Comedy of errors....not too funny though

[lostcause]

So I'm on my second week without my Sky. Took it in last Monday for what was supposed to be a top replacement and fixing the LSD grinding noise, along with basic service (oil change, tires rotated, etc..). I should have had the car back by last wednesday.

What happened? Well, I initially reported the problem with the top almost 2 months ago. They ordered a top and said they'd call me when it got there so I could bring the car in. Well, the week before last I confirmed that the top was there. They said it was in stock and had been ordered specifically for me. I took the car in last Monday. They said it should be 3 days. Well, fast forward to 4 days later, last thursday, still not ready but they said the car should be ready on Friday. Well, Friday comes around, I call and ask if I can pick it up and am told that they haven't even started working on the top yet but it will be done first thing Monday morning (that being this morning).

So I call this morning and am now told that my top is NOT in. The new story is that they got a top from another dealer who had it in stock (still wondering what happened to the one they supposedly ordered specifically for me and had in stock...), and when they opened it up it turned out to be a used top that someone had stuffed into a new box. So...the top that was specifically ordered for me and was in stock at the dealer I took the car to apparently never existed. So they tell me that they ordered a top this morning and it should be there Thursday of this week. Well, I told them I wanted to pick up my car today and have them call me when the top really did get there and they actually had it in their hands. They said fine, come get your car.

Oh but wait....it gets better....as I'm driving to the dealer, they call me and tell me that I can't pick up the car because apparently, when they lifted it, they cracked one of the damn body panels!!!!!! Now my brand new 08 Sky has a cracked body panel!! So, now the car is in the body shop to get the body panel replaced and the new one painted (I hope they can manage to match the paint on the car, which is black, which is not the easiest color to match...), the top was just ordered and despite them telling me it'll be there Thursday, frankly, I don't believe it especially after they had already told me I had a top there waiting for me, and now I have no idea when I'll get it back!!!

So, what was supposed to be a 3 day dealer visit has now turned into at least a 2 week ordeal and a cracked body panel due to improper lifting!! I can't believe dealers don't know how to lift these freakin things yet!!!!!!!!

And this is the dealer with supposedly the best service department in town!!!

[Im Fastr]

What a bummer. Sorry to hear you are having such troubles.

[The Dude]

Man-Oh-Man this is your 2nd south florida dealer (right?) What does one have to do to find a good service dept in South Florida or are'nt there any!

[coopcj7]

That sounds like the same problems I had when I got my top replaced. The dealer could not get it done and then they said that the person working on it felt up to it and replacing a top for the first time. They then decided to outsource it and "poof" it was done in 1 day after we took the dealership out of the picture

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by The Dude

Man-Oh-Man this is your 2nd south florida dealer (right?) What does one have to do to find a good service dept in South Florida or are'nt there any!

I don't know whether it is FL period. I have lived in VA, NC, FL, and now AL. I never had worse service on my cars then in FL. I lived in North FL (near sawgrass golf course). All I needed was my a/c fixed. You'd think that they, being a FL dealership (toyota) could fix an a/c. I mean, come on, this is FL right? They see these things all the time. I went back 3 times, and to 3 other places before I got the thing fixed and then it wen bad again within a few months. I later took it to a NC dealership on a vacation trip. They fixed it a few hours, and never another issue with it.

[RedlineBlue]

and a cracked body panel due to improper lifting!!

I just don't understand how dealer after dealer after dealer is making this same mistake. Even the times you TELL the dealer about it they seem to still screw it up. I think that I am going to put a note on the steering wheel so the person driving it in garage can see the reminder.

RedlineBlue

[Antonio]

kinda makes me wonder if they just were trying to stall all the long and replace the panel without your knowing. When you said you wanted the car back while you waited, they might've been like "oh sh1t, we wants the car back now, it's not fixed yet!" and tried to cover their tracks.

Just seems really fishy to me.

[reedred]

Sorry you're having issues. You should be able to drive the car with a cracked fender panel, unless they already removed it for some reason. Mine were cracked for at least 2 months before I noticed, then another month before they were replaced since I decided to wait until it was in for regular maintenance. If you want to have the car while you wait for parts to arrive and be painted, just tell them you're going in to pick it up and to let you know when they have everything they need to repair it properly and in a reasonable timeframe.

[bamanick]

I'm hoping that this isn't a sign about dealers in general. I've had a heck of a time getting the dealership I'm dealing with to communicate with me relative to the order process; just not giving much effort imo.

[lostcause]

Originally Posted by The Dude

Man-Oh-Man this is your 2nd south florida dealer (right?) What does one have to do to find a good service dept in South Florida or are'nt there any!

