We've all been there. The dealership from hell that fixes things that aren't broken, can't fix what is broken, and has no clue what the words "honest" and "ethical" mean.

Any tales of woe to bestow on us?

I have two - well, I have one, the other was a more recent problem a friend had.

Tale 1
A friend took his PSD X to a stealership. It had a nasty, nasty oil leak pouring from the engine valley area and down the sides and back.

The stealership diagnosed it as a leaking HPOP. They said it couldn't be repaired and had to be replaced - to the tune of $1,400.

He got his X back - AND IT HAD THE SAME NASTY OIL LEAK, THE SAME AMOUNT, FROM THE SAME PLACE!

He brought it back to the stealership - and they said "Oh, it WAS the HPOP, now you have a different leak."

He brought it home and found the leak himself. It turns out it was an oil line FROM the HPOP that had a small split in it. The dealer R&R specialist (I refuse to call them mechanics) had to disconnect the line to replace the HPOP, and never noticed it.

Tale 2
My truck it developed a fuel leak right after I bought it. As it was still under warranty, I took it to a local dealer. They said a fuel line that goes under the turbo had a hole rubbed in it. The service rep said:
1) fuel lines are not covered by warranty.
2) the fuel line was a very expensive piece - over $200 - and they didn't have one in stock. It could take a week to get it.
3) his "mechanic" had repaired problems like this before, so instead of $500 for the fuel line and labor (had to remove turbo), he'd "repair" it for only $300.

I desperately needed my truck back IMMEDIATELY because I was misssing work. So, I said 'fix it'.

Three months later, it started leaking again. This time, I had a bit more time. I climbed onto the engine with a mech mirror and flashlight, and tracked down the fuel leak.

It was coming from the "repair" that had been done 3 months before.

So, I took it back to them, and (not telling them I knew where it was from) told them I had a fuel leak. The same service rep came back after the diagnosis and said, "There is a fuel connector under the turbo that is leaking. We'll have to remove the turbo to get to it. It'll cost $550.

I said, "Really? Because when I looked at it with a mirror and a flashlight an hour ago it was leaking from the repair you guys made to the fuel line 3 months ago."

He looked genuinely surprised, left to talk to his R&R specialist, came back, and said. "You're right. It is leaking. But we still have to fix that connector. I'll make you a deal. Since you were here only three months ago, we'll do the job for $350."

The new fuel line cost me $66 at a different dealer.

 

I took mine in for oil leak they said it was drain plug and not covered by warranty so charged me 38 for new gasket and 2 qts of oil. I told them couldn't be because it was coming from higher up on block. They also put 75 miles on it "TEST DRIVING" IT . oN WAY home temp gage didn't work pulled over and reconected senser they had knocked off 2 days latter oil leak was back traced it up to valve cover tightend bolts leak disapeared. Called them about it and they said to bring it back in 90 miles I told them to go F#$% them selfs.

 

WOW.....stealerships just amaze me. I brought my truck in for it's annual state inspection and they told me it needs new rear brakes and rotors and i have "metal contacting metal". I said No thanks and took my PSD home and found the rotors were gouged from debris and pads had plently of life but were grooved from rotor gouge. Stealership wanted $540 to replace rotors and pads....i did job for $140.

 

Whew..... I have been lucky 2 trips to DEWEY Ford in Ankeny Ia. Both oil leaks first time turbo pedistal o-ring 100.00 deductable. Second trip 6mos later another oil leak driping from different area of motor was the oil sender 100.00 deduct again. Dry for the last three months. There is no doubt some service reps are pretty shady. I am just lucky.......

 

These guys are reaping thier own destruction of reputation by behaving like that.
Let them continue, it will only mean more work for me, and others like me, because I am an honest businessman who stands behind his work

 

I am a dealer tech, certified for diesel repair and diagnosis, and these stories disturb me. My whole career, I have gone out of my way to request training, taken huge pay losses for doing extra unpaid work, and just working hard to make sure the customer can depend on me.

 

Never been to a stealership other than to test drive an '05 6.0 ZF-6 in like July '05, and once more a few months later just to check out the interiors. Ended up buying the truck I have now so those trips didn't amount to much.

 

I sympathise with your situation. You sound like a great candidate for starting your own shop. You would be overrun with business within weeks.
There's a lot of dealers surrounding me here in Seattle, and the reputation that they generate drives my decision on where to go. Two I have no problem sending people to, one I say only go in there as a last resort. Even the owner of the business gets in yelling matches with the clientele. Sheesh. The only reason that they are still there IMO is thier location and great distance from the next like branded dealership. I've heard many horror stories over the years about them.
I have the great priveledge of being self employed, and so I get to dictate how the shop is run. The buck stops with me and I make sure that my reputation is kept top notch. That is more valuble than making a big sale for the day. Tomorrow is always around the corner. Word of mouth counts.

 

Dan,

In addition to Audi/VW, have you thought of taking in Powerstroke-powered vehicles?

Maybe specialize in 7.3's?

Gotta be a few of them that break in the SeaTac area.

Pop

 

I have thought about it, but unfortunately,you end up behind a desk around here when you have your own shop. I love working on automotive(and others)problems too much to let $40,000 worth of hand tools go to waste.

 

That's not something I will ever do. I know that I could, but my shop is not large enough to accept more than one truck at a time. It's tight in there with two Vanagons and a Jetta, forget bringing in a dually! Whenever I have to work on my truck, EVERYTHING else goes outside.

Vloney I have to run between the desk and the cars a lot. The guy that works for me does way more repairs than I do. I've run the shop before with my wife answering the phone so I can get some work done, but it's better to have two techs there.

 

There is no doubt that there are a few decent dealers. I wish there were more.

There is a mechanic near here that specializes in Powerstrokes. He is honest, does good work, and doesn't advertize because his customers do his advertizing for him. Sometimes he has to turn work away.

 

Not a Ford Stealership but a Toyota Stealership (my last truck!) I took it in for the infamous V6 head gasket problem. They fixed everything under warranty, but I went and talked with the head technician and he recomended replaced the exhaust manifolds with a set of Downey headers which would take the heat away from the block in cylinders 1 and 6 which was where the head gaskets were failing. They would put them on for free at the time. Sweet! So I am down in the middle of Baja Mexico about a month later on a dirt road at least 50 miles from the nearest town and my girlfriend says I smell gas? We get out and there is fuel spilling on the headers! There was a smog sensor that was rubbing on the fuel line! Repaired it and got home without the truck burning down and took it back to them. The first thing they asked me was who installed the headers! I told them they did you idiots!!! Well we will need to charge you for the repairs. I told them to fix it the correct way and charge Toyota if they wanted but not me. They had to make a special bracket to hold the sensor away from my fuel lines and blamed it on me! (but charged Toyota)

 

Big time Holy Smokes!!

 

Oh, yeah. Not just Ford dealers. Toyota dealerships suffer from something else, too. That is, arrogance. Many years ago, we needed an economical car. I went to a Toy dealer and started looking at the Corollas. There were at least six salesmen around - occasionally one would look around for customers, but they ignored me.

So I walked over to the Supras. Within 2 minutes, they were fighting over who saw me first. I guess there wasn't enough commission in a Corolla for them to bother. I didn't buy anything, just laughed at them as I left. Ended up a Saturn - and after 270,000 miles, I have to say that it was a very underrated econo-box (the old ones were made by Saturn, the new ones are Chevys with a different badge).

Have a Civic now - and it is a highly overrated econo-box. At 38,500, the alternator broke. All the dealer would say was, "It's out of warranty. That'll be $580 installed." :P