Auto dealership....

[Bald1]

My wife’s 2018 Audi Q7 was in shop for 40k mi service. This service was included in cost of car. Part of service is to ck pads rotors etc on all 4 corners. I asked them to rotate tires while it was there. When I eventually looked at invoice my wife paid $38 to rotate tires. All 4 tires were off the car during service at the same time. All they had to do was switch front to back. I put a call into service manager to ask how they justified this. I’m awaiting his reply. We didn’t buy a $3k Ford Focus from Smiling Ted’s garage. We bought a fairly expensive vehicle. Yet they still want to nickel and dime you.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

4 new vehicles from the same dealership and same sales rep over a 20-year period. Always had the routine service work done there, figuring that this would eliminate any questions in the event of a warranty issue.

Incident #1: Routine oil change. Service guy shows me the air intake filter and cabin air filter (obviously dirty), recommends new filters. OK, go ahead. Review the bill, in addition to $38 for new air filter and $32 for new cabin air filter I was charged $30 labor for installation of EACH ONE. As if they wouldn't have had to put the old ones back in if I just said NO.

Incident #2: Routine oil change. Service guy tells me that my front brake pads are down to 2mm, rear pads at 4mm, recommends full brake job. Scheduled an appointment with my usual brake & alignment shop, went in, found that the front pads were at 6mm, rears at 8mm, no service recommended.

Incident #3: Routine service, oil change and tire rotation. Picked up the vehicle, left rear wheel had a noticeable ding and I saw that it had not been moved. Checked all four wheels, all of the lug nuts still had a coating of road grime, none had been touched by a lug wrench. Pointed that out to the service guy, he proceeded to argue with me. I refused to pay for service not received. He wanted to take it back into the shop and have the tires rotated. I told him I would take it to someone I could trust.

Next step: Dealership web site, "contact us" link, sent an e-mail. No response.

Next step: Manufacturer's web site, "customer service" link, sent an e-mail. No response.

Next step: Called the salesman who had served us for over 20 years and 4 new vehicles, explained why he would no longer be seeing our business (or anyone else who would listen to me). Next day, dealership owner called me, wanted to know what he could do to keep us as a customer.

My response: If I can't trust your people with the little things I won't trust you with any more of my business. You have learned how to lose a good customer. End of discussion.

About 2 months later I was called by the manufacturer's customer service rep responding to my e-mail complaint. Similar discussion, once the trust is gone my business is gone.

In the great scheme of life all of these were small issues, but the pattern of behavior convinced me that I would be better off taking my business elsewhere.

PS: I now keep air intake filters, cabin air filters, and windshield wiper blades in the garage (half the price and maybe 5 minutes to change any of them myself). All of my alignment and brake work goes to a shop I have dealt with for decades. My tires are rotated and serviced by the tire dealer who installed them.

 

[Golddollar]

I guess I've been lucky. When I moved up here I was driving cars approaching 20 years old, because that's all I could afford before I started the job at the job I had at the time. It is a family owned dealership that has been in business for a couple generations. But I always felt like I was being treated like I was driving a new Mercedes.

So here it is, 17 years later. From this dealership, I bought my very first brand new car, plus 3 late model used cars. I had just about all my service work done there and never felt like I was being taken to the cleaners. And my aunt and uncle here started patronizing this dealership for their service work based on my experience, and then bought a new car that had been on the lot for about all of 20 minutes.

I'm happy to say that our business has been appreciated.

 

[Beemerguy53]

When I bought my 2013 VW Golf R, it came with free service for the first 50,000 miles. I told the service manager that so long as his guys were honest with me, I would continue to do business with them.

Of course, they couldn't resist doing what dealers always seem to do...and they lost my business. Luckily, I found an independent shop not too far away that specializes in VWs and Audis, and has a sterling reputation.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

There's more ways to rob ya than with a gun.............

 

[GaryS]

This came up today during casual conversation.

My friend's daughter has a nice Jaguar SUV (I call it a station wagon) and the controller for the power windows stopped working.

She took it to the dealer and they charged her $400.00 to repair it as it was out of warranty.

