My wife and I bought a new 2014 GMC Terrain 3.6 AWD from a local dealership. This was the first new vehicle(and most expensive) thing she has ever bought. Since it was a new purchase, and the dealership has a extended powertrain warranty to 10 years(no extra cost) if serviced according to the maintenance schedule, we decided to have all service work done there.
I am fully capable of doing most repairs myself if needed, but I wanted to get a paper trail started with them. For the most part, it is just basic services, change oil/filter, checkover, semi-annual inspections, etc. We don't drive the vehicle much, we just ticked over 50,000km in 3 1/2 years, mostly highway travel, not severe service by any means.
The 50,000km service was, interesting. Oil/filter change, rotate tires, change air filter, semi-annual inspection, rotate tires, differential service(if equipped with limited slip), fuel/emission service. I asked about the fuel service as the vehicle as I have been experiencing some rough starts and idle when starting up while cold. Now I know that DI engines can suffer from carbon build up on the intake valves, so I asked about how they perform this service, my advisor was not sure exactly how it is done, but stated the solution is connected straight into the fuel rail. This will clean out the injectors, but won't touch the valves. About $225 for that. The differential service(if equipped with limited slip) got me going($225 for that). I asked why do I need that done, I don't have limited slip. He explained that I do have a transfer case and rear diff and that is why they do the service, but I don't have limited slip. To me, they are saying one thing and the book is telling me something else. We started to argue at this point. I chose not to get the fuel system and diff service done. He then threw the "if I don't follow the stated service schedule my extended warranty would be void".
By this point I wanted to talk to the service manager, but he was not in that early in the morning. I ended getting just the oil/filter change, as semi-annual was done at 45,000km, air filter at 40,000. When I got home that night, I started looking through the service schedule at upcoming services. This is the interesting part, at 55,000km, they list a 4x4 service, which includes front and rear diffs and transfer case. I sent an email to the service manager asking for a time to speak to him in person.
This service advisor was one that we have worked with since we got the vehicle and he has been good up until this point. When he threw that if I don't follow the service schedule my warranty would be void in my face that put me off. I will not pay for a service on something that I don't have. I once had a Ford dealer refund me GST on gas they put in my car because it was low, I authorized them to do this if needed, because they were going to charge me GST on the invoice for the $10 they put in. Gas at the pumps already has GST in it, I was not going to pay GST twice.
I have no problem getting the GMC serviced at the dealership, I have never used a dealer before for anything other then getting an OEM part or warranty. Like I said earlier, I want to have a paper trail and the extended warranty because it may pay off later. I have been following the service schedule to a tee up to this point. I may still get the fuel/emission service done, it may help the roughness, especially if they pump some of this stuff into the intake before the valves, but I need them to explain why I need a diff service done(if equipped with limited slip) and then 5000km later get it done again with the 4x4 service. By the way, the owners manual states the AWD system service at 156,000km.
I have read some horror stories on this by other users on this site, but I always try to work things out, usually I have been able to at least get a compromise out of the situation. As many people have stated here, having a good relationship and a good dealer help. The biggest thing I find with a dealer is we need to know more about the vehicle then they do, and you do need a paper trail to fall back on later on.
Pending how things go with me and the service manager(if he sets something up) will determine if I continue to use them or not.
I am fully capable of doing most repairs myself if needed, but I wanted to get a paper trail started with them. For the most part, it is just basic services, change oil/filter, checkover, semi-annual inspections, etc. We don't drive the vehicle much, we just ticked over 50,000km in 3 1/2 years, mostly highway travel, not severe service by any means.
The 50,000km service was, interesting. Oil/filter change, rotate tires, change air filter, semi-annual inspection, rotate tires, differential service(if equipped with limited slip), fuel/emission service. I asked about the fuel service as the vehicle as I have been experiencing some rough starts and idle when starting up while cold. Now I know that DI engines can suffer from carbon build up on the intake valves, so I asked about how they perform this service, my advisor was not sure exactly how it is done, but stated the solution is connected straight into the fuel rail. This will clean out the injectors, but won't touch the valves. About $225 for that. The differential service(if equipped with limited slip) got me going($225 for that). I asked why do I need that done, I don't have limited slip. He explained that I do have a transfer case and rear diff and that is why they do the service, but I don't have limited slip. To me, they are saying one thing and the book is telling me something else. We started to argue at this point. I chose not to get the fuel system and diff service done. He then threw the "if I don't follow the stated service schedule my extended warranty would be void".
By this point I wanted to talk to the service manager, but he was not in that early in the morning. I ended getting just the oil/filter change, as semi-annual was done at 45,000km, air filter at 40,000. When I got home that night, I started looking through the service schedule at upcoming services. This is the interesting part, at 55,000km, they list a 4x4 service, which includes front and rear diffs and transfer case. I sent an email to the service manager asking for a time to speak to him in person.
This service advisor was one that we have worked with since we got the vehicle and he has been good up until this point. When he threw that if I don't follow the service schedule my warranty would be void in my face that put me off. I will not pay for a service on something that I don't have. I once had a Ford dealer refund me GST on gas they put in my car because it was low, I authorized them to do this if needed, because they were going to charge me GST on the invoice for the $10 they put in. Gas at the pumps already has GST in it, I was not going to pay GST twice.
I have no problem getting the GMC serviced at the dealership, I have never used a dealer before for anything other then getting an OEM part or warranty. Like I said earlier, I want to have a paper trail and the extended warranty because it may pay off later. I have been following the service schedule to a tee up to this point. I may still get the fuel/emission service done, it may help the roughness, especially if they pump some of this stuff into the intake before the valves, but I need them to explain why I need a diff service done(if equipped with limited slip) and then 5000km later get it done again with the 4x4 service. By the way, the owners manual states the AWD system service at 156,000km.
I have read some horror stories on this by other users on this site, but I always try to work things out, usually I have been able to at least get a compromise out of the situation. As many people have stated here, having a good relationship and a good dealer help. The biggest thing I find with a dealer is we need to know more about the vehicle then they do, and you do need a paper trail to fall back on later on.
Pending how things go with me and the service manager(if he sets something up) will determine if I continue to use them or not.