Dealership Has Forsaken Me. Crooks.

[AVB]

Originally Posted By: zanzabar
I'm shocked that people still expect dealers to do good repair work. Never. Go. To. The. Dealer! Well, unless you want to buy a new car, or for warranty work and even then keep a sharp eye on what they do.


Not all dealers are bad just like not all independent shops are good. The problem is finding a good one. I have worked for a good dealer, they had excellent customer service but they did have a tech or two who were not good at diagnosing problems. I had to repair quite a few comebacks from other techs. Sometimes it is cheaper to have a vehicle repaired correctly at a higher cost at a good dealer than to have the vehicle repaired multiple times or have unnecessary parts changed at a lower cost at a independent shop.

 

[doitmyself]

I'm surprised that you got good service from Belle Tire. My one experience with our local Belle Tire was one of bait and switch. They recommended replacement of front end parts on my vehicle that I had confirmed elsewhere to be good.

But, AVB sums it up well....it's hit or miss at any individual shop depending on it's management and individual mechanics.

 

[Topo]

Originally Posted By: AVB
Originally Posted By: zanzabar
I'm shocked that people still expect dealers to do good repair work. Never. Go. To. The. Dealer! Well, unless you want to buy a new car, or for warranty work and even then keep a sharp eye on what they do.


Not all dealers are bad just like not all independent shops are good. The problem is finding a good one. I have worked for a good dealer, they had excellent customer service but they did have a tech or two who were not good at diagnosing problems. I had to repair quite a few comebacks from other techs. Sometimes it is cheaper to have a vehicle repaired correctly at a higher cost at a good dealer than to have the vehicle repaired multiple times or have unnecessary parts changed at a lower cost at a independent shop.

I agree, sometimes I think only a dealer knows the little stuff that are issues with the cars that they service, I would think that would give them the upper hand to solve the problems quicker. As they wouldn't be just changing parts to change them hoping it will fix said problem, little less guessing. But my dealer, I can't trust them anymore, but I'm sure their are other dealers that would do fine.

 

[Topo]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
I'm surprised that you got good service from Belle Tire. My one experience with our local Belle Tire was one of bait and switch. They recommended replacement of front end parts on my vehicle that I had confirmed elsewhere to be good.

But, AVB sums it up well....it's hit or miss at any individual shop depending on it's management and individual mechanics.


I'm somewhat mechanically inclined to a point. They at least take me to the car and show me what there talking about. They give me a chance to say yeah or nay. Plus they do a there work well at my Belle Tire, they use top notch parts. They don't have a value line or anything, sometimes I wish they have a mid level.But still there 60% cheaper than dealer. They make all there money on parts..anywhere from 50% to 125% mark ups. But they have to make there money somewhere and I understand. There limited in what they can do, but I trust them enough at my location to change suspension parts, exhaust, brakes. The big ticket things they don't do anyways.

 

[bullwinkle]

If they charged me & it sat on the ground & didn't get looked at-there would be a BBB call & maybe a tip to an investigative reporter. Along with a call to Chrysler corporate. I had this same stunt pulled on me with my '02 Ram which was still under Cummins 100K engine warranty-told them it needed an injection pump (the infamous VP44), they "couldn't duplicate the problem" and handed me a bill for $180 "diagnostic charge". Sometimes there's an advantage to being 6'4", 295 pounds, loud and not giving a [CENSORED] who hears about it! Took it to another Dodge dealer, they replaced it no questions asked!

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
If they charged me & it sat on the ground & didn't get looked at-there would be a BBB call & maybe a tip to an investigative reporter..............


What is the BBB going to do? They have no statutory authority to do anything and if said business is not a member, then they have no leverage.

In my 45+ years of living, I have yet to meet anybody that said "hey, I better call the BBB and see what their rating is before doing business with that business".

BBB is a paper tiger.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Hootbro

In my 45+ years of living, I have yet to meet anybody that said "hey, I better call the BBB and see what their rating is before doing business with that business".



This, because people assume they won't be hoodwinked. Or if you do look up a businesses complaints, the average review is so full of rambling hate and bad grammar the point is lost.

As far as investigative reporters, watch your local news and see who advertises: Car dealerships! Get a reporter nosing around, then the dealer owner calls their account exec at the tv station and says they better make sure the story is "fair and balanced". When was the last time you saw a (new car franchised) dealer get blasted on TV?

