warranty repair-No parts available!!

[PeteVX]

OK, i've posted several months ago about a diff whine whilst coasting, local dealership has had the vehicle in 3 times only to find parts missing so they couldn't complete the dif rebuild.

This has been going on about 4 months now, they were waiting for the missing part (carrier bearing) to arrive from Isuzu in Japan, there arent any in the USA.

I'm told today that there arent any carrier bearings anywhere in the world and they are waiting for it to be manufactured with no indication how long that might me....weeks, months or years.

I'm a patient guy but am beginning to feel my patience being taken advantage of.

What should i do???

Pete

[thedutchguy]

I think someone is pulling your leg!

[Dallas4u]

I'd tend to agree. I'm not really sure EXACTLY what they are calling a "carrier bearing", but a little research states it's basically what aligns your driveshaft with your transmission and diffy.

That being said, AutoZone lists one (not sure if it is the one your dealer is talking about) for something like $25. I would think you could find one for a Trooper somewhere as well (assuming they are the same part number).

[Anita]

That sounds bogus. Why dont you call St Charles Isuzu and ask them if the part is available. IF it is, you may want to order it from them and take it to your dealer. St. Charles has helped many a VX owner out.

St. Charles parts dept. (http://isuzu.stcharlesauto.com/Department-Parts.aspx)

It sounds like your dealer is stalling. IMHO

[Ldub]

A couple of free calls to different dealers (having the part # would be helpful) will tell you if your "service" mgr. is blowin smoke or not.
As Dallas said, you should be able to cross reference to another brand...but being warranty, they'll probably insist on genuine Isuzu replacements.

St. Charles Isuzu : 1-800-727-8066 (Merlin)

Wentz Isuzu 1-800-937-9368 (Lee)

Good Luck, Ldub

[Ldub]

Sorry Anita,
You're too quick for me. I haven't tried St. Charles yet, but have heard many favorable comments.
Wentz (in Bismarck) has always treated me right & would be a good place to comparison shop.

Ldub

[PeteVX]

I just called St Charles Isuzu spoke to a very helpful guy called Merlin, he siad also the description was vague, but if its the axle carrier bearings they have them and gave me the part number and said they would be happy to supply my local dealership with them.

Called local dealership again, turns out they weren't missing the bearings after all but the final gearset and a seal so i got the part numbers from them.

Called my guy Merlin again who worked his magic (sorry but i couldn't resist!!!!) he found 25 of the seals in stock at Isuzu's warehouse in Ohio and the gearset available at two dealerships in Florida and Mass gave me telephone numbers and everything.

Called the dealer in Florida, they confirmed they have it and would be happy to send it to my local dealership.

Called my dealership and gave them the names and numbers to call.

Sooo i've been waiting almost 4 months for these parts had my car in the shop 3 times and lost count of how many calls i've made and all it took me was 30 minutes on the phone to get everything lined up.

I'm not sure what to make of that!

I guess if you want something done, do it your bloody self!!

Also St Charles Isuzu are the stars here, big thumbs up to them.

Pete

[Dallas4u]

Get a rope.

Find a new dealer (if possible). Looks like they don't like warranty work (not many do!).

Nice find. Hope you get the VX back ASAP!!!

[Ldub]

Pete,

Which dealer are you using, MSP. is about the same dist. from me as Bismarck & a lot more fun when you get there.
I wanna know which one to avoid if I need work done in the future.

Thanks, Ldub

[PeteVX]

Jim Lupient is the dealership, they are 5 mins from my house.

I have to say that the last time my VX was in and again the parts were missing they were very apologetic and did promise a free loaner vehicle when they try again, so i'm not sure what to make of them, it could just be a lazy parts manager who couldn't be bothered to find the parts but someone, somewhere along the line definitely dropped the ball.

There's a saying...'you're only as good as your last job' that comes to mind.

This is the first time i've dealt with them though previous experiences dealing with any kind of garage/auto shop has been hit and miss at best. It is really tough to find a good reliable and honest shop and when faced with warranty issues your choices are somewhat limited, add to that a very unhelpful and unco-operative Isuzu HQ and, well.....

All I can say is that this board/forum makes owning my VX a much more enjoyable experience, its like auto therapy and its FREE!!!

How great is that???

[kpaske]

As much as I'd love to have the insurance of not having to pay should anything go wrong with my VX, I'm sorry to say that I'm actually glad my warranty ran out a long time ago. I do pretty much all my own work now, and it makes me all the more attentive to regular maintenance. I've learned a tremendous amount about vehicles just in the last few years and am happy to say that my '99 still looks and runs nearly as good as when I bought it.

You were smart to follow up with your dealer though. They owe you better service than that, but if you aren't getting it, it's time to play hardball. They are required by law to fix your vehicle as long as it's in warranty! Do everything you can to get what is owed to you.

Thanks for sharing the information. You may save another VXer some trouble in the future.