Seeking advise for dealership screw up

[Lead Head]

Hey folks,

I own a 2018 G80 Sport that I bought brand new and was an homage to my father, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, and was a Combat Arms Veteran. I have taken great care of the car, keeping it garage kept and with low miles (21k). I know many of you may relate to keeping your cars immaculate whenever possible. Genesis made some very attractive vehicles after all.

I brought my vehicle in to the dealership, and really only authorized service center near me, to look at and replace the passenger side copper accented trims which are notorious for fading on this model year and others. After the service advisor inspected the vehicle he confirmed that was what he was seeing too. He had the vehicle further inspected by a mechanic and discovered the water pump was having a small leak, which would be repaired under warranty. As far the trim was concerned, I was told by him, that Hyundai required they use a 3M "buffing" solution to try and clean it off. I said plainly to him that we both knew all that would do is strip off the remaining copper accent that was fading and he agreed. But he did say it was a hoop they had to jump through in order to satisfy Hyundai/Genesis's requirements to do a warranty replacement on the pieces if it didn't work.

I was put in a base level trim loaner and sent on my way as they had the car for about 4 business days. I did make sure to photo and video the vehicle for documentation purposes when I originally dropped it off. Glad I did too. I was told the other day car was ready. I arrive and happily pickup the car and start heading out. Not five minutes after leaving the car posts Engine Overheating warning as I get on the highway. I turned around, brought it back to the service advisor, and was recording what happened for documentation again. He acknowledged he could smell coolant and we quickly and very obviously surmised someone did the repair badly.

I was able to inspect the car further and saw white streaks of some type of solution that ran down from the passenger and driver side mirrors into the doors. It looks like the 3M solution they used may have stained into the paint. I was livid and chewed out the service advisor after he told me the car was cleaned. My car is white and I hadn't originally noticed this when I left initially. He failed to take true ownership and apologize for this crap, and his manager was no better. They quickly tried to get me in whatever loaner and get me out the door while they "figured" out what happened. I reminded them both that my CAI system was installed after the service advisor determined the water pump failed, which is the only aftermarket part I have on the car and doesn't explain all the white solution dried up in the engine bay. It looked like someone sprayed coolant everywhere in there after I popped the hood once I brought the car back. Anyways, you guys can imagine the absolute ripping they got, but in the end I left the vehicle there for them to assess the issue.

I called Genesis Corporate and filed a complaint and tried to reach the GM of this dealership who is dodging my calls. I'm fixing to meet with an attorney soon to see what to do next in the event the dealership drags their feet on the repairs. Have any of you gone through any crap like this? What would you recommend in my shoes?

Thanks guys

 

[EdP]

Hey folks,

I own a 2018 G80 Sport that I bought brand new and was an homage to my father, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, and was a Combat Arms Veteran. I have taken great care of the car, keeping it garage kept and with low miles (21k). I know many of you may relate to keeping your cars immaculate whenever possible. Genesis made some very attractive vehicles after all.

I brought my vehicle in to the dealership, and really only authorized service center near me, to look at and replace the passenger side copper accented trims which are notorious for fading on this model year and others. After the service advisor inspected the vehicle he confirmed that was what he was seeing too. He had the vehicle further inspected by a mechanic and discovered the water pump was having a small leak, which would be repaired under warranty. As far the trim was concerned, I was told by him, that Hyundai required they use a 3M "buffing" solution to try and clean it off. I said plainly to him that we both knew all that would do is strip off the remaining copper accent that was fading and he agreed. But he did say it was a hoop they had to jump through in order to satisfy Hyundai/Genesis's requirements to do a warranty replacement on the pieces if it didn't work.

I was put in a base level trim loaner and sent on my way as they had the car for about 4 business days. I did make sure to photo and video the vehicle for documentation purposes when I originally dropped it off. Glad I did too. I was told the other day car was ready. I arrive and happily pickup the car and start heading out. Not five minutes after leaving the car posts Engine Overheating warning as I get on the highway. I turned around, brought it back to the service advisor, and was recording what happened for documentation again. He acknowledged he could smell coolant and we quickly and very obviously surmised someone did the repair badly.

