[highly_dissapointed]

Hello Forum,
There has been a serious delay with the delivery of my 2019 Bolt that GM has decided to totally ignore. I purchased a 2019 Bolt EV on November 16th with the dealer promising the car would arrive by the end of the week at the latest. It's now been almost 2 months and still no car. The dealer initially blew me off but now is engaged and actively trying to help get the car to me, but GM does nothing. I have been impacted financially and have already made a financing payment as well as my $10K down payment on Nov 16th. But I don't have the car.

Before this I was a loyal Honda owner, but wanted to try Chevrolet since I was intrigued by their engineering. Really wanted to go with an EV. Now I am completely regretting my decision and am taking to social media to explain how bad GM customer service is and how they treat their new customers. I've called there customer service multiple times and they just say "sorry". Meanwhile I am forced to keep my old car and carry the payments on the Bolt at the same time.

Has anyone else experienced these types of delays? There is no end in sight. The dealer says there is currently no ETA on delivery.

 

[redpoint5]

If you want to complain about a bad dealership experience, it helps to name the dealership.

Where did the dealer say the car was coming from?

Your situation does sound frustrating, and I'm sorry to hear it's gone so poorly.

 

[TimBolt]

Hello Forum,
There has been a serious delay with the delivery of my 2019 Bolt that GM has decided to totally ignore. I purchased a 2019 Bolt EV on November 16th with the dealer promising the car would arrive by the end of the week at the latest. It's now been almost 2 months and still no car. The dealer initially blew me off but now is engaged and actively trying to help get the car to me, but GM does nothing. I have been impacted financially and have already made a financing payment as well as my $10K down payment on Nov 16th. But I don't have the car.

Before this I was a loyal Honda owner, but wanted to try Chevrolet since I was intrigued by their engineering. Really wanted to go with an EV. Now I am completely regretting my decision and am taking to social media to explain how bad GM customer service is and how they treat their new customers. I've called there customer service multiple times and they just say "sorry". Meanwhile I am forced to keep my old car and carry the payments on the Bolt at the same time.

Has anyone else experienced these types of delays? There is no end in sight. The dealer says there is currently no ETA on delivery.

I’m afraid you’re being taken for a ride, with a $10k down payment and payments on a loan for a car you don’t yet own.

When ordering a car, a small, fully refundable deposit should be sufficient, and there should be no loan obligation until the car is delivered and you take possession. Not sure whether your dealer or GM is at fault here, but my suspicion would be the dealer, not GM.

Any dealer who asks for a $10k down payment and puts through a loan without delivering the car is ripping you off, plain and simple.

Good luck, if I were you my next step would be to get a lawyer involved to either get you your car or get you out of a terrible deal.

 

[GreyBolt]

Traded in my HONDA, drove away in my 2018 BOLT, no problems, no regrets. Not minimizing your pain, it may just be an unusual case. Financing before delivery also sounds a little unusual.

What state, what dealer?

State laws vary widely, a local lawyer might help if you want to explore canceling the purchase before delivery.

 

[highly_dissapointed]

Hello and Thank you. It’s not a dealer complaint. It’s a manufacturer complaint. This is the story I got from the dealer Medved Chevrolet in Wheat RidgeColorado on how the process works. Chevrolet/GM releases an invoice to the dealer. At that time the dealer has the green lightfrom GM to sell the car although they may not have it yet on their lot. Usually the car appears within a fewdays. This time it has been 55 days withno end in sight. According to Medvedthere is a distribution problem related to the rail transportation between themanufacturing site and Colorado. It isaffecting several of their customers, but GM won’t take ownership and make amendsto their customers. They just say thatit is what it is.
The dealer will not offer any compensation since theybelieve they did everything right and they way they normally do. They’ve asked GM for permission to waive thedestination charge and cover the first month’s payment but GM refuses torespond.
Anyway I hope to be active on this forum when I finally receive my Bolt EV and I am learning all the tricks on how to drive and charge. Thanks again for your responses.

 

[RecessionProofDriver]

Now I am completely regretting my decision and am taking to social media to explain how bad GM customer service is and how they treat their new customers.

I've called there customer service multiple times and they just say "sorry". Meanwhile I am forced to keep my old car and carry the payments on the Bolt at the same time.

Since you're "taking to social media" to explain your situation (which is wise), you should be listing (as much as is legal to do):

1. The dealership you ordered from and where it is.
2. The salesman's name
3. The manager's name
4. Which division of GM Customer Service you talked with
5. Any/all phone calls/documentation/letters/emails written to the head office

I saw videos like this loyal generational Ford owner/lover who bought a new Mustang and had all kinds of problems with the dealership and Ford offices in general. Documenting everything helped him out even though he still had to go through kinds of B.S. to resolve his problem.

Doesn't have to be a YouTube channel... you could ask the Moderator here or elsewhere (Facebook?) for permission to name the principals in a post rather than how it is now being kind of nebulous and vague.

 

[TimBolt]

Traded in my HONDA, drove away in my 2018 BOLT, no problems, no regrets. Not minimizing your pain, it may just be an unusual case. Financing before delivery also sounds a little unusual.

