Service, Recalls, and an Impressive Dealer Experience - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Long-Term Road Test

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Service, Recalls, and an Impressive Dealer Experience - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Long-Term Road Test

Straight from a 3,700-mile road trip in the northern Rocky Mountains, we took our 2015 Chevrolet Colorado to the dealer for its second service and to address some service bulletins.

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kirkhilles1

Clearly getting the complimentary service is a good thing, especially given the insane prices paid ($200!) for oil changes and tire rotations and such. It also gives you an excuse to have the latest recalls applied. Of course, I guess that also means you need to find someone to follow you and take you to work while you wait for it to be done and someone to take you back there (unless you Uber it I guess). Wish you could get a complimentary vehicle.

john_in_tc

My Chrysler dealer will take me anywhere in town, and pick me up when the car is ready. I bought the extended warranty, and if the work is covered by warranty I get a free rental car delivered to the dealer.

farvy

I'm not sure I would call this "impressive". They did an oil change, did a couple of recalls, & washed it. Aren't they supposed to do that stuff properly? Have we lowered our dealership service expectations that much? I can't say I've had any traumatic dealer service issues, & have been getting my cars washed for years. About the only impressive thing about it is dropping in without an appointment. And your oil change isn't necessarily free. MSRP was $36,535 & you paid $35,357. That will pay for a few oil changes.

ryster

This is excellent service considering you showed up unannounced without an appointment, and you "needed the work done that day" [need is a strong word...wanted is probably more accurate]. The dealer was under no obligation to fit you in and get everything done the same day. On the other hand I have had cases with dealers where I made an appointment weeks in advance, show up at my scheduled time, and get told they cannot guarantee my car will be done the same day because "people showed up before I got there." I would guess it is people without an appointment who "needed the work done that day" that throw the dealer's schedule out of whack.

socal_eric

This brings up a point about the complimentary maintenance. Having bought a new '14 Cruze Turbo Diesel the month this program started, GM media was initially touting it as free scheduled maintenance. For the diesel models they specifically included DEF refills (which have now been dropped) but if you were to go by the owner's manual the scheduled maintenance is supposed to include an oil/filter change, the fuel filter water separator drained at each oil change along with tire rotation. It also calls for a new passenger compartment air filter at 22,500 miles (which my math says is within 2/24k).

Our local dealer never did get the DEF refills figured out (first time forgot/didn't know they were included, second oil change only put in a gallon since they didn't know how much would be reimbursed), but they did drain the fuel filter free of charge at the first oil change. On the second oil change the service manager said they'd have to charge for it since the last time GM did a charge-back and didn't reimburse them.

It's a great bonus to throw in free service but when you're advertising free scheduled maintenance for 2/24k, the fine print says "certain" scheduled service (but doesn't spell out exactly what that includes), then the owner goes in and finds out half the items called for in the maintenance schedule aren't covered, maybe GM should change the program name and their marketing.

It's not complimentary scheduled maintenance, it's free oil changes and tire rotations for 2/24 (limited to four service events). The expectation of "scheduled maintenance" to include all items in the maintenance schedule turned a potential positive into a negative ownership experience that could have been avoided if they marketed it correctly in the first place.


Similar thing bugs the heck out of me with the Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance. When you think "premium" I'd associate it with other luxury marques in covering an extensive list of items. With Cadillac they give you oil changes, tire rotations, and hold on now... free air filters. Sure, they do cover up to 4/50k but if you're buying a $70k-plus vehicle would it really hurt to throw in wiper blades? How about brake pads and other wear items that some of the Europeans cover? But instead of putting real, extra value into the ownership experience I now get a fancy Cadillac magazine in the mail every couple months showing some perceived New York lifestyle they want to push.

Sorry, end rant.

stever

Looks like you used your bike for transport while the Colorado was getting fixed. I miss being able to do that. Gotta move back closer to town one of these years.

allthingshonda

One of the local Chevy dealers here gives free oil changes for as long as you own the car but you have to keep all the dealer logos on the car. Front license plate, web address on rear window, and dealer license plate frame around your normal state plate. Good customer service can make an angry customer with a towed in vehicle a happy customer.

thecardoc3

socal_eric said:

Our local dealer never did get the DEF refills figured out (first time forgot/didn't know they were included, second oil change only put in a gallon since they didn't know how much would be reimbursed), but they did drain the fuel filter free of charge at the first oil change. On the second oil change the service manager said they'd have to charge for it since the last time GM did a charge-back and didn't reimburse them.

In the other thread we couldn't find common ground on the issue that the way techs are compensated is ultimately a consumer issue. These problems you have recorded here are a direct result of how the poor practices result in a depletion of the talent. That charge back would most likely have taken the labor time back out of the tech's pocket as well.

socal_eric said:

maybe GM should change the program name and their marketing.

It's not complimentary scheduled maintenance, it's free oil changes and tire rotations for 2/24 (limited to four service events). The expectation of "scheduled maintenance" to include all items in the maintenance schedule turned a potential positive into a negative ownership experience that could have been avoided if they marketed it correctly in the first place.

One perspective in your other response, these issues don't affect me in my career anymore. I left the dealer network a long time ago over the poor practices that were in place. Today I spend a lot of time teaching and I get to see first hand what today's practices are still doing to the trade's people.

socal_eric said:

Sure, they do cover up to 4/50k but if you're buying a $70k-plus vehicle would it really hurt to throw in wiper blades? How about brake pads and other wear items that some of the Europeans cover? But instead of putting real, extra value into the ownership experience I now get a fancy Cadillac magazine
Sorry, end rant.

If consumers don't force them to change things, then it isn't going to happen. When they are struggling with the easy stuff, which is caused by turn over of the entry level people that translates to even bigger issues with the more difficult work and even fewer qualified technicians in the future. Enjoy your magazine......