 

[Brons2]

Originally Posted By: Topo
Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
Jesus, a 10' chrysler. Dump the lemon


Better built OEM parts would be nice. The Moog outer tie rod end I had put on, looks like it goes on a German Panzer, the O.E.M. part looks like it goes on a Kia. I learned one thing, not all O.E.M. parts are as good as after market.


?????????

Have you ever owned a Kia? How do you ascertain the quality of parts that go on Kias?

I have owned two Kias. Kia OEM parts are of excellent quality from what I have observed.

While we're on the subject, Kia and coporate sister Hyundai were thriving while Chrysler was going through bankruptcy. Sales actually INCREASED during the recession.

Rant all you want about your piece of junk Chrysler, but don't throw Kia under the bus because of your dissatisfaction with your dealer's service.

btw...looks like you found a good honest indy shop, stick with it.

 

[Topo]

Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: Topo
Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
Jesus, a 10' chrysler. Dump the lemon


Better built OEM parts would be nice. The Moog outer tie rod end I had put on, looks like it goes on a German Panzer, the O.E.M. part looks like it goes on a Kia. I learned one thing, not all O.E.M. parts are as good as after market.


?????????

Have you ever owned a Kia? How do you ascertain the quality of parts that go on Kias?

I have owned two Kias. Kia OEM parts are of excellent quality from what I have observed.

While we're on the subject, Kia and coporate sister Hyundai were thriving while Chrysler was going through bankruptcy. Sales actually INCREASED during the recession.

Rant all you want about your piece of junk Chrysler, but don't throw Kia under the bus because of your dissatisfaction with your dealer's service.

btw...looks like you found a good honest indy shop, stick with it.


1. Your Ranting. I'm just stating my opinion, if you don't like it that's fine it's AMERICA.

2. My brother owned the Kia Minivan and Rio. Good enough to make observation and theory on the quality of a Kia at that time, pre 2008. Would you felt better if I said Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, Pontiac Feiro.

3. God Bless Korea!

4. Next time don't call my car a Lemon,you don't like it when the shoe is on the other foot. I bet my 3.5L engine will far out last your car. Suspension doesn't necessarly make a car a lemon, they are some of the lowest costing parts on the car. Transmissions and Engines are the $$$ on a car, Find a Kia that will match my 300, not even in the same league.

5. Of coarse Kia's sales will go up during a recession. There price point is much lower and have huge incentives. Price of a car usually has something to do with quality, am I right. Something has to give. You wont' see corvette style parts on a Chevy Cruz, why because then the Cruz wouldn't meet a certain price point. Both of which I think are very nice cars.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I think it's not so much the dealer as it is Chrysler jerking the dealer around.

My parents buy their vehicles from the same dealer. My mom has Jeeps (until now, Chrysler's quality is so poor she's going to Ford) and myself and my father have had Fords.

Anytime a problem happens on the ford, we don't have any issue getting it fixed. When something happens on the Jeep, it's always "Chrysler says it's normal".

Our engine burning oil and knocking is "normal" to Chrysler. I can almost guarantee that if my Focus engine started knocking and I brought it to the SAME dealer, spoke to the SAME service writer, that I wouldn't have a problem getting them to actually look at it.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
I think it's not so much the dealer as it is Chrysler jerking the dealer around.

My parents buy their vehicles from the same dealer. My mom has Jeeps (until now, Chrysler's quality is so poor she's going to Ford) and myself and my father have had Fords.

Anytime a problem happens on the ford, we don't have any issue getting it fixed. When something happens on the Jeep, it's always "Chrysler says it's normal".

Our engine burning oil and knocking is "normal" to Chrysler. I can almost guarantee that if my Focus engine started knocking and I brought it to the SAME dealer, spoke to the SAME service writer, that I wouldn't have a problem getting them to actually look at it.


Ah, no it's the dealer.

Do you really think the manufacturer wants their products behaving like you mention. NOPE. THe dealer probably doesn't want to be bothered because THEY feel the warranty rate is not good enough. Go to another dealer. The reality is that there are many more [censored] dealers than good ones.

 

[Topo]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
I think it's not so much the dealer as it is Chrysler jerking the dealer around.

My parents buy their vehicles from the same dealer. My mom has Jeeps (until now, Chrysler's quality is so poor she's going to Ford) and myself and my father have had Fords.

Anytime a problem happens on the ford, we don't have any issue getting it fixed. When something happens on the Jeep, it's always "Chrysler says it's normal".

