[Richard]

I recently brought my 2010 Malibu into the dealership for service. I'm having a problem with a burning smell coming from under the car - possibly the exhaust system. The smell is very bothersome as I smell it when I have the windows open. It seems to be affecting the driveablility as well.

Right from the get go, the service department was very uncooperative. I couldn't get an appointment for over a week. And I asked them about a loaner car. Evidently, the car has to be there overnight in order to qualify for a loaner. So I would have to wait around 4 hours at the dealership for the car to be inspected to see if it has to be there overnight. How ridiculous is that! I told them that I got a loaner when I had service work done with my previous car I got through them which happened to have been a Caddy CTS. Their answer was you get better benefits with a Caddy than a Chevy.
What bull!

The worst part is they didn't fix the problem. The old "we can't duplicate the problem". The burning smell is getting worse. If it was my guess, it smells like the catalytic converter.

It's a very nice car, but what good is the so called bumper to bumper warranty if they don't honor it. Just from their attitude, you can see that they really don't want to do any warranty work on the car unless the car is dead.

I'm extremely disappointed with the service department. They were totally overwhelmed with many cars and I thnk they just didn't have the time to diagnose the problem. And they just had a terrible attitude - like it's your problem, there's nothing we can do about it. I was thinking of bringing it to another Chevy dealer not too far from where I live. Do you think that's a good idea?

 

[08chevymalibultz]

It wouldn’t hurt to at least try another dealer but Since you did not buy from them, just wonder how well that will go? Many have change to another dealer and have had some success, hope that is the case for you! I find the GM Customer Service Unacceptable in many cases which led’s me to not want another GM Product! This is all new to me because I have bought GM products in the past and never was treated like this until I bought the Malibu! I don’t like the New GM, based on my old experience with the old GM! All I can say is I feel sorry for you and hope for the best!

Good luck!

PS. I never changed dealers since I bought the Malibu but I may change to another dealer myself! Again Unacceptable/wrong in my opinion!

 

[budman65]

Have you checked the bottom of your oil pan? When I was getting ready for my first oil change I noticed a considerable amount of oil on the bottom of my pan. I took it in and they informed me that I had a defective seal on the pan. Any dripping oil could blow onto your exhaust while you're driving?

 

[mexelby]

I had an issue about 3 weeks ago my car reaked of gasoline. The inside of the car smelled like someone just took the nozzle at the pump and dumped two gallons in the interior. They couldn't find the issue but smelled the gas, they ended up flashing the computer for the car in reference to fuel delivery and magically the smell went away.

I know your issue isn't exactly the same but perhaps what you are smelling is un-burned exhaust gases, the converter may be at fault even if it's not throwing a code.

 

[Screechymon]

I recently brought my 2010 Malibu into the dealership for service. I'm having a problem with a burning smell coming from under the car - possibly the exhaust system. The smell is very bothersome as I smell it when I have the windows open. It seems to be affecting the driveablility as well.

Right from the get go, the service department was very uncooperative. I couldn't get an appointment for over a week. And I asked them about a loaner car. Evidently, the car has to be there overnight in order to qualify for a loaner. So I would have to wait around 4 hours at the dealership for the car to be inspected to see if it has to be there overnight. How ridiculous is that! I told them that I got a loaner when I had service work done with my previous car I got through them which happened to have been a Caddy CTS. Their answer was you get better benefits with a Caddy than a Chevy.
What bull!

The worst part is they didn't fix the problem. The old "we can't duplicate the problem". The burning smell is getting worse. If it was my guess, it smells like the catalytic converter.

It's a very nice car, but what good is the so called bumper to bumper warranty if they don't honor it. Just from their attitude, you can see that they really don't want to do any warranty work on the car unless the car is dead.

I'm extremely disappointed with the service department. They were totally overwhelmed with many cars and I thnk they just didn't have the time to diagnose the problem. And they just had a terrible attitude - like it's your problem, there's nothing we can do about it. I was thinking of bringing it to another Chevy dealer not too far from where I live. Do you think that's a good idea?

I wonder if you picked up a plastic bag or something? I thought the converters smelled like eggs/ sulfer when they start going. How long does it take for the smell to be noticed? Does the smell come thru the vents with the air on? Can you tell if the smell is located near the engine or the rear of the car?

