Chevrolet Customer Service, Louis stated that the actuator was the likely culprit.. why didn't you investigate that before taking it in to the dealer?

The Dealership is in the business to sell and service cars that does include making money off the deal.
Would you want the company or business you work for giving away its services?


Looks like GM Parts Direct has the actuator listed for about $40 bucks...

 

Sorry to hear about your problem i had the same issue with dentist the other day didnt have time to brush teeth and now he charged me for filling cavity and teeth cleaning everybody is just out to make a buck!

 

try being an auto tech for a living and you'll see a lot of the time customers make out really well whether you think its fair or not.

Most shops you get paid a set time, run into rust or another unknown its your paycheck that suffers if you can't meet time, not the customer.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear enough...of course anyone in a business has to charge for their work...any 12 year old knows that.

My points were "going to a dealer" and that "the charge was way over the top for a a brief simple fix to what apparently is a known poor design problem". If they'd have charged $150-$200 that would have been one thing...but $400 is absurd.

The flip side of the business equation is that consumers can also decide where they take their future business, and it won't be there again for sure...so I hope they got all the profit they wanted on this trip.

Thanks...

 

My 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer is at the dealership right now because air will not come out of the air conditioner face vents after a battery change. They just called me and said it would be $380 to replace the actuator. You would think that GM would notice that this is a common problem and cover it as the factory defect that it is. We are long-time Chevrolet customers, however, something like this makes me think we may look in another direction for our next new vehicle.

 

Yes, total ripoff...GM is a dinosaur !
And just think, we also gave them hundreds of billions of our tax dollars.

A 30 minute job to unplug and plug-in a little $30 servo under the dash for $400.00 is utterly obscene.

I sent a memo to the general manager of the dealership, documenting everything, and explaining that I hoped all the profit he made off that incident was enough because I'd never have service work done there again. (and I haven't)
I also mentioned that both my Daughter and her Husband were planning on getting new cars that year (2012) and I had advised them not only to avoid his dealership, but to steer clear of GM altogether (and they did).

And when I replace my Trailblazer in the near future, rest assured it will not be with a Chevrolet product.

Sorry you had the same problem / failure / repair ripoff...happens all the time.

 

Amazing. Way to be uninformed and angry.

It's not a $30 part, it's $85 GM list

It's not a 30 minute job, its 4.7 hours per AllData

Some folks have been able to do it faster on their own. You said you were doing research I'm sure you saw how much trouble it is to replace.

 

Your reply and attitude sounds like that of a 12 year old...the last half of your 'ID' certainly fits.


Everybody knows car dealers charge obscenely marked up prices on their parts...it was a $30 part...max...but of course they charged almost $100.
And I was out of there in less than an hour Einstein...$400 labor.


I hope GM made plenty of profit on that service, because I haven't been back since and have no plans to.
In addition, both my daughter and her husband decided to get new cars the following year and I made sure they did not buy Chevrolet.

 

When the key is turned off the HVAC it defaults to Vent mode and when the battery is replaced often the HVAC locks up in a mode where air will go to the floor and/or the defrost but not the AC vents. In 2006 there is no off position for the heater ac unit it's all temp control so I think it's the Fan. I had my Battery go dead and the same issue arose; I had it replaced. Try this: First make sure that the AC vents are selected then disconnect the ground from the car's Battery for 2 min's. Go to the drivers side rear seat and lift it to find the fuse box. Remove all of the fuses that refer to the heater ac unit (HVAC). Then re-connect the battery and re-install the fusses, start the car and let run for 2 mins then turn on the HVAC. Generally this will reset the HVAC unit, 50/50 chance this will work and it can be repeated. If not the unit can be reprogramed at the dealer for around $130.00 anything much more is a rip off take it elsewhere.