Dealer won't honor corrosion warranty

[gstevens]

I have a 2003 Silverado with rust bubbles under the paint around the cab's rear brake light. I took my truck in today to the dealer where I purchased the truck and was told this would normally be covered (my corrosion warranty expires June 2009), but because I am a coastal resident, the warranty would not be honored. I have had neighbors who have had rust repairs in the same location from the same dealer. Does the Service Manager have enough power to pick and choose who is covered and who is not ? I called GM Customer Service and said they could only go by what the local manager recommends. Also, when I purchased the truck, I was told the corrosion warranty would be honored no matter where I lived. Any suggestions on what to do next ?

[RamJet502]

Try another dealership

[gstevens]

Thanks Ram, I'll try that.

[MrCritical]

Read your owners manual. The corrosion warranty doesn't cover rust.

It covers "rust through" the affected panel. As in holes. Not bubbling paint.

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by MrCritical

Read your owners manual. The corrosion warranty doesn't cover rust.

It covers "rust through" the affected panel. As in holes. Not bubbling paint.

Exactly. Some dealerships will bend the rules to appease a few customers but most do not. Good luck getting it repaired!

[gstevens]

Mr. Critical.....I just went outside and pushed on one of the paint bubbles with a screw driver and it went through the metal...does that qualify ??

[MrCritical]

As long as it is a rust through hole and not a hole you pushed through with a screwdriver, you should be in the clear.

I'll admit I've never heard of rust around the third brake light though.

Two questions-Are you the original owner of the truck? That doesn't matter except that you would know the history of the truck.

Second, any water leaks in that area that you know of? Headliner ever wet?

As long as it didn't come from Hurricane Katrina, you should be fine.

[F14CRAZY]

The warranty seems a little blurry...IMHO it should be covered because you could poke through it with a screwdriver. Then again, if you poked through it but used a 3 lb hammer with that screwdriver, then to me that shouldn't be covered

[MrCritical]

If you'd like to check that VIN, you can post the last 7, or pm me (can you do that here?)

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by gstevens

Mr. Critical.....I just went outside and pushed on one of the paint bubbles with a screw driver and it went through the metal...does that qualify ??

And this truck is only 5 years old?? Wow- I'm glad I don't live near the beach!

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by MrCritical

As long as it is a rust through hole and not a hole you pushed through with a screwdriver, you should be in the clear.

I'll admit I've never heard of rust around the third brake light though.

Two questions-Are you the original owner of the truck? That doesn't matter except that you would know the history of the truck.

Second, any water leaks in that area that you know of? Headliner ever wet?

As long as it didn't come from Hurricane Katrina, you should be fine.

yeah as long as the hole came from natural corrosion and not through intentional effort on your part you should be just fine. If the dealer asks how the hole happened leave the screwdriver part out of your story and just claim its part of the problem. Pulled that trick on the dealer when I was getting my bumper fixed after I got rear ended. In my case the car only hit the lower left corner but we slightly rewrote history and told them the big crack on the right side was from the accident too

[SV6]

Originally Posted by MrCritical

Read your owners manual. The corrosion warranty doesn't cover rust.

It covers "rust through" the affected panel. As in holes. Not bubbling paint.

You can have lots of damage before it breaks through..thats why the corrosion warranty is lame. Up here in the great white north it is best get your car or truck rustproofed with a good oil spray like RUST CHECK or KROWN

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by SV6

You can have lots of damage before it breaks through..thats why the corrosion warranty is lame. Up here in the great white north it is best get your car or truck rustproofed with a good oil spray like RUST CHECK or KROWN

I've never heard of anyone having that done. They spray the entire vehicle? I can understand ZBart or other undercarriage sprays, but a top coat on the paint seems excessive IMO.

[jhorton]

I've used Krown on all my vehicles. For the $100 a year I think it is worth it.

[rozz]

What do you expect...this ain’t Toyota. j/k! I hope you can get it fixed soon.