Car missed inspection before leaving plant???

autofan · 07-09-2007, 12:01 PM

My 2008 base SKY shipped on 6/26 and is currently sitting in a rail yard in Port Huron, Michigan for at least a number of days. My salesman called me today to tell me he got a call from Saturn saying the vehicle missed its inspection before being shipped

Now he says GM is sending someone out to inspect the car before it can be delivered to the retailer and he vaguely guessed the car would be ready for me by the end of the week. Needless to say, I have put a call into the sales manager to see if I can get further information. How on earth can a car miss its inspection before leaving the plant? Anyone able to shed some light on this?

SkyBaby · 07-09-2007, 12:05 PM

Wow.... maybe it did get inspected and the paperwork.... disappeared? That is odd. Good Luck.. Hope you get it soon. SkyBaby

autofan · 07-09-2007, 01:20 PM

I've talked to the sales mgr who claims to be clueless about what is happening (and may very well be) and he said he has calls into the necessary Saturn reps to find out what is going on. But I also found out the car has been parked in the baking sun (it's been in the 90s in Michigan) at the shipping yard since July 3rd.

Someone obviously has royally screwed up here but what should I do about it?

MBVette · 07-09-2007, 01:28 PM

whats the big deal about the car baking in the sun? Do you never plan on driving the car on a sunny day?

Ernest · 07-09-2007, 01:53 PM

Mine sits out in all kinds of weather, hasn't melted yet

Car's are made to be driven, not garaged

I drive my 'vette in all kinds of weather. doesn't seem to bother her

autofan · 07-09-2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBVette

whats the big deal about the car baking in the sun? Do you never plan on driving the car on a sunny day?

Thanks for the much appreciated sarcasm

but it's not the baking sun that's really the concern; it's the fact that it has been sitting there and someone just realized there is a problem. Of course I had been assured by both the salesman and the mgr that they would keep tabs on the car "every couple of days", which obviously hasn't happened.

**Skip** · 07-09-2007, 04:10 PM

Well instead of it just sitting there would you rather it get up and dance? ...Skip....

Oh but excuse us. You get your car without inspection so you can bitch when it falls apart in the first 500 miles....

autofan · 07-09-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

Well instead of it just sitting there would you rather it get up and dance? ...Skip....

Oh but excuse us. You get your car without inspection so you can bitch when it falls apart in the first 500 miles....

What is the point of posting in the hopes of getting useful/helpful information if all I'm going to get is pointless sarcasm? Do you actually think I'm supposed to just be amused by the situation with my car??? Why post if you only intend to be unhelpful and rude?

SKY 4 ME · 07-09-2007, 04:46 PM

Because that is becoming the "norm" around here. I agree with you. I guess it is there way of saying they have no idea.

**Skip** · 07-09-2007, 04:49 PM

Why post that your car missed inspection and that you are mad about it if the people are sending someone to inspect it and then send it on its way. When the Skys first came out all of them were subjected to many QA/QC inspections after they were built. It is nothing new and nothing to get worked up about...Skip...

autofan · 07-09-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

Why post that your car missed inspection and that you are mad about it if the people are sending someone to inspect it and then send it on its way. When the Skys first came out all of them were subjected to many QA/QC inspections after they were built. It is nothing new and nothing to get worked up about...Skip...

Try reading the original post. I know the car is supposed to be inspected before shipping. The point is that they are telling me it wasn't, which is ridiculous. That is what I'm worked up about, along with the fact the the car sat there for nearly a week before anyone discovered the apparent oversight (yeah, shutdown week, I know) and that the retailer didn't keep tabs on the car. Oh, and the fact that I could have had my car already had this series of errors not occurred. But that's nothing to get worked up about.... Hey, I can do sarcasm too!

Talz · 07-09-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autofan

I've talked to the sales mgr who claims to be clueless about what is happening (and may very well be) and he said he has calls into the necessary Saturn reps to find out what is going on. But I also found out the car has been parked in the baking sun (it's been in the 90s in Michigan) at the shipping yard since July 3rd.

Someone obviously has royally screwed up here but what should I do about it?

