quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
Dealerships or small shops, it is getting impossible to get an honest place for service anymore.

I respectfully disagree. I sympathize with your thinking because plenty of people, myself included, have been screwed over by dealerships and smaller shops. However there are still some honest, competent, and reasonably priced mechanics out there. A few weeks ago my Mom's car wouldn't shift out of drive. She was an hour away from home. I made some calls and towed it to a nearby transmission specialist who was closed but could look at it the next day. The mechanic's first guess without seeing it was the gear shift cable so I started looking for one. Turns out these aren't readily available, the closest one was at a dealership 2 states away and cost $180 + overnight shipping. I asked the mechanic if he would be willing to diagnose it first before I bought the part and had it shipped. He agreed. The next day we got a call at 9am saying the car was ready for pickup. The cable was fine, it was the grommet and although the part I found came with the cable and grommet, he made one and the car works fine. The bill was $150 (1 hour of labor).


My Dad's truck was leaking oil. Brought it to Bumpy's in Salem, NH. He found the leak and charged $212 to replace the crank seal in an F150. A month ago he did the starter in my BMW. I asked other shops who knew how to fix it and it was around $1k because it's 6 hours of labor to get to it. Bumpy's did it for $640, parts and labor. They're out there, you have to find them.

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
So the car started to drive it there and park it. Then the car started by the tech to drive into the bay for an oil change and then the car started to drive out of the bay ans moved back to the parking lot. And then magically the fuel pump crapped out while in the dealer parking lot ? I guess that happens…

Coincidental failure. When a part fails the car is going to be somewhere when it quits. Better that the dealership instead on the road late at night. Or even in the daytime, add a road service charge to the repairs then too.

Therein lies another problem, no place in town had a fuel pump on hand. Installing a non OEM replacement part can be a crapshoot too. Who pays for the labor to replace it if it fails in the allotted warranty time? Non OEM parts may carry a warranty but usually just the part and not labor to remove and replace where the factory parts usually cover the part and the labor.

The quality of many replacement parts in the aftermarket are junk. I replaced the HVAC blower fan in the wife’s Liberty about a month ago. The OEM failed, 90+ outside temperature, it’s a Sunday so I went to a chain parts store. Get the part, go home and install. I compared the “squirrel cage” and it was configured differently than the factory, blades were oriented slightly different and the cone part of the cage between the motor shaft and the blades was solid where the factory one had many count outs.

Installed the motor, it moved air but at a lower velocity and accompanied by a loud annoying whistle that I chalked up to the fan. Turning the radio up didn’t help, it was loud, the only way to get it to an acceptable leve was to keep the fan at half speed or less, not a workable solution.

So I called a friend still in the business, ordered the OEM. Fan configured as the original, installed, no annoying whistle and air velocity was improved. Even with the discount (dealer employee pricing) the OEM motor was twice the price the aftermarket one was. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do though.

Our daughter works for a car dealership. We always promised to buy her a new car when she proved herself to be a hard working and responsible adult. So they gave her a great deal on a new car and allowed her much more than her old car was worth so we did the deal. We sent them a check for $18,000 and change and they lost the check. They acknowledged receiving it and hunted for it for 2 days and never found it. So I sent them a new check minus my costs.

If you really believe they are lying, get a written estimate specifying the problem. Find a reputable shop nearby (I like chains) and have the car towed there.When repairs are done, you will have a statement of repair. If the two sets of documents are in conflict, sue dealer for the cost of the tow plus $1000 in punitive damages. This can be done without a lawyer.

I guess I am lucky. I've been dealing with one Toyota dealer for about 25 years. When I was looking for a truck, he flat told me 7k over MSRP. I went elsewhere. For repairs, though-wife knocked a hole in her oilman on the road. (A big hole.) We had it towed to my regular dealership. They said 595 for repairs. Insurance covered 500. Service manager said, hey, you had to have it towed, forget the 95 bucks. More recently, I lost an exterior mirror cover on the same car at a carwash. All sources on the internet ran between 150 and 200, plus finding a shop to color match and paint it. My dealer ordered me one by VIN number that matched, and installed it, for 57.50. So I guess it's luck of the draw.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
No one knows why, and they didn't have time to look at it! Remember it was 3:00 on a Friday. So yeah, I don't take a gun along. Son should have.

If I'm ever on a jury and someone shoots a service manager or dealer manager, the shooter'll get off. Dealers have a duty not to screw something up. If they fail in that duty, they need to die!

You are unhinged and need some serious help......

OK, the final story. I still hate car dealerships and I'm convinced most, if not all are crooks. This experience just reinforces that feeling. From the begining, the car has been in the family since new about 16 years ago. Its always been a great car for us. The only bad experience with it has been this one with this dealership. No reason to pull punches, its Kings in maybe Mason, OH. I think they're crooks, I'm convinced of it.

It started, as always, and drove to the dealership for a quick oil change. Never again. then the the service guy started it and drove it inside to the service bay. Then he changed the oil and started it, driving it outside. Then it would not start, magically, to drive home. The quick oil change took a full week. I'd like to shoot the manager of the dealership. He needs ot die. Just another low life. No better than a robber.

