I Hate Dealerships

ill start out with, im young, just turned 21 and this is my first new vehicle. 2014 Ram 1500 Sport fully loaded.

I hit the ditch while hunting this fall and got yanked out by a buddy. the strap was wrapped around the tow hitch, behind the bumper. the strap moved and ended up ripping out my left license plate bulb, and pulled the trailer brake connector off the bumper, and bent the underside of teh bumper up a hair. you cant tell unless you actually get on your knees and look.

anyways so i went to the dealership at 8am and dropped my truck off to fix the bulb and connector, as well as replace the power window seal cause its falling off.

i called them at 430 and they just started to look at my truck. at 445 i went in to see how things were going and they sat me down and told me that i bent the bracket that holds the connector in and i need a new bumper cause the bracket is part of the bumper. also they didnt have parts for the light bulb, and the guy that does the window seal "left"

so basically my truck was there all day and nothing happened to it. i asked why the seal wasnt done and all the guy could say is that the guy left. well the truck was there all ******* day and he just left it?

so i got home and looked at the bracket in question, and its bent 1/8" towards the rear of the truck, and is easily bent back in place.

i also got billed $92 for them to tell me all this. im not going to this dealership again and gave them a bad review on facebook. i think they were trying to pull the wool over my eyes cause im young.

so i decided im gonna just do it myself. i have ordered a 194 pigtail from ebay, and i am trying to track down the part # for the 2 brackets that hold the connector to the bumper bracket. ill have to get the seal done under warranty.

im just angry and needed a rant.

Not to be a ****... hehe... but... Unless your dealership is a ghost town, they are going to be doing work based on first come, first served. If they have to order in something, or await a approval for a quote.. nothing is going to happen.

I was a heavy engine dealership tech... and it was normal to leave your vehicle for a day or two for most repairs. Due to the fact that there are several vehicles in line ahead of you.

Anytime you need to take a vehicle in for anything more than a minor repair or fluid change, expect to leave it for a day or two. No one who is good, is going to be sitting there, twittling their thumbs, and available to jump right on your vehicle and finish it in one day. Most shops just get the quote and approval done the first day, then order parts, then do the work. Just the way it is.

It is very expensive. Their overhead is high... even a small shop can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just to keep the doors open.

I made an appointment for 8am and They told me 2 hours to get it all done.

My GF dropped her truck off for her appointment at 12pm, and had her truck at 2pm for tranny cooler lines.

Yea, I totally side with you. I have made appointments at dealerships in the past and waited HOURS and nothing done!!! I was like WTF??!!! Simple things too, wheel alignment, an emissions test, and so on. Always by appointment. Well I am fine with 1/2 an hour late, who cares. But when hours or a day go by.... not acceptable at all. All dealerships around here are appointment only, or appointments are served before walk in. So it makes it even more pathetic, can't get a vehicle in when the day is already planned for the shop??? Very frustrating.

Yeah when you make an appointment you should get in right away! I usually wait around, that way they can't put it off!

typical stealership crap... beyond the rake over on the buying experience they aren't of much help!

wow sounds like you need better dealership.. mine gives me free rentals even if its only a day worth of work

Completely understand your fustration. I wax in for warranty work (washer fluid light) and I waited 2.5 hours. I didn't mind because I got to look at other cars and trucks. But if it's packed, it's first come first serve.

P.S. that doesn't sound like warranty work because you damaged you vehicle, so my suggestion is just fixing it yourself would proble be besr, because they might charge you out the ass for a new bumper, and labor. Personally for me, that's the perfect time to upgrade the bumper to something else better, but if not, you can always go to the junk shop and find one from a wreck for cheap. Just throwing out a suggestion.

Truck name: Rampage
2012 Dodge ram 1500 Quad Cab Big Horn 4x4
*Bilstein 2.8" front
*Bilstein shocks on rear with 1" spacer
*Pioneer AVH 4300DVD head unit
*Polk Audio Dxi350 dash speakers
*Kicker 40CSS654 6 1/2" door speakers (x4)
*fox box 2-12" speakers holder for rear seats
*2-12" alpine subs (swe -1243l
*500 watt alpine mono sub
*LED 3rd tail light smoked
*Spyder LED smokes tail lights
havent even started on the engine..lol

Just depends on the dealership, I'm dealing with a blown up rear diff, and couldn't be happier with how they are handling it. its a recall/warranty repair, I'm not out of pocket at all. They have been more than upfront in taking care of me and making sure I had a loaner, which I don't need and didn't use. So not all are worthless. it also helps on how you approach them.

arod412 said:

Completely understand your fustration. I wax in for warranty work (washer fluid light) and I waited 2.5 hours. I didn't mind because I got to look at other cars and trucks. But if it's packed, it's first come first serve.

P.S. that doesn't sound like warranty work because you damaged you vehicle, so my suggestion is just fixing it yourself would proble be besr, because they might charge you out the ass for a new bumper, and labor. Personally for me, that's the perfect time to upgrade the bumper to something else better, but if not, you can always go to the junk shop and find one from a wreck for cheap. Just throwing out a suggestion.

Truck name: Rampage
2012 Dodge ram 1500 Quad Cab Big Horn 4x4
*Bilstein 2.8" front
*Bilstein shocks on rear with 1" spacer
*Pioneer AVH 4300DVD head unit
*Polk Audio Dxi350 dash speakers
*Kicker 40CSS654 6 1/2" door speakers (x4)
*fox box 2-12" speakers holder for rear seats
*2-12" alpine subs (swe -1243l
*500 watt alpine mono sub
*LED 3rd tail light smoked
*Spyder LED smokes tail lights
havent even started on the engine..lol

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i told them i didnt know what happened to the trailer brake connector, so they were gonna warranty that and the seal, and i wouldve had to pay for the new pigtail.

whats chaps my ass is that they didnt even do the seal. like **** off.

