Kind of upset

[Black97]

Well today I brought in my T/A to the local dealer to have it's oil changed and all the levels check. This was part of the warranty I got when I bought the car used from a dealer.

I washed the car yesterday and I cannot claim that the paint job on it is in the greatest shape. That's how I bought it. Never the less I'm kind of holding out re-painting the car until I might be able to get my hands on a different hood and then paint the hole thing.

So I brought it in this morning and picked it up in the afternoon. They did the package and replaced the oil drain plug. At home I also noted on the invoice that two of the marker lights were not working. Not sure why they didn't fix them or called and asked if they should.

I went outside and checked which ones it was, when I noticed several spots on the hood where the paint was chipped off. There are at least 4 of them in a square pattern almost like somebody dropped something on it. They were not there before.

So back to the dealer I went. The woman at the service desk glanced on it and said they were old. Didn't like the answer so she brought the manager and the mech out that did the work.

They looked at it, walked around the car and started laughing since I had some less than perfect spots on the driver side door. The attitude was like, you are trying to tell us we did them with the blemishes you already have on your car?

What can you do? Sure doesn't look good for me. It seems like they think they don't have to take great care of it since it already has some blemishes, which I told them. That resulted in more laughs from them.

So they won't see me again. Like I said the paint ain't the greatest on my toy but it bugs the .... out of me. Something like that can surely spoil your day

[Joe 1320]

I know this doesn't help at the moment, but perhaps next time it will. Anythime I must take my car to a shop (which is rare because I do my own work), I take a few polaroids. When I drop off the car, I make them take a walk around the car with me and point out any small imperfections, show the before polaroids and make them aware that I expect the car back in the same condition. Sounds anal, but let me tell you..... once I got my Crew Cab Dually back from warranty work and guess what? A dimple on either side of the hood crease line where someone had obviously put their hands when they slammed the hood shut. I immediatly pointed out the damage and the employee gave me the traditional brush off. Well, I brought polariods in hand right to the manager's office, laid them out and reminded him of our walk around. Problem solved with 30 seconds.

[markd79ta]

Bringing your car in and leaving it is the hardest thing a gearhead can ever do. Anyhow, Joe is right. You need to establish the vehicle condition up-front. It is the luck of the draw at those places. I will never forget my Maroon '90 with perfect paint in for the ignition kill replacement. I learned the hard way. I picked up the car, and it was swirled to death...I was sooooooo freaking mad. They put it through a wash line and washed it with a dirty bucket, and dried it with a dirty rag so every time I go, I make them right down that they WILL NOT wash my car or otherwise blemish my paint in anyway, I also do the walk around with the service manger. They always thought I was a jerk, but they knew that I knew my car, and so I get it back in the condition it was left. I also write down the miles with the manager looking. If there is anything beyond an 1/8, I make them account for it. My other insurance policy is the ignition rev limiter set to 2500 RPM.

Oh, I also had my intake tubes on my '85 Corvette with 32,000 miles dented. They replaced the driver side tubes, finally, after a lot of arguing with the service manger. I can't believe they would be so careless with something like that. My mom got her old '98 Park Avenue back from a 30,000 mile service with a screw driver sitting about one foot from the fan belt, two of the sensors unplugged, and the service engine light on when she drove home. I guess they decided that it wasn't worth finishing the service.

[Black97]

Thanks Joe.

You're starting to sound like my wife.

I guess you learn from bad expiriences or problems like that.

Ironic, I wrote similar comment a couple of days back when a member felt overcharged for a simple job that was done on his car.

[Joe 1320]

Originally posted by Black97
Thanks Joe.

You're starting to sound like my wife.

I guess you learn from bad expiriences or problems like that.

Well, we all learn from problems like this. What did it for me was years ago, my pro street ElCamino went into the shop for a new trans. It came out with a dent in the door and I got the brush off. I vowed that this would NEVER happen again.

