NHTSA Complaint #10010620 — 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER THAT RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE (1998) THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER AS PER THE SERVICE CONTRACT DID THIS. SKIP AHEAD TO NOW (2003), THE CAR DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK. IT WAS LOOKED AT AND TESTED BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD HEAD GASKET. I CALLED THE DEALER THAT REPLACED THE ENGINE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. I ASKED ABOUT THEM FIXING THE HEAD GASKET, AS IT SHOULD NOT BE LEAKING (THE ENGINE HAS 38,000 MILES ON IT) THEY SAID NO. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED BY A GM DEALER AT THE COST OF $79.95. THIS WAS DONE, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A BAD GASKET AND/OR CRACKED HEAD. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT ONLY A SHORT BLOCK WAS INSTALLED THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS; I'VE BEEN LIED TO BY MY LOCAL DEALER. THE CAVALIER HAS THIS KNOWN DEFECT. GM HAS DONE NOTHING TO TELL ME ABOUT IT, BUT THEY HAVE ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT IT TO THE DEALERS. AND NOW THEY WON'T REPAIR THE VEHICLE, NOT WILL THEY OFFER TO PAY ANY PORTION OF IT'S REPAIR. I WOULD LIKE ANY AND ALL HELP IN FORCING GM TO FIX THIS. *NLM