Chevrolet Dealership Drops Woman’s Truck Off a Lift and Damages It. Then She Tries to Get Them to Fix It

• Chevrolet

Leaving your vehicle in the care of an automotive service center can be a scary prospect. After all, you’re entrusting a costly, integral part of your life to a group of strangers. Hopefully, you’re able to find a team of technicians you trust who are able to perform dependable, high-quality work.

But mistakes do happen, and sometimes, they’re colossal ones that end up destroying your ride. That’s what this woman says happened to her family’s GMC Sierra pick-up truck when it fell off a lift at a dealership after it was brought in to be worked on. 

TikTok user Lindsey (@myfloridafarmhome) detailed the extent of the damage in a viral clip that’s accrued over 3.8 million views. In the video, the truck’s cab has been separated from its bed and has been torn from the frame. Parts are strewn across the floor of the shop, and the truck’s internals are entirely exposed. Furthermore, there are fluid stains beneath the vehicle, and the end result looks like the aftermath of a vehicle driving over a roadside bomb.

Dealership Response

In a follow-up clip, Lindsey delineated how she was “at a loss for what to do in this situation.” Furthermore, she added that the insurance companies she spoke with didn’t know the best way to handle the damage the Murphy, North Carolina, Chevrolet dealership had done. She went on to state that her family purchased the truck in 2020, along with an extended warranty, and that it recently started experiencing issues. After locating a dealership that would actually accept the extended warranty she purchased, she brought the car in for repairs.

Initially, the dealership thought the issue was a faulty wiring harness, which service techs swapped out. They returned the truck “after a few weeks,” Lindsey said. Unfortunately, the work didn’t fix the problem with the car, and the GMC Sierra 1500 would randomly shut off whenever she drove up an incline.

New Wiring Harness

Again, Lindsey was informed that the truck needed yet another wiring harness and that it would be installed in a different way to ensure the issue was resolved. Her family was given a loaner vehicle, and after a few weeks, a general manager from the dealership called to inform them of the accident. According to the manager, the truck had fallen off the lift in the middle of the night. Furthermore, the dealership worker said that the shop cameras didn’t catch the accident when it happened, and workers thought the truck was totaled.

Additionally, Lindsey said the Chevy employee told her the dealership would be submitting the claim to its own insurance provider, and someone would be reaching out to her with the next steps. However, Lindsey said she was ultimately given the run around, as no one reached out to her family, and getting in touch with anyone at the Chevy dealership was difficult. She said she managed to get a hold of someone at the business the following day, and she requested to speak with the dealership’s owner to discuss how to handle the situation.

Moreover, Lindsey said that she had 0% financing on the truck, which had 65,000 miles on it. Also, her family had planned on keeping the vehicle long after it was paid off to ensure that they didn’t have a car payment. 

She said that after driving 45 minutes to the dealership, the owner couldn’t have cared less about her situation. She added that the Chevy dealer said she would be paid the value of a 2020 GMC Sierra with 65,000 miles. However, she notes that the accident put her and her family in a “hard situation,” as they were without a car for a month. Not to mention, she had purchased the car brand new and meticulously took care of it with on-time service appointments. Given this, she didn’t want to buy a used truck that may have issues down the road. 

“Basically Told Me to Lawyer Up”

Lindsey went on to say that the dealership owner told her he was a lawyer and that he welcomed any contact with her legal representative regarding the matter. Despite the massive damage sustained to the vehicle and the dealership’s initial assertion that the vehicle was totaled, Lindsey said she received a text from the dealership indicating that its insurance company instructed it to repair the vehicle.

However, the TikToker wasn’t receptive to this recommendation, as she believes the car is totaled, and everyone she’s shown pictures to has agreed. What’s more is that she says her own insurance company advised against filing a claim, as her monthly premiums would go up. The ordeal, she argues, has put her and her family at a loss as to what they should do next, as they don’t want to get someone else’s used truck that may not have been as fastidiously maintained. Repairing a car that was almost certainly totaled didn’t bode well with her either, especially since she didn’t want the incident on the car’s vehicle history report if she wanted to sell it in the future.

Recommendations

Numerous folks who replied to Lindsey’s video all stated that the dealership should give her family a new vehicle. One wrote, “That dealership owes you a brand new truck point blank period.” Whereas another stated, “Their truck fell off the lift. your truck is the new one you haven’t picked out in the front row of new trucks.”

Another TikTok user who said they used to work for Chevrolet recommended that she reach out to GM North America to attempt to rectify the situation. “As a former service manager for Chevy, call GM North America customer relations. They will handle it,” they penned.

Someone else shared how the Toyota dealership they worked at ended up handling a situation where a Tundra pick-up ended up falling from a lift. “I worked at a Toyota dealership for 28 yrs. A customer Tundra fell off our lift, and the owner of the dealership gave the customer a brand new Tundra truck. Customer was a veterinarian who used his truck as a travel clinic for farm animals. The dealership paid to transfer his truck bed boxes to the new truck. It took less than 48 hrs. to complete,” they wrote.

What to Do if a Service Center Damages Your Car?

According to Legal Clarity, there are a few steps folks should be sure to follow in the event an auto service center causes harm to their vehicle. First, as with any potential insurance claim, the legal resource urges folks to thoroughly document any and all damage. This includes photographic evidence of the harm, along with a written statement from the auto service center acknowledging the scope of the damage caused to one’s car.

Additionally, any receipts, quotes, and other pertinent materials delineating the nature of the work and failure to care for your property will aid in your claim. Legal Clarity goes on to state that “when a vehicle is left with a dealership for service, the dealer has a legal obligation to return it in the same condition it was received.” The outlet clarifies that the only difference in the condition of one’s car should be the “agreed-upon” repairs a vehicle was brought in for.

When it comes to the burden of insurance claims and expenditures, Legal Clarity also states that “the dealership’s garage liability insurance usually covers repair costs.” This was corroborated by Insurance Navy, a coverage provider that touts “low cost auto insurance” plans for customers. ”Dealerships typically have garage keeper’s liability insurance, which covers damages to customer vehicles while in custody,” it states.

However, Insurance Navy also noted that the particulars of service agreements should be scrutinized by customers. In the same write-up, the company said that ironing down “Negligence or Fault” along with the “Circumstances of the Damage” is vital. Furthermore, the provider also stated that if there are disagreements between how a dealership intends to handle an insurance claim, seeking legal counsel may be necessary.

A former dealership worker who damaged a customer’s vehicle shared how their previous employer handled the situation in a Slash Gear article. In that case, the worker, manager, and customer worked together to fix the damage for free, and “everyone went home happy.” The worker also urged folks to consider leaving bad online reviews from the get-go in order to use them as a bargaining chip, as the company will likely want to protect its reputation.

Motor1 has reached out to General Motors via email and Lindsey via Instagram direct message for further comment.