[tabahr]

Years back I watched the tech at the tire allignment shop close the hood on my 87 IROC while he stood next to the car, from the drivers side fender. The hood came down crooked because it was not closed from the middle. As a result of this, the edge of the hood contacted the fender and chipped the paint. I WATCHED him do it thru the viewing window. He denied it and said the chips were already there. I was screwed. His manager wouldnt help, either.

On a brighter note while I was getting the windshield repaired on my 97 Blazer they broke off the drivers side mirror assembly. They fixed it by reattaching it with windshield adhesive. I saw it the next day because it was oozing out and smeared all over the pivot joint of the mirror. I took it back and got them to cover a new morror. Problem solved. I will go back there for business because they corrected their screwup. Accidents happen. I hope they fired the jerk that tried to glue it.

[Black97]

I got another one:

I bought this brand new Jeep. Test drove it and looked at it thourougly and everything looked ok. The next day I picked it up and handed over the check. I was about to walk out the door when I was told that somehow they got a scratch on the rear panel. They would fix it no problem. Sounded fair so off I went. I'm generally a nice guy (too nice sometimes).

I needed the car for a couple of weeks and brought it in to have them fix the scratch. While for service manager I noticed a guy flying by with rubbing and polishing compund. So after him I went and he was trying to rubbbbbb a scratch which was way to deep. I told him to stop and fix it properly.

When I went to pick it up I noticed a big dull round circle and non matching paint smeared over the scratch. They were mad I wouldn't accept it and complained that they would have to re-paint the whole quarter panel. Only after involving the sales manager who said they would repair it, it got done properly.

An even better one:

My parents back in the 70's bought their first brand new car. Within a day or two they noticed a leaking trunk so they brought it back. They were supposed to go on holidays with it the next day.

A customer looking for the same kind of car wanted to test drive one and since they didn't have another one, they used my parents one. They managed to total it coming of the interstate.

They got a new one but had to pay $500 more for the metallic paint job.

[N20LT4Bird]

Heres a funny dealer story. Its a friend of a friend type of thing so its been passed on. He bought a brand new ford truck years back and a year after buying it, he noticed a slight knock in the lower end. The dealer told him it was nothing and there wasnt anything they would do. So, he brought it back home and started in his driveway, put a brick on the accelerator and walked away. An hour later, the knock was VERY evident. He called the dealer and told them to send out the hook.

[Ken(Bone Breakin Chevy)]

Body guy story.

I had a little accident and put my car in the shop to get fixed. Now my driver seat is less than perfect. And My passenger seat was pretty da*n (not sure if i can type that out or not) close. well when i got it back my driver seat was dirty as all he!!. And there were two small incisions in my passenger seat. I could not prove that they did it so he didnt pay me any attention and sent me on my way. Thats the last time i go there. Next time i went to somebody to work on my car i asked for extra care with the white leather. He said he would put a towel over it to make sure it didnt get dirty and sure enough this guy was true to his word. he left the towel there till i got back and when i moved it the seat was just how i gave it to him. The second guy was for welding my exhuast at a leaking point. I cant weld so i had no choice.

-ken-

[Ken(Bone Breakin Chevy)]

oh while im on that story. does anyone know a way to get replacement all white leather 30th anniversary seats???
-ken-

[Steve95formula]

Some of the better dealers will put clear plastic seat covers on it and paper in the leg wells.

[Mark B]

I HATE DEALERSHIPS....

I REALLY HATE DEALERSHIPS. I have never had a good expirence with one. EVERY time I go to one, they try to rip me off for something. For Example.... I had a 1995 Z28 Convertable....

