Fan clutch bad (2 times) at 39,000 and now 42,700 miles.
I love this SUV. Good ride (bad seats) but still like it. Just hating the fan-clutch issues.
GMC Envoy 2002 SLE, already replaced the fan-clutch at 39000 miles. It cost me close to $800 ($300+ for the new fan and $400+ for labor). The dealer installed "the new computer software". Anyway, now at 42700 miles, fan-clutch, the thermotast (this blew up) are broken.
The bad news, I shipped this Envoy to the Dominican Republic (already talking to the local Dealer). My question to all is, in observation of all the fan-clutch problems, does this require a RECALL? Now that I know about so many people having this problem, either the dealer and GMC refund me for the first fan-clutch and repair or replace with current one, OR I will definitely SUE them.
Has anyone taken this action? Thanks, jmaldo68@gmail.com
Most recalls are based on safety-related problems. The fan clutch isn't safety related, so it won't force a recall unless it's done voluntarily by the manufacturer. Don't count on that.
Cars break; it's just something to deal with. If your car is out of warranty, you're responsible for the repairs. Perhaps you can get some compensation for the second repair, but otherwise, it's on your dime.
Be professional when talking to the dealer about it. Don't barge in there shouting "recall" and "sue". Be an adult and discuss it rationally, and perhaps they will go your way.
"Be professional?" Seriously. That's your advice? Have you read about the thousands of posts on this issue? Apparently these clutches began going out ON '02s IN '02. But hey, it's 'normal.'
I am a huge Chevy/GM supporter, but this is ridiculous. Of course cars break. Nothing lasts forever, but no OEM fan clutch design should fail on hundreds or thousands of vehicles before it even hits 50k. Sure, it's not a safety issue, and it's no longer under warranty, but it is certainly BAD design! This gives them a very bad image, and that is certainly something they should care about the way domestic design and sales have been lately. Their image and reliability has gone further and further down hill the past 20-30 years, and it really makes me wonder how loyal a customer I will be in the future. I never expected to ever buy a foreign car, but if this is how I can expect GM's reliability and customer service to be from now on, I will certainly consider it. THEY, are being FAR from 'professional,' and last I checked, they were the ones WE are paying. You buy a product with a certain expectation of quality, and I am just not seeing it lately.
But, hey, thanks for the 'be kind' attitude. I'm sure it will get him far, since it didn't work for the dealer service departments dealing with this 'normal' issue under warranty. They didn't care under warranty; they certainly won’t care at 42,000 miles, but thanks for the tip. Don't worry - I know I'm not being especially pleasant. Maybe I wouldn't be so upset if I weren't so darned loyal to begin with, but hey, just like quality, opinions and purchasing choices change. I expect to get nothing when I call the dealer tomorrow, no matter my attitude, but hey, at least I won't be disappointed.
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