That didn't fix the problem, so she called them to complain. They said to bring it back in and that they'd take a look, but that there might be an additional charge, again because it's out of warranty. She told them that she thought it was in warranty still, but they said no.

Her husband, who's kind of pushy and obnoxious, got on the phone with the service manager and told him that the car is not out of warranty. The service manager said it's more than two years old. The husband said it might have been MADE more than two years ago, but they bought it less than two years ago and the warranty started when we bought it.

The service manager tried to argue, but the husband told him that he could either refund the $400.00 and do the repair under warranty, or he could talk to the nice person from the state Attorney General's office.

They got the money back and the repair.

 

[SMSgt]

Wife took her Camry to the dealer for service.Lube, oil, and filter.
They told her the cabin air filter needed to be replaced. $60.
She told them not now.
She mentioned this to me when she got home.
I did my due diligence. $18 for the filter. (OEM)
Checked You Tube. Less than three minute job.
The dealer already had the old filter out to inspect it!!
Same dealer also recommends work that is not in the factory service schedule!

I will turn people away from this licensed group of thieves at every opportunity.

I feel very sorry for the gullible, the fearful, and those that just do not know any better.


Best,
Gary

I replaced the cabin air filter in my wife's Nissan, even watched the YT videos. I'll gladly pay $50 to have it done. Being flailed alive is too good for whoever designed that thing.

 

[shovelhead]

I worked in car dealership parts departments for close to a half century. Last dealership used to push those aftermarket flush services or as we in the business called them wallet flushes.

The manufacturer sent to the dealers a Technical Service Bulletin stating that they were not required for proper maintenance, they unnecessarily added to the vehicle owners maintenance expense and if any damage was done to the vehicle as a result of these products warranty would not cover the damaged part(s).

One of the service writers tried that bull**** about three months after I started there. Had a surge at highway speed, writer told me the first thing we had to do was an injection service. I asked him if the extended warranty company ( auto manufacturer extended policy) was paying for it. His reply was “Owners expense.” To which I replied “Show me where in the policy it states you have to perform a non factory flush prior to diagnosing my vehicle”.

Well let’s just say he and I never liked each other after that. Oh, the problem, camshaft and distributor gear 4.3L 04 GMC was excessively worn causing the surge. All that flush would have done was tack on two hundred dollars to my hundred dollar deductible for nothing.

 

[9mmPatriot]

As an HVAC contractor (And college instructor) I've followed up on some real sleazies.
Example: A neighbor was told she had "Freon weevils" and had to have her system R22 replaced.
Replaced compressors when a run capacitor went out etc.
System replacement using old, used equipment sold as new.
Seen similar frauds in auto A/C mechanics too.
Texas now has all sorts of protections against shysters and still they get into the system.
I've seen way too many of them.

I had my own HVAC/R business for 14 years. I used my family name because I believed that if you are honest and reputable you PUT YOUR NAME ON IT.


I closed up shop because I couldn't afford heath insurance (wife is Type 1 Diabetic). I miss being my own boss.



I made a damn good living by being honest and not ripping off customers. Treat people the way you want to be treated and they'll stick with you through thick and thin.

 

[shovelhead]

I made a damn good living by being honest and not ripping off customers. Treat people the way you want to be treated and they'll stick with you through thick and thin.

Same here, but I had no control over the service department as I was just a counterman at that time. I managed three parts departments in smaller dealerships over the years and that was my philosophy too. Fortunately the service managers and writers I worked with in those three stores believed the same thing.

 

[DWalt]

I learned a very costly lesson about dealership service shops 50 years ago. Never went back to one except for warranty and recall work. And I never will. The English language contains no words strong enough to describe my feelings about car dealerships.

 

[GaryS]

I have no experience with Nissan, but Toyotas are very easy. The hardest part is gettin the **** out of the glove box.

I replaced the cabin air filter in my wife's Nissan, even watched the YT videos. I'll gladly pay $50 to have it done. Being flailed alive is too good for whoever designed that thing.

