NHTSA Complaint #741249 — 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER

ON 8/18/1999 I TOOK MY 1996 CHEVY BLAZER TO SUPERIOR CHEVROLET (MERRIAM, KS [XXX]) BECAUSE THE ENGINE COOLING LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. AS SOON AS I TOLD THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE PROBLEM HE REPLIED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1996 BLAZERS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COOLANT (DEX-COOL) THAT WAS USED IN THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID THAT THE FIX WAS TO "FLUSH" THE COOLING SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE TO GM SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 99-06-02-012 (OF WHICH I HAVE A COPY). AT THIS TIME THEY CHARGED ME $543.96 FOR THE "FLUSH". AS I INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT MORE I FOUND FROM SEVERAL OF THE SERVICE PERSONEL AT THIS DEALERSHIP, AS WELL AS FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER ([XXX] [XXX]) THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEX-COOL COOLANT WAS VERY COMMON WITH 1996 &1997 BLAZERS. I THEN QUESTIONED WHY THE CONSUMER SHOULD PAY FOR AN INFERIOR COOLANT THAT WAS USED IN THESE VEHICLES. AS I PURSUED MY COMPLAINT MORE, THE SERVICE MANAGER ENDED UP CONTACTING THE AREA REP FOR CHEVY, WHO IN TURN ENDED UP REIMBURSING ME APPROX. $312. OF MY $543. AT THE TIME I FIGURED THAT I BETTER TAKE WHAT I COULD GET, AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED.... WELL HERE I AM 18 MONTHS LATER AND 19,200 MILES LATER AND THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SUPERIOR CHEVROLET, AND ONCE AGAIN THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM DUE TO THE DEX-COOL COOLANT ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE REPS AND SERVICE MANAGER. THIS TIME THOUGH THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THAT THE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM (RADIATOR, HEATER CORE, AND WATER PUMP) ALL NEED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE DEX-COOL HAS "GELLED" UP THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. MR. [XXX] HAS TOLD ME THAT TO REPAIR THIS WOULD COST $2100., BUT BECAUSE WE HAD THE SYSTEM FLUSHED JUST 18 MO. AGO, AND BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH THIS DEX-COOL COOLANT IS SO COMMON THAT HE WOULD ONLY CHARGE ME $1300. I VOICED MY CONCERN OF WHY THE CONSUMER SHOULD PAY FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS COMMONLY KNOWN AT CHEVROLET. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT THE LISTED PHONE NUMBERS. THANKS. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY ID