[Ju1c3dC7]

I've had my 2014 Z51 since Feb '14 and absolutely love it!! Randomly though, I started experiencing vibrations/pulsating while braking normally. While I just had it in to the dealer for the "7,500 maintenance", I told them to check my brakes/rotors as well. They did and diagnosed that my rotors needed to be resurfaced ($199.95). And their reasoning? "Aggressive driving".

1.) My Stingray has never been tracked. It's basically been babied with the occasional display of speed.
2.) They documented that my tire tread was fine.
3.) They documented that all of my brake pads were at 90%.
4.) The car had 6,400 miles on it.
5.) I've never once had to resurface rotors on any of the 12 other vehicles I've owned in my lifetime.

Sooo... 6,000 miles, GOOD tire tread, GOOD brake pads... where is their substantial claim of "aggressive driving", or is that just a convenient claim in order to force me to pay for what I consider a major malfunction in such a new vehicle?

Frankly, I think it's BS and I cannot believe that Chevy would treat a Stingray owner with such negligence. I have already called Chevy's Corporate Customer Service and filed a complaint with them. They actually backed the dealership and said that they wouldn't do anything. Again... BS! My thoughts? #$*& Chevy. I don't need to represent their top of the line vehicle if they don't value my doing so. There are plenty of pretty sports cars out there.

Any thoughts or advice before I contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs and/or call up 7 On Your Side and sick the news crew on the dealership?

Thanks in advance,
Justin

 

[Milliwatt Rob]

Don't go away mad. Just go away. Take your service business to a different dealer. And tell these bozos why. And go up the chain to complain to the Zone manager, or whoever the right person is in the Chevrolet organization.

 

[dpmdc]

Brake pads would go before the rotors...that's the way they are set up. Have them check the wheel bearings and shocks. If the rotors are gone then there is cavitation coming from somewhere but even then, the pads should be the first thing to go.

 

[mjw930]

The rotors aren't warped but they probably need to be cleaned to eliminate pad deposits. Stop tech has a great article that explains this. http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

However, most dealer mechanics have no idea what this is, how it's caused and how to correct it. They only know what they are taught, pulsing is caused by warped rotors, end of story.......

BTW, this is caused by not bedding the brakes properly and is exasperated by "mild" use. Basically it was caused by NOT driving aggressively.

 

[abshapiro]

I second what Mark said and what is explained in the Stoptech article. This may be the cause. I have experienced this on a Chrysler vehicle. In fact it was so bad that a class action lawsuit resulted. It wasn't a recall but Chrysler agreed to install another set of rotors and pads. As the article describes there are 2 types of braking between pad and rotor. Abrasive braking such as sandpaper on wood and deposition braking such as "laying down rubber". During deposition braking pad material chemical bonds are broken and the material adheres to the rotor. As this pad material builds up you start to feel pulsation. The pads have to be abrasive enough to remove this build up. It is a design compromise on how abrasive versus wear and braking ability. Resurfacing the rotor should make the pulsation problem go away. On my Jeep Grand Cherokee the pulsation began at 6000 miles and every 6000 miles thereafter. I joked that I take my car in for an oil change and rotor resurfacing every 6000 miles. I got rid of the Jeep.

 

[rdslon01]

I've had my 2014 Z51 since Feb '14 and absolutely love it!! Randomly though, I started experiencing vibrations/pulsating while braking normally. While I just had it in to the dealer for the "7,500 maintenance", I told them to check my brakes/rotors as well. They did and diagnosed that my rotors needed to be resurfaced ($199.95). And their reasoning? "Aggressive driving".

1.) My Stingray has never been tracked. It's basically been babied with the occasional display of speed.
2.) They documented that my tire tread was fine.
3.) They documented that all of my brake pads were at 90%.
4.) The car had 6,400 miles on it.
5.) I've never once had to resurface rotors on any of the 12 other vehicles I've owned in my lifetime.

Sooo... 6,000 miles, GOOD tire tread, GOOD brake pads... where is their substantial claim of "aggressive driving", or is that just a convenient claim in order to force me to pay for what I consider a major malfunction in such a new vehicle?

Frankly, I think it's BS and I cannot believe that Chevy would treat a Stingray owner with such negligence. I have already called Chevy's Corporate Customer Service and filed a complaint with them. They actually backed the dealership and said that they wouldn't do anything. Again... BS! My thoughts? #$*& Chevy. I don't need to represent their top of the line vehicle if they don't value my doing so. There are plenty of pretty sports cars out there.

Any thoughts or advice before I contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs and/or call up 7 On Your Side and sick the news crew on the dealership?

Thanks in advance,
Justin

Justin, please tell us all here (especially for us other Bay Area folks) which dealership you have been dealing with. Thank you.

 

[tmcternan]

No comment on rounding up a lynching party or making the dealership pay..... Figure there's a couple of options here. Mark brought up a valid explanation of the cause and solution, which is the most valuable point here. Sometimes we don't get the results we're looking for by displaying anger and hostility, in fact, quite the opposite. We witnessed one of our members exercise California's Lemon Law to force GM to buy their car back, perhaps a little prematurely and they're doing without a car they otherwise loved all this time. What? All over pulsating brakes? If you love everything else about the car, then address the issue and get it fixed. If the problem was caused by you either being not aggressive enough or too aggressive, then change what you can and call it good. Don't shoot yourself in the foot to prove a point. Too many people in California get on this kick of "Educating" others or getting "Even" and expend far more energy on issues that they deserve. Just get the damn thing fixed and enjoy the car. $199.95 can be quickly forgotten about in the bigger picture.

 

[elegant]

Justin, you also have the option of progressively escalating your dealer's first round denial of warranty through the steps listed in your owners manual, sections 13.1-13.4.

 

[Ragtop]

I agree this should have been addressed under warranty. I had a similar issue with my Saturn when it was new, and they replaced the rotors under warranty. Never had the issue again.

I assume these were not Z51 rotors, not that it makes a difference.

 

[Chip]

Look at this thread Post #165:http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/stingray-corvette-problems-issues/1950-some-issues-i-am-seeing-17.html

 

[Ju1c3dC7]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses.

I'll read that StopTech article in depth tonight, check out the manual sections 13.1-13.4, and I'll set up an appointment at another dealership when I get a chance. (the one I was using was Dublin Chevrolet) They are Z51 rotors and I don't really feel like making this a "every 5,000 mile requirement". Are there any better rotors or pads that I could have installed to eliminate this issue for me?

Also, I'm not crazy enough to Lemon Law it, and most of my anger/frustration isn't even the car, but the service (or lack there of) from the company that should be taking care of me. Would Lexus treat me the same under the same conditions? Would Porsche treat me the same under the same conditions? 13 vehicles owned and this is my first Chevy. And now it's more than likely my last Chevy. ...and my family's last Chevy. ...and my kid's won't buy Chevy, etc. All over a simple $199.95 fix. Do I have two hundred bucks? Of course!! But that's not what this is about.

Thanks again for your time and concern. It is helpful.
-Justin

 

[jsvette]

Ju1c3dC7 I can appreciate your extreme dissatisfaction with the way your current dealer has handled this. A different dealer would have hopefully taken a better approach and resolved your issue to your satisfaction. Consider some of the less extreme suggestions here (like asking Chevrolet Customer Care to help) and hopefully you can get your brakes and car back to performing properly. It would be unfortunate for this event to permanently color your perception of your Stingray to the degree that " now it's more than likely my last Chevy. ...and my family's last Chevy. ...and my kid's won't buy Chevy, etc. All over a simple $199.95 fix."

 

[abshapiro]

Justin -

I'm in Livermore. Dublin Chevrolet is the closest dealership to my house (about 8 miles away) but I had 3 bad experiences with Dublin Chevrolet and 1 with their subsidiary Fremont Chevrolet. I will never do business with them again. I'm using Abel Chevrolet in Rio Vista. This is about a 1 hour drive but I have been pleased with their service. They specialize in Corvettes.

Art

 

[rdslon01]

Ah, Dublin Chevrolet... Now you have told us so much. Right Suzy Cruisy? Suzy loves them like so many others do, right?

Go somewhere else to get your service done.

 

[tmcternan]

Justin- Just as Jeff has indicated, don't over react to the situation and allow any of this to change your perception of an entire product line as the result of one particular dealership. Art mentioned Abel Chevrolet in Rio Vista, which is a great choice and more than likely the best choice to resolve an issue like this. I'm going to try local dealerships nearest me after I take delivery for convenience sake, however Abel will be my fist choice even though they're further away, should I encounter any problems. Set up options for yourself with plans A, B, C and D. Just a thought mind you, but we're all aware the brakes are built by BREMBO right? Well, why don't you give Brembo a shout and describe the problem you're running into..... Brakes are their business ya know..... They might even be able to provide you with information as to a fix the dealerships might not be aware of. Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Be sure to PM me with the results?

 

[mjw930]

Honestly, I don't see this as a warranty claim considering this is a performance car that requires more care and feeding than a family sedan but had the dealership known what the real problem was and discussed it, along with how to prevent it from recurring this whole thread probably wouldn't exist. Regardless, to your question, would Porsche have treated you the same. The answer is a guarded yes. They don't warranty brake components without determining the true cause and most know about the cause and effect of proper bedding so the conversation would have been different but the outcome probably the same, you would be out of pocket a few $$$.

Regarding different pads, Carbotech carbon/ceramic pads will greatly reduce this effect but for them to be effective the rotors need to be clean. A light surface abrasion to clean the old pad material followed by the Carbotech pads and a proper bedding would make this whole discussion moot.

 

[Tbak]

Unfortunately I am "happy" that I have found someone else with the same problem I am having. I also have a 2014 C7 with the Z51 package and have had my car in the shop 3 times for warped rotors. It occurs every 2000 miles like clockwork. The dealer has been GREAT at helping me howver the response from the Corvette team is that I must be driving too hard. This is not the case, I commute 16 miles on a Southern California freeway. I have never taken the car to a track. They keep telling me that I am the ONLY ONE that has experienced any brake issues. I really can't think of what would cause this to reoccur with such regularity but it is very frustrating to have such an amazing car with this problem. Perhaps others will come forward and we can get to a resolution.

Troy

 

[Ju1c3dC7]

I'm sitting at Abel Chevrolet as I type this.

They took my Stingray in the day after I called and spoke to them about my rotor issue. The fronts were so bad, they could feel it with their hands. They turned the rotors to resurface them, free of charge. And... IF this occurs again within the next 3,000 miles... then they will look at just replacing the rotors altogether.

This... THIS is customer service and how I should have been treated back at Dublin Chevrolet.

 

[jsvette]

I'm sitting at Abel Chevrolet as I type this.

They took my Stingray in the day after I called and spoke to them about my rotor issue. The fronts were so bad, they could feel it with their hands. They turned the rotors to resurface them, free of charge. And... IF this occurs again within the next 3,000 miles... then they will look at just replacing the rotors altogether.

This... THIS is customer service and how I should have been treated back at Dublin Chevrolet.

Thanks for posting and pleased it is turning out that way. Kudos to Abel Chevrolet.

 

[Tony B]

I have the same problem with my 2014 C7. I picked mine up from the museum. Did everything correct in the break in period. I have 13k miles on my car. I am on my 3rd set of rotors. Dealership...Coughlin Chevrolet in Pataskala, Ohio...says the rotors are warped. They say it is from aggressive driving....I drive my Vette just like I have driven my other Vettes...C4 and C5. Houston we have a problem...something is not right here. This should not be happening on a new car....3 sets of rotors....come on.

Unfortunately I am "happy" that I have found someone else with the same problem I am having. I also have a 2014 C7 with the Z51 package and have had my car in the shop 3 times for warped rotors. It occurs every 2000 miles like clockwork. The dealer has been GREAT at helping me howver the response from the Corvette team is that I must be driving too hard. This is not the case, I commute 16 miles on a Southern California freeway. I have never taken the car to a track. They keep telling me that I am the ONLY ONE that has experienced any brake issues. I really can't think of what would cause this to reoccur with such regularity but it is very frustrating to have such an amazing car with this problem. Perhaps others will come forward and we can get to a resolution.

Troy