What state, what dealer?

State laws vary widely, a local lawyer might help if you want to explore canceling the purchase before delivery.

I’ve factory ordered cars before, and I’ve never had to leave more than a $500 deposit, which I made sure was fully refundable in the dealership order paperwork. The local news frequently has stories of car dealerships using all sorts of schemes to rip-off customers. I’ve never had any dealership problems when getting a new car, but it’s buyer beware when making a car purchase.

The OP didn’t make it clear what GM’s take was on this issue, or whether GM was contacted directly. At the least, I would be on the phone with GM every day escalating this issue until it got resolved, and also asking GM to make me whole on any expenses incurred due to their delay in delivering the car.

Basic rule in buying a car: don’t pay until you take possession. Ever.

 

[GlenandhisBolt1!]

In late November 2017, I was anxious to buy a Bolt LT before the end of the year, for a variety of reasons. I went to the local dealer, and they had none in stock (not surprising, as none of the local dealers seemed to have any in stock at the time). The sales guy asked for a $500 deposit, and promised me my Bolt before New Years Day. A couple of weeks went by, and still no delivery date. He finally admitted he could not get me a Bolt by New Years Day. I contacted some other dealers in my area, and happened to find one one with the car I wanted: an LT in light blue, with a DCFC port. I drove over to that dealer in my old Honda and drove home in my new Bolt. I stopped off at the other dealer on the way home and got my deposit back. They didn't deposit the check, they simply held it, and returned to me.

I used to be a loyal Honda owner too. But their appetite for transmissions cured me of this habit. I buy Toyotas now, but they do not make EVs. My Bolt has been totally trouble-free.

 

[LooseBolt]

Based on the unusually large down payment, I'm not convinced that the dealer is being up front about GM's response. I'd get directly in touch with someone higher up the food chain, a district or regional manager for Chevy.

 

[TimBolt]

Hello and Thank you. It’s not a dealer complaint. It’s a manufacturer complaint. This is the story I got from the dealer Medved Chevrolet in Wheat RidgeColorado on how the process works. Chevrolet/GM releases an invoice to the dealer. At that time the dealer has the green lightfrom GM to sell the car although they may not have it yet on their lot. Usually the car appears within a fewdays. This time it has been 55 days withno end in sight. According to Medvedthere is a distribution problem related to the rail transportation between themanufacturing site and Colorado. It isaffecting several of their customers, but GM won’t take ownership and make amendsto their customers. They just say thatit is what it is.
The dealer will not offer any compensation since theybelieve they did everything right and they way they normally do. They’ve asked GM for permission to waive thedestination charge and cover the first month’s payment but GM refuses torespond.
Anyway I hope to be active on this forum when I finally receive my Bolt EV and I am learning all the tricks on how to drive and charge. Thanks again for your responses.

From the above post, you’re indicating what the dealership told you GM is doing, or not doing. You need to verify that what the dealership is telling you is true by contacting GM directly.

Get the GM order number and VIN number for your car from your dealership or paperwork and contact GM directly, to verify that what the dealership is telling you is true. Also demand that GM compensate you for the delay. Escalate as needed. Be polite, but be very clear on what you need to get the issue resolved in your favor.

Again, sorry for your difficulty, but I would be very suspicious of a dealership that finalized a sale and loan without delivering your car. That is simply NOT how it’s supposed to work, and may not even be legal. If your dealership claims that finalizing sales and loans without delivering vehicles is what they “normally do”, that doesn’t reflect well on the dealership. I wouldn’t trust them.

On your loan, your car is collateral, and you don’t even own the collateral. I would contact the loan company and make them aware of that fact, they may not be pleased to hear about it, and may want to get involved.

 

[GreyBolt]

I think someone other than the dealer needs to be talking with GM. If you consider seeing a local lawyer, do nothing more until you talk with him or her. Otherwise, you may do or say something that could undermine your situation.

If you want to go it alone, I would start to call GM directly. The dealer may be okay and honest with you, or the dealer may be telling you what they want to from their own financial point of view.

I'm somewhat less inclined towards the dealer if they already set up financing for the new car, and you are paying on a loan for a car not yet delivered. That sounds very unusual, and in some states might be illegal.

 

[highly_dissapointed]

Thanks again. This was some good advice. I will look into the issues discussed especially helped me to realize that maybe the dealer has been acting unscrupulously.


Just an update that I contacted GM customer service again. I have called them multiple times previously but this time demanded they escalate the issue and consider my request for compensation. They agreed and told me to expect a call from a "senior advisor" who will research the issue and get back to me within 2 business days.

 

[chicagobolt]

I ordered my 2019 Bolt in Sept 2018 and put down $1,000 for the car (probably could have paid less but I already had money back from an insurance claim for my totaled vehicle so it wasn't an issue). The dealer told me based on their experience that it would take 11 to 16 weeks for car orders via the factory. The dealer did not need any more money before ordering the car. I financed the car so there was a credit check but no payments/loan until the car arrived and was officially "sold" to me. Got the car in early November.

