Ellensburg Chevrolet, Inc.

Review: On August 15, 2014 I purchased a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 truck from Ellensburg Chevrolet, including a 3 month 3000 mile Powertrain warranty. Mid to end of September, a loud, continuous knocking sound could be heard from the engine area. I had owned the vehicle just over a month, and had driven less than 3000 miles.

On the Sept. 22 advice of [redacted] from Ellensburg Chevrolet, I took the vehicle in to a dealer for diagnosis and repair; I took it to my local Chevy dealer, [redacted] in Olympia, WA, on September 23, 2014. They proceeded to tear down the engine and determined that it needed replacement. The insurance company, Zurich, claimed that the damage was due to normal wear and tear, and would not pay for the costs of the diagnosis nor the engine replacement or repair.

Washington State consumer law, RCW 62A.2-315, which states that there is an " implied warranty of merchantability, that the vehicle will be fit for ordinary driving purposes, reasonably safe, without major defects,...." and RCW 62A.2-315, "Warranty of Fitness for a Particular Purpose,which states that when the seller knows that the used vehicle is intended "for a particular purpose, such as racing or towing a trailer, and that buyer is relying on the seller's expertise to provide a suitable vehicle, a warranty is created that the item will actually be fit for that purpose." The seller knew that I intended to drive the vehicle for more than 4 weeks, (preferably for several more years), and that it needed to be able to pull a 7000lb. trailer, at times; the vehicle's engine should not have needed replacing just 4 weeks, and less than 3000 miles after purchase.Desired Settlement: I would like Ellensburg Chevrolet to honor the Washington State Law, and enable me to drive my vehicle for more than 4 weeks (preferably, for many more years). Since the insurance provided by Ellensburg Chevrolet wouldn't pay, I would like Ellensburg Chevrolet to pay for the replacement of the engine with a GM manufactured engine, $6,276.06, in the next 2 weeks, ( by November 12, 2014), so that I can have a working vehicle; the vehicle has been sitting at [redacted], Olympia, with the engine apart, for about 5 weeks, so far.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in reply to file #[redacted] concerning a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 purchased by Ms. [redacted]. We sold this truck with a Zurich Insurance provided 90 Day 3000 mile power train warranty.

The owner thought they heard an engine noise and chose to have [redacted] analyze the complaint. [redacted] disassembled the engine and contacted Zurich. Zurich sent out an inspector to verify the claim. [redacted] could not show the inspector a failed part of any reason for a noise. At a later date [redacted]- [redacted] contacted Zurich and asked that they send out the inspector again. The result of that inspection was the same with no problem found with the engine.

At this point we must rely on Zurich's expertise and opinion that there is nothing wrong with the engine. I would like to point out that this is the first claim that Zurich has turned down in the 12 years I have done business with them. With this in mind, we have made the decision not to provide any assistance to Ms. [redacted].

Sincerely,

General Manager

Ellensburg Chevrolet