Help! Need advice or info about my 1998 corvette in repair shop and new problems coming up (per dealer)

[BJ1941]

I have a 1998 black corvette, garage kept. It has 57,340 miles on it. Had it since 1999. Always kept everything up on it and it has always been garage kept. Took it in to Corvette World of Houston when the fan on the a/c stopped working recently. They said it was a fan module or something like that and they found a leak in the power steering fluid. They fixed the fan and the power steering leak and then told me it had a small leak in the oil pan. At that point, we decided to take it to Munday Chevrolet in Houston to get their opinion on the oil leak. They called and said it did have an oil leak and that when they took it apart (not sure of the time sequence here of what happened when) but they said the cradle broke because the car was old and it had a bolt jammed through something done by someone who previously worked on it but the only ones who ever worked on it was Munday Chevrolet....?????????? The only time it had any body work was once when a lady backed up into it and another time when a guy rear ended me but neither time was there a lot of damage. So then the guy at Munday told me that now when they went to work on the cradle (they now have ordered a used one for me), an arm or something else shattered and now they had to order the arm which would cost $800 (but they said they will absorb the cost on that); however, it will take another week to get the arm from California. So they have had the car for almost 2 weeks and now they say it will be another week at least. I think they thought I might be going to trade it in with them but I am not nor did I tell them that. They said they would have their used car guy give me a valuation on it. I am to the point of buying maybe a new car but I want a 2017 Chrysler 300 if I buy one. I will probably sell the car first. Not sure of a trade in after all of this but I can show my paper work of all I just had done. My question is, do cars "crumble" with age? Maybe some parts do but the cradle and an arm?...........Just going by what I was told but I can't remember what all he said. I am lost. Nothing I can do now but wait since it is on the rack there and apart I guess. Many thanks to any one who will comment on this.... this is my first post. I just joined today.

 

[timfitz63]

Welcome!

All parts on a car will deteriorate with age -- it's really more just a question of how long it will take. Typically for a vehicle that is garage-kept, metallic parts have a very long 'shelf life;' parts made from other materials (such as rubber, plastic, etc.) will deteriorate much more quickly, even with light use. And especially in warmer climates like Texas. So over time, tires, hoses, seals, gaskets, bushings, etc. will all wear out simply by existing... I've got a garage-kept '89 Pontiac Firebird Formula with around 51,000k miles on it (obviously it's led a sheltered life in many ways), and I see mostly non-metallic items that fail on it simply because of the age.

You didn't specify whether you'd bought the car new or used in 1999; if the latter, I can think of two possibilities to explain the hidden cradle and arm damage: manufacturing defect or damage caused by the previous owner. In either case, though, I'm afraid you're stuck holding the bag on it... The car is well out of warranty -- from either Chevrolet or a previous owner -- and I'm not aware of any known issues or defects with either the cradle or arms on the C5. Not much to do but have it repaired and continue to enjoy the car... Good luck!

 

[LLC5]

I have a 1998 black corvette, garage kept. It has 57,340 miles on it. Had it since 1999. Always kept everything up on it and it has always been garage kept. Took it in to Corvette World of Houston when the fan on the a/c stopped working recently. They said it was a fan module or something like that and they found a leak in the power steering fluid. They fixed the fan and the power steering leak and then told me it had a small leak in the oil pan. At that point, we decided to take it to Munday Chevrolet in Houston to get their opinion on the oil leak. They called and said it did have an oil leak and that when they took it apart (not sure of the time sequence here of what happened when) but they said the cradle broke because the car was old and it had a bolt jammed through something done by someone who previously worked on it but the only ones who ever worked on it was Munday Chevrolet....?????????? The only time it had any body work was once when a lady backed up into it and another time when a guy rear ended me but neither time was there a lot of damage. So then the guy at Munday told me that now when they went to work on the cradle (they now have ordered a used one for me), an arm or something else shattered and now they had to order the arm which would cost $800 (but they said they will absorb the cost on that); however, it will take another week to get the arm from California. So they have had the car for almost 2 weeks and now they say it will be another week at least. I think they thought I might be going to trade it in with them but I am not nor did I tell them that. They said they would have their used car guy give me a valuation on it. I am to the point of buying maybe a new car but I want a 2017 Chrysler 300 if I buy one. I will probably sell the car first. Not sure of a trade in after all of this but I can show my paper work of all I just had done. My question is, do cars "crumble" with age? Maybe some parts do but the cradle and an arm?...........Just going by what I was told but I can't remember what all he said. I am lost. Nothing I can do now but wait since it is on the rack there and apart I guess. Many thanks to any one who will comment on this.... this is my first post. I just joined today.