They should give you a loaner, that's bs. Or at the least shuttle you to work and pick you up, my dealer has done both for me. (without keepingy car there overnight)

 

[Richard]

That's the type of smell it is. Like I picked up a plastic bag. It also smells a bit like when a new car is breaking in - you know - the exhaust system gives off a bit of a burning smell until the car is broken in. The car is a year old, so it's well broken in. But they checked the car out and said no plastic bags, no fluid leaks, etc. It's really hard to tell where the smell is coming from, but it seems to come from the mid section to the rear of the car. We had a terrible winter with a lot of snow and ice and I'm wondering if that may have caused the problem. The service department told me they changed dozens of exhaust systems from the various blizzards we had this past winter. I feel it's a problem with the exhaust, but they say everything checks out fine. No, if you smell something burning, somethings not fine. The problem seems to get worse after heavy acceleration. I don't smell it from inside the car, but the moment I get out, I smell it. I already spoke to the regional Chevy Customer Service and they said "I'm on my own". They called the dealership and everything checked out. How dumb is that. Obviously, if I was happy with the service department, I wouldn't be calling you for help. This bumper to bumper warranty is really bogus. It seems like they just don't want to honor it.

The only good thing is the car is running fine, but if it ends up on fire one day, it will be well documented that they did nothing to repair it.

I wonder if you picked up a plastic bag or something? I thought the converters smelled like eggs/ sulfer when they start going. How long does it take for the smell to be noticed? Does the smell come thru the vents with the air on? Can you tell if the smell is located near the engine or the rear of the car?

They should give you a loaner, that's bs. Or at the least shuttle you to work and pick you up, my dealer has done both for me. (without keepingy car there overnight)

 

[Richard]

I think I'm going to try another dealersip. There are only 2 within my vicinity and I live in a large city. Of course, you would feel that you're better off having the car serviced at the dealership where you bought the car, but I got no satisfaction there. Let's hope this other dealership is more responsive.
And I couldn't agree with you more. The customer service is disasterous. They have to understand that honoring their warranty and servicing the car properly is just as important as the purchasing experience. I hate the feeling that I'm on my own with a fairly new car under warranty. As much as I like this car, the dealership experience will really make me think twice about getting another GM car. And I'm like you - I have owned GM cars since my 1986 Toronado. All of them were great cars. But when you dole out $26K for a new car, you would expect better customer service.

It wouldn’t hurt to at least try another dealer but Since you did not buy from them, just wonder how well that will go? Many have change to another dealer and have had some success, hope that is the case for you! I find the GM Customer Service Unacceptable in many cases which led’s me to not want another GM Product! This is all new to me because I have bought GM products in the past and never was treated like this until I bought the Malibu! I don’t like the New GM, based on my old experience with the old GM! All I can say is I feel sorry for you and hope for the best!

Good luck!

PS. I never changed dealers since I bought the Malibu but I may change to another dealer myself! Again Unacceptable/wrong in my opinion!

 

[DrivenDaily]

Both of your comments make me wonder how things might go if I have any issues. Thanks for sharing!

 

[08chevymalibultz]

I swear, it almost seems like they get Bonus Checks for the least amount claims at each Dealership!

One of the basic Customer Service Skills that I have learned when going to School is when there are issues or problems, you at least tell the Customer that you will look into the problem and you will do your very best to correct it! You never leave any issue unresolved! A Happy Customer is a return Customer!

 

[Mr. Bill]

A few years ago I had a plastic bag wrap itself around the exhaust of my Impala LS. It was a pretty bad smell and I took it in for service as I had no idea what might be wrong. A plastic bag never crossed my mind. After the work order was written, I would the say the technician had the car for less than ten minutes when the service writer said they couldn't find anything wrong and they were bringing my car around. It just so happens the salesman and the service manager both recognize me as a good customer (eight cars in about fifteen years from this same dealership) and genuinely want to see me happy. They were standing with me talking when they brought the car around and the smell was very strong. The technician got a little lesson from the service manager about dismissing customer's complaints and the car was put on the lift this time where the plastic bag was seen. I was told it would take care of itself with time and it did.

Good customer service is good customer service, regardless if the make is Chevrolet or Cadillac. The way I look at it, people who can afford Cadillacs drive Chevrolets, and people who can't afford Cadillacs still manage to drive them.

However, never fear, I'm sure Michelle will respond with some of her "invaluable information." Has anyone actually benefited from her presence here on the board?

Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC