An Exercise in Incompetence: My New Car Service Saga with George Chevrolet

The thrill of a new car is a remarkable thing. After a lot of research and anticipation, I recently became the proud owner of a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 2RS Launch Edition with the complete blackout package. It’s a fantastic vehicle that represents the future of driving. With a new car, especially one from a legacy brand like Chevrolet, you expect a certain standard of care—a professional and, above all, competent service experience.

Unfortunately, my experience with the service department at George Chevrolet in Bellflower has been anything but. It has been a masterclass in failure, turning what should have been a single, simple maintenance visit into a frustrating saga that has eroded my trust and wasted my time.

The First Visit: Cracks in the Foundation (July 3rd)

It began innocently enough. On July 3rd, I brought my Equinox in for its first complimentary maintenance. The primary task was a tire rotation. After a three-hour wait, I drove home. It didn't take long to notice the first signs of trouble: a distinct vibration in the car at speed. It was apparent that the tires had not been balanced adequately after being rotated. As a minor, but still notable, oversight, they hadn't bothered to provide a courtesy charge for my EV, a standard practice at most dealerships.

It was disappointing, but I figured it was a simple mistake that could be easily corrected.

The Second Visit: From Incompetence to Insult (July 21st)

Just over two weeks later, on July 21st, I returned to George Chevrolet to have them fix their error. I explained the balancing issue, and this is where the experience went from disappointing to insulting. The service advisor informed me that I would be charged $89 to have the tires rebalanced.

Let that sink in. They wanted to charge me to correct a mistake they made during a warranty-covered service.

I refused, explaining the situation calmly but firmly. After some discussion, they agreed to waive the charge. Two hours later, my car was ready. This time, they had charged the battery, but as I would soon find out, they had committed a much more significant blunder.

The Discovery: The Twist I Never Saw Coming (August 11th)

Yesterday, on August 10th, I was doing a walk-around of my car and decided to check the tires. This is where the full scope of the incompetence was revealed.

You see, I have a foolproof way of tracking my tires. Before any of these visits, I had inadvertently broken the TPMS sensor stems on my two front tires, making them visually distinct. After the first rotation on July 3rd, these "marked" tires were correctly in the rear of the car.

But as I looked at my car yesterday, I was dumbfounded. The tires with the broken stems were right back on the front. This is irrefutable proof that during the second visit, while "fixing" the balance issue, the technicians had completely undone the tire rotation from the first visit. They had put my wheels right back where they started.

My five hours spent at George Chevrolet had accomplished absolutely nothing.

Why This Matters More Than Just a Bad Service Day

This isn't just about a botched tire rotation. It's about the fundamental principles of trust, respect, and professionalism.

• Trust: If a certified dealership service department cannot correctly perform the most basic maintenance task, how can I possibly trust them with more complex repairs my vehicle may need in the future?

• Respect for Time: I have now spent five hours of my time in their waiting room and will be forced to make a third trip to get the job done right. My time is valuable, and their repeated failures have shown an evident lack of respect for it.

• The Brand Promise: A new car, especially a flagship EV, comes with the promise of a premium ownership experience. This saga has severely damaged my perception of the Chevrolet brand and its commitment to quality.

As of today, I have sent a detailed formal complaint to the service managers, Jim Ryan and Bill Sewell, and have also included the dealership's General Manager. I hope that by escalating this, I can not only get my car serviced correctly but also shed light on a significant quality control problem that other customers might be facing.

I’ll be sure to post an update on their response.

Have you ever dealt with a service department that seemed to create more problems than it solved? Share your stories in the comments below.