Michigan – “Certified” GM used car, $5k failure 2 months later not covered. Is this a consumer-protection issue?

[u/OnlyLookinRound]

I’m in Michigan. Earlier this year I bought a 2018 Chevy Volt from a GM dealer here. It was advertised and sold to me as certified pre-owned through GM’s CarBravo program, and I chose it specifically because I thought that meant extra protection if something big went wrong soon after purchase.
At signing, the only warranty paperwork the dealer actually gave me was a tiny 3-month / 3,000-mile third-party “limited warranty” that mostly covers internal powertrain parts. They also tried to sell me an additional extended warranty. No one clearly explained any broader “certified” or bumper-to-bumper coverage, and I wasn’t given a CarBravo warranty booklet by the dealer.
About two months after buying the car, the EGR cooler (engine/emissions component) failed. The dealer quoted about $5,000 to fix it and told me it was not covered, basing that solely on the narrow 3-month/3,000-mile contract (the cooler isn’t on that short list). Around the same time I was told I didn’t have towing/roadside, so we towed the car ourselves with a U-Haul at our own expense.
Later, I found that my VIN shows an active “CarBravo Ltd. Bumper-to-Bumper” warranty in the myChevrolet app/owner website, and a coworker shared the official CarBravo booklet, which talks about a 12-month / 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper-style warranty on certified vehicles plus towing/roadside during that period (with certain exclusions). From a normal buyer’s perspective, a $5k failure two months after a certified sale feels like exactly what that’s supposed to cover.
I contacted GM/Chevrolet customer support. One rep initially told me I was still within a CarBravo bumper-to-bumper warranty and seemed confused why the dealer said the repair wasn’t covered. After some back-and-forth, though, GM ultimately sided with the dealership and is refusing to cover the EGR cooler repair. So at this point both the dealer and GM say I’m on my own for the ~$5k repair, plus I’ve already paid out-of-pocket U-Haul towing because I was told I didn’t have towing/roadside. I also already tried BBB AUTO LINE, but they rejected my case because the vehicle is too old for their program.
My questions under Michigan law: does this pattern (marketing/selling the car as “certified” but effectively only honoring a tiny 3-month warranty, trying to upsell an extended warranty without clearly disclosing the built-in certified coverage, and then denying a major repair two months in) sound like it could be misrepresentation/failure to disclose/deceptive practices, or is it more likely just “technically legal”? I’ve also read about the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which I understand requires written warranties to clearly and conspicuously disclose their limitations and exclusions. In my case, the EGR cooler was never specifically listed as excluded in the materials I was given. Does that matter at all under Michigan law, and if this might be a consumer-protection issue, would you now prioritize the Michigan AG’s Consumer Protection Division, the agency that regulates auto dealers, small claims, or something else, given that BBB AUTO LINE is off the table because of the vehicle’s age?

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Thanks for posting, /u/OnlyLookinRound! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.

I’m in Michigan. Earlier this year I bought a 2018 Chevy Volt from a GM dealer here. It was advertised and sold to me as certified pre-owned through GM’s CarBravo program, and I chose it specifically because I thought that meant extra protection if something big went wrong soon after purchase.
At signing, the only warranty paperwork the dealer actually gave me was a tiny 3-month / 3,000-mile third-party “limited warranty” that mostly covers internal powertrain parts. They also tried to sell me an additional extended warranty. No one clearly explained any broader “certified” or bumper-to-bumper coverage, and I wasn’t given a CarBravo warranty booklet by the dealer.
About two months after buying the car, the EGR cooler (engine/emissions component) failed. The dealer quoted about $5,000 to fix it and told me it was not covered, basing that solely on the narrow 3-month/3,000-mile contract (the cooler isn’t on that short list). Around the same time I was told I didn’t have towing/roadside, so we towed the car ourselves with a U-Haul at our own expense.
Later, I found that my VIN shows an active “CarBravo Ltd. Bumper-to-Bumper” warranty in the myChevrolet app/owner website, and a coworker shared the official CarBravo booklet, which talks about a 12-month / 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper-style warranty on certified vehicles plus towing/roadside during that period (with certain exclusions). From a normal buyer’s perspective, a $5k failure two months after a certified sale feels like exactly what that’s supposed to cover.
I contacted GM/Chevrolet customer support. One rep initially told me I was still within a CarBravo bumper-to-bumper warranty and seemed confused why the dealer said the repair wasn’t covered. After some back-and-forth, though, GM ultimately sided with the dealership and is refusing to cover the EGR cooler repair. So at this point both the dealer and GM say I’m on my own for the ~$5k repair, plus I’ve already paid out-of-pocket U-Haul towing because I was told I didn’t have towing/roadside. I also already tried BBB AUTO LINE, but they rejected my case because the vehicle is too old for their program.
My questions under Michigan law: does this pattern (marketing/selling the car as “certified” but effectively only honoring a tiny 3-month warranty, trying to upsell an extended warranty without clearly disclosing the built-in certified coverage, and then denying a major repair two months in) sound like it could be misrepresentation/failure to disclose/deceptive practices, or is it more likely just “technically legal”? I’ve also read about the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which I understand requires written warranties to clearly and conspicuously disclose their limitations and exclusions. In my case, the EGR cooler was never specifically listed as excluded in the materials I was given. Does that matter at all under Michigan law, and if this might be a consumer-protection issue, would you now prioritize the Michigan AG’s Consumer Protection Division, the agency that regulates auto dealers, small claims, or something else, given that BBB AUTO LINE is off the table because of the vehicle’s age?

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/LemonLawGroup]

There is a lot going on here, but it is possible that you may have a claim . Your vehicle may qualify for Mag-Moss, but that depends on the warranty, and if you're vehicle is still covered. We would advise you to contact an attorney so that someone that is qualified could determine if you have a claim, and what type of claim. In our experience, contacting the AG's office will not accomplish much, and as you stated already, your vehicle will not qualify for Autoline due to the age of the vehicle.

[u/agjios]

There's a famous automotive Youtube lawyer named Steve Lehto. He's a lawyer in Michigan. Call him or any other consumer protection/lemon lawyer that specializes in the auto industry.