Six days including a weekend and a holiday isn't that bad. Sounds to me like your dealer is trying to get things straightened out, so just give them a few days. I can understand impatience but it's nothing to get worked up over at this point.

jrarant · 07-09-2007, 05:09 PM

At least you know where your car is. There has been no movement on my event codes since 06/30/07 when it hit 4200 for the second time. Where or where are you my beautiful Sky?

autofan · 07-09-2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrarant

At least you know where your car is. There has been no movement on my event codes since 06/30/07 when it hit 4200 for the second time. Where or where are you my beautiful Sky?

It's frustrating that they couldn't have at least sent the car (and the inspector) to the retailer, which is only about 45 minutes from where the car is. That way I could have looked at the car and had the paperwork underway or completed by now. Silliness. But I suppose it will all work out.

gfrench · 07-09-2007, 06:24 PM

Autofan, I'm on your side on this one. I would not be real happy about my car sitting out in a rail yard in the sun either. As for the sarcastic remark about "driving the car in the sun" I thought that was uncalled for. Sure we want to drive our cars in the sun, but I for one don't leave my car outside for days, unattended. If something toxic gets on it then it will have days to bake into the paint. If the car were in your possesion you would obviously take beter care of it and wipe off anything on the paint that might damage it. If someone doesn't understand why you're upset about that, then I would say they just don't get it. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in getting your car asap and without any damage.

**KimberlySky** · 07-09-2007, 06:49 PM

Sorry but ya'll know me by now and you know I have to say something to this one.... I WOULD BE FREAKIN' LIVID IF MY CAR was just sitting out in the rail yard not in a shipping rail car or nothing... just there to where anyone could touch it, anything could hit it with the passing trains/autos flying by,. sand, dirty, rocks, pebbles, etc. You have all right to be mad I would be too and heads would certainly roll on that one!!!!!!!!!

What good is it going to be when it finally gets to your dealership and they put that little DO NOT TOUCH I AM SOLD sign on it when God only knows what has touched it or hit it?

When you finally get to see your new baby YOU INSPECT THAT GIRL, get on the ground and look for ANY AND ALL knicks, fading ANYTHING!!!!

Keep us posted & Hang In there Sweetie!!!!!!!!!

autofan · 07-09-2007, 09:11 PM

Thanks. I appreciate that some people understand my frustration! I last spoke with the sales mgr mid day today and he said he would call me in "a couple of hours". It's been nearly 8 hours. I hate dealing with sh*t like that!!

GreenDevil · 07-09-2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autofan

Thanks. I appreciate that some people understand my frustration! I last spoke with the sales mgr mid day today and he said he would call me in "a couple of hours". It's been nearly 8 hours. I hate dealing with sh*t like that!!

Hey, I totally agree with you. My dealership left my car out in the rain, and I'm a bit angry at them. I can't imagine having it at a railyard.

**reedred** · 07-09-2007, 10:05 PM

OK- let's try to put this in perspective.

Lots of people have been fed all kinds of BS by dealership personnel, so you should take anything they tell you with a grain of salt.
Having gone to the plant and observed the production process it seems highly unlikely that it could manage to entirely skip QC. Someone would have to deliberately drive it around the QC area and I doubt anyone would want to do that. The people building our cars take great pride in building them and fed off of our love for them. I'd think it far more likely that they identified some sort of potential issue and just need to check something out before the car is sold. This could be as simple as realizing that they lost a screw that day in the plant. If one turns up missing, entire batches of cars go back through QC to check the part of the process where they found the shortage.
If the car somehow actually did manage to skip QC then they really do need to figure out how to check it out. This would be the first time I've ever heard of that, so I'd imagine it's hardly routine- there probably aren't any procedures for doing that in the field, so they'd need to figure out what to do. When the early Sols shipped GM noted that some cars needed additional QC checks and had them shipped back to the plant. I'd imagine if this were really the case, that's what they'd do. Sure, it sucks for you, but no more than getting a car that could turn out to have some major issues (but probably wouldn't).
At this point, it's not your car yet- it still belongs to GM. That means a few things- most importantly that any damage to it during shipping would be between them and the carrier, and they can do whatever they like with the car, up to and including starting over and building you a new one. I'm sure no one wants to see any of that happen and all parties involved want you to have the car trouble free as soon as possible.
Shipping times for all cars tend to vary widely. Most of us are very familiar with the excruciating wait, but it's out of your control. If the car is where you've been told, it could just be waiting to fill a truck before it leaves to go to you.
There are Skys, Solstices, and lots of other cars that people will cherish just as much sitting all over the country. Damage can happen at any point, and a car doesn't have to sit for days to have something bad happen. This is why anyone who buys any new car should make sure they give the car a very thorough visual inspection before taking delivery. Never buy a car (or pick one up from a body shop) in the dark. If you find something wrong, they should be able to fix it. If you aren't comfortable with that, you can always refuse the car and order a new one.
Keep in mind that dealing with customers who obsess over their cars with the intensity that we do is still a relatively new thing for Saturn dealers. While I'm sure they're happy for you and want you to have a great purchase and ownership experience, they're still not really accustomed to the passion you have for the car. Most Sky owners aren't even on the forums, so even they probably aren't looking for updates every couple of days, don't know to ask for their order numbers, and if they do, don't have someone to ask to check the codes or know what they mean. By accessing all the information available to you here, you have made your wait a lot more agonizing and you've made yourself a lot more difficult to please. Try to cut the dealership staff a little slack, even though you probably feel it's unwarranted.