Even the small shop where my old truck and wife's Honda go has these kinds of issues. 75% of the time they get it done the same day, but not always. Sometimes repairs to previous cars take longer than expected. They can't stop working on the first car just to get yours done on time. It's like a doctor's office. Stuff piles up all day and if you're the one at the head of the line, you don't want the tech or doctor to stop working on you or your truck just to stay on schedule!

They do this to us old farts too, so don't worry too much. The Honda dealership near us charges $125 no matter if they do work or not - crediting that $125 if they do the work. You just paid $92 for a diagnosis. Think of it that way.

You guys need to understand that when you make an appointment, the appointment time is for the vehicle being dropped off and checked in. Not what time it goes into the shop. Work usually goes into the shop based on promise times.

So if two people dropped they're vehicles off and one person needs it back by noon and the other not till 5. The one promised for 12 will go in the shop first. As someone else said, the techs aren't sitting around waiting for you drop off your vehicle. They're working on other peoples cars. If you tell them they can have the vehicle all day and you drop it off in the morning, it's 100% normal that it may not get into the shop till the afternoon.

A lot of people think that when it gets dropped off it automatically goes I to the shop and that's not always the case.

When I get into work and have several jobs assigned to me I pick which job to work on first based on promise times and expected work completion time.

DiabeticKripple said:

i told them i didnt know what happened to the trailer brake connector, so they were gonna warranty that and the seal, and i wouldve had to pay for the new pigtail.

whats chaps my ass is that they didnt even do the seal. like **** off.

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Well NOW your just being a ***** about it. Why should Fiat pay for your screw up? You and/or anyone touching your truck should learn how to hook up without damaging parts.
You should be grateful they even considered any of it warranty.
I understand your frustration with appointment but don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I work on the road, over a 5 state area. I never know the reputation of "Joe's Auto Repair" or "Mike's Mechanical Mistake". So, I always use dealerships for even oil changes.
As I've said in previoius posts, this is my first Ram. My former trucks have been "Brand C". In the past 10 years, I've had one... ONE bad experience with a dealership.
I've had warranty issues handled efficiently and promptly. The most recent warranty issue on my wife's car required the vehicle to be left at the dealership. I dropped it off at 8 a.m. They gave me a courtesy ride home. I rec'd a call about 4 hours later asking if I would be ready for the courtesy van to pick me up in 15 minutes, as our car was done.
I hear "ghost stories" about dealerships. Almost every time I call a new dealership, I cringe hoping not to end up with one of those that give others a bad name. Oh! The one that I did have problems with about 6 years ago is now gone... out of business.
As I begin my journey with the Ram and consequential visiting of Chrysler dealerships, I hope to continue with my good luck. One of these days, I'll happen into another "stealership". Hopefully, that does not happen in a fashion that will sour my experience with what, so far, has been a GREAT truck!!!

I am dropping off my 2013 Power Wagon next.. have an appointment for 3:30... I dont expect it to be done for a day or two so asked they have a rental car waiting for me. I didn't even ask them to promise me a certain time. Just deal with it.. 1-2 days, the job gets done right.

Like folks have said above... and appointment is for you to talk to the service writer.. not for a tech to be sitting next to his toolbox, waiting for your specific vehicle.

They warranty covered your damage, and you are complaining? No offense.. but seriously... that was pretty cool of them.

I always try to remember that courtesy is a two way street when dealing with a dealership service department. I alway give them the opportunity to do the right thing FIRST. I tell them the TRUTH about damage, tuners and mod's and let the chips fall where they may. If they treat me with respect and courtesy then that is the way I treat them, however if they act like **** heads, I do OK at that too. It is an easier transition to go from being nice to being a *****, than it is to go from a ***** to being nice.
Jay

DiabeticKripple said:

i told them i didnt know what happened to the trailer brake connector, so they were gonna warranty that and the seal, and i wouldve had to pay for the new pigtail.

whats chaps my ass is that they didnt even do the seal. like **** off.

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So you damaged your truck, lied to them about it, and they were going to warranty it for you even though they shouldn't. Chances are they knew you did something but were nice enough to help you out and cover it under warranty. I wouldn't be to upset about the seal if I was getting chrysler to pay for my mistake. As someone else said, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Why are they telling me I need a $2000 bumper and new wiring harness? It'll take 10 seconds to bend the bracket back.

Pull Ya said:

I always try to remember that courtesy is a two way street when dealing with a dealership service department. I alway give them the opportunity to do the right thing FIRST. I tell them the TRUTH about damage, tuners and mod's and let the chips fall where they may. If they treat me with respect and courtesy then that is the way I treat them, however if they act like **** heads, I do OK at that too. It is an easier transition to go from being nice to being a *****, than it is to go from a ***** to being nice.
Jay

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This is what I attempt to do at the dealerships I have been to, but when the service writer and tech lie right to your face it makes it a little more difficult to be nice. I absolutely dread going into dealers for warranty work, they would much rather string you along until you are out of warranty than fix your vehicle. That is the way that Ford and Chrysler dealers are around me anyway.

DiabeticKripple said:

Why are they telling me I need a $2000 bumper and new wiring harness? It'll take 10 seconds to bend the bracket back.

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Maybe they are seeing more "tweaked" metal and are trying to put your truck back to totally straight versus you just thinking it a 10 second bracket fix.
Dealerships are not in business to "rig" your truck. What is acceptable to you may not be within Ram tolerances to them.