I was able to inspect the car further and saw white streaks of some type of solution that ran down from the passenger and driver side mirrors into the doors. It looks like the 3M solution they used may have stained into the paint. I was livid and chewed out the service advisor after he told me the car was cleaned. My car is white and I hadn't originally noticed this when I left initially. He failed to take true ownership and apologize for this crap, and his manager was no better. They quickly tried to get me in whatever loaner and get me out the door while they "figured" out what happened. I reminded them both that my CAI system was installed after the service advisor determined the water pump failed, which is the only aftermarket part I have on the car and doesn't explain all the white solution dried up in the engine bay. It looked like someone sprayed coolant everywhere in there after I popped the hood once I brought the car back. Anyways, you guys can imagine the absolute ripping they got, but in the end I left the vehicle there for them to assess the issue.

I called Genesis Corporate and filed a complaint and tried to reach the GM of this dealership who is dodging my calls. I'm fixing to meet with an attorney soon to see what to do next in the event the dealership drags their feet on the repairs. Have any of you gone through any crap like this? What would you recommend in my shoes?

Thanks guys

The dealer has an obligation to make things right.
You chews out the service advisor, later gave them an absolute ripping. You wonder why the GM is avoiding you?

You are asking what to do if the dealer drags his feet and are looking for a lawyer already. Have they dragged their feet or is your temper reacting?

Sounds like you are making a rather strong reaction. I've never seen a conflict resolved by chewing out and ripping. Be the grownup and with a calm demeanor ask what their plan of resolution is. Buy a coffee for the service advisor. Better to have him as your friend than your enemy.

 

[BadTrainDriver]

I'm just curious how a Genesis car can be an homage to his father, a former military veteran. He lost me at that...

 

[Lead Head]

I should have said I was upset and made that known to them, so to describe as a ripping or a reaming may have been an overstatement. I haven't made any legal threats to anyone but am simply seeking alternatives. The service advisor and their manager never apologized or took ownership which is what lead me to the frustration after I realized that they were trying to put me in a loaner and throw me out quickly after saying they need to figure out what happened and they would call later. It was handled badly on their side which is what lead me to being upset.

The vehicle is an homage to him as it was a vehicle he wanted before he passed away. We had a special plate made for him alongside custom work done around the body in memory of him. I'm not sure why that loses you, but that's your opinion and I can respect that.

It's been several business days later at this point and I have not received a call back to any messages or email replies. All of my outreach has been done in a fair tone and manner as far as the record is concerned. I keep being told they are "busy" and someone "should get back to me".

 

[csu87]

youre getting an attorney involved over some streaks?

 

[Lead Head]

The streaks appear to be from the solution they used to remove the copper accent in the trim. It's bled into the clearcoat and seems to have stripped it down to the paint. Also due to the engine overheating from the bad water pump install, I'm concerned that whoever drove the car for 10 miles according to the odometer, may have roughed it up and when I got it and tried to leave, ended up compounding that issue. It's more concern about the cylinder heads being warped or cracked as we've had 100 degree weather in the last week. The attorney is just to see what legal recourse I may have in the event this goes super sideways. But that's why I'm also reaching out to see if anyone has experienced a crappy situation like this before and can offer some fair insight.

 

[seabeetle]

Hey folks,

I own a 2018 G80 Sport that I bought brand new and was an homage to my father, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, and was a Combat Arms Veteran. I have taken great care of the car, keeping it garage kept and with low miles (21k). I know many of you may relate to keeping your cars immaculate whenever possible. Genesis made some very attractive vehicles after all.