What is the history of the vehicle before you bought it? If unknown, it could have easily been in a front end shunt and repaired as you described.

To answer your question parts and cars do not just crumble and fall apart on their own (unless it's salt and corrosion, but that would be obvious visually), it's either damage, poor repair work done previously, or both.

 

[BJ1941]

What is the history of the vehicle before you bought it? If unknown, it could have easily been in a front end shunt and repaired as you described.

To answer your question parts and cars do not just crumble and fall apart on their own (unless it's salt and corrosion, but that would be obvious visually), it's either damage, poor repair work done previously, or both.

Thank you so much for your reply. When we bought the car, it had 5700 miles on it which I did not know about. My husband said he told me but I guess I didn't hear him or I wouldn't have bought it. Bought it from Munday Chevrolet here in Houston in 1999 and it is a 1998 as posted. Wouldn't the cradle and the arm have to do with damage UNDER the car though and not in the front when the lady backed into me? Her SUV did go on top of the vette somewhat since it is higher off the ground but I don't think the damage was more than around $700-$800 according to her insurance company. It was not my fault and it was repaired by Munday Chevrolet. We have no salt or anything to corrode the car nearby. It is still in the shop being repaired now waiting on some arm he told me broke too when they went to repair it. I am at a loss as to sell it, trade it or keep it. It is a beautiful car, inside and out. I sure appreciate your answer.

 

[BJ1941]

Welcome!

All parts on a car will deteriorate with age -- it's really more just a question of how long it will take. Typically for a vehicle that is garage-kept, metallic parts have a very long 'shelf life;' parts made from other materials (such as rubber, plastic, etc.) will deteriorate much more quickly, even with light use. And especially in warmer climates like Texas. So over time, tires, hoses, seals, gaskets, bushings, etc. will all wear out simply by existing... I've got a garage-kept '89 Pontiac Firebird Formula with around 51,000k miles on it (obviously it's led a sheltered life in many ways), and I see mostly non-metallic items that fail on it simply because of the age.

You didn't specify whether you'd bought the car new or used in 1999; if the latter, I can think of two possibilities to explain the hidden cradle and arm damage: manufacturing defect or damage caused by the previous owner. In either case, though, I'm afraid you're stuck holding the bag on it... The car is well out of warranty -- from either Chevrolet or a previous owner -- and I'm not aware of any known issues or defects with either the cradle or arms on the C5. Not much to do but have it repaired and continue to enjoy the car... Good luck!

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Thank you so much for responding. Would the cradle and whatever arm he told me broke, when they went to replace the cradle, be made from metallic or something else that could easily break? We are stumped about this. Thank you in advance if you get the time to write again. BJ

 

[BJ1941]

Thank you so much for your reply. When we bought the car, it had 5700 miles on it which I did not know about. My husband said he told me but I guess I didn't hear him or I wouldn't have bought it. Bought it from Munday Chevrolet here in Houston in 1999 and it is a 1998 as posted. Wouldn't the cradle and the arm have to do with damage UNDER the car though and not in the front when the lady backed into me? Her SUV did go on top of the vette somewhat since it is higher off the ground but I don't think the damage was more than around $700-$800 according to her insurance company. It was not my fault and it was repaired by Munday Chevrolet. We have no salt or anything to corrode the car nearby. It is still in the shop being repaired now waiting on some arm he told me broke too when they went to repair it. I am at a loss as to sell it, trade it or keep it. It is a beautiful car, inside and out. I sure appreciate your answer.

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One more question please...........could the lady in the SUV backing up into and over the hood of the vette have mashed the vette low enough to crack that cradle? Her insurance company (Empower) sent a guy out and he only looked at the cosmetic damage. Told the guy at the Munday body shop to call him with an estimate but I don't think the body shop looked under the car. Is that where the cradle is and where it could have broke due to that accident? The lady was an illegal alien and was arrested on the spot. That day when this happened, we were at Mac Haik Dodge picking up my husband's Dodge Challenger. Thank you in advance..........BJ

 

[LLC5]

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One more question please...........could the lady in the SUV backing up into and over the hood of the vette have mashed the vette low enough to crack that cradle? Her insurance company (Empower) sent a guy out and he only looked at the cosmetic damage. Told the guy at the Munday body shop to call him with an estimate but I don't think the body shop looked under the car. Is that where the cradle is and where it could have broke due to that accident? The lady was an illegal alien and was arrested on the spot. That day when this happened, we were at Mac Haik Dodge picking up my husband's Dodge Challenger. Thank you in advance..........BJ

There is no way to know for sure with out looking at the vehicle with the damaged parts, and even then it would be tough to tell if it happened from that one accident. My opinion would be that it would take a fairly large hit to the cradle (which is under the vehicle) to crack it and damage a suspension control arm, but stranger things have happened.

