Complaint Review: Colchester Chevrolet

CT State Law: http://www.ct.gov/dmv/LIB/dmv/20/29/ucarwarr.pdf

After purchasing a 2001 Ford F-250 from Colchester Chevrolet for over $18,000, I am now being refused service for safety and mechanical issues addressed prior to the sale and/or found well within the warranty period provided by CT state law.

I discussed all of the safety issues that I found with the salesman immediately after my inspection. These issues included worn front end ball joints, a gear shift selector that doesn't go into the selected gear, a front end that wanders, clunk in the front end, chip in the windshield, an oil leak that drips on the ground, a drag link with excessive play, a vibration at highway speeds, shocks are leaking, and a spare tire with minimum legal tread depth of 3/32". After accepting delivery of the said vehicle, I found the only repairs made were the drag link and one ball joint had been replaced.

Set up an appointment with the service manager, Scott, at Colchester Chevrolet, for a road test. Scott verified every complaint/issue that I had. Scott stated that the shifter was not a safety issue, (vehicle rolls away when in park and does not go into all the selected gears), stated that the vibration was not a safety issue. He stated all safety issues would be repaired.

Upon receiving the vehicle after the service manager acknowledged the safety issues I found only the ball joints to have been replaced. The dealer failed to align the vehicle after the repairs to the front end, stating that they aligned it the week before when they replaced the drag link end. The alignment is currently off allowing the vehicle to wander down the road. Colchester Chevrolet aligned the front end, initially, with worn front end parts. The shifter was "tightened" up, allowing some gear selections to be accurate, but not all selected gears work. Every other complaint was considered by the service manager as not a safety issue. Management failed to return my phone calls concerning this visit.

With the exception of the vibration, all of the above safety issues would cause this vehicle to fail a Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection. The vibration should be covered by a 3000 mile 60 warranty on the mechanicals of the vehicle. The dealer has failed to make good on the above issues and left me with an expensive repair bill.

Brooks
Oakville, Connecticut
U.S.A.