Why I Hate dealerships......with a capital H.

[TyphoonFiST]

I'm currently at a dealership getting "warranty work"....I had to go to my car to get something. I walk up and there is a Technician using her finger nails to peel up adhesive from a weatherstripping on the roof that was peeling back and I ask don't they have any adhesive remover to properly clean and remove that. She quickly says NOPE....my next thought is great all the adhesive isn't going to be removed and it's not going to be cleaned properly to adhere correctly. It doesn't help any that it's -5 here in MN and I hope that she is smart enough to let it warm up to at least 50? to allow the paint and adhesive to mate together correctly. I went to the parts Dept to see if they had any adhesive remover. NOPE....Who runs this Mickey mouse operation. I'll put money on it that it peels again. I'm a former ASE certified tech and worked for Chrysler and had all the proper tools and chemicals to do the Job. What happened to doing the job right the first time so it's doesn't come back? I am very skeptical of this work and quality of repair. When did quality workmanship go down the toilet? This is why I should and just might do my own warranty work if I can and Bill Ford. For fuck sake.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^One of the reasons I do not even trust them to do the one free oil change I get for buying the car where I did.

I would consider it IF I could sit there and WATCH them every step of the way, but I guarantee that they would be putting the drain plug back in while a heavy stream of dirty oil is still flowing from the pan anyway!

I SHUDDER at the thought of bringing it back in for any warranty/TSB/recall service, and if I had the coin to fix it myself, I would NOT (and then I could use whatever oil/fluids I want, and mod to my heart's, {and wallet's} content as well!).

 

[jdubs]

It's certainly difficult to find a good repair shop. My right front strut blew 7000 miles in and I almost said screw it since I was putting on coilovers soon, but I figured I wanted a good strut to go back on if and when I sell the car. Had it been something with less cost I would have fixed it myself.

Good luck with your repair!

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Guess what else was found ....I'll give you all one guess!

 

[TUX15ST]

Scratch city!

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Axle seal took a dump!yay!

 

[44sg44]

We're never better serve then by ourself! They are there to make $ so the less they can spend the best it is...not good but reality...No more dealer for me!

 

[Sourskittle]

My buddy asked the dealer to inspect a noise in his front driver side axle area ( he thought it was the axle ) before he drove on a 15-18hour road trip. Dealer said, "nope, it's fine". Then I found this after he drove down...
https://youtu.be/tr2Cd1Irq1U


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[Maxpowa]

^^^One of the reasons I do not even trust them to do the one free oil change I get for buying the car where I did.

I would consider it IF I could sit there and WATCH them every step of the way, but I guarantee that they would be putting the drain plug back in while a heavy stream of dirty oil is still flowing from the pan anyway!

I SHUDDER at the thought of bringing it back in for any warranty/TSB/recall service, and if I had the coin to fix it myself, I would NOT (and then I could use whatever oil/fluids I want, and mod to my heart's, {and wallet's} content as well!).

I know what all of you mean. I have an irrational love for my car despite it being an absolute reliability nightmare. I've had to deal with a few of these types of dealers before. I have dashboard cameras front and rear which record HD video and audio any time the doors are unlocked and I leave them in the car when it goes in for warranty work at least once every couple of months (no joke). It's a good deterent for foolishness and acts as added insurance should something happen to the vehicle while in their possession, particularly when the young kids get to go park it and think they can sneak a quick joy-ride.

 

[DvC]

Axle seal took a dump!yay!

both of my axle seals are leaking dont want to take it in

 

[M-Sport fan]

both of my axle seals are leaking dont want to take it in

I know there are threads on this topic, but, in reality, is it something that HAS TO happen on these cars, no matter what, and it is just a case of WHEN it is going to happen??

 

[DvC]

I know there are threads on this topic, but, in reality, is it something that HAS TO happen on these cars, no matter what, and it is just a case of WHEN it is going to happen??

there was a thread that was saying they were redesigned so maybe on the newer models it is less likely to happen...

 

[Sourskittle]

there was a thread that was saying they were redesigned so maybe on the newer models it is less likely to happen...

Wish they would update the blender door design... I don't want to replace mine, just to replace it again in 6months

 

[mdonald623]

Every bit of superficial damage to my Fiesta (that isn't from rock chips) was caused by dealerships. Ford has the worst service I've ever experienced. You never know what you'll get.

 

[Ronbo]

You never know what you'll get.

This is true of any make.


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[Crooked Letta]

Every bit of superficial damage to my Fiesta (that isn't from rock chips) was caused by dealerships. Ford has the worst service I've ever experienced. You never know what you'll get.

Dealerships are a franchise and independently run. Last year my dealer won the President's Elite award and we will be the only facility with in New England to service GT's. You don't get this way with unsatisfied customers. Every dealer is different and that is true with all brands, some really take pride in their work.

They key is to have a good relationship with your service advisor, but they are only as good as the techs so it helps if you know some one in the business

 

[Crooked Letta]

Every bit of superficial damage to my Fiesta (that isn't from rock chips) was caused by dealerships. Ford has the worst service I've ever experienced. You never know what you'll get.

Dealerships are a franchise and independently run. Last year my dealer won the President's Elite award and we will be the only facility with in New England to service GT's. You don't get this way with unsatisfied customers. Every dealer is different and that is true with all brands, some really take pride in their work.

They key is to have a good relationship with your service advisor, but they are only as good as the techs so it helps if you know some one in the business

 

[mdonald623]

Since I bought my car there has been 4 new service managers and I think they are on their fifth now.

I had a decent relationship with one of the service advisers going but they're gone too.

Yes I realize there are probably some really nice ones out there, but that doesn't help me any, as far as I'm concerned they're garbage.

 

[TuxedoST]

The problem with dealerships is systemic, and as mentioned above, it happens with all makes. The problem is, dealerships aren't incentivized to do warranty work, because manufacturers typically pay out warranty claims at a lower rate than normal shop work. This causes shops to say things like "normal characteristic for the vehicle" or "I don't hear the noise." I've definitely had my fair share of outright horrible customer service from a few service managers in the past, but overall they seem understanding of my issues.

Having a good relationship with the managers and folks doing the work is a great way to have a better experience. If you go in angry that something is not right with your car, they'll often treat you in kind.

It took me near 3 years for Ford dealerships to take my concerns with my clutch and transmission seriously. YMMV.