One day the car overheated REALLY bad. I took it to a local dealer and they found out that the cat was cloged up. The cat was still under warranty so they replaced the cat for free. When I picked up the car, I asked them if they checked to see if the heads were warped due to the heat. (We all know that aluminum heads dont like it when you peg the temp gauge!) They said that they checked it and there was no problem with them. 3 Weeks later I devloped a mysterious coolant leak!!! I took it back to the dealership and had them check it out. LEAK IN THE HEAD GASKET!!! What a surprise. I tried to get them to do it for free... but they gave me some BS about internal and external heat!!! I couldnt beleive it. At first, they wanted 1600 to fix it. Then after I blew up and finally gave up and told them that I would never come back, they said that they could take off $400. I laughed and said that I would be willing to pay for parts but not labor. Anyway... The car never got fixed and I ended up selling the car a week later.

[Jeff02GAGT]

You guys think thats all BAD, you will LAUGH AT THIS ONE >>

This is very recent. About 2 months ago to be exact... This is quite hilarious.. Anyways, my mom purchased a brand new 2003 Ford Escape LIMITED. This car is FULLY equipped with everything, INCLUDING A REVERSE SENSING SYSTEM. Well, at 1,000 miles, I took the car into the FORD dealership where we purchased it from. I wanted a basic oil change. I commented to my mom before we bought the car, that I liked the fact that the room at this dealership was ALL glass, and you could watch the mechanics working on your car. There is also a place where you can actually go into the garage where they work on the car, but you have to stand behind a fence type of thing. Needless to say, the car is VERY visible. Anyways, onto the story. The punky azz grease monkey (Yes, I was very hesitant to begin with) took my moms car and put it up on the lift. He did the service. Well, across from him there were two cars being FULLY detailed. (Buffed, vacummed, etc) Well, the detailers had a big SHOP Vac and left it in front of the one mountaineer (diagonally across from my moms Escape). The moron in my moms Escape backs it off the ramps (Remember she has reverse sensing - IT BEEPS) and goes on AUTOMATICALLY when the car starts... Well, he backs up and ends up hitting the Shop Vac. Instead of hearing the constant BEEPING in the car (it gets LOUD) and hearing a thud and not moving too easily, he decides to give it gas. He basically Climbs over the shop vac. Well, my buddy and I are standing there, we are FUMING! I go right out and start yelling at this moron. I then get the bill and tell my service writer that this is ridiculous, and that my father who is a lawyer will be informed of this. He then tells me that he will pass it on to the service manager, who I had requested to talk to. 30 seconds later he comes running over. I explain it to him and tell him I witnessed it first hand, and this caused the bottom of my mothers brand new Escape to be scratched up. He brings the grease monkey over and the grease monkey starts trying to put the blame on the detailers. Well, the service manager finally yells at the grease monkey and says that he could see how this could be an accident, but how the HELL did he run it over when it has a reverse sensing system. Needless to say, I got a few estimates, and FORD paid for it. All I have to say is THANK GOD that my buddy and I witnessed it, or I too would have been in that same "brush off boat" Dealerships are so full of crap. It's sad that you can't even trust your car there!

Anyways, thats my latest dealership story. Some people are so friggin STUPID it's unreal!

Jeff

[N20LT4Bird]

Guys, when I was going to college, I worked at a local Pep Boys Service center. You wouldnt believe the stuff that went on there. I am sorry to say, but some of the guys they hire are just plain dumb.

There was the guy who set the lift on the rocker panels of a full size van --- crunch - stuffed the rockers right up - and he kept lifting!

Then there was the guy who did rear drum brakes on a car and forgot to put the drums on before he backed it out. He hit the brakes and the wheel cylinders went POP and brake fluid was everywhere!

Another grease monkey did ball joints on a grand am. He failed to put the ball joint nuts on after he swung the control arm into place. On the way back from his test drive, he's heading across the parking lot at a high rate of speed and hits some bumps. The ball joint pops put and WRAPS THE FRONT FENDER AROUND THE TIRE. duhh!!! I could go on forever.

Do your own work or take it to an independant guy you can trust.

[Mark B]

Scanner...

This is the reason that I just bought an ODB-II Scanner for my Grand Prix. I dont ever want to have to bring my car into a shop EVER agian. You just cant trust anyone now-a-days. And if they are trustworthy.... They are usually incompentent!!!