Cadillac Owners Forum banner

Dealer damaged my CTS!!!

5K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  cjmeyer 
#1 ·
Forgive me if I posted to this to the wrong category or otherwise erred regarding forum rules, this is my first post. I also apologize if it sounds like I'm ranting a bit (I am...)

Last Tuesday I took my 2008 CTS4 3.6 DI in to get the car professionally washed and detailed from the dealer which I do once a year. Picking the car up at the dealer everything looked fine, however once I got home and was able to do a thorough look over, I noticed a small mark above the driver door on the edge of the roof. At first I thought it was a piece of wax or dirt, however I soon realized that it was a small, but very deep (went completely through all the paint) chip! To date, I've kept my car pristine no dents/chips anywhere, so I was rightfully annoyed at seeing this. I phoned the dealer immediately and they told me to bring the car in. After speaking with the service advisor they admitted their responsibility for the damage. They had me take the car over to the service side of the dealer where an auto body tech, before realizing that the dealer was the one who caused the damage, told me it was a pretty bad chip through the paint and would require the whole panel to be repainted which would cost close to $1,000! (I don't know if he was over-inflating the cost or what but it seemed very excessive for a chip no longer than 3/4") I was just glad they had already taken responsibility for the damage.

The dealer finally phoned back today telling me to bring the car in tomorrow morning. Now, since they said the car would need to be in for at least 3 days they asked if I needed a loaner. Of course I do need one to get to/from work etc... Now in the past this dealer has given us some really p.o.s. loaners when we brought our Cadillacs in for warranty work, and normally I wouldn't really mind. However, seeing as this whole incident is entirely their fault I expect a loaner equivalent to my vehicle. They offered a 2006 Pontiac G5... Like I said, normally I wouldn't care but at this point I'm still pissed they damaged my car!

At this point it's the last straw with this dealer, I asked politely if they had anything else equivalent to my vehicle and was told flatly no. It was the owners policy to only loan out, at best, a 1 year old chevy malibu. Among my immediate family (parents/grandparent) we've owned 16 GM vehicles over the past 20 years, and currently own 4, all of which are presently and have always been serviced by this incompetent dealer. It used to be a great dealer, however a few years ago the dealership transferred ownership and service has gone done hill rapidly as the best service advisors have gone elsewhere. To give you an example, a few months ago when my DRL burnt out and had to be taken in to be replaced, the service tech didn't even know that the CTS had DRL's...

Sorry for the long post, but I was just wondering if I have any recourse against this dealer's steadily declining service (besides switching dealers which I will do once the damage is repaired), or if I have any ground to stand on regarding my request for a better loaner?

Your help on the matter is appreciated!

Thanks!

D.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
The most troubling portion of your post is this: "After speaking with the service advisor they admitted their responsibility for the damage."

What, they were just going to let it slide and hope no one would notice? Totally unacceptable behavior.

Don't go back there. But wait until you get your car back. If the work is acceptable, then blast them on Angie's List and other websites for damaging the vehicle and attempting to cover it up with their silence. If it's not acceptable, sue the bastards!

View attachment 96146
 
#3 ·
Good luck with the repairs. Most body shops do a good job and it is totally correct in having to paint and blend the whole panel. If they did the chip only it would look like hell.

You have a tremendous plus on your side that they admitted and agreed to fix it.

My opinion on the loaner, suck it up, I could care less what I got, if it starts and gets me back and forth good enough. Sorry just my opinion. They don't have to give me a car, I would just want mine repaired correctly.
 
#5 ·
IMO, Cadillac, as a premium brand, should require that dealers loan out Cadillacs -- or at the very least, in a pinch, Buicks -- to Cadillac customers under warranty. A six-year-old base model Pontiac is completely unacceptable to me. I'm sure Cadillac best practices call for using new Cadillacs as loaners (not only is it good for the customer, but a great way to give them a test drive of other vehicles the brand sells). Dealers loaning out decade-old hoopties from dead brands are obviously doing the bare minimum to get by, which is probably reflected in other parts of their business.
 
#6 ·
All of the posters above have good points. While we should receive a loaner that is basically "equivalent" to what we are driving, if we even get a loaner is a plus. As long as it is safe and it is clean just grin and bear it.

Get your car repaired to your liking and then it's AMF, I'm DFR. (Loosely translated, change dealerships).
 
#8 ·
Sorry I guess I should have been more specific on why the loaner car is an issue. Under normal circumstances I realize that it's a privlage to receive a loaner car, however seeing as the dealer caused the damage, causing me the inconvenience of not having a car for 2-3 days I would expect a loaner. The issue regarding the type of loaner relates to my work. I work in an industry where appearances are very important when you’re trying to impress or acquire clients. I often have to pick up and drive clients around, and it is expected that we make a good impression/appear to be very successful. I realize this is shallow and superficial but I’ve seen one of my co-workers get in trouble for picking up clients in a dirty vehicle before so the fact that’ll I’ll be stuck with a low quality old loaner makes me nervous. Hopefully this clarifies the issue.
*
On another note regarding the repairs the dealership is now ignoring my phone calls and when I showed up there this morning, as was originally scheduled to drop the car off, they informed me that they didn’t have any loaners in stock… They've told me to phone back after work today so we'll see.

And I will switch dealers after this incident so thanks for all of the feedback!
 
#10 ·
On another note regarding the repairs the dealership is now ignoring my phone calls and when I showed up there this morning, as was originally scheduled to drop the car off, they informed me that they didn’t have any loaners in stock… They've told me to phone back after work today so we'll see. And I will switch dealers after this incident so thanks for all of the feedback!
Dev90, I can completely understand your perspective on this and am so sorry to hear about your frustrations. If you're still having trouble reaching your current dealership via phone after your scheduled call back today after work, please email me and I would be happy to call on your behalf tomorrow or anytime you'd like me to follow up with your dealer. My email is Katie_Lucille@gmexpert.com! I can't guarantee that my call will have the outcome you desire, but I'm definitely willing to explore your next steps with you.