 

[timfitz63]

Thank you so much for responding. Would the cradle and whatever arm he told me broke, when they went to replace the cradle, be made from metallic or something else that could easily break? We are stumped about this. Thank you in advance if you get the time to write again. BJ

The parts are metallic. They shouldn't be easy to break; but like everything, can be broken under the right set of circumstances.

There is no way to know for sure with out looking at the vehicle with the damaged parts, and even then it would be tough to tell if it happened from that one accident. My opinion would be that it would take a fairly large hit to the cradle (which is under the vehicle) to crack it and damage a suspension control arm, but stranger things have happened.

I would concur with "LLC5." It's not outside the realm of possibility that the accident you suffered caused the damage. But at this stage it would be hard to confirm it. The damage could have occurred other ways too; even something as innocuous as a previous owner driving over a rock or piece of road debris on the highway. Again, it's all speculation at this point.

 

[BJ1941]

There is no way to know for sure with out looking at the vehicle with the damaged parts, and even then it would be tough to tell if it happened from that one accident. My opinion would be that it would take a fairly large hit to the cradle (which is under the vehicle) to crack it and damage a suspension control arm, but stranger things have happened.

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Could this have happened in any way at the dealership where it is being repaired? The service man I am talking to said that the cradle "just fell apart" when they started working on it and after they replaced it, the arm did the same." Remember, I bought this car with 5716 miles on it back in March 1999. I know every single thing that has happened to it and it stays in my garage. This started when I took it in because the fan module on the a/c sent out and it went from there.........leak in steering fluid........small leak in oil pan and then wham...........cradle and arm disintegrated............unbelievable and there is no way I can prove anything because for one, I have no idea what happened. Thank you soooo much for taking the time to answer me. The car is supposed to be ready hopefully by the end of next week (they had to order the arm). They said I don't have to pay for the arm which cost them $800 or so they said. My husband said that if it wasn't their fault, he thinks they would have made us pay the $800 for the arm on top of the $700 they will be charging us for the cradle. I am dumb struck. I am in Texas or I would sure pay you to take a look at it.

 

[BJ1941]

______________________________________________________________________________________

Could this have happened in any way at the dealership where it is being repaired? The service man I am talking to said that the cradle "just fell apart" when they started working on it and after they replaced it, the arm did the same." Remember, I bought this car with 5716 miles on it back in March 1999. I know every single thing that has happened to it and it stays in my garage. This started when I took it in because the fan module on the a/c sent out and it went from there.........leak in steering fluid........small leak in oil pan and then wham...........cradle and arm disintegrated............unbelievable and there is no way I can prove anything because for one, I have no idea what happened. Thank you soooo much for taking the time to answer me. The car is supposed to be ready hopefully by the end of next week (they had to order the arm). They said I don't have to pay for the arm which cost them $800 or so they said. My husband said that if it wasn't their fault, he thinks they would have made us pay the $800 for the arm on top of the $700 they will be charging us for the cradle. I am dumb struck. I am in Texas or I would sure pay you to take a look at it.

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I am wondering now if someone at either of the two places I left it to be repaired in the past had someone take a joy ride in it. My husband agreed that it looks like someone took some jumps in it like the guys did in Dukes of Hazzard but I won't ever know most likely. Those were the only two times that car was left for any length of time. Thanks for trying to help me..........I wonder when the service man calls what he will tell me broke next. The car looks brand new inside and out and garage kept. I am stumped.

 

[timfitz63]

Could this have happened in any way at the dealership where it is being repaired? The service man I am talking to said that the cradle "just fell apart" when they started working on it and after they replaced it, the arm did the same...

It's hard to imagine that the cradle and arm could have just "fallen apart" without already suffering some kind of damage; we're talking about some major structural parts on the car -- parts that are far from fragile.

I am wondering now if someone at either of the two places I left it to be repaired in the past had someone take a joy ride in it. My husband agreed that it looks like someone took some jumps in it like the guys did in Dukes of Hazzard but I won't ever know most likely...

