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Z28 Heritage · 06-01-2008, 04:00 PM

Just thought you guys would want to know about this

GM/GOLD COAST CADILLAC

Hello,

I am writing you this letter to describe a potentially very dangerous situation I had with a GM vehicle and to detail the customer service I received from the Gold Coast Cadillac dealership the vehicle was purchased from. Gold Coast Cadillac has already been tagged with a unsatisfactory rating by the Better Business Bureau. I guess this will be one more for them.

The vehicle involved was a 1999 Cadillac Catera with approximately 34,000 original miles.

My grandmother who is 67 years old is the primary driver of the vehicle. The dangerous situations with the vehicle are described as follows.

My grandmother was driving northbound on the Garden State Parkway at 70 mph in the middle lane when the vehicle abruptly failed with all lights on the dashboard lit. All power was lost including steering and brakes. She is not physically well or strong and managed to make it to the shoulder where the Kenilworth Police were called. I was called to go and get her. I took the car home approximately thirty six miles and experienced no failure.

The following morning I take the car on the GSP and go about five miles and the same thing happens in the middle lane. All power leaves the car including engine power,brakes and steering. I almost get rear ended by a pick up truck. I make it to the shoulder and finally make it home after another two occurrences of the same situation.

The following morning I call GM and report the potentially dangerous and unsafe situation with the car. The gentlemen takes the report and opens a case. He asks me what I would like GM to do. Pay for the repair. Provide assistance in getting a new car. I said that I really had not thought about either. He then refers the case up to a higher authority who is a district representative. Her name is Tina Fagan. She calls me the following day and tells me I must take the car to the dealership and if I wanted it towed I would have to pay the cost. She mentions no other costs to be incurred by me. I drive the car to the dealership and report the problem.

Here is where things really go awry. I report the problem and I am called into a separate room with the service manager and two other people. They are clearly there to back his reply up. I am told that I would have to pay a diagnostic fee for him to even look at the car. I keep explaining that there is something clearly defective with the vehicle and that it is a safety issue and a unsafe vehicle. I tell him Tina Fagan mentioned nothing at all about a diagnostic fee to look at the car.
He replies that he is not looking at it. I tell him that’s between him and Tina Fagan. He attempts to call her two times but she is not available. I told him I will leave the car and he can discuss the issue with Tina Fagan at GM. He proceeds to tell me he does not want the car on his lot and to get it off. I tell him you expect me to take that car out onto Highway 35 knowing the safety issues and dangerous situation that could occur. He said he doesn’t care and he is 100% business. Now keep in mind they have a shuttle service and rent a car service and he offers me neither to assist in my safety and the safety of others. And if this was my 67 year old mom there he more than likely would have tossed her on the highway in a unsafe car. I said to him sometimes you have to be 75% business and 25% human being. He replied again he is 100% business. I leave and get home with the car and call Tina Fagan at GM and explain to her what happened. She said she will call the service manager immediately. She gets back to me and tells me there is nothing GM can do.

I am writing this letter to let potential customers of GM and Gold Coast Cadillac know what kind of response they can expect in a safety related issue with one of their vehicles.

What do I expect from GM and Gold Coast Cadillac now? Absolutely nothing. They really showed how they treat their customers in a situation where their vehicle is dangerous and has
inherent safety issues. Keep in mind I have been a GM customer for 30 years and currently have five GM vehicles. You know how much that mattered? Not at all. So when buying a vehicle keep in mind the story of my sixty-seven year old grandmother and I. We will be buying a Honda as our next vehicle. And it’s a shame. I used to be a great customer and proponent of GM. And I really don’t believe the executives at GM know what is really happening on the customer level. If they did, I am sure it would be fixed.

06-01-2008, 04:00 PM	#1
Z28 Heritage Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In a van down by the river. Posts: 1,040 iTrader: (3)	GM/Cadillac issue Please read! Just thought you guys would want to know about this GM/GOLD COAST CADILLAC Hello, I am writing you this letter to describe a potentially very dangerous situation I had with a GM vehicle and to detail the customer service I received from the Gold Coast Cadillac dealership the vehicle was purchased from. Gold Coast Cadillac has already been tagged with a unsatisfactory rating by the Better Business Bureau. I guess this will be one more for them. The vehicle involved was a 1999 Cadillac Catera with approximately 34,000 original miles. My grandmother who is 67 years old is the primary driver of the vehicle. The dangerous situations with the vehicle are described as follows. My grandmother was driving northbound on the Garden State Parkway at 70 mph in the middle lane when the vehicle abruptly failed with all lights on the dashboard lit. All power was lost including steering and brakes. She is not physically well or strong and managed to make it to the shoulder where the Kenilworth Police were called. I was called to go and get her. I took the car home approximately thirty six miles and experienced no failure. The following morning I take the car on the GSP and go about five miles and the same thing happens in the middle lane. All power leaves the car including engine power,brakes and steering. I almost get rear ended by a pick up truck. I make it to the shoulder and finally make it home after another two occurrences of the same situation. The following morning I call GM and report the potentially dangerous and unsafe situation with the car. The gentlemen takes the report and opens a case. He asks me what I would like GM to do. Pay for the repair. Provide assistance in getting a new car. I said that I really had not thought about either. He then refers the case up to a higher authority who is a district representative. Her name is Tina Fagan. She calls me the following day and tells me I must take the car to the dealership and if I wanted it towed I would have to pay the cost. She mentions no other costs to be incurred by me. I drive the car to the dealership and report the problem. Here is where things really go awry. I report the problem and I am called into a separate room with the service manager and two other people. They are clearly there to back his reply up. I am told that I would have to pay a diagnostic fee for him to even look at the car. I keep explaining that there is something clearly defective with the vehicle and that it is a safety issue and a unsafe vehicle. I tell him Tina Fagan mentioned nothing at all about a diagnostic fee to look at the car. He replies that he is not looking at it. I tell him that’s between him and Tina Fagan. He attempts to call her two times but she is not available. I told him I will leave the car and he can discuss the issue with Tina Fagan at GM. He proceeds to tell me he does not want the car on his lot and to get it off. I tell him you expect me to take that car out onto Highway 35 knowing the safety issues and dangerous situation that could occur. He said he doesn’t care and he is 100% business. Now keep in mind they have a shuttle service and rent a car service and he offers me neither to assist in my safety and the safety of others. And if this was my 67 year old mom there he more than likely would have tossed her on the highway in a unsafe car. I said to him sometimes you have to be 75% business and 25% human being. He replied again he is 100% business. I leave and get home with the car and call Tina Fagan at GM and explain to her what happened. She said she will call the service manager immediately. She gets back to me and tells me there is nothing GM can do. I am writing this letter to let potential customers of GM and Gold Coast Cadillac know what kind of response they can expect in a safety related issue with one of their vehicles. What do I expect from GM and Gold Coast Cadillac now? Absolutely nothing. They really showed how they treat their customers in a situation where their vehicle is dangerous and has inherent safety issues. Keep in mind I have been a GM customer for 30 years and currently have five GM vehicles. You know how much that mattered? Not at all. So when buying a vehicle keep in mind the story of my sixty-seven year old grandmother and I. We will be buying a Honda as our next vehicle. And it’s a shame. I used to be a great customer and proponent of GM. And I really don’t believe the executives at GM know what is really happening on the customer level. If they did, I am sure it would be fixed.