My car would not start, so I charged the battery over night, then drove the car into the service department the following morning, 10/01/07.
Upon arrival, a service advisor (a slender, dark haired male whose name is not listed on the invoice) looked at the car�s dashboard and filled out a form stating that the dash security light is lit and that both the battery and alternator need to be tested.
Minutes later, I watched as a mechanic (male with long blonde hair) plugged an electronic hand-held diagnostic unit into the vehicle beneath the steering wheel. When finished, he walked over to me and stated that he received three trouble codes from the car relating to the car�s power.
Several minutes later, after the mechanic tested the alternator, the �unnamed� service advisor informed me that that both the alternator and battery were defective and needed to be replaced.
Around 3:00 PM the same day, I received a phone call from a male service advisor (not sure whom) and was told he just received the alternator from Hurst and that the repairs would not be completed until the following morning.
The next morning, 10/02/07, I received another call from a male service advisor (not sure whom) and was told he had �some bad news.� Both the alternator and battery were replaced, but now �all the lights on the dashboard are going crazy� and that the �BCM� needs to be replaced.
The next day, afternoon of 10/03/07, when I arrived to pick up the car, I spoke with two service advisors, Mike Deergear (who acted as a member of management) and the initial �unnamed� service advisor.
I asked them why I was not informed on 10/01, when I first brought in the car, that the BCM was defective. Mike said that they didn�t know it was �fried� until both the alternator and battery were both replaced and that the mechanic had not received a trouble code using the diagnostic unit until after the initial repairs.
These assertions are absurd, because on 10/01, I was informed three trouble codes had been received, but nothing about a �BCM� was mentioned.
Next, I asked both advisors what a BCM does. They said it controls many of the electronic functions of the car such as the horn, headlights, and dashboard warning lights.
This too indicates foul play, because when I initially drove in the car on 10/01, all aforementioned functions were operating as normal. The only thing odd with the car�s electronics, was that the �security� dashboard light was constantly lit. I informed the advisors that this light has been on for about the last six months and that other service advisors and mechanics have commented on it, but never diagnosed why it was so (except for tires, all maintenance and repairs have been performed at Saturn of Mesquite).
Also, in a dishonest attempt to explain why all of a sudden the BCM was found to be defective a day after the car was dropped off; Mike said the diagnostic device was not used on the car until the next day. When I reminded him I personally observed it being used and discussed it�s results with the mechanic on the morning I brought the car in, he recanted his claim.
Next, he told me that I had �fried� the BCM myself by charging the battery overnight and that the battery was literally smoking when the car was brought in.
Both of these claims are blatantly false. When I brought the car in, none of the symptoms of a bad BCM were evident to either me or the unnamed advisor (erratic headlights, horn, etc).in addition, the battery never �smoked.� I even asked the unnamed advisor right then and there if he witnessed any smoke and he honestly replied, �no.�
My wife and I believe one of two fraudulent acts took place: Either the BCM was never defective or the BCM was damaged while in Saturn of Mesquite�s custody.
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