Deal brokered to get Saab warranty service honored at GM dealers

Mon, 24 Dec 2012

When Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn were killed off, at least current owners never had to question where they would have to take their vehicle in case it needed to be serviced. The same couldn't be said for Saab owners... until now. General Motors and Saab Automobile Parts North America (the remaining entity of the bankrupted automaker) have signed an agreement that provides 179 service centers to current Saab owners to receive factory-trained technicians and official Saab replacement parts.

These warranty service providers will have all the tools, training and parts to maintain and repair Saab vehicles, and they will also have access to a technical assistance center for the technicians. Next year, SPNA will also set up a customer assistance center, which will likely be most useful in helping current owners find repair shows, as well as a program called Saab Secure to give added service support to owners of late model (2010 and 2011 model year) Saab vehicles. Finally, to make sure customers have a sufficient parts supply to keep their cars on the road, SPNA operates out of a 153,000 square foot warehouse in Michigan that has the ability to ship more than 3,000 parts orders per day.

GM's official press release on the agreement is posted after the jump.

Saab Automobile Parts North America and General Motors Company Enter Warranty Services Agreement

Covered owners can now take their Saab vehicles to any of the 179 SPNA Warranty Service Providers to have warranty work performed
Agreement commenced December 17, 2012
Technical and Customer Assistance support will be offered to ensure Saab expertise is available in North America

DETROIT, Dec. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Saab Automobile Parts North America (SPNA), the exclusive provider of Saab Genuine Parts and Accessories to the U.S. and Canadian markets, and General Motors Company (GM) have entered into a Warranty Services Agreement that authorizes SPNA to provide warranty administration and related services through Saab's network of Warranty Service Providers for model year 2009 and prior Saab vehicles still covered under the GM limited warranty. The agreement permits Saab owners the opportunity to have their vehicles repaired by Saab factory trained technicians using Saab Genuine Parts by a nationwide network of Warranty Service Providers.

Tim Colbeck, President and CEO of Saab Automobile Parts North America, said: "Our agreement with General Motors is an important step in supporting Saab owners in North America and ensuring they have access to Saab Genuine Parts, service programs and technical support for years to come."

The transition of warranty administration services from GM to SPNA commenced on December 17, 2012. Geographically, the agreement covers all of the United States and Canada. It will not affect GM's original manufacturer limited warranty coverage. All scheduled maintenance, roadside assistance, loaner vehicle allowances and Certified Pre-Owned coverage remain in effect.

Saab Warranty Service Providers will have a Saab dedicated claims processing team and access to technical experts to assist with the timely completion of necessary maintenance and repairs. To ensure Saab expertise is available in North America, the agreement calls for a Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to be established. The TAC line will be available to all Warranty Service Providers requiring technical support from the SPNA team of experts. The Saab Warranty Services Agreement provides for the best overall customer ownership experience.

The agreement also calls for the establishment of a North America Customer Assistance Center (CAC). All Saab owners will benefit from the CAC which will be available for customer facing interactions early next year.

In addition, SPNA will be launching their Saab Secure program in early 2013, providing limited service support to model year '10 and '11 owners.

Saab Automobile Parts North America commenced operations in June 2012. The company is headquartered in Michigan and is responsible for the warehousing, distribution and sale of Saab Genuine Parts and Accessories for all Saab vehicles in the United States and Canada. The company distributes parts and accessories from its 153,000 sq. / ft. warehouse through its nationwide network of Official Service Centers and Warranty Service Providers. With over 50,000 part numbers and over 70,000 parts, the company can ship over 3,000 order lines each day.

By Jeffrey N. Ross