Who will perform warranty service on my GM car?

Do you own a Saturn and are having trouble with getting warranty service? Well, some consumers are. Saturn owners in the Hartford, Conn., area are being given the runaround when it comes to warranty service. With two Saturn dealers closed and a third no longer servicing Saturns under warranty, consumers in the area are forced into a 54-mile round trip to the next closest dealer for warranty service.

Saturn owners should contact customer service to find out where they can get their vehicles serviced, according to General Motors. But they are also allowed to take their cars to dealerships servicing other GM brands for warranty service. However, a Chevrolet dealer in the Hartford area said they are not servicing Saturn vehicles under warranty, and the CBS Early Show found only four non-Saturn GM dealers out of 20 that they contacted in New York and New Jersey would accept a Saturn car for warranty service.

This morning I spoke with a regional public relations officer, Travis Parman, from General Motors, before I appeared on the CBS Early Show. He said that some dealers may be misinformed and that Saturn owners can take their cars to non-Saturn, GM dealers, if they need to. He reiterated that consumers should contact Saturn customer service first. GM even Tweeted about the issue after I discussed the matter with them.

GMblogs: Saturn retailers open for warranty work. If none close by, contact cust asst to get work done at other #GM Dealer http://tinyurl.com/SatHlp

Also appearing on the CBS Early Show today, GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson was confronted on the issue of dealers refusing warranty service. He responded that it was "regrettable" and admitted "we have some work to do." He added, "We have absolutely no intention at all of not taking care of customers." (This portion of the interview is about half way through the video.)

Have you run into this trouble with a Saturn, or a Hummer, Pontiac, or Saab? Let us know by commenting below.

Read "What does the GM bankruptcy mean to you?" To get more answers to the most common questions and concerns about GM’s bankruptcy, visit our Auto Crisis hub.

—Jon Linkov

Comments

[Heather]

When I bought my Saturn Vue back in 2005, I also bought the extended GM warranty. I was told that any GM dealership would accept the warranty, since the closest Saturn dealership was 50 miles away. Nope. No GM dealerships would. I called the GM warranty hotline and was told that any GM dealership COULD accept the warranty work, but it was their choice. So I had to drive or get towed to Saturn every time my vehicle broke down, which was often. I had 3-4 GM dealerships within 10-15 miles of my house that wouldn't touch my vehicle, even though it shared a huge portion of interchangeable parts with Chevy brands.

Thanks, GM.

[Terry]

My father just took his 6 month old Vue in for a warranty recall check today (6/3/2009). He was told it would be his last here in Macon, Georgia. The Saturn dealer here is gone, closed up, inventory gone. Not even a letter or phone call to a customer who has purchased 2 cars in 12 months. The company owns the Cadillac dealer next door, but they told him he was SOL.

[ANDY]

ONCE AGAIN INCORRECT INFO FROM THE GM PEOPLE
SAAB AND SATURN CAN NOT BE SERVICED AT ANY GM DEALERSHIP
THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SOFT WEAR TO DIAG THE THEY DONT HAVE THE
SPECIAL TOLLS TGEY DONT HAVE THE TRAINNIG AND THEY DO NOT
HAVE THE PROGRAMS OR SOFTWEAR TO SUBMITT CLAIMS
MAYBE THIS IS WHY GM FAILED LACK OF CORRECT KNOWLEDGE

[Javier]

I have a 2007 Saturn Outlook that needs warranty work and my local Saturn dealer has closed. I called the reps for Saturn and was told that i needed to take my car 280 miles away to get service. I explained that this would take me a whole day assuming that they could repair the issue that day. The rep didn't seem to care much and basically said tuff luck. It's not owners faults that GM has financial issues but we have been stuck with the horrible situations. They didn't complain when they were taking my money at time of purchase. Don't think I'll buy GM again. This manufacturer has lost its sense of values and will loose lots of customers because of this issue.

[Josh]

Who is legally responsible for Pontiac warranties?

The New GM (aka General Motors Company), or the Old GM (aka Motors Liquidation Company)?

Pontiac stayed with Motors Liquidation Company in bankruptcy court. Now the New GM might say they will honor Pontiac warranties, but is that simply good will (that can change in a second) or are they actually legally bound?

[Scott]

Corpus Christi TX closed down, and they tell me a 300 mile round trip to San Antonio is the best they can do...
No more GM's (Government Motors) for me...

[Robert Sherwood]

Just got off the phone with Saturn for recall information on my car. All of the local Saturn dealers in the Kansas City area have closed. I was informed that the clocest Saturn dealer was 70 miles away (140 RT) in Topeka, KS. I asked if any on the local GM dealers could do the work and the rep said it was up to each dealership to decide if they want to. Huh? The rep said I had no other options. Way to go GM!!!! I've been a loyal GM customer for years. Never again.