There is a number assigned to your vehicle (not the VIN) that you can use via GM's website to track your car. I got this number from my dealer and then used the chat feature of GM's website to get updates on where my car was at in the factory/delivery process using this GM number.

My dealer did say there was definitely a problem with transportation and this delayed my car a couple of weeks (like no drivers to get the cars from the railroad yard to the dealership). We joked about it because the factory in Michigan is only 4 hours away from Chicago and I thought about how easy it would be to just drive over and get the car myself.

 

[Bolted On]

I also ordered a Bolt with $1,000 down; delivery took 10 weeks. My anticipation of the new car certainly made it the "longest" 10 weeks of my year. Have had the vehicle now just about two moths - worth the wait! Hang in there.

 

[Packard V8]

Hello and Thank you. It’s not a dealer complaint. It’s a manufacturer complaint. This is the story I got from the dealer Medved Chevrolet in Wheat RidgeColorado on how the process works. Chevrolet/GM releases an invoice to the dealer. At that time the dealer has the green lightfrom GM to sell the car although they may not have it yet on their lot. Usually the car appears within a fewdays. This time it has been 55 days withno end in sight. According to Medvedthere is a distribution problem related to the rail transportation between themanufacturing site and Colorado. It isaffecting several of their customers, but GM won’t take ownership and make amendsto their customers. They just say thatit is what it is.
The dealer will not offer any compensation since theybelieve they did everything right and they way they normally do. They’ve asked GM for permission to waive thedestination charge and cover the first month’s payment but GM refuses torespond.
Anyway I hope to be active on this forum when I finally receive my Bolt EV and I am learning all the tricks on how to drive and charge. Thanks again for your responses.

Welcome to the forum and sorry for your problems. Owning a Bolt is worth a bit of effort, but something smells with this deal.

I'd say it's definitely a dealership problem on the front end. In fifty years of buying cars, I've never been asked to, nor would ever consider paying $10,000 down and beginning monthly payments for a car which I hadn't first inspected, test driven and then taken home. Any salesperson/dealer who closes such a deal and says, "the way they normally do." is lying.

While delivery problems may be at the GM end, the dealership has your money and you have no car. They should be taking better care of you; a service loaner at the very least.

Conversely, this is the internet and "social media" is a toxic place. It must be mentioned how completely and accurately our OP is relating what happened, we have no means to ascertain.

jack vines

 

[Boxster1971]

Hello and Thank you. It’s not a dealer complaint. It’s a manufacturer complaint. ... Thanks again for your responses.

You are being naive... that dealer IS your problem. They took your $10,000 and started your loan. Your first indication of a problem was the need to make a $10,000 deposit on an order? That is unheard of in today's car market.

Have you talked directly to anyone at GM/Chevrolet? ... or are your just getting stories from the dealer?

Good Luck

 

[dbostrom]

Based on the unusually large down payment, I'm not convinced that the dealer is being up front about GM's response. I'd get directly in touch with someone higher up the food chain, a district or regional manager for Chevy.

Yup. You're being lied to, and not by GM. Or at least it's the case that the first lie you got was commissioned by the dealer; that deposit was a deception and a lie.

I wish I had some useful advice on elevating your issue in the food chain.

Here is where Tesla has an unanswerable advantage over the old mode. Same policy and practice everywhere, dictated from above. Other problems may come with that in trade, but this kind of absurd invention on the dealer's part won't be a factor.

 

[redpoint5]

We also don't know the OPs credit worthiness. Maybe $10k is asked due to something very risky showing up in a credit search? I expect Stealerships to squeeze their customers for every cent they can get, so it doesn't surprise me. Maybe the OP agreed to a lower rate if they fronted more cash?

 

[Electric Patriot]

I placed an order for my 2019 Bolt in June, 2018. The dealer told me it would be 9-12 weeks and it required a $3000 deposit. The deposit was not fully refundable though - can't remember exactly what, but once the car got to their lot, I think I had to take it or lose the deposit. Anyway, it was a very long 10 weeks to get the car, but I'm now a happy owner.

 

[highly_dissapointed]

Just thought I would post a similar story found in an online article. In this case, the owner of a Chevy truck purchased his truck and also started making payments. He was also assured by the dealer the vehicle was in transit. But he received compensation from the dealer in the end. His vehicle was also stuck in the Toledo rail yard for weeks. If you are interested in reading the story it can be found on a consumer interest online mag called consumerist.com I am not allowed to post the link since I just joined this forum today. The article is called "why has my chevy truck been stuck in a Toledo rail yard for 2 months" if you would like to search for it.


To answer your questions about the $10k down payment, that was my choice. I had the cash and I wanted to keep future monthly payments low. My credit score is excellent. I guess I just trusted the dealer too much. To be honest, I found the car I wanted online and the salesperson ofcourse urged me to come down immediately. It was an LT packaged with Driver I and Driver II which is a somewhat uncommon configuration and new to the 2019 model year. So I thought the overall price they were asking was good. But they gradually kept me in the office and next thing I knew I wasn't just doing the deposit but completing the purchase. My bad. I guess I was naïve.