I brought my vehicle in to the dealership, and really only authorized service center near me, to look at and replace the passenger side copper accented trims which are notorious for fading on this model year and others. After the service advisor inspected the vehicle he confirmed that was what he was seeing too. He had the vehicle further inspected by a mechanic and discovered the water pump was having a small leak, which would be repaired under warranty. As far the trim was concerned, I was told by him, that Hyundai required they use a 3M "buffing" solution to try and clean it off. I said plainly to him that we both knew all that would do is strip off the remaining copper accent that was fading and he agreed. But he did say it was a hoop they had to jump through in order to satisfy Hyundai/Genesis's requirements to do a warranty replacement on the pieces if it didn't work.

I was put in a base level trim loaner and sent on my way as they had the car for about 4 business days. I did make sure to photo and video the vehicle for documentation purposes when I originally dropped it off. Glad I did too. I was told the other day car was ready. I arrive and happily pickup the car and start heading out. Not five minutes after leaving the car posts Engine Overheating warning as I get on the highway. I turned around, brought it back to the service advisor, and was recording what happened for documentation again. He acknowledged he could smell coolant and we quickly and very obviously surmised someone did the repair badly.

I was able to inspect the car further and saw white streaks of some type of solution that ran down from the passenger and driver side mirrors into the doors. It looks like the 3M solution they used may have stained into the paint. I was livid and chewed out the service advisor after he told me the car was cleaned. My car is white and I hadn't originally noticed this when I left initially. He failed to take true ownership and apologize for this crap, and his manager was no better. They quickly tried to get me in whatever loaner and get me out the door while they "figured" out what happened. I reminded them both that my CAI system was installed after the service advisor determined the water pump failed, which is the only aftermarket part I have on the car and doesn't explain all the white solution dried up in the engine bay. It looked like someone sprayed coolant everywhere in there after I popped the hood once I brought the car back. Anyways, you guys can imagine the absolute ripping they got, but in the end I left the vehicle there for them to assess the issue.

I called Genesis Corporate and filed a complaint and tried to reach the GM of this dealership who is dodging my calls. I'm fixing to meet with an attorney soon to see what to do next in the event the dealership drags their feet on the repairs. Have any of you gone through any crap like this? What would you recommend in my shoes?

Thanks guys

That was quite the read, not going to lie, but I get it. You had a bad experience and you are reaching out to the community to see if someone can relate. Now that doesn't mean you are going to get the answers you may want, but hopefully they can provide some additional perspective. It's not easy seeing the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" when crappy stuff happens. And let me be clear here, this is a crappy situation. I don't agree with some who have posted about not seeing the vehicle being in memory towards your late dad (thanks for his service, for what it is worth, and sorry for your loss), but I do agree that it's important to stay level headed as much as you can. From the explanation you gave and the later replies I read, it seems you really just vented irritation more or less. I get you may have misconstrued some of the details here in the moment you typed up that short story (just giving you a hard time ).

I joined today, and have had my 2020 G70 for a little bit, so I understand caring for the car. I've been a long time lurker on these forums though and I do enjoy these forums compared to others. Also I do like a good drama story haha. Anyways, I'll add what I can to this discussion...I've gone through a crapshoot before, so to give what advice I can, I'd say this: Give it some time. I get that them saying they will call you back and it being several business days isn't giving you a whole bunch of confidence here, but really you need to give that "reasonable amount of time" before concluding you need to go through other avenues. I don't think it was bad for you to consult with an attorney, I'd rather be safe than sorry after all, but I'd definitely hold off on pulling the trigger on any immediate decisions until that dealership gives you an update. I'd say give it a few more days, and if you are open to going up there in person, then do so. You shouldn't have to, but then again we are living in different times thanks to COVID. Best of luck to you man, really sorry you have to deal with any of it.

 

[Lead Head]

That was quite the read, not going to lie, but I get it. You had a bad experience and you are reaching out to the community to see if someone can relate. Now that doesn't mean you are going to get the answers you may want, but hopefully they can provide some additional perspective. It's not easy seeing the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" when crappy stuff happens. And let me clear here, this is a crappy situation. I don't agree with some of the folks who have posted about not seeing the vehicle being in memory towards your late dad (thanks for his service, for what it is worth, and sorry for your loss), but I do agree that it's important to stay level headed as much as you can. From the explanation you gave and the later replies I read, it seems you really just vented irritation more or less. I get you may have misconstrued some of the details here in the moment you typed up that short story (just giving you a hard time ).