Yep, this is the second dealer I've worked with. The first one was worse. This one is supposedly the best one in the area. In addition to Saturns, they also sell and service Hummers and Cadillacs so they're used to dealing with higher end and more expensive cars. They also have a car rental office right inside their service bay so it's very convenient to get a loaner. They also have their own body shop. And supposedly, their techs know what they're doing. Every once in a while one car brought in for service ends up being a disaster from start to finish. I guess I drew the short straw this time.

That said, I've heard from a couple of forum members who take their cars there. One has had nothing but good experiences there. The other nothing but nightmares. So far I've had a combination.

[lostcause]

Originally Posted by coopcj7

That sounds like the same problems I had when I got my top replaced. The dealer could not get it done and then they said that the person working on it felt up to it and replacing a top for the first time. They then decided to outsource it and "poof" it was done in 1 day after we took the dealership out of the picture

I was told they outsource it to a shop that specializes in this stuff and that regularly works on lambos and ferraris. The thing is, there was a serious screwup regarding whether my top was in or not.

[lostcause]

Originally Posted by Antonio

kinda makes me wonder if they just were trying to stall all the long and replace the panel without your knowing. When you said you wanted the car back while you waited, they might've been like "oh sh1t, we wants the car back now, it's not fixed yet!" and tried to cover their tracks.

Just seems really fishy to me.

It's possible but if that's what they were doing, they didn't do it very intelligently. All they would have had to say is "well, we already took the convertible top off before realizing the new one wasn't in yet so the car isn't driveable right now until the new top comes in."

That way I would have never known.

[Sky Pilot 51]

Originally Posted by Nemesis

I don't know whether it is FL period. I have lived in VA, NC, FL, and now AL. I never had worse service on my cars then in FL. I lived in North FL (near sawgrass golf course). All I needed was my a/c fixed. You'd think that they, being a FL dealership (toyota) could fix an a/c. I mean, come on, this is FL right? They see these things all the time. I went back 3 times, and to 3 other places before I got the thing fixed and then it wen bad again within a few months. I later took it to a NC dealership on a vacation trip. They fixed it a few hours, and never another issue with it.

I live in Orange Park, FL use the Saturn dealer on Blanding all the time. I get great service from them. Need the top replaced they quoted 5-7 days, got in back in 3, looks better than factory. But overall great servie, timely and no repeats. My SKY is our 3 rd Saturn from this dealer and they have been exceptional at all times.

Sky Pilot 51
(Green Envy)
Forrest Green 2.4 Auto
Tan Top / Tan Interior

[MidniteBlues]

Originally Posted by lostcause

Yep, this is the second dealer I've worked with. The first one was worse. This one is supposedly the best one in the area. In addition to Saturn's, they also sell and service Hummers and Cadillacs so they're used to dealing with higher end and more expensive cars. They also have a car rental office right inside their service bay so it's very convenient to get a loaner. They also have their own body shop. And supposedly, their techs know what they're doing. Every once in a while one car brought in for service ends up being a disaster from start to finish. I guess I drew the short straw this time.

That said, I've heard from a couple of forum members who take their cars there. One has had nothing but good experiences there. The other nothing but nightmares. So far I've had a combination.

I guess I'm the guy that "has had nothing but good experiences there". And I think I know who your talking about that has nothing but nightmares there.

I in no way will defend the dealers action in this particular case. Not a very pleasant experience for you I'm sure, but with the 4+ years that I have been using them, I have had no where near the problems, mis-communications and issues with their facility or service or parts issues. Then again, I go "to the same people" each and every time, they know me, and they take care of me, (or my wife if she goes in), as they should with "everyone" who goes there no matter who the service adviser or tech is. For the Sky I ask for a "specific" tech ONLY to work on it. Also only go to 1 adviser, I always call first to make sure both are in the house. If he's not in (the tech), the Sky stays home. I have passed that information and wisdom onto to you, you know the old saying, "you can lead the horse to water, but he might not drink any"...

My first question LC is, what was wrong with this top? I'm just curious. Please do not take offense to this comment, you have owned 2 Sky's, and you have had problems with the top on both of them, are you sure you are lowering and raising it properly? Just a question now, so please don't get pissed.. A lot of issues with the tops have been "self-inflicting" wounds by owners that don't know "how to handle them". Not that you have, by now I'm sure your a pro at it, maybe you got unlucky and received a bad top from the factory, that has happened.. What you say might help someone else or a newbie. Check the thread started here by a Sky tech, tops 101..
Top 101
Just want to make sure that you & everyone else "be aware" of the characteristics of this thing to "any avoid future pain".

