protectionist
Diamond Member
- Oct 20, 2013
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How legit are the letters we get from GM or some other car manufacturer, that we allegedly need to bring out car into the dealer to repair some alleged dangerous defect ? I'm having a hard time believing these things. I'm seeing red flags all over the place on this.
I have a 1999 Buick Regal, which has 140,000 miles on it. The car runs terrific. I rarely have a problem with it. But now (2016), I get a letter from somebody, with the name"Global Vehicle Safety", and GM and Buick logos on it too. It's telling me that General Motors has decided that a defect which related to safety, exists in certain 1999 Buick Regals, equipped with a 3.8L V6 engine. It says, as a result GM is conducting a safety recall.
The suggestion given is to bring the car in to the Buick dealer, and have the alleged problem fixed, at no charge.
A few things enter my mind right off the bat >>
1. How is it that GM discovers a mechanical defect 17 years after the car was introduced for sale to the public ? (it took 17 years to notice this "defect" ?)
2. If I have had the car for 17 years, driven it for 140,000 miles and there has been no engine compartment fire (as the letter warns about), am I really going to be worried about that happening now ?
I have long been suspicious of automobile mechanics, and just because the manufacturer (GM) is involved that doesn't change anything. The advice given is to take the car to the Buick dealer. Why not ANY repair shop ?
I have had experiences in the past (and I'll bet some readers here have too) where I brought a car in for something minor, got that thing fixed, only to then experience, soon afterwards, some major mechanical problem, requiring an EXPENSIVE repair job. Get a little hose replaced, and suddenly you're being asked to buy a whole new engine.
Last year, I brought my car in just for an AC freon recharge. The AC had been blowing only slightly cool (that's not enough for a Florida summer) I got the recharge, and the AC was blowing good and cold. About 5 days later, it was blowing hot. The key point is that it became worse than before I brought it in. When they checked it again, they gave me an estimate of $550 to fix it. I am suspecting that they CAUSED it to blow hot, just so they could rack up a $550 sale. My guess is if I had not brought the car in for service, it would still be as it was > blowing slightly cool air. I never went to that repair shop again.
So now I wonder about these recalls. Are they legit, or are they scams to boost sales (mechanical) for the dealerships ? I subscribe to > If it's running OK, don't take it in.
I have a 1999 Buick Regal, which has 140,000 miles on it. The car runs terrific. I rarely have a problem with it. But now (2016), I get a letter from somebody, with the name"Global Vehicle Safety", and GM and Buick logos on it too. It's telling me that General Motors has decided that a defect which related to safety, exists in certain 1999 Buick Regals, equipped with a 3.8L V6 engine. It says, as a result GM is conducting a safety recall.
The suggestion given is to bring the car in to the Buick dealer, and have the alleged problem fixed, at no charge.
A few things enter my mind right off the bat >>
1. How is it that GM discovers a mechanical defect 17 years after the car was introduced for sale to the public ? (it took 17 years to notice this "defect" ?)
2. If I have had the car for 17 years, driven it for 140,000 miles and there has been no engine compartment fire (as the letter warns about), am I really going to be worried about that happening now ?
I have long been suspicious of automobile mechanics, and just because the manufacturer (GM) is involved that doesn't change anything. The advice given is to take the car to the Buick dealer. Why not ANY repair shop ?
I have had experiences in the past (and I'll bet some readers here have too) where I brought a car in for something minor, got that thing fixed, only to then experience, soon afterwards, some major mechanical problem, requiring an EXPENSIVE repair job. Get a little hose replaced, and suddenly you're being asked to buy a whole new engine.
Last year, I brought my car in just for an AC freon recharge. The AC had been blowing only slightly cool (that's not enough for a Florida summer) I got the recharge, and the AC was blowing good and cold. About 5 days later, it was blowing hot. The key point is that it became worse than before I brought it in. When they checked it again, they gave me an estimate of $550 to fix it. I am suspecting that they CAUSED it to blow hot, just so they could rack up a $550 sale. My guess is if I had not brought the car in for service, it would still be as it was > blowing slightly cool air. I never went to that repair shop again.
So now I wonder about these recalls. Are they legit, or are they scams to boost sales (mechanical) for the dealerships ? I subscribe to > If it's running OK, don't take it in.
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