I kinda think the excruciating process of getting the car makes it more enjoyable when it finally arrives. Try to be patient, and remember that soon enough this will all be a memory. I hope this helped, and I hope you get your Sky soon.

**reedred** · 07-09-2007, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenDevil

Hey, I totally agree with you. My dealership left my car out in the rain, and I'm a bit angry at them. I can't imagine having it at a railyard.

I really don't understand this. Was it out in the rain before they sold it to you, or was this related to a service appointment. If before, I'm sure they don't have enough garage or showroom space to keep every car they have indoors, and again it was their car to do with as they pleased at that point. Sucks, but that's reality. If it was when you dropped it off, and it staying eternally dry is that important to you, you probably should've found a way to pick it up sooner. Either way, it's really not worth being angry over.

Cars get wet. It happens all the time, without catastrophic results. It rains outside the plants where they wait to get shipped, it rains on the trains and trucks that carry them, and unless you never take them out of the garage, they'll probably eventually get wet.

Just wash it, keep taking good care of it, and it'll be fine. I promise.

07-09-2007, 12:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
autofan Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 47 My Photos: (0)	Car missed inspection before leaving plant??? My 2008 base SKY shipped on 6/26 and is currently sitting in a rail yard in Port Huron, Michigan for at least a number of days. My salesman called me today to tell me he got a call from Saturn saying the vehicle missed its inspection before being shipped Now he says GM is sending someone out to inspect the car before it can be delivered to the retailer and he vaguely guessed the car would be ready for me by the end of the week. Needless to say, I have put a call into the sales manager to see if I can get further information. How on earth can a car miss its inspection before leaving the plant? Anyone able to shed some light on this?

07-09-2007, 12:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
SkyBaby First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Somewhere In The SKY! Posts: 7,549 My Photos: (13)	Wow.... maybe it did get inspected and the paperwork.... disappeared? That is odd. Good Luck.. Hope you get it soon. SkyBaby __________________ Whats NOT to Love??? www.kappascoasttocoast.com www.kustomkaps.com http://www.myspace.com/skybabymissy

07-09-2007, 01:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
MBVette Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 426 My Photos: (0)	whats the big deal about the car baking in the sun? Do you never plan on driving the car on a sunny day? __________________ Triple Black Redline bought back as a lemon...

07-09-2007, 01:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ernest First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Arlington, TEXAS Posts: 4,297 My Photos: (10)	Drive 'em Mine sits out in all kinds of weather, hasn't melted yet Car's are made to be driven, not garaged I drive my 'vette in all kinds of weather. doesn't seem to bother her __________________ ERNEST '04 Torch Red Corvette Coupe '07 Corvette Z06 "Scarlett" Victory Red 555.6 rwhp / 485.5 rwt N/A - No Spray Myspace www.myspace.com/ernest06z06 Scarlett's 10.97 @ 127 Video www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWEaFz9hn8s

07-09-2007, 04:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
Skip First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: deep in the land of cotton where good times there are not forgotten Posts: 4,736 My Photos: (0)	Well instead of it just sitting there would you rather it get up and dance? ...Skip.... Oh but excuse us. You get your car without inspection so you can bitch when it falls apart in the first 500 miles.... __________________ Resident Redneck of the forum and Birthday Greeter Keep on the sunny side of life It tant Christmas without Christ.