As for the cracked panel THAT is unforgivable, since yours is the 2nd one (that I know of) that this has happened to. The first time it happened I was informed that after the incident they had a meeting in the back with ALL the techs and were instructed on the "proper procedures" on lifting the Sky. In your case, what this tells me (I'm guessing here) is that a "non Sky trained tech" tried to lift your Sky AND perhaps this guy "missed the first meeting" or is new...still IMO, unforgivable. You can bet, that the shlt hit the fan with your incident, BIG TIME!! Would not surprise me if they again had another meeting with a pissed off Service Manager this time screaming at the techs.. Believe me when I say this, you can bet they are not to happy that this happened again..
On the other hand, and on a positive note, that body shop does "incredible" work. I call them my "magicians", hopefully they will not let me down with your case.. I expect that your damage will be totally "invisible", your car will be better than new, like "it never happened", looking forward to your feed back on that issue when you finally get to pick up your car and eyeball it, your gonna freak out how purdy & shiny it'll be..

MY Sky tech uses the hockey pucks, (he showed them to me). I also have my own pucks in the trunk in case 'they can't find any' AND I show it to them just to be sure when I check in. They have 3 Sky trained techs in that shop, if not more by now. My tech bought the hockey pucks "out of his own pocket".. Since he owns and drive a Corvette, he is very much familiar with the issues with the Sky, since the same pucks are used on the vettes and the low profile. Vettes are damaged in the same way without the pucks BTW.

As for the LSD, well thats an on going issue with ALL our cars as you know. That unfortunately still appears to be unresolved factory issue IMO. Hopefully they will get that right for you, looking forward on the feedback on that--

Finally hang in there my friend, after your episode I would be surprised if they don't toss in a free oil change or 2 or 3 for your troubles. Not that it will make up for not driving your car.. Good Luck!! Your due. --

[lostcause]

The problem with the top was that it was misaligned in such a way that when the door closed with the top up, the very edge of the top would get stuck between the glass and the seal. This caused the seam to start to tear and since that seam goes all the way around and can't be easily replaced, plus the fact that the top was screwy, the entire top needed to be replaced.

And yes, you're the one I was referring to that has had nothing but good experiences there.

[lostcause]

Got the car back. Turns out the new top is now on backorder and only jehovah knows when it will arrive. On the bright side, they did a good job with the cracked body panel. Unfortunately, I lost my dragon sticker from the tail of the dragon. The panel they cracked was where I had put the sticker.

Also, somewhere along the way something happened to the passenger side outside door handle. When you try to open the passenger door from the outside, the entire handle just pulls right out. I don't know when it happened but I do know that the last time I opened it before taking the car in, it was fine.

They are going to fix it, but unfortunately, that's another part they don't have in stock, so for the time being I feel like I'm driving the Sanford & Son edition of the Sky.

At least I got the car out of there before anything else happened to it.

I have to say, the people at the dealership are all being very nice, but I still can't help but be a little pissed off at being told they had my part in stock when it turns out they didn't, then having my car improperly lifted causing a cracked body panel (and the unfortunate and tragic loss of my tail of the dragon sticker).

[jayman]

Just be grateful it isn't the driver's door handle that's busted....then it's the old Dukes of Hazard way of entry

[MidniteBlues]

Originally Posted by jayman

Just be grateful it isn't the driver's door handle that's busted....then it's the old Dukes of Hazard way of entry

Appears to me that you have been a good ole boy lately, plus your "friends" (which many also happen to be My friends) have been PMing & yapping my ass on "he's such a nice and good guy". blah blah blah, tharfore, I have made the decision to remove your carcass from my iggy list-- ain't that a nice thang to do on hallowed-ween nite?.. Welcome back buddy--, now you keep it clean now & be nice to me ya hear-- Not that you really give a shlt-- Also congrats on the RS win, well deserved..

[jayman]

Originally Posted by MidniteBlues

Appears to me that you have been a good ole boy lately, plus your "friends" (which many also happen to be My friends) have been PMing & yapping my ass on "he's such a nice and good guy". blah blah blah, tharfore, I have made the decision to remove your carcass from my iggy list-- ain't that a nice thang to do on hallowed-ween nite?.. Welcome back buddy--, now you keep it clean now & be nice to me ya hear-- Not that you really give a shlt-- Also congrats on the RS win, well deserved..

MB...does that mean i'm getting a "thumbs up"...instead of the other finger ...yeah, you know what i'm talkin' 'bout........i can play nice with the other kids here....for the most part