That's a distinct possibility as well. But as you say, it will be nearly impossible to prove. Is there any other apparent damage (scrapes, gouges, etc.) underneath the car? Something that may indicate the car ran over something solid. Check the oil pan closely if you can; the fact that it started to leak could be more than coincidental...

 

[BJ1941]

It's hard to imagine that the cradle and arm could have just "fallen apart" without already suffering some kind of damage; we're talking about some major structural parts on the car -- parts that are far from fragile.



That's a distinct possibility as well. But as you say, it will be nearly impossible to prove. Is there any other apparent damage (scrapes, gouges, etc.) underneath the car? Something that may indicate the car ran over something solid. Check the oil pan closely if you can; the fact that it started to leak could be more than coincidental...

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The service man at the Chevrolet dealership told me that someone had driven a big bolt through something in that area (I forgot there he said at if he even told me) and that he took a picture to show me. You have been such a magnificent help, making us feel not so alone with this. It started with my a/c fan motor not blowing.........I guess I will know more when I pick it up but my husband said the same thing you did in that parts that heavy on a car don't disintegrate or fall apart "due to age" like this service man said. My son told me to get that car out of there as fast as I can and not go back. I have done business with this dealership since 99' and my car never leaves the garage without me or my husband in it. I do not lend it out. My fear now is that the service man told me I would have to pay for the broken cradle (he got me a used one for $700 he says) but that they would absorb the $800 for the arm. I think this is because they think I will trade it in to them. I mentioned when I first got there with the car that I didn't know what to do with it since it is 20 years old. Took it in for a a/c fan problem, then paid for power steering fluid leak, then they were to fix the oil leak and it went from bad to worse ever since. I had told him he could clean the fuel injectors but now I think I will just take it as soon as I can unless he cleans them before I pick it up. He also suggested new spark plugs and my husband at this point told him no. The service man said he could get me a valuation price on the car which I now know meant he has been working with the used car dept thinking I would trade it and I told him I would not trade it to them. I sure hope he doesn't now try to get the $800 out of me for the arm but he said they had already ordered it before he called. We never had a problem with this dealership until now but I am like you, if the bottom of the vette could fall apart that easily, what in the world happened to a car that stays in the garage? I could have easily been killed if this is truly not a lie. I don't know a mechanic to take with me to the dealership and they won't let you in the garage where they work anyway. I am just so upset over this but talking to you has really helped. Thank you so much. I would have known if that car ran over something solid since the only ones who drives it is mostly me and my husband definitely would have told me if he had been driving and ran over something. We had a Z-28 one time and out of the blue, a bumper fell off a car right in front of us and we could not stop in time to avoid running over it. The car stopped and it tore the oil pan off so I know when happens. We of course had to call a wrecker. I am sure I will be writing more on this. The service man says the car will hopefully be ready by the end of this week (they have to wait on the arm he said). You make a great point about the oil leak because I see no oil in the garage. The only one who touched it before I got it to this dealership was the place where they sell and repair corvettes exclusively and they didn't mention any of this. They did tell me it looked like I had a small oil leak but I wanted to take it in for a second opinion which got me to the dealership. Now I wonder if they could have done it, should I have left it there and not gone to the dealership for the second opinion....so many ifs questions. We never drive the car hardly at all so nothing could have happened to it in months.....until we took it to these two places.:ugh

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Is there any way you could post pics of the defective items? Pretty hard to understand exactly what's going on.

 

[timfitz63]

Is there any way you could post pics of the defective items? Pretty hard to understand exactly what's going on.

I agree. It would be helpful to see the photo the service department of this dealership allegedly took.

I would also tell the dealership that you want to see the parts (cradle & arm) that were removed from your vehicle when you pick it up.

 

[LLC5]