I joined today, and have had my 2020 G70 for a little bit, so I understand caring for the car. I've been a long time lurker on these forums though and I do enjoy these forums compared to others. Also I do like a good drama story haha. Anyways, I'll ad what I can to this discussion...I've gone through a crapshoot before, so to give what advise I can, I'd say this: Give it some time. I get that them saying they will call you back and it being several business days isn't giving you a whole bunch of confidence here, but really you need to give that "reasonable amount of time" before concluding you need to go through other avenues. I don't think it was bad for you to consult with an attorney, I'd rather be safe than sorry after all, but I'd definitely hold off on pulling the trigger on any immediate decisions until that dealership gives you an update. I'd say give it a few more days, and if you are open to going up there in person, then do so. You shouldn't have to, but then again we are living in different times thanks to COVID. Best of luck to you man, really sorry you have to deal with any of it.

That's decent advice. Thanks and welcome to the forums. I'll definitely consider some things you've made mention of, as well as others.

 

[EdP]

youre getting an attorney involved over some streaks?

Then the dealer states: We'll let the courts decide before we work on your car. Court date is April 2022.

Dealing with irate customers is a challenge. Done right you can turn them into loyal customers. I've been on both sides with customers and suppliers. Yelling and threats is not the way to go.

 

[seabeetle]

Well, I think the guy did a decent job explaining after the initial post his intentions, and I don't find them to be out of the range of norm. I see the dealership failed to take ownership of the problem per OP and that's what started a triggering of frustration. I think it's important we try not to look to far into villainizing a person for experiencing frustration in a understandable situation. More often than not, employees working on behalf of the dealership make simple customer service mistakes that can set of a series of events that makes a person boil over. Being understanding needs to go both ways, and I felt at least I am trying to encourage OP of that to keep a "level" head in my original reply.

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[Lead Head]

I appreciate all of your replies, whether I agree with them or not. It offers different perspectives which is ultimately the purpose of my initial outreach. I don't wish to stir anything up and again thank you all for contributing to my issue in your own way.

 

[seabeetle]

Sure man. As I said before, and I mean it, best of luck to you on it all.

 

[Aquineas]

Well, I think the guy did a decent job explaining after the initial post his intentions, and I don't find them to be out of the range of norm. I see the dealership failed to take ownership of the problem per OP and that's what started a triggering of frustration. I think it's important we try not to look to far into villainizing a person for experiencing frustration in a understandable situation. More often than not, employees working on behalf of the dealership make simple customer service mistakes that can set of a series of events that makes a person boil over. Being understanding needs to go both ways, and I felt at least I am trying to encourage OP of that to keep a "level" head in my original reply.

I would add, if he wanted to sell this vehicle, it would suffer from lost value because of the current condition, so how many hundreds (thousand?) are you willing to fork over if someone else screwed up?

 

[Lead Head]

I would add, if he wanted to sell this vehicle, it would suffer from lost value because of the current condition, so how many hundreds (thousand?) are you willing to fork over if someone else screwed up?

True, thanks for making that point, Aquineas.

 

[dequardo50]

Sounds a bit like me talking to Genesis Finance on Monday (see separate post) over a non-existent lien release supposedly mailed to me and a title FedEx’d to VA when I’m in WI. They could offer NO case number, NO escalation beyond the minimum wage phone rep, and NO way for anyone to call me back to follow up. AND it would take 6-8 weeks to investigate. I cannot imagine any OEM having a worse customer facing experience.

I agree that yelling usually is no good but what would you do if you gave Genesis $25,000 as payment in full and had zero proof you own the car and zero confidence in anything Genesis Finance does?