Dealer Service: Why For Art Thou a 2-Step Process?

[LoneRanger]

Three recalls performed today on the Forester. Brake Line Corrosion Protection Application, Rear Seat Center Seat Belt Buckle Replace and Overhead Rear Child Seat Belt Strap mechanism replace, and Takata Air Bag recall - passenger side only. Turning cold w/ steady rain when picked it up late afternoon. Driving home, was sure the rear passenger door was ajar, hearing more wet road sound than before and more wet tire swish sounds from neighboring vehicles as they would be on the right hand side. Got home, door was secure. Checked all door seals, all ok. All windows all the way up, re-shut all doors. Had to be over at church 7pm for a thing. Way there, same increased road noise. Got home, jiggle rear seat bottom-- loose. They have to remove the rear seat to get to the center seat belt buckle mechanism and replace. Clearly, something is up with underneath the seat. Could take it back for Step 2, but instead I will remove it myself in the morning and eyeball everything. Not sure how this would increase the road noise but seems to be only thing not put back together securely. Know my car, been driving it 9 yrs. It's louder. Not terrible but noticeable. I know the techs are not incompetent, but I think it is the way they are rushed to get a certain job done in the prescribed time allotted for it. Plus it was a Friday afternoon ...

 

[CKN]

<span style="font-weight: bold">Obligatory-weekend dealer bashing thread.......</span>

 

[Wolf359]

I think others may have mentioned that the recall rate they get paid is lower than for a regular repair. Plus the manufacturer knows exactly how long it should take so there's not too much time in it. I know one mechanic who said the only way to make money was to be fast. Do a 4 hour job in 2 hours, park the car in back and wait the 4 hours before telling the customer the car was ready. I don't think there's margin like that on a recall.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

It took me 6 or 7 dealership trips to get a CV axle replaced on my Cherokee.

 

[dlundblad]

Is there a fuel pump access hole under the rear seat? I wonder why you'd be getting so much road noise.

 

[Smoky14]

Strip the sound insulation to do the job and throw it away, saves time! Smoky

 

[LoneRanger]

dlundblad: Yes, it's where you remove/install the fuel pump... pull the seat instead of dropping the tank, supposedly an easy job compared to other cars. Smoky14: I sure hope not !!

 

[eljefino]

By 2-step process I thought you meant you knew the problem, called them, but the first time in they just saw it with their own eyes, ordered parts, and told you to come back. That's a bit aggravating too!

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: CKN

Obligatory-weekend dealer bashing thread.......

The usual dealer defending post.

 

[Audios]

Usually the dealer warranty/recall time is 50% more than the cash rate. At BMW for example, a nightmarish e90 valve cover gasket pays 5.2 for cash, and only 3.5 for warranty/internal, so we were usually losing on the job unless we rushed or figured out tricks of our own to get the job done while still being a proftiable tech. Which is another double edged sword, because if you werent taking the dispatch guy out for drinks on friday you probably werent getting any gravy the next week. Which is exactly why I got laid off, my hours were 33-35 for 3 weeks, mostly because all I got was tires (.5 per runflat) or warranty oil changes (.3) You try getting your invoice, getting the car, setting it up, and drain the oil top off fluids, tire pressures, and reset indicator, all in less than 18 minutes. Its corporate greed thats causing the techs to rush. If you dont make your hourly guarantee every week, youre susceptible to getting laid off.

 

[George7941]

What a bad situation for the techs to be in. Absolutely no way I would put up with it. I would rather go work at a lower paid job and make some sacrifices than put up with this nonsense.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: pbm

Originally Posted By: CKN

Obligatory-weekend dealer bashing thread.......

The usual dealer defending post.

No one's defending. Just defined the post as to what it was........

 

[SatinSilver]

I'm going to visit CKN's dealership next time I need service. All I have to decide is which one to go to. The Cadillac, Kia or Nissan dealer. Thank you.

 

[researcher]

This type of thing is exactly why people don't want to take their car in for a recall. Because either A.. they will screw something else up trying to fix the recall issue, or B - screw something up to get more $$$ out of you later. There ARE some great technicians at dealerships, but in my experience they're very rare (1 in 1000). It's not like independents are any better. I once saw a guy at a shop bleeding brake lines from the bleeder valve right onto the floor of the shop! Instead of a hose into a jar to make sure the bubbles (air) was removed! just wow. How these people ever get a license in this state is beyond me! But.. To LoneRanger..Maybe you diagnose what's missing first, that way you'll know exactly what they did wrong. If it's just insulation then try and fix it yourself, seriously. Is it right that you have to fix what they stole from you? No! But.. do you really want someone incompetent back in there to screw more up when they won't be getting paid for the work? I've been in this position before and I just ate the cost, fixed it myself and never went back to that shop!

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver

I'm going to visit CKN's dealership next time I need service. All I have to decide is which one to go to. The Cadillac, Kia or Nissan dealer. Thank you.

That's pretty funny.