Dealer dumps Vette off lift. Owner desperate for advice!

[iluvvetts]

Hey, check out this story on one of the corvette forums.
It talks about how some vette fell like 6 feet and the dealer seems to be giving the guy a hard time.

Check out the pics too. Looks like some frame damage to me. What do you all think?

I think the guy is entitled to a new car or at least one that is equivalent to the one the dealership wrecked. You gotta see these photos. Here is the link:

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/foru...ad.php?t=50014

Here is the link directly to the pictures. I don't know how to paste them here:

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/foru...9&postcount=42

[89IROC&RS]

well, being a chevy technition working at a dealership, i will say, its surprisingly easy for a car to fall off a lift, i have never done it because i have a great deal of respect for what might happen and who might get hurt if a vehicle fell from a lift. but it does happen.

although i cant see the pics of this instance, i can imagine the damage. depending on how it hit, it may just need body panels, or it may be totalled. my best advice would be to demand an outside apraiser of the damage. not to let the dealership handle it in house. demand that even if they do the work to keep it waranteed someone else determine how extencive the damage is. its the only way to keep the work impartial.

[z06 BoY]

Hey sorry to hear something like that happened to you.. Only thing i can think of is its time to go postal lol. Seriously i would get a hold of a very good attorney and let him do the talking for me...

[vetteguy1]

I dont know how you kept your cool i would have killed someone. The dealer is clearly at fault and they should replace the car. If it fell 6 feet The body panels are the least of your worries. I would get an attorney and take thier asses to court. A brand new Z06 sounds about right for all the shit you have had to deal with Good Luck

[bigr01]

The attorney idea sounds good while your threatening the dealership, but any attorney will have you take the car to an impartial party for damage evaluation and a full estimate for repair. I know that this will be time consuming, but I would suggest taking the vehicle to a shop that specializes in corvette restorations. They would be able to fully evaluate the damage to your car and will be good information to provide to the attorney for compensation to you for the damage and headaches the dealership has caused you. Best of luck!

[catback23]

That has to suck go in needing an oil change, come out needed a car. From the sounds of it that vette is totaled. The dealer can fix the body all they want but I seriously doubt the frame is straight. Replacement is the only way to really make it right cuse it's a corvette not some 8 year old cavalier.

[DVS LT1]

Boy, I would take this dealership to the cleaners! Hire a good lawyer and file a huge suit - not only to get a completely new replacement car, but for emotional stress etc, legal fees, etc. (they loaned the guy a fucking Malibu! Come on). What a nightmare this must be for the dude...

[tacoma man.]

id settle for a new 05 c6! but in reality you cant really sue them cause they have offered to fix your car back to new condition

[DVS LT1]

I'm sorry, but there is no way to repair a car to "back to new" condition if it has received serious damage. If a body panel gets smashed or ripped off, thats a different story (asuming all that needs to be done is to fasten a replacement piece). I didn't get to see any of the pics (I really want to) but if this Vette has any sort of structural damage there is NOOOOO way a privately owned GM dealership is going to restore the car to within the exact same production tolerances as when the car rolled off the assembly line. No way. No disrespect intended towards any service technicians out there, but do you think your typical GM service guy has the experience - let alone access to all the proper equipment used in the particular vehicle's assembly plant - to rebuild the car. If just one of the Vettes two hydroformed frame rails is bent or out of synch... game over. Has anyone ever seen what a C5 frame rail looks like? I don't think it would even be possible to repair a bent frame rail. You'd probably have to completely strip the car down, cut out the bent frame, and weld in a completely new one. Even if you technically get the frame back within the accepted production tolerances its STILL not going to be the same as before. And think about the costs to the dealership IF THEY ACTUALLY DID REPAIR THE CAR TO NEW CONDITION and sub out all the required work? Thats my biggest concern, because they'd probably be better off giving this guy a brand new Vette right now so he's happy and all is forgotten (no current lawsuits or bad PR, and no FUTURE LIABILITY!), then repair the car half assed like they want to anyways (to save money) and sell it to some poor unsuspecting person. "Oh, this one was in a minor accident..." Yeah right. If this dealership actually gets permission to fix the car from the guy it will spell loads of long term trouble for fix ups, recalibrations, complaints, etc... Hey, what happens if part of the suspension malfunctions while on the road and the guy is hurt - who is responsible then? If there's been documented instances where the guy has complained to things not being/feeling right with the car and then that happens he'll be able to put that dealership out of business!!! As it stands now he could take them to court, get a new Vette and depending on the amount of bullshit he's already been/will be put through (FUCKING MALIBUUUU!!!!!! AHHHRRR ) he would likely be awarded damages.

EDIT: and again, I ain't putting down any service technicians, even the "typical" ones I mentioned - they don't do the same volume of particular work like the assembly people do (or even encounter the mass of procedures an entire assembly line experiences). Besides, I know most of the resident AF service guys are "exceptional" service technicians.

