I’m sitting in the Jeep Dealers service department waiting on them to do right by me...

Story:

My wife made an appointment for last Thursday to get the 70K service done on her Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel. Her company pays for it so there’s no reason for me to do it.
Anyway on Saturday we go out for dinner and I noticed that the change oil minder was red and flashing 1% left....I figured that the service moron just forgot to reset it...no problem I do it myself. Then I am scrolling through the computer and notice that the DEF level is only 40%. She was charged almost $40 to fill it!
I then look under the hood and the oil is black. Now I know that diesel oil will turn black but not in 50 miles. Then I look at the oil filter canister and there is no evidence the top has been removed...just the normal dust on it.

So first thing this morning I drive down to the dealership and of course their swamped. I patiently wait my turn and when the service genius states that it WAS filled I take him out to the truck, show him the level and the oil filter cover etc.

I also mention that I don’t appreciate anyone trying to take advantage of my wife...When he saw the look on my face his attitude changed and the suv was brought into the service bay...

Why do people think they can get away with this kind of BS? If I was younger I’m not sure I would have been so calm...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: smlsig,

I understand what you mean. At my last oil change the dealer's tech wrote up that cabin air filter needed replacing looked at it when I got home and it still looked new. Also said links were sloppy and loose, replaced less than a year earlier. Battery was going bad, went to several different stores had it checked and it was fine. The last was windshield wipers needed replacing, I am still using those same wipers with no problems.

Many dealerships would be bankrupt were it not for women customers and the cabin air filter. From sitting in the customer lounge, I note that every woman's car needs one at $60-$70 a pop for a filter, that costs them less than $10 and less than a minute's labor. That assumes they actually replace it.

When I had my first Mercedes back in the early 1970s, I always took it to the local MB dealer for scheduled service.

The service was not a flat fee -- they had a separate line item on the invoice for each little thing.

I noticed that the charge for topping off the windshield washer fluid was outrageous, easily a two-year supply if I bought it at the local auto parts store and poured it in myself.

I made sure that I topped it off, right up to the tippy-top, before I gave them the car for scheduled service. Sure enough, the line item for fluid was on the invoice. I pointed it out to the service manager. He said that he had no way to confirm that the reservoir was actually full when they received the car, and told me, "as a one-time courtesy," he would remove the charge.

The reservoir on the 1970s MB sedans was easily removable. Basically, just take the cap off, as you would normally do to fill it, and lift the bottle out. So, next time the car went in for service, I removed the bottle and left it in my garage. Of course, the line item that charged for fluid top-off was on the invoice. I called the service manager over, I did not say a word, just pointed at the item on the invoice. He bristled, reminded me in a stern German-accented voice, that the previous time he had deleted the charge as a "one time courtesy," and "one time" means one time!

I politely asked him to show me that the fluid had actually been topped off. He marched over to my car and opened the hood. The look on his face when he realized that there was no washer fluid reservoir was priceless!

I'm curious, Eddie, was this the dealer whose name starts with B?

quote:

that costs them less than $10 and less than a minute's labor.

Not true for the cabin air filter on my 2018 Explorer. It's tucked in behind the glove box.

I trust my local dealer because a friend is VP of the dealership. They always treat me well but for oil changes I stay locally.

quote:

Originally posted by molachi:
Battery was going bad, went to several different stores had it checked and it was fine.

They pulled that on me at my last service trip as well.

Its why I do 90% of normal service myself.

Fuck dealers, fuck cheating car mechs, and fuck used car salesmen.

quote:

Originally posted by rscalzo:

quote:

that costs them less than $10 and less than a minute's labor.

Not true for the cabin air filter on my 2018 Explorer. It's tucked in behind the glove box.

Ok, $10 and 15 min labor, tops. The Honda Civic we have is similar, you have to pop the glove box down, remove several sets of screws, and swap it out.

They must have had an American exchange guy mess with the plans for the car, because even that is very un-Honda-like.

Even so, it ain't hard at all.

My last visit at a Subaru dealership and they came into the waiting room and tell the old lady she needs a cabin filter, $90. I motion NO and she looks at me and finally tells them no. I tell her, wait till they're done, I have a spare in my car I bought a two pack from Amazon. It's $8. I will change it for you and show you how for next time. I won't even charge you the $8.

Now whenever I go in to BMW, I change my filter before hand and put that day's date on it and see if they say anything. I guess they did look because they didn't recommend it like they normally do.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:

quote:

Originally posted by rscalzo:

quote:

that costs them less than $10 and less than a minute's labor.

Not true for the cabin air filter on my 2018 Explorer. It's tucked in behind the glove box.

Ok, $10 and 15 min labor, tops. The Honda Civic we have is similar, you have to pop the glove box down, remove several sets of screws, and swap it out.

They must have had an American exchange guy mess with the plans for the car, because even that is very un-Honda-like.

Even so, it ain't hard at all.

I’m impressed with the DIY skills of these proverbial house wives. I assume that you also task them with swapping out the main spring or worn trigger bar on your p226.