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07-09-2007, 01:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
autofan Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 47 My Photos: (0)	I've talked to the sales mgr who claims to be clueless about what is happening (and may very well be) and he said he has calls into the necessary Saturn reps to find out what is going on. But I also found out the car has been parked in the baking sun (it's been in the 90s in Michigan) at the shipping yard since July 3rd. Someone obviously has royally screwed up here but what should I do about it?

07-09-2007, 04:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
SKY 4 ME First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 384 My Photos: (0)	Because that is becoming the "norm" around here. I agree with you. I guess it is there way of saying they have no idea. __________________ SKY 4 ME 2008 Red Line Chili Pepper Red / Black/Red Interior Auto Spoiler Chrome Wheels Single Disc Monsoon XM Deposit 3/10/2007 Order number 6/28/2007 Delivered 8/4/2007 MSRP + GM Employee discount UPShield Little Chromies Stubby antenna

07-09-2007, 04:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
Skip First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: deep in the land of cotton where good times there are not forgotten Posts: 4,736 My Photos: (0)	Why post that your car missed inspection and that you are mad about it if the people are sending someone to inspect it and then send it on its way. When the Skys first came out all of them were subjected to many QA/QC inspections after they were built. It is nothing new and nothing to get worked up about...Skip... __________________ Resident Redneck of the forum and Birthday Greeter Keep on the sunny side of life It tant Christmas without Christ.

07-09-2007, 05:09 PM	#13 (permalink)
jrarant First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 362 My Photos: (9)	At least you know where your car is. There has been no movement on my event codes since 06/30/07 when it hit 4200 for the second time. Where or where are you my beautiful Sky? __________________ Midnight Blue, Black Top/Leather VIN: 2773 Del 06/08/06 RIP 08/12/06 Forest Green, Redline, Black Top, Tan Interior Deposit - 08/18/06 Ordered 05/25/07 Born 06/18/07 Delivered: 07/12/07 2008 At the Dragon 2008 Southeastern Meet

07-09-2007, 06:24 PM	#15 (permalink)
gfrench Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Gulfport, MS Posts: 31 My Photos: (0)	Autofan, I'm on your side on this one. I would not be real happy about my car sitting out in a rail yard in the sun either. As for the sarcastic remark about "driving the car in the sun" I thought that was uncalled for. Sure we want to drive our cars in the sun, but I for one don't leave my car outside for days, unattended. If something toxic gets on it then it will have days to bake into the paint. If the car were in your possesion you would obviously take beter care of it and wipe off anything on the paint that might damage it. If someone doesn't understand why you're upset about that, then I would say they just don't get it. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in getting your car asap and without any damage.

07-09-2007, 06:49 PM	#16 (permalink)
KimberlySky Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: "When You Look To The Sky Think Of Me!" Posts: 1,913 My Photos: (11)	Sorry but ya'll know me by now and you know I have to say something to this one.... I WOULD BE FREAKIN' LIVID IF MY CAR was just sitting out in the rail yard not in a shipping rail car or nothing... just there to where anyone could touch it, anything could hit it with the passing trains/autos flying by,. sand, dirty, rocks, pebbles, etc. You have all right to be mad I would be too and heads would certainly roll on that one!!!!!!!!! What good is it going to be when it finally gets to your dealership and they put that little DO NOT TOUCH I AM SOLD sign on it when God only knows what has touched it or hit it? When you finally get to see your new baby YOU INSPECT THAT GIRL, get on the ground and look for ANY AND ALL knicks, fading ANYTHING!!!! Keep us posted & Hang In there Sweetie!!!!!!!!! __________________ *SINISTER* Damaged.... Onyx 3 Peds LSD Spoiler Splash Guards Sky Mats Tint 3rd Brake Sinister Stubby Saddle DC Sports Brace AEM Intake RL Exhaust

07-09-2007, 09:11 PM	#17 (permalink)
autofan Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 47 My Photos: (0)	Thanks. I appreciate that some people understand my frustration! I last spoke with the sales mgr mid day today and he said he would call me in "a couple of hours". It's been nearly 8 hours. I hate dealing with sh*t like that!!