[89IROC&RS]

First off, im really dissapointed at how many people saw this as an opportunity to screw over another human being by sueing the dealership for everything you can get out of it, accidents happen, if you sue the dealerships pants off for it, chances are the mechanic gets fired, and the owner of the dealershp is out alot of money for something he wasnt even directly responceable for. if this is any indication at our civilization as a whole, i weep for the species. i was evidently raised better.

In regard to who has seen a C5 framerail, your on the corvette forum, dumb question.

I myself have completely disassembled a 2001 corvette from the front bumper back to the firewall, and put it back together, no ASE certification, and 1.5 years hands on experience working on cars, and it was perfect. Believe me they wont give the job to the new 16 year old shop rat, it will go to an experienced tech of my abilies or more.

In regard to fixing a frame, it is done all the time, the body is lifted, and moved tothe new frame, the wiring is routed, and the car is put back togher, old frame is thrown away. It is a very time consuming and pain staking process, and yes, there are always electrical gremlins that are left over. That is why after the bodyshop puts it all back together, it is given to an electronics specialist at the dealership to check all the computer systems and wiring for proper function. I know because that was one of the jobs i did at the dealership.

The fact is the car was probly not all that badley damaged. That even if it was, it can be fixed. And if everyone involved acts like adults, instead of children, it will probly be resolved to both parties satisfaction.

I dont mean to react so passionately to such an old post, but greed, cruelty, and ignorance offend me.

[89IROC&RS]

although the malibue rental does suck, especially for how long hes gonna have it if it is a frame replacement. He should have gotten at least a camaro. but no dealership is going to give a vette rental. wont ever happen.

[DVS LT1]

I see what you're saying about taking advantage of the dealership (suing them for like MILLIONS or something), accidents DO happen. But, this Vette owner deserves compensation in some form other than simply being provided a replacement car for 3 months while his car is fixed. Thats bullshit! And I'm pretty sure YOU would agree if this sort of thing came your way. What I've been saying all along is if the dealership had immediately offered this guy a brand new Vette, he would have been totally satisfied, anyone else who heard of the blunder would see the dealerships integrity, and the dealership could then fix the car with less pressure and resell afterwards. How much would they lose - half the value of a car, plus the labour they had to sub out and lost on their own guys? It's a lot but nothing thats going to cripple a million+ dollar dealership. The owner should just be happy nobody was killed, because they ARE responsible for the actions of their employees. Negligence is very serious.

BTW, the only reason why I know what a C5 frame rail looks like is because I happened to have caught a feature on the C5 on Motor Trend tv back in '97. lol Now do you really think that every C5 owner or even the participants in this thread have all seen what a hydroformed frame rail looks like in pre-production? PLEASE!

[89IROC&RS]

well first off, you dont know me, so to presume to know how i would react if something of this nature were to happen to me is rather big of yourself. And no, i would not demand a new vehicle to replace the one that was dropped. depending on the level of damage of course. so long as the car is repaired and warranted against the failure of any components related to the accident and the electronics, i would be perfectly happy, although i do agree about the malibu loner and would raise hell about that.

as far as the dealership being sued for millions of dollars, again you are displaying your ignorance. The owner of the dealership, who does indeed make alot of money, would not be the one sued. the service department of a dealership is owned by the service manager. all of the money made by a service department in a year is divided up in roughly the following manner.

-rent to the dealership for space to operate, the garage so to speak
-cost of operation, supplies, lifts, utilities, insurance, security
-wages of mechanics
-and finally the manager keeps the rest, he runs the whole thing out of pocket.

That being said, he has to pay the body shop to do the body work, and put the body on the new frame, and has to pay the parts department for all the nessesary parts to do the work. so there are those substantial costs to take into account.

so when you assume that you are sueing the deep pockets of the GM corperate monster, realize you are actually suing a single man, with a family, mouths to feed, and a buisness to run. even if you dont sue, demanding a replacement vette is a $50,000 chunk of a mans maybe $100,000 yearly salary.

real life is never as simple as you would like it to be, life is not black and white, right and wrong, there are always contributing factors that you have to concider.

[5 Point 7]

Oh, Boo Hoo...Think about the guys OWN mouth, wife, kids (if any) all the painstaking work he put in over his life and busted his ass for a Corvette... I think the majority would agree...new vette or lawsuit. Theres no reason the corvette owner should take ANY loss out of this.

My

[SniperX13]

I can understand both points of view. Hopefully, the owner of the Corvette can understand that yes, accidents happen, and I am sure is sucks big time to be the receiver of the accident. This isnt something that was intentionally done. If the dealership is stepping up and openly admitting that the accident was their own fault, and are offering to the fix the car free of charge, then I really don't see what the problem is. I think the GM dealershp should do 2 things..... if the car is still being paid for, write it off as completely paid for, and then evaluate what to do about the car. is it more cost effective !!OVER THE LONG RUN!! to repair the damage, and deal with anything that might arise in the entire life of this car, that might stem from this... i.e. electrical problems, bad alingments, and so forth, or 2nd option, giving him a replacement corvette of the same year or newer. I see no need for the dealership to be "sued out the ass"......


why does this remind me of that female who sued mcdonalds because she bought a "hot coffee" and got burned.....