HILO — Friday the 13th may prove unlucky for local owners of General Motors cars and trucks.

After today, there will be no Big Island dealership to perform warranty service on thousands of Silverado pickups, Tahoe SUVs and other GM vehicles — at least not in the near future.
At GM's request, Saturn of Honolulu had been doing that work in Hilo following the closure of Island Chevrolet, said Ernie Guajardo, general manager of the Honolulu dealership.
Alan Clark, who had owned the Big Island's only GM dealership since 2001, abruptly closed May 19 after being unable to obtain a would-be buyer's firm commitment by a GM-imposed deadline.
Saturn of Honolulu serviced 260 customers' vehicles during the interim 90-day period, which ended two or three weeks ago, Guajardo said.
"But we still have some customers we're trying to take care of," he said, adding operations will cease today at the Hilo location on Kilauea Avenue.
Repairs were still being done yesterday at the former dealership. Employees at the service desk declined to comment on the future of the operation, citing a company clause barring them from talking to the news media. Guajardo said there's no such prohibition, but was reluctant to provide his full name and suggested questions be sent directly to GM management.
So where do Big Island owners of GM vehicles go for warranty service?
"They'll have to contact General Motors and go through their customer service department," Guajardo said.
That telephone number is 1-800-462-8782.
Hawaii County has a "handful" of GM vehicles still under warranty, said Noelani Whittington, Department of Public Works spokeswoman. The DPW's Automotive Division maintains county vehicles.
GM's decision to stop Big Island warranty service has left DPW administrators looking for a firm warranty commitment and asking county attorneys for options, she said.
"I don't think they're planning on sending (the vehicles) to Honolulu (for warranty service)," Whittington added. "So, we don't have the details ironed out yet, but they are aware of the situation,"
According to its Web site, GM offers warranties on driveline components like engines, transmissions and axles for up to five years or 100,000 miles of use, whichever comes first. Other parts have shorter warranties.
Last June, GM was assuring customers of continued care.
"We're going to take care of our customers on the island and make sure they have convenient access to parts and service," GM spokesman John McDonald told the Tribune-Herald.
Guajardo said the factory is currently talking with several candidates wishing to reopen the Big Island dealership, which also had a Kailua, Kona, store.
"They're supposed to establish another dealer, then service soon," he said. "They should open up with sales and service and everything."
Guajardo, however, was unable to say when that might be or who will run the operation.
The future of the Saturn dealership he runs also is in doubt.
GM is phasing out the Saturn brand after a possible purchase by the Penske Automotive Group Inc. fell through Sept. 30, according to Saturn's Web site.
Saturn, which started making cars in 1990, will close its 350 dealerships and halt production in about two years, according to published reports.
GM also is ending production of its Hummer and Saab brands.
The company has been under pressure from the federal government to unload those unprofitable operations as a condition of the $50 billion in government loans it has received to stay afloat.