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The service man at the Chevrolet dealership told me that someone had driven a big bolt through something in that area (I forgot there he said at if he even told me) and that he took a picture to show me. You have been such a magnificent help, making us feel not so alone with this. It started with my a/c fan motor not blowing.........I guess I will know more when I pick it up but my husband said the same thing you did in that parts that heavy on a car don't disintegrate or fall apart "due to age" like this service man said. My son told me to get that car out of there as fast as I can and not go back. I have done business with this dealership since 99' and my car never leaves the garage without me or my husband in it. I do not lend it out. My fear now is that the service man told me I would have to pay for the broken cradle (he got me a used one for $700 he says) but that they would absorb the $800 for the arm. I think this is because they think I will trade it in to them. I mentioned when I first got there with the car that I didn't know what to do with it since it is 20 years old. Took it in for a a/c fan problem, then paid for power steering fluid leak, then they were to fix the oil leak and it went from bad to worse ever since. I had told him he could clean the fuel injectors but now I think I will just take it as soon as I can unless he cleans them before I pick it up. He also suggested new spark plugs and my husband at this point told him no. The service man said he could get me a valuation price on the car which I now know meant he has been working with the used car dept thinking I would trade it and I told him I would not trade it to them. I sure hope he doesn't now try to get the $800 out of me for the arm but he said they had already ordered it before he called. We never had a problem with this dealership until now but I am like you, if the bottom of the vette could fall apart that easily, what in the world happened to a car that stays in the garage? I could have easily been killed if this is truly not a lie. I don't know a mechanic to take with me to the dealership and they won't let you in the garage where they work anyway. I am just so upset over this but talking to you has really helped. Thank you so much. I would have known if that car ran over something solid since the only ones who drives it is mostly me and my husband definitely would have told me if he had been driving and ran over something. We had a Z-28 one time and out of the blue, a bumper fell off a car right in front of us and we could not stop in time to avoid running over it. The car stopped and it tore the oil pan off so I know when happens. We of course had to call a wrecker. I am sure I will be writing more on this. The service man says the car will hopefully be ready by the end of this week (they have to wait on the arm he said). You make a great point about the oil leak because I see no oil in the garage. The only one who touched it before I got it to this dealership was the place where they sell and repair corvettes exclusively and they didn't mention any of this. They did tell me it looked like I had a small oil leak but I wanted to take it in for a second opinion which got me to the dealership. Now I wonder if they could have done it, should I have left it there and not gone to the dealership for the second opinion....so many ifs questions. We never drive the car hardly at all so nothing could have happened to it in months.....until we took it to these two places.:ugh

Find out specifically why they are willing to pay $800.00 for the arm, if they are not at fault in any way it sounds a little fishy. Service is not giving you a break for the sales dept. unless you already have a done deal with another car.

I would get the service manager involved if you haven't already, he has the power to make the decisions.

 

[dougelam]

Like Mikey said, request all of your old parts and get pictures!
By law they have to give them to you
AND request a repair history from them, sometimes it will show the vehicles mileage when you dropped it off and when they were done with repairs.

I believe that you would have noticed that the vehicle felt different when leaving the dealership if it was abused enough to break a cradle!

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[BJ1941]

It's hard to imagine that the cradle and arm could have just "fallen apart" without already suffering some kind of damage; we're talking about some major structural parts on the car -- parts that are far from fragile.



That's a distinct possibility as well. But as you say, it will be nearly impossible to prove. Is there any other apparent damage (scrapes, gouges, etc.) underneath the car? Something that may indicate the car ran over something solid. Check the oil pan closely if you can; the fact that it started to leak could be more than coincidental...

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I had a long talk with the Chevrolet dealer where the vette is at right now and I asked to see the picture of where he said that someone drove a bolt through and is what caused the problems on the cradle and the arm. He said it didn't happen recently but what happened, happened at least 8 months or more ago because of the dirt build up, etc. on it. I had the bullet exhausts put on it years ago. I had a rear end collision Dec 2012 where a buy ran into the back of it and caused a little damage under the bumper. I got hit from the front in Oct 2013 when a woman backed into the front of the vette in an SUV which was tall and actually went over the hood of the vette. I see no reason for anyone to be working on the cradle at any of those times. In June of 2016 I had an oil change at the Chevrolet dealer (and when needed before that) and other than that, my car has not been out of my sight. I am going to post the picture the service man sent me. Please enlarge it and look at the crack (it looks like a white crack). I have not ran over anything. The service man said that this could have been someone accidentally driving the bolt through or doing it on purpose but that is what happened. What could they have been working on to do this? I lend it to no one. it stays in the garage. This is such a mystery indeed. Am posting the picture of the damage now.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Am posting the picture of the damage now.

Nothing yet....

 

[BJ1941]

Is there any way you could post pics of the defective items? Pretty hard to understand exactly what's going on.

The service man at the dealership sent me this pic that he took on his cell phone. He said that the damage was done at least 8 months ago or could have been longer. No one has had a reason to work on this car in the area of the oil pan or cradle.

 

[BJ1941]

The service man at the dealership sent me this pic that he took on his cell phone. He said that the damage was done at least 8 months ago or could have been longer. No one has had a reason to work on this car in the area of the oil pan or cradle. Any ideas what happened here? Thank you in advance. View attachment 24537

Please enlarge and look carefully. He said you can see the white crack that occurred.