NHTSA Complaint #734618 — 1999 CHEVROLET TAHOE

THE BATTERY IN MY 1999 TAHOE HAS STARTED LEAKING FROM THE POSTIVE POST AND HAS DONE $ 480 DAMAGE TO THE CABLES AND STARTER MOTOR. THE SERVICE REP SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR A WHILE. I HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE JUST 10 DAYS BEFORE, AND NOTHEN WAS SAID ABOUT A LEAK. REAILABLE SAID THAT THE BATTERY IS A 6 YR. BATTERY, BUT WHEN IT IS PUT INTO A NEW VEHICLE THE WARRENTY IS FOR 3 YRS OR 36,000 MILES. HE SAID THAT DELCO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR SIDE POST BATTERYS AND THEY ARE CHANGING OUT A LOT OF THEM, BUT BECAUSE I HAVE OVER 36,000 MILES, I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR MY WORK. WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NOT NEED A TUNE UP FOR 100,000 MILES AND IT HAS A MAINTANCE FREE BATTERY. HERE IT IS 28 MONTHS LATER AND ONLY 59,000 MILES AND THE BATTERY HAS DONE $480.00 OF DAMAGE, AND I FIND OUT IT IS HAPPING A LOT WITH DELCO BATTERYS. THIS CAN BE A HAZARD, BECAUSE THE ACID GETS ON DRIVEWAYS AND KIDS PLAY THERE. WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, I ASK FRO A GM EXTENTED WARRENTY. I PAID $540.00 FOR THIS AND NOW I FIND OUT THAT I GOT SOME OTHER WARRENTY, NOT THE GM ONE AND IT DOESN'T COVER BATTERYS. WHAT IS THE CONSUMER SUPPOSE TO DO. I HAVE HAD THE REGULAR MAINTANCE REQUIRE BY GM DONE AT RELIABLE AND ONLY 10 DAYS EARILER IT WAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR OIL CHANGE AND GREASED AND I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS DAMAGE. ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME WILL BE APPRECIATED. TO MAKE THING WORSE, I WAS CHARGED $34.95 BY RELIABLE TO RUN A DIAGNOSIS TEST TO DETERMINE THE BATTERY WAS LEAKING FROM THE POST. THE SERVICE REP RAISED THE HOOD WHEN I CARRIED IT IN AND SAID IT IS LEAKING FROM THE POST, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH DELCO BATTERYS. I DON'T SEE WHY A TEST WAS THEN RAN.