covered under warranty and to bring it in and they would replace it, free of charge. After about 45 min, I had a new bulb at no cost to me and was on my way. I thought that the lights (head lights, tail lights, turn signals, stuff like that) came under normal wear and tear that GM wasn't responsible for. Anyone else had this experience?

My pops did in his GMC Sierra. Dealership claimed that they burned out well before the life expectancy of the bulbs.

I thought those were covered for a short time, like 12k or so? Although now that I think about it, back when I had the Vibe and those crappy $ilver 's in it, one burned out as I was on my way to the dealer for an oil change. If I'm remembering correctly they put one in it for me and didn't charge me a dime, that was even during the GM extended warranty period. I had even told them that it was a bulb I put in and they replaced it anyway.Good deal, glad they fixed you up. It's hard to believe sometimes but a customer can occasionally be the recepient of random acts of kindness by a dealer.

Haven't had the issue with our Vibes, but I've had lights replaced under the regular warranty on other cars. There's more likely to be resistance from the dealer on items where the customer has more influence on how quickly an item wears out. Brakes and clutches are in that category. I could probably wear out a clutch in less than a week if I used it to hold the car at stoplights on some SF streets. Hard for the car maker to distinguish between the careful driver who has the clutch or brakes wear out prematurely and someone who has been abusing them by their driving style.

Quote, originally posted by ~MRVIBE2006~ »I told them 35,000 on an '06 Vibe. The service guy I talked to said that the bulb was covered under warranty and to bring it in and they would replace it, free of charge.i would have figured that fall under wear and tear --- my passenger side went out around 75000kms

Moral of the story - it never hurts to ask.I was astronished that the dealer replaced my Continental tires that were badly cupped at 20,000 miles. They partially ruined the experience by (1) first alleging that I must not have roated the tires (I came back later with proof that I did), and (2) charged me $78 for mounting and balancing. But, as they say, half a loaf is better than none.I am currently reading "A Complaint is a Gift", 2nd Edition, 2008, by Jannelle Barlow and Claus Moeller. It should be required reading by every car dealer, salesman, service manager, etc.

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to call the dealership. bulbs are usually under the factory warranty unless you tampered with them.