Our engine burning oil and knocking is "normal" to Chrysler. I can almost guarantee that if my Focus engine started knocking and I brought it to the SAME dealer, spoke to the SAME service writer, that I wouldn't have a problem getting them to actually look at it.


I was told by my Father that warranty work is a lower rate for them, they much rather fix something out of warranty. My dealer does say everything is normal,when they know it's not. I'm just staying away from dealers on the smaller ticket items, especially anything not related to drive train.

 

[apwillard1986]

The warranty rate is usually cheaper. That said most dealers will simply find more to fix under warranty while they are in there. I will never understand the public’s perception that a dealer does not want to do warranty work. Most of the money dealers make is in the fixed operations of Parts and Service. Most of that money comes from warranty work. The manufacture is the only Parts and Service customer that always pays without fail. I promise if there is anyway to turn something into a warranty claim most dealers will find a way. There may be dealers out there that avoid warranty work and that may help explain why some have folded in recent years.

It is one thing to get ripped off and find out after the fact. You sound pretty certain that you witnessed them do nothing to your car. I’m trying to understand why you paid them at all. A three minute conversation with the manager or shop foreman would have likely seen the bill dissolved and may have even seen some sort of penance for your time.

 

[SteveSRT8]

A small note about Hyundai/Kia quality.

A reputable auto magazine said re: the Elantra that it was the first time since ages they had felt the floorboards flutter over a railroad track! They are first and foremost cheap, not all of them are perfect. EVERY automaker makes a few lemons, every single one.

The 300 the OP owns has a very sophisticated suspension with anti dive and anti squat zero scrub radius. Very few people can correctly diagnose it (always the hardest part) and it frequently confounds the dealers because NO OTHER Chrysler on the lot has it.

Note that the 300 has a great reputation with the overwhelming majority of its owners. This is a classic illustration of a stealership problem.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
The warranty rate is usually cheaper. That said most dealers will simply find more to fix under warranty while they are in there. I will never understand the public’s perception that a dealer does not want to do warranty work. Most of the money dealers make is in the fixed operations of Parts and Service. Most of that money comes from warranty work.


Absolutely false. True in the 60's but not anymore.

Dealers are not allowed to refuse work that QUALIFIES under warranty.

The mfgr's can and do refuse to pay and often demand further verification, etc.

 

[Topo]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
A small note about Hyundai/Kia quality.

A reputable auto magazine said re: the Elantra that it was the first time since ages they had felt the floorboards flutter over a railroad track! They are first and foremost cheap, not all of them are perfect. EVERY automaker makes a few lemons, every single one.

The 300 the OP owns has a very sophisticated suspension with anti dive and anti squat zero scrub radius. Very few people can correctly diagnose it (always the hardest part) and it frequently confounds the dealers because NO OTHER Chrysler on the lot has it.

Note that the 300 has a great reputation with the overwhelming majority of its owners. This is a classic illustration of a stealership problem.


Thank you! and Thank You about the suspension information. Now I have to google it.

 

[sciphi]

Most of the Chevy dealers I've dealt with down where I used to live didn't want to work on the car for warranty work unless it was obviously wrong. Even when they admitted they heard/experienced it, it wasn't always fixed. I had one service writer tell me, "We hear it, but we don't know what it is and we can't find out" after I had demonstrated a constant and particularly annoying rattle repeatedly, and upon demand. They did not get a good review from the follow-up survey Chevrolet corporate sent me.

The 3 rattles that cropped up and could be reproduced on demand I fixed myself since dealing with the dealer would have taken longer than me fixing it myself. Likely they would have ended up a waste of time, too.

The few times our Honda was in for warranty work, we had a great experience. They found the rattle, ordered the replacement part, and installed it on a return trip. They even tossed me the keys to a CR-Z to bomb around in for a few hours while our car was waiting to be worked on since they were backed up during the second visit.

 

[Topo]

I forget to mention in my orignal post. they found some noise coming from trunk, the hardware for spare tire wasn't secure. They told me that they secured that down. I already new it was probably that, wasn't concerned with that noise. But when I went to belle tire to replace my wheel nuts, they wanted to match the wheel nuts with my wrench, they showed me that nothing in fact was secured, they just moved the jack and handle on one side of the tire, it could still bounce around. Belle tire couldn't figure out how it went in either. I you tubed a installation of jack in the 300, little tricky, but I have it secured..See the dealer couldn't even figure that out..LOL!