Huge Saturn Outlook Problem Please Help! (Rear Axle, Bearings)?

dubble21

About my Saturn Outlook XR:
Miles: 103,992
Year: 2009
Extended Warranty Coverage: Up to 104,000 miles.

So the past week as I was driving my outlook I would hear a loud screeching noise sounding like it was coming from the back of the car. I need to get the outlook inspected so I took it to my local mechanic and mentioned the noise to them in which they replied it seemed like the Bearings (car was propped up and the mechanic showed it was loose) which then caused me to call the warranty and ask if it is covered (warranty runs out in 8 miles), the warranty said yes so I brought it to my dealer who has been dealing with our warranty many times who took it in and after investigating said that it was the rear Axel and that the problem was they would have to remove my back bumper to get to it, the issue is the said the warranty will cover it unless there is water build up or any other reason to void the warranty the dealer the only way to check is by taking out the whole back bumper and if we find out that it is not covered for whatever reason it would cost us out of pocket $2,800 for the repair, this is if the warranty sends there representative over and he or she states its not covered. As well as the dealer said they can not put the bumper back on a new one would have to be ordered.

From what I understand the mechanic at the dealership repair center who checked the car was able to tell just by driving it that it could almost positive be the Axel. My situation is I have no idea what to do if I decide to just not do anything and drive the car off the lot I will lose the warranty and when the problem does get worse I will either have to pay $2,800 to get it fixed or junk it. (KBB value in good condition is around $8,000)

I was wondering for anyone experienced in the mechanical field if this sounds legitimate and I should take the risk and allow the dealer to open the back of the car and hope the warranty will cover it. Otherwise I just drove in a car that had a squeaky problem and then I wont be able to drive it out unless i pay the $2,800 IF the warranty inst covered.

ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK,

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!

stever

Lot of money but what would you drive if you junked it? It's hard to find a decent used car for anywhere near $3,000.

It the Outlook is otherwise running okay, I think I'd fix it and try to get another year out of it. Think of it as ten months of $300 car payments and hope you don't run into anything else. Any trouble-free months after that is gravy you can save toward a newer car or other repairs.

Now, if you're tired of worrying about an older miled up car, then you could talk to your dealer about trading it in. That's what I'd do if my '09 Dodge started acting up, but it's got 50,000 more miles than you and I'm ready to downsize anyway. When you think about it, 100,000 on an '09 really isn't too old or too miled up. Assuming it otherwise runs okay.

For some counter arguments, check out this long running discussion:

To Fix Up or Trade Up, That is the Question

dubble21

stever said:

Lot of money but what would you drive if you junked it? It's hard to find a decent used car for anywhere near $3,000.

It the Outlook is otherwise running okay, I think I'd fix it and try to get another year out of it. Think of it as ten months of $300 car payments and hope you don't run into anything else. Any trouble-free months after that is gravy you can save toward a newer car or other repairs.

Now, if you're tired of worrying about an older miled up car, then you could talk to your dealer about trading it in. That's what I'd do if my '09 Dodge started acting up, but it's got 50,000 more miles than you and I'm ready to downsize anyway. When you think about it, 100,000 on an '09 really isn't too old or too miled up. Assuming it otherwise runs okay.

Thank you for the quick reply, I think your right I should take the chance but in your honest opinion do you think it could be the Axel that is broken (the dealer said they were able to tell just by test driving it?) or is there a chance that it could not even be broken and just be the bearing) I am scared that I will have to pay out of pocket to fix something that really may not be the part broken and a $3,000 out of pocket charge is a lot.

stever

Sorry, I'm not a mechanic. For $3,000, it might be worth paying another shop for a third opinion. Big price difference between bearings and your axle estimate. Then you have the issue of what if your guy was wrong and it's not the bearing? Problems like yours give you heartburn (ideally, the warranty would kick in, but you know how warranty companies like to find exclusions to coverage).

(Check out this post in that discussion I mentioned).

dubble21

stever said:

Sorry, I'm not a mechanic. For $3,000, it might be worth paying another shop for a third opinion. Big price difference between bearings and your axle estimate. Then you have the issue of what if your guy was wrong and it's not the bearing? Problems like yours give you heartburn (ideally, the warranty would kick in, but you know how warranty companies like to find exclusions to coverage).

(Check out this post in that discussion I mentioned).

Your exactly right, a lot of the mechanics around me don't deal with my warranty i've only been going through the dealership the problem is to get a second opinion I would need the car to be towed to a different mechanic because I only have 9 miles left on the warranty, thank you for your advice though much appreciated