Should I Stay or Should I Go

jdlester

First time user here.

I have a 2014 Silverdao 1500 Z-71 LTZ that I purchased new from Dealer "X" with almost all of the available options. The carpet is now being replaced due to mildew smell in the cabin that was brought on by a water leak, which was the result of a crack in the sealant somewhere near the the drivers side door. All of this being covered under warranty.

I love the truck but am considering trading it in because I see the carpet replacement as something that may lead to more issues and/or lead to devaluation of the truck. I have taken good care of it and for the most part it is in great shape. I had to have the passenger side bed repaired because someone backed into me (all work covered by insurance and done by Dealer "X" body shop with 100% lifetime guarantee). There are a few paint specks on the front from driving thru new road paint, and a small blemish on the outside of the drivers side door.

So, while the truck is having the carpet replaced I have asked Dealer "X" to provide me with a trade in value and to open discussions on a new truck purchase. I don't see the carpet issue as anything that I should take a hit since it is due to a manufacturer's defect. Any ideas on how much hit I might take on the other issues (bed body repair, paint specks and door blemish)? Should I pursue having the paint specks and door blemish repaired before talking about trade in?

Also, my insurance company offers a car buying service via True Car and I've sent a request for truck quotes to their listed dealerships. Unfortunately Dealer "X" is not one of them. Should I even consider taking the truck to the other dealers? If so, how would they treat the whole carpet replacement? It is warranty replacement after all, so I'm thinking they should overlook this. But maybe that isn't how it works - I honestly don't know.

Any help answering these questions is appreciated. Let me know if there is more info needed.

Happy 4th.

Jim

stever

Sounds like you are a bit out of sorts with your current ride even though you say you love it, but you'll take a monetary hit trading it in, unless your current dealer decides to help you out and keep you as a happy customer.

You could get an AutoCheck or Carfax and see if any of the repairs shows up. But the dealer probably didn't report the carpet as an "accident" and if so, it won't show up on a report and it'll most likely just be the passenger side repair on any report. Any accident on a report will ding you a bit.

So sure, pursue a trade and see how bad the numbers work out. I wouldn't bother with fixing the blemishes, unless the trade numbers are awful. Then you might think about rehabbing the truck so it looks new again and just keep enjoying driving it.

(And welcome!)

jdlester

@Steve,
Thanks for the advice, especially regarding the blemish repair. Wasn't sure if I should fix those or not.

And I love the model I have, not so much that I'm in love with the one that's in the shop. I would definitely pursue an equivalent model as a "replacement".

And the only reason I'm even considering the trade-in/new car purchase is how much equipment has to be removed/reinstalled for the carpet replacement. I'm wary of all the possible side issues that might arise - what a pain managing that.

Do you know if other dealerships would have knowledge of the carpet replacement? And if so, would I take a hit?

Thanks again,
Jim

stever

Since it's a warranty repair, I doubt that the carpet replacement will be reported to Carfax or AutoCheck, but I'm not 100% positive. Some aftermarket programs, like Mitchell 1, apparently keep track of repairs when techs sign in for repair info and report that stuff. Best bet would be to ask the service writer and see what they say.

Maybe @Mr_Shiftright can shed some light; he's read a lot more Carfax reports than anyone else around here.