New dealer damage and assistance request

ripple · 07-31-2006, 06:43 PM

Okay so today was pinon seal replacement day and of course I went to a different dealership then the last repair since they damaged my front wheel well in fixing the fog lights.

So I am fairly certain that in the process of lifting the car they have bent the both side panels behind the wheel well and under the hood (the small panel with the pontiac logo and faux scoop) While this picture doesnt tell the true story of the newly misaligned body part it is the best representation I could get.

So I have questions and was hoping someone could run out and check their car to assist in answering.

1. The famous tape is on the bottom of this part, on my car the passenger side is solid the entire width of the tape but on the drivers side (the bent side) only half the tape is on the body panel and the back or underside hangs with no backing - is yours this way?

2. If you run your finger along the bottom of this panel from the wheel to where is meets the rocker panel is yours smooth and straight the entire length - mine is smooth the entire length until just before it meets the rocker when there is a clear drop of an 1/8 of an inch - is yours straight end to end?

3. The biggie - the pictures below are straight on shots - I think they have creased the heck out of these panels on both the driver and passenger side - the passenger side shows a clear paint scratch. So do your panels have the creases shown in the box? That is the side closer to the front wheels.

Passenger side

Drivers side

My thinking is in setting up the lift arms they didnt allow enough clearance and this applied upward pressure to this panel pushing it up and away and creasing the bottom edges. So before I storm in there tomorrow morning I want to confirm if the creases there are normal and my only issues are the scratch and the misaligned panel or if they have bent the heck out of the panels.

URGH!!!

mewisemagic · 07-31-2006, 06:48 PM

just looked under mine and it is not bent

bradsol · 07-31-2006, 06:51 PM

Time to call the dealership and let the Service Manager know what happened.

KLECKO · 07-31-2006, 06:51 PM

The dealer screwed up.This has happend beforeThe Solstice cant be lifted like other cars.They should have known the right way to lift the car.

PAO · 07-31-2006, 06:53 PM

it is quite apparent they didnt follow the appropriate lifting instructions for the solstice...it looks like the y-arms extended out beyond the body and they lifted it without the proper brace/block.....take this with you and ask them did they follow this procedure???? if they did it wouldnt cause this body damage!!!

Solstice Jack and lifting points

this information is in the technical service manual.......they did about 750-1000 dollars damage to the car based on previous owners experience with this.....

KLECKO · 07-31-2006, 06:54 PM

Here is the link showing this problem Yoe have to scroll down to post #18Index of Useful Forum Threads [TECH]
This came from Little Nipper post http://users.rcn.com/daniel.thompson...20Page%201.pdf http://users.rcn.com/daniel.thompson...20Page%202.pdfThese direction is what the dealer should have

retriever · 07-31-2006, 07:05 PM

I was aware of the lifting problem ( thanks to the Forum members) back when I had the Differential seal repaired in april 06 , I had insisted on a drive on lift due to the four small lifting area's , at the time they were not aware of this problem, looks to me that you have a claim SORRY TO SEE YOUR DAMAGE.

ripple · 07-31-2006, 07:07 PM

I knew it, it started with me noticing the misaligned panel and I started to post this and when for more pictures and noticed the real damage I think I was in denial and hoping I was imagining it.

Can I ask someone to take a similar picture and the ones I posted and add them to this thread or pm me for my email and send them - I will be going there first thing in the morning and want to have a comparitive picture to show what it should look like - sly or cool picture would be best for better comparative shots but beggers cant be choosy I guess.

Why the hell cant any GM dealership service departments get it right -

Two trips for service - two incidents of damage !!!

How friggen unacceptable is that!

UNEED2 · 07-31-2006, 07:24 PM

R.....I am so sorry this is happening to you. This is unacceptable. I can not believe they did not inform you what had happened. I would be sooooo pi--ed. I hope you report it to the supervisor and or manager. If you get no action then contact pontiac directly.And informed them about the damage you got while in for service.I know how I am with my car. I would be sick.And really really pi--ed off.Good luck to you.

mewisemagic · 07-31-2006, 07:35 PM

you got a pm from me

ripple · 07-31-2006, 10:18 PM

Thanks for the pictures mewisemagic.

As I sit here tonight it dawned on me I never checked the rear lift points - I went out and did a quick check and they appear to be okay, no visable damage.

But I am also getting more and more angry, not as much that it happened, as accidents do happen and everyone is human - but rather that given two incidents of dealer damage that HAD to be known to the tech each time, that no admission was made in either case. That they just damaged the car and hide it from everyone involved. My final words to the Asst. Service Mgr when I dropped her off this morning were "Dont hurt her" and sure enough they did.

URGH.....I feel like I will not be able to sleep tonight I am so wound up and angry.

Xanath · 07-31-2006, 11:12 PM

You'd think the message would go out on how NOT to lift our babies, especially with as many that are going in for the leak. Mine sprang and was fixed last week, seeing your pictures made me go running out to the garage - certainly enough I have the famous tape, but by some miracle, they didn't screw anything up. At least that I've found yet.

As much as I'd like to sit here and tell you "oh, nobody will ever know," and "don't worry about it," I'd be feeling just as bad if I were in your shoes and it's just plain sad this has to happen. My day (the other thread) may've sucked, but that's nothing next to this.

Hopefully they'll recognize and resolve the issue quickly.

-Ken

ripple · 08-01-2006, 08:25 AM

Okay So I stopped there this morning and they are denying responsibility - they are aware of the damage done at the other dealership and are pointing the finger in that direction.

They claim that since the first dealership was repairing the fog lights they would have lifted the car to check wiring and the damage was done there. So I need input on the likelyhood of that?

I have my doubts obviously since the popped body panel jumped out at me and the other service was pre-national and needless to say I have washed and detailed numorous times since then.

PAO · 08-01-2006, 12:19 PM

of course they deny it...because they know they did it..and its easy to fault the other dealership at this point.....I would flat out ask the other dealership did they lift the car.....and if they say no.....you have an answer..get it in writing.....if they say yes they did....ask them to show you the lift procedures for the solstice......and if they produce the tech manual.......well you know which one did it....I would simply scream loud at the second dealership......you as you said have detailed the car many times since then...and hadnt noticed the alignment issue....

dealerships still dont get how detailed oriented we are with this car......I would quickly by pass the service department and go higher...also immediately get your insurance company involved....get the estimates..tell them how it was done..and let them fight it out with both dealerships!!!

Critterman · 08-01-2006, 12:29 PM

Too late for you now, but when I took Bix in to get the pionon seal replaced, I put the GM bulletin on Lifting the Sol on the console. Then I had my service look at both my panels before the car went in to the service area. I checked both panels before I left after the service.