Best,

Katie
Cadillac Customer Service
 
#9 ·
Dev90 said:
Sorry I guess I should have been more specific on why the loaner car is an issue. Under normal circumstances I realize that it's a privlage to receive a loaner car, however seeing as the dealer caused the damage, causing me the inconvenience of not having a car for 2-3 days I would expect a loaner. The issue regarding the type of loaner relates to my work. I work in an industry where appearances are very important when you’re trying to impress or acquire clients. I often have to pick up and drive clients around, and it is expected that we make a good impression/appear to be very successful. I realize this is shallow and superficial but I’ve seen one of my co-workers get in trouble for picking up clients in a dirty vehicle before so the fact that’ll I’ll be stuck with a low quality old loaner makes me nervous. Hopefully this clarifies the issue.
*
On another note regarding the repairs the dealership is now ignoring my phone calls and when I showed up there this morning, as was originally scheduled to drop the car off, they informed me that they didn’t have any loaners in stock… They've told me to phone back after work today so we'll see.

And I will switch dealers after this incident so thanks for all of the feedback!
Perfect way to break the ice with a client... Man sorry for that geo metro....
 
#12 ·
So for those of you interested I thought I'd post another update. And needless to say after 20+ years of GM vehicles, I'll never buy another GM product as long as Dueck GM in British Columbia is still around. They finally took my car in on Friday, August 24th after damaging it on August 7th. I had to phone this morning to find out if it was done, they did not call me. When I went to pick the car up and turn in the piece of garbage Malibu loaner they gave me (which was super dirty, it had stains on all the seats and stunk!), I inspected the car for damage and to see if it was repaired correctly. Well, there is a NEW 3.5" long scratch in the drivers door in addition, the chip they had caused the first time wasn't fixed right! The paint where they chipped it still had a small dent/divet where the chip was. The service advisor couldn't offer a time to resolution, and I'm stuck with the dirty Malibu for who knows how long. This is not customer service! Cadillac needs to get its act together and fix its useless dealers.

If any one knows of a good dealer in the Greater Vancouver area please let me know!
 
#13 ·
Dev90,

I feel your pain brother! It amazes me that Cadillac has little influence on how these dealerships "actually" perform. In Chicago, I resorted to what works best in my area....bribes and money. Pass $50 across to your service manager and your car comes back with a red bow and completely fixed. Does my service manager like Starbucks? Yes he does and a gift card of $20 and an occasional coffee when dropping my car off takes car of my issues.

Before this, I tried the old "a $50,000 car should be fixed correctly and the buyer should be treated with respect" approach. Well, that did not work. My dealer is loaded with white, old establishment guys who only sell. Service is the after thought. The doors into the dealership are not the same doors into the service department! BTW, I am not racist, rather giving everyone a mental picture of the cigar-smoking, dealer guys who want your signature and money, but not your troubles.

When I stopped pressing the dealership and started working my service manager, life got fricking easy and my mental stress left. Many will disagree with my approach, but it works and my car is treated like gold. In the end, this is what GM has created. In fairness to all thinking I am being unfair to all the honest, customer loving Cadillac dealerships, my apologies. I wish I was ale to work with one like that.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll have to try that out at whatever dealer I switch to! I think the pathetic thing is that my cousin gets significantly better service at her VW dealer when she brings in a 2008 Rabbit... I guess when I replace the CTS I'll have to look at dealer service as a much more important element of the purchase.
 
#15 ·
And GM wonders why their sales are down 41%. If you say you are a premium brand, and you are charging premium prices, be aware of Infiniti and Lexus. Hell for that matter be aware of Hyundi. Word of mouth is either the best or worse advertisement. BTW, I bought them all coffee when I bought the car. The cost of repairing a car, especially warranty work is not coming out of their pocket. From what I understand, the Service Department is one of, if not the major cash cows of a Dealership. Well, I guess not for long with some Dealerships. What happened to the American work ethic and pride in your job? I would not count on another bailout, and neither should Chrysler. I want to help keep you guys in business, but appearently they don't care.
 
#16 ·
For years I have always done 99% of repairs and maintance on my cars. At 60 years old and a recent torn retina, I am not looking forward to letting others do the work. Up until a year ago I had my own car lift so oil changes and other minor work was an easy job. Losing the house we owned lead to the selling of the lift.

When it comes to allowing others to handle your valuables, you want to trust them, but in the end, you can't trust anyone but yourself. You need to walk the service tech around the car and explain the importance of the condition the vehicle is in and that you expect the vehicle to be in the same condition when the service is completed. Then, you must walk around the vehicle and verify it is in as good condition as you handed the vehicle to them to begin with before you ever get in the car.

For me, the scratching or damaging of a body panel creates far more of a problem than just repainting or replacing a panel.

If a door panel has to be repainted, there is absolutly no way to match the paint exactly if the car is painted a metallic color. It may look just fine looking at it from one angle, but walk to the other end of the vehicle and it will not look right. It all comes down to how the metallic lays as it is sprayed on.
 
#17 ·
glad you got the dealer to accept responsibility,,, i had a issue with a dealer damaging the rubber skirt under my bumper ...they denied doing the damage ...and when i esculated the issue to the dealerships owner i didn't get a phone call back ,,,,,then i spoke with the business manager and was told ,,,,i wasn't there customer ...so niagara falls cadillac lost my business..... good luck to you ...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top