GM doesn't care about customers

[Bob]

[rant thread]
So I'm the proud owner of a 91 camaro z28 (which breaks constantly ) Way back in 94, it had a bunch of safety recalls, but the only one that affects me would be the faulty gas tank and filler neck, whick develops pinhole cracks and leaks gasoline. The law for these recalls is that if the fault is discovered within ten years of the production date, the vehicle must be repaired free by the maker for the lifetime of the vehicle.

So since I know the previous owner never took it in, I tried to get them to check the tank for leaks a few weeks ago. Well it turns out that GM doesn't keep any records from before 93, meaning they basically 'forgot' that my vehicle had a recall on it. They report no open recalls and the dealer won't even check to see if the problem is affecting me : / . By law they should be required to fix this. So it sucks because I really want a new fuel tank (for the in tank pump) and this could have been a way for me to get one free.

[Matra et Alpine]

ahem ... so you have a fault and you want the law to force a manufacturer to replace somethgin else to fix it for free ?
Nah, sorry, that's immoral.
Pay for the pump !!

[Clivey]

ahem ... so you have a fault and you want the law to force a manufacturer to replace somethgin else to fix it for free ?
Nah, sorry, that's immoral.
Pay for the pump !!

But if the recall does affect his car he is entitled to a raplacement tank and the replacing of the pump would be irrelevant, as it would have to be done anyway.

[Kitdy]

But if the recall does affect his car he is entitled to a raplacement tank and the replacing of the pump would be irrelevant, as it would have to be done anyway.

That is absolutely the case. The problem is not the small peopel that scam the bug busisness, but the big busisness that scams the small people.

[Bob]

ahem ... so you have a fault and you want the law to force a manufacturer to replace somethgin else to fix it for free ?
Nah, sorry, that's immoral.
Pay for the pump !!

Hey now... it's a safety recall, a leaky gas tank is never a good thing. They could have at least performed the test for me, and if it turned out the tank was fine, I'd have no complaint. But refusing to even check the vehicle for a safety recall and claiming that it's no longer in effect because 10+ years have passed? That's bad business. I'm not sure if it's true, but I heard that one problem with these tanks was that they ran out of the sealing rubber gasket and instead used headliner felt.

So it's not a case of me trying to get something for free... I just wanted it checked, and if it turned out I got a new tank and pump, great.

(Not to mention my fuel pump is probably fine)

[taz_rocks_miami]

Try calling the Better Business Burrough, they should be able to tell you what to do.

[2ndclasscitizen]

So since I know the previous owner never took it in, I tried to get them to check the tank for leaks a few weeks ago. Well it turns out that GM doesn't keep any records from before 93, meaning they basically 'forgot' that my vehicle had a recall on it. They report no open recalls and the dealer won't even check to see if the problem is affecting me : / .

You might have to take it elsewhere to get it checked

By law they should be required to fix this. So it sucks because I really want a new fuel tank (for the in tank pump) and this could have been a way for me to get one free.

By what you said, they aren't:

The law for these recalls is that if the fault is discovered within ten years of the production date

91 camaro z28

[Bob]

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear.
The car was produced in 1991.
The recall was initiated in 1994.
Once the recall is started, the manufacturer must repair the vehicle no matter what, at any point in its lifetime. Theoretically I could bring it in twenty years from now and they would still be required to fix it (or give me a car of equal value.)

The ten year part only means that once ten years have passed since the original production date, the maker doesn't needs to service any new recalls for free.

Edit: Or like I said originally "the fault is discoved within ten years of the production date." in this case, 1994 and 1991, respectively.

[Ferrer]

When I first saw the the title of the thread (GM doesn't care about customers), I thought of course they don't, the make cars like the Impala and the Vectra...

[Matra et Alpine]

Hey now... it's a safety recall, a leaky gas tank is never a good thing. They could have at least performed the test for me, and if it turned out the tank was fine, I'd have no complaint.

true, I wans' tthinking of that.
Yes for sure they should have respected the need to check.
Have you tried a differnet ( ie better! ) dealer ?

But refusing to even check the vehicle for a safety recall and claiming that it's no longer in effect because 10+ years have passed? That's bad business. I'm not sure if it's true, but I heard that one problem with these tanks was that they ran out of the sealing rubber gasket and instead used headliner felt.

It's possible that they now consider that the rubber may have perished by now as well so making the original issue "irrelevant" -- but hey, someone should still LOOK for you, agreed.

So it's not a case of me trying to get something for free... I just wanted it checked, and if it turned out I got a new tank and pump, great.

(Not to mention my fuel pump is probably fine)

Again my misread of the first post.
Sounded like your pump was goosed and you were hoping to get it for free

One of the biggest problems in this day of the wundaweb is that everybody now asks for every minor advisory manufacturers produce. In the past a fix would be done if a customer complained ( I'm not refereing to safety and full recalls - thiose are different ). Now everybody asks for everything putting a HUGE cost on teh manufacturers. Example my new RX-8 has an advisory for and ECU upgrade for cold starting. EVERYBODY is wanting the upgrade and yet most don't need it. SO somethign that woudl be included in next service -- or if cusotmer encountered a problem - is now costing the company LOTS more for all those cars now needing workshop time and overheads that woudl have been MUCH lower if part of normal service.

I'm not a believer of the myth that "one persons needs" don't make a difference. Multip[ly it up by the voluem of cars out there and it costs MILLIONS -- ever wonder all the factors why Ford/GM et al might be in financial trouble ??

[Clivey]

When I first saw the the title of the thread (GM doesn't care about customers), I thought of course they don't, the make cars like the Impala and the Vectra...

What's wrong with the Vectra? I assume you're talking about ther car in my attachment...

... How do you insert a picture from your comp's HDD as an inline image?

[Ferrer]

What's wrong with the Vectra? I assume you're talking about ther car in my attachment...

It is, let's say... uninspired.

[Matra et Alpine]

... How do you insert a picture from your comp's HDD as an inline image?

You would have to upload it to a computer that is permanently on and has a dns entry or fixed IP.
Attachment is easier and better as it never goes away

[midnightdorifto]

That is absolutely the case. The problem is not the small peopel that scam the bug busisness, but the big busisness that scams the small people.

That should read more like because small people try to scam big businesses, big businesses become quite anal about what they can and cannot do.

Bob, I empathize with you, but I think you might be straight outta luck here. Manufacturers should not be liable for anything past a certain time period simply because their equipment and tools change within the span of time. If every dealer were to be equipped to handle every recall for the life of a given manufacturer's vehicles, their inventory would be simply obscene. A manufacturer stops making parts for their cars at some point (usually when they're taken over by the aftermarket.) At that point, they cannot fix the recall because they do not wish to be held liable for aftermarket parts.

I've got an '88 RS, so I've got a good feeling of what you're going through (I've had a serious problem with electric fans failing.) But the law exists for a reason, I'm afraid. Good luck getting your car fixed.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The Recall occured in 1994. your trying to get it sorted in 2007. thats a 13 year difference. by your own figures they're not required, by any law or recall, to fix this for you for free.

the previous owner should have taken the car in for the voluntary recall. period. now your just being a tight-fist because it's no doubt an expensive problem.

Sorry, but you don't have a leg to stand on legally here.