 

[CH4]

I bring my Dodge PU to the local Nissan dealership because they change the oil for $15 when I supply my own oil and filter - I use Mobil 1, they don’t have it. On one occasion, the young service guy informed me my truck was due for its 40,000 mile service at a cost of $1500. I informed him the owner’s manual for my truck doesn’t show a service requirement at 40k. He turned bright red and quietly walked away. Same guy recommended I change the serpentine belt on my Z because it was approaching 25k at a cost of $275. I’ll keep playing the game as long as they keep changing my oil for $15. If my cars need repairing and I can’t do it, I’ll take it to an indy.

 

[F4phantom]

My wife’s 2018 Audi Q7 was in shop for 40k mi service. This service was included in cost of car. Part of service is to ck pads rotors etc on all 4 corners. I asked them to rotate tires while it was there. When I eventually looked at invoice my wife paid $38 to rotate tires. All 4 tires were off the car during service at the same time. All they had to do was switch front to back. I put a call into service manager to ask how they justified this. I’m awaiting his reply. We didn’t buy a $3k Ford Focus from Smiling Ted’s garage. We bought a fairly expensive vehicle. Yet they still want to nickel and dime you.

That's why we stopped buying Audi's. At the time, $200 oil change and then additional charges for things that were not asked for. Audi service is more expensive than the car.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Okay, ya got me. What kind of car has an automatic sun shade for the rear wind shield?
The tire rotation thing can take a little extra time if you have air pressure monitors for the tires. Mine specify which tire on both Chevys so they have to reprogram. (The Subaru, you have to figure it out.) I believe the reprogramming takes about 2 minutes per tire. Should just be incorporated into the price.
As far as tire rotation, that's total bogus, as I believe they rotate as you drive down the road!

 

[bigwheelzip]

Okay, ya got me. What kind of car has an automatic sun shade for the rear wind shield?

MIL's Hyundai Azera has that feature.



Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Okay, ya got me. What kind of car has an automatic sun shade for the rear wind shield?
The tire rotation thing can take a little extra time if you have air pressure monitors for the tires. Mine specify which tire on both Chevys so they have to reprogram. (The Subaru, you have to figure it out.) I believe the reprogramming takes about 2 minutes per tire. Should just be incorporated into the price.
As far as tire rotation, that's total bogus, as I believe they rotate as you drive down the road!

I disagree about tire rotation. Regular rotation of the wheel and tires evens out the wear patterns and extends the life of that set of tires.

I've seen new tires wear below safe standards in as little as 15,000. I've seen new tires provide safe service for 55,000 when rotated every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.

We have been using synthetic motor oil for the past 7 or 8 years, which generally allows 5,000 miles between oil changes. I like to have the tires rotated at each oil change.

New tires on my wife's car last week, replaced the factory originals at 51,000 miles. New tires on my truck last year, replaced the factory tires at 48,000 (they still had about 4-5,000 remaining, but big sale on Michelins and winter approaching spurred me to go ahead and save 30%). After each set of new tires the next stop is the alignment shop, make sure everything is adjusted properly for safety and long tire life.

YMMV

 

[444 Magnum]

Okay, ya got me. What kind of car has an automatic sun shade for the rear wind shield?

In this story, a 2010 Toyota Avalon. My wife's 2014 Buick LaCrosse also has one.

 

[Nevada Ed]

In these times;

just because someone has a business license,
does not mean that the business is is capable or have workers, that know how properly fix anything, the correct way
in the shortest amount of time, with the correct parts with a fair price
with an invoice with all the parts and prices listed and stating, why the new parts were needed.

Today, I trust nobody, with the way that help is acquired, if they loose their quality work force
that is taking place, in these times.

If not happy with the job.............. don't pay them.

Take it to court, where you will get a fair deal.

I refuse to pay "Hidden cost" or add on, or just 3x prices, to people.

One word of advise, though,
get it in writing, before they start working !!

 

[Tex1001]

I made a damn good living by being honest and not ripping off customers. Treat people the way you want to be treated and they'll stick with you through thick and thin.

34 years ago I found out that if you are competent and honest,
the world will literally beat a path to your door.