So after a week they replaced the fuel pump, saying it was bad. I'm going to pay the price to my grand daughter. I feel bad about the whole deal. She's not a kid, being 21 and engaged. I like her and think this is the least I can do to help them. The dealers story is that it was "clogged up". Since we've had no problems of any kind after all this time, just maybe it magically died. Tell that to someone who will believe it. I go away with the feeling they're crooks and we were robbed.

And I won't miss a chance to tell everyone the story. My son is much more generous, saying just maybe we hit the lottery (or the dealership did) and it just picked this time to puke. Buy that line if you want.

Dealerships make their money in the service department. Its OK if its an honest problem. Not OK if caused by them to enhance revenue. I'd guess that joint is about to go under and we're at the half year mark.

Please talk to someone, friend.

Expressing a desire to physically harm someone over an oil change/fuel pump is a very serious anger issue, especially since you’ve had time to cool off, say it in the forum once, and then double down on it after it’s been pointed out.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
I'd like to shoot the manager of the dealership. He needs ot die.

This isn't even the "Pitch Your Bitch" section of the forum. Why go on and on and on and on about this with the death wishes over a car part??? Really? If you think they were ripping you off, get the car removed from there and have someone else check it out/fix it.

I'll second what Legal Beagle said. You are truly in need to help. Not joking. Red rules are made for people like you. I hope you find some mental help soon. If you're expressing death wishes on someone for a car part, I can just imagine the real rampage you'll go on when something that is actually bad happens.


Be sure to let us know what part of KY you live in so we know where to stay away from.

quote:

Originally posted by Legal Beagle:

Please talk to someone, friend.

Expressing a desire to physically harm someone over an oil change/fuel pump is a very serious anger issue, especially since you’ve had time to cool off, say it in the forum once, and then double down on it after it’s been pointed out.

My Anger Management classes really piss me off.

If rburg continues on with these ridiculous death threats, he's going to have to change his CUT...

Repeatedly threatening to shoot someone over car parts qualifies as miscreant behavior.

I'll say that the VW dealers around me (Fredericksburg and Richmond Virginia) have both tried sleazy tactics when either my wife or daughter took our 2017 VW Golf in for service. High pressure claims of needing new tires (even though the ones on were just purchased a few months prior at Costco), needing brakes (not even close), a leaky PCV they wanted $1000+ to fix, etc.. Fuck places like that. Each and every time they said they were legally not allowed to let the vehicle leave because it was unsafe to drive. I told them that I'd have the State Police meet me there to make sure it was in fact unsafe to operate. Funny how they suddenly changed their minds. This would happen a lot less if places were actually held accountable but they aren't, not even by the law. They'll play as if they didn't know and some peon will be a fall guy. Do yourself a favor and watch some undercover videos of dealerships on YouTube or even your local news, since they've probably done a few over the years. I can completely understand why rburg feels the way he does, even if he's only venting.

I'm at the point now where I'll never own another VW motor group product because they are actively targeting women with aggressive tactics or they choose not to reign in service departments that use these kinds of tactics. Contrast that to several Toyota dealers in at least 3 states that we've dealt with. Not one time has any of them suggested anything other than the basic maintenance indicated in the manual based on mileage.

Sorry about your experience. I only used Kings once and that was because I refused to ever do business with Jeff Wyler again. So I went to Kings Nissan and had the most wonderful car buying experience I think I ever had. Two months later Wyler buys the Nissan license from Kings. Argh.

Anyway, if they are looking for a specialized VW shop in Cincy, these guys are local and good.
https://www.dubwerx.com
But be warned, they are not any cheaper than the dealership and are usually booked a few weeks out. I used them to replace the clutch on a 2014 Jetta TDI. They did great work and it was ready a day or two before they said it would be. But it wasn't cheap either.

I'm too old for this nonsense. NO, I will never deal with them again, not a chance. Yes, I have anger issues when I'm convinced I've been ripped off. This wasn't about pricing, it was about the way they treated a now former customer. I always changed the oil in my Jeeps. Never in my wife's cars. If she were to run over a nail 2 weeks later, it somehow was my doing. I've been married for over 53 years and aver 8 months. I do know what to stay away from. Part of the bad service they provide was killing her car (now in my grand daughters hands). I have no bad feelings when a dealer bites the dust. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a single incident. Its treating customers like shit for a long time.

As for the question about where in KY I live, right on the river bank. You almost can't get any farther north. If you don't want to go near my house don't use I75.

Well Ohio’s automotive repair shop laws do not cover mechanical repairs. Collision and glass tinting and replacement are officially the only shops covered by state oversight.

In Ohio, it seems mechanics or auto repair shops are not regulated by a specific state agency. If you have a consumer complaint against a mechanic or auto repair shop in Ohio, you can file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

It’s your right to file with the state AG. In addition you can probably contact VW of America and express your concerns and file a complaint with them.