New Hampshire man still waiting on GM replacement part over 1 year after collision
A New Hampshire man has been waiting for a part for his Chevrolet Silverado Duramax for more than a year following a collision that occurred two months after purchasing it, according to a New Hampshire news report from WGME 13.
The report says that John Rice expected to be back on the road a few weeks after his 2024 collision but a repair shop has been waiting for a replacement wire harness for the truck.
“It’s in pieces in storage because you can’t put it back together until you get that harness,” Rice told the news station. “They sent two experts out from Detroit, they got on the vehicle, scratched their heads and said ‘Wow, we got a problem.'”
Jason Leavitt, of J&T Autobody in Maine, told the news station Chevrolet has sent five separate wire harnesses over the past 18 months but none have fit the truck.
“The whole time I’ve done body work, I’ve never had an issue like that,” Leavitt said. “Being a company that size, you would think they would at least have a couple laying around for incidents that happen.”
Rice told the TV station that he’s been told there are no properly fitting harnesses available. He added that Chevrolet has warned him the warranty on the vehicle will be void if he uses a recycled part or non-genuine part.
The truck owner has written a complaint to GM’s CEO and filed a complaint with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
Chevrolet has begun covering half of his monthly truck payments while the vehicle remains unusable, Rice said.
Rice, however, told the TV station that he feels the company owes him more.
“There is no federal law requiring automakers to keep crash replacement parts in stock for a set amount of time,” the news report says. “Manufacturers are typically required to provide parts within a reasonable timeframe only when it involves a recall or certain warranty claims — neither of which applies in this case, as this stems from crash damage rather than a defect.”
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office told the news station they are actively working on the case.
GM did not respond to questions sent by the news station.
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