NHTSA Complaint #741353 — 1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA

TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR IT'S REGULAR 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE. HE TOLD ME AT THAT TIME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. I WAS RATHER RELUCTANT TO THIS AS I HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WITH THIS SAME DEALERSHIP. I HAD TAKEN MY CAR THERE SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE OIL LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING. I ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AGAIN THEY COULD FIND NOTHING. THEY DID INSTALL STRUTS ON MY CAR AFTER MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE SHOT (MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTEE), BUT AGAIN I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TWICE AND POINT OUT THE LEAKING THAT WAS COMING FROM THE STRUTS (THEIR MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND IT). SO RELUCTANTLY I TOOK MY CAR THERE. THE SERVICE MANAGER [XXX] ASSURED ME THAT THE WOULD IN FACT WORK WITH ME TO GET IT REPAIRED. HE TOLD ME THAT SOMETIMES CHEVY WOULD PAY AS MUCH AS 75% OF THE COST OF THE REPAIR. HE CALLED ME BACK TO TELL ME THAT HIS MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKETS, BUT DID IN FACT FIND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. IT WOULD COST ABOUT $700.00 TO REPAIR BUT THEY WOULD ONLY CHARGE ME $500.00 TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE, BUT CHEVY WOULD PAY FOR THE PARTS. I TOLD HIM AT THAT TIME NO THANK YOU, I COULD HAVE IT DONE AT MY MECHANIC FOR LESS. HE CALLED ME BACK WITHIN MINUTES OF MY HANGING UP THE PHONE AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD DO IT FOR $350.00. I AGREED AS IT WAS LESS THAN MY MECHANIC WOULD CHARGE. I ALSO QUESTIONED HIM AGAIN ABOUT THE HEAD GASKETS, HE ASSURED ME THEY WERE OKAY. THE CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED ON THE FEBRUARY 15, 2001. I DID NOT USE THE CAR OFTEN, HAVE ACTUALLY PUT ON LESS THAN 50 MILES SINCE THE REPAIR. TODAY IS FEBRUARY 22 AND THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKETS ARE SHOT PER MY MECHANIC. I HAVE MORE TO COMMENT ON, BUT NOT ENOUGH ROOM. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUA