Back in December 2022, the gentleman in the video below purchased a brand-new Z06 from Covina Hills Chevrolet in California. The owner – Marco Garcia – ponied up $50,000 over the sticker price of $113,975.
Including documentation fees and other charges, the black-painted 1LZ totaled in excess of $182,000, according to Garcia. On the drive home, the check engine light came on, and the engine started making expensive-sounding rattling noises. The super sports car broke down on the side of the highway with 52 miles (nearly 84 kilometers) on the clock. A Stingray owner, Marco Garcia is well acquainted with the break-in procedures for the C8, and he never pushed the car hard during those first 52 miles.
He did mention gentle pulls on the highway, which is fine based on what the owner’s manual says about breaking in the Z06. The dealer couldn’t tow the vehicle back that evening, and OnStar didn’t help either. Alas, the owner had to tow the Z06 to a construction yard that night.
OnStar sent a tow truck the following day, but for some reason or another, the driver said that he wasn’t authorized to return the Z06 to the selling dealer. The 1LZ eventually arrived at Covina Hills Chevrolet, and Garcia said that he was done with the car. General Motors corporate immediately contacted him to make amends for the engine’s breakdown and the unhelpful dealer, giving the gentleman a grand total of three options.
As expected of a brand-new car with a bumper-to-bumper warranty, a full refund was the first option presented to Garcia. The biggest of the Big Three in Detroit also proposed a replacement Z06 in the exact same black-over-red spec as his, but the replacement car would take six months to build. Last but not least, the winning option was to replace the LT6.
Garcia didn’t want to wait six months for a brand-spanking new vehicle, which is why he picked the replacement engine. General Motors corporate gave him a two-month estimate, which goes to show that the Performance Build Center is a little understaffed. Each LT6 takes 3.5 hours to build, according to assistant plant manager Nora Roper. “I'm just bummed about having to wait two additional months,” said Garcia, “but that gives me time to start ordering all the parts that I need for my new Z06 build.”
Given the amount of time Garcia has to wait for his Z06 to get a replacement LT6, he was offered an undisclosed discount. This alone explains why the first and second videos about his less-than-ideal experience with the Z06 and Covina Hills Chevrolet are now set to private. What’s more, General Motors corporate also threw in plenty of bumper-to-bumper coverage.
If you were in Garcia's shoes, what option would you have picked?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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