At one point or another, many of you have no doubt received a letter from General Motors stating that your vehicle has a ‘Product Safety Recall’. When we hear those words, it’s easy to see why we become concerned. What I’d like to do in this column is offer some simple facts, guidance, and encouraging words from the local ‘front lines’ of these various factory recall campaigns.
‘So Mike – If I get a recall letter from GM, what should I do next?’
Contact us! We have friendly, knowledgeable folks who are ready to help you facilitate these repairs. Below is a brief explanation and some helpful guidance on how to proceed.
- Before you call, please have the letter you received from GM in hand.
- Specific information we will need: (VIN) Vehicle Identification Number (should be on this letter or you can find it on your vehicle insurance card), Year/Make/Model of your vehicle, 2 good contact phone numbers and your current email address for keeping in touch during the process.
- During normal business hours (7am-6pm M-F and 7am-1pm Sat) call the service dept. direct at (512) 681-3046 and let our staff know that you need to schedule a recall appointment.
- Our recall staff will guide you through the process of determining which recalls show to be active for your vehicle (all recalls are VIN specific). They will verify parts availability and work with you to set a convenient appointment time to meet with a Service Advisor.
- We ask our customers to please honor their recall appointment time. We will give you a courtesy reminder call & email in the days prior to your visit.
‘Hey Mike – Can’t I take my vehicle to the guy down the street to get this recall done?’
Actually – No. The auto manufacturers are required by law to provide the necessary recall repairs free of charge. They do this through their established franchise dealer network using factory original parts. In doing so – GM can better guarantee the quality, consistency and efficiency of these needed repairs by directing consumers back to the pros (like our Techs) at the dealership.
‘Hey Mike – this is my only car. How long is this going to take and can I get a loaner vehicle?’
Most recall repairs can be completed fairly quickly (under two hours). However, we are asking our customers to allow us a full day with their vehicle to better handle the work flow. We do have a limited number of complimentary customer loaner vehicles available on a daily basis by reservation only but we try to save these for our guests with vehicles that will be staying overnight. Please keep in mind we have two free, full time Customer Courtesy shuttles that are set and ready to take you to work, back to the house or wherever you need to go within the North-Austin suburban corridor. Check with our staff to see if your destination is within our normal range.
We have found that when our customers follow the simple steps listed above the recall repair process goes more smoothly. If you’d like more information from GM regarding the recalls specific to your vehicle please click this link: www.recalls.gm.com .
At the Chevy store we have performed thousands of recalls over the years. We have a wonderful group of talented, caring technicians who are trained to identify and repair the specific components involved in each recall. We’d like to thank our loyal customers for continuing to put your trust in the Hewlett brand. Rest assured we are certainly proud to represent General Motors in this Central Texas area and stand ready to assist all current GM owners with their vehicle needs.