I've had similar experiences that have been stated here, but that changed with my current dealer. I bought a new 2011 Kia Sorento SX and have had them do all of the maintenance on it. The best and most honest dealer I've ever dealt with, bar none.

Because of my experience I'll name the dealer.
George Gee Automotive in Liberty Lake, Wa.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I'm curious, Eddie, was this the dealer whose name starts with B?

Starts with a B and ends with a D...

Funny thing is the very first vehicle that the Owner, william Ferrel, dealt with a as a service manager when his Dad still owned the franchise (and was at the Chevy dealership) was my wife’s first Grand Cherokee.

My last four vehicles, Honda Accord (new), Honda CR-V (used, but w/warranty remaining), Chevy TrailBlazer (used, from a dealership) and Jeep Grand Cherokee (used, but w/warranty remaining, purchased from dealership) were all serviced by dealerships. But I was careful to choose highly-rated dealerships with highly-rated service departments.

Latest dealership is an example. Got an emailed $10 off coupon for oil change, lube job and fluids check package. Called and found the best days and times for minimum wait. Took it in and told them to see if the cabin air filter also needed replacing. Also noted the nav system was out to lunch, probably because I'd neglected to install the update FCA has sent me. They quoted ninety minutes. Were done in under an hour, incl. the nav update, which they did in parallel with the oil change. Upon my request the young lady that took my service order went back and fetched the old cabin air filter and, yes, it had clearly needed changing.

Got out to my Jeep and noticed a plastic piece sitting atop the dash. Walked back in with it. "Looks like somebody forgot to put something back," I told her. She apologized, went out back with it, a service tech came right back out with the part, we went to my Jeep, he snapped it into place, apologized and wished me a Merry Christmas.

I’ve caught a few dealers I’ve used in the Atlanta area ‘recommending’ work that was not needed (outright lying), and not actually doing the work they were paid to do, including trying to take advantage of my elderly parents. I won’t name names here because I don’t know how Para feels about that, but anyone curious can send me a message if they want to make sure to avoid them.

The dealers were Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:

I won’t name names here because I don’t know how Para feels about that

I don't know for sure either, but Para does seem to care a lot about the members here and does not like to see us ripped off, so if it is an honest, factual, experience, I'll bet a shiny new nickel that he won't mind at all if you state your experience as it happened, without embellishment.

I could be wrong, if so either Para or one of the moderators will probably let me know that I have crossed a line.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Its why I do 90% of normal service myself.

Fuck dealers, fuck cheating car mechs, and fuck used car salesmen.

^^^ This right here.

Car dealerships are starting to reap the results of profit above all other factors. Used to be dealerships would strive for long term employees, not today. Dealer workshops used to be on topics like how to attract and retain employees, today they are how to maximize profit.

One dealer I previously worked for touts the fact that the average yearly employee turnover in their stores (dealer group) is 16%. A NADA study in 2017 stated three year average was 45% across the country. This is going to bite the dealers hard, independent shops are on the upswing today.

I remember when I first started out in the fixed operations (pars/service/body shop, departments other than sales) technicians in the shop traditionally had signs above their work area with their name and how many years at that dealership. The second dealer I worked at opened in 1946, in 1971 there were probably four or five who had been at the dealership since it opened.

Those guys took pride in their work. Sure, they made mistakes but usually owned up to them. I see some with that ethic but not commonly. The flat rate system, longer work days,factory time to complete a job being cut all add up to turn and burn, get it in and out as quick as possible. Career part people like I was, same story slightly different. Longer hours,six days, less help. Not to mention cutting benefits, 401k's with no match from the employer. And the best, dealers agree to a pay plan that they feel have goals that will not be reached. The department and employees achieve those set goals and it costs the dealer more money in commissions, so shortly thereafter the dreaded statement "we are going to revisit pay plans but don't worry, you will make more money", in other words they are cutting your pay. I've been through that.Several times to be exact. And I moved on too after those happened.

I like to see the same faces each time I go to a dealership, used to be common but not today. The FCA dealership I go to now has changed service managers probably three times in two years, I never see the same service writer each time I go, about every three months for oil changes.

I don't say that dealerships should not make a profit and I don't think that the dealers should share and share alike but they need to start seeing it from the employee's side again.

quote:

Originally posted by rscalzo:

quote:

that costs them less than $10 and less than a minute's labor.

Not true for the cabin air filter on my 2018 Explorer. It's tucked in behind the glove box.
.

They're all tucked behind the glove box. Still takes about a minute to change out if you've done it before and they get lots of practice.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:

quote:

Originally posted by rscalzo:

quote:

that costs them less than $10 and less than a minute's labor.

Not true for the cabin air filter on my 2018 Explorer. It's tucked in behind the glove box.
.

They're all tucked behind the glove box. Still takes about a minute to change out if you've done it before and they get lots of practice.

At the risk of picking nits, not all are. Some are underhood near firewall.