Hookedup87
Senior Member
So my beloved 2018 Big Horn 1500 5.7 QC Hemi has developed a small bubble in the paint along the front edge right above the passenger side headlight. Truck is washed weekly, spray waxed, hand waxed, ceramic, etc. The truck is immaculate inside and out. I take very good care of her so you can imagine my shock and dismay when this paint flaw reared its ugly head.
Anyway, I called the dealer. They said they would repair it and the repair would be covered under warranty. They would give me a loaner for the week they had the truck. I said ok, and made the appointment. As the appointment got closer I began to stress out about the thought of letting the stealerships body shop handle this repair. First of all, these guys can barely get an oil change right. Second of all, a buddy of mine who owns a body shop looked at it and said the right way to do the repair is to remove the hood, repair it, then paint both sides of the hood before re-install. That was all I had to hear. All I can picture is them removing my hood, letting the truck sit somewhere with the engine exposed, dust from the body shop everywhere, the hood never lining up correctly again, and the PXR paint which is that black granite, that sometimes looks black, green or brown depending on the light, with a ton of metal flake in it, not matching the rest of the truck.
Needless to say I canceled the appointment. My buddy who owns the body shop who I trust with a bunch of my vehicles, who by the way painted my fender flares, hood scoop and cab spoiler to a PERFECT match, is gonna do the repair. $750 and of course no loaner, but I know the truck will be done right, and he is literally around the block so once he removes the hood I can bring the truck home and cover it in my driveway.
The wife says I’m crazy, you know, to pay for a repair that they would cover under warranty.
But I don’t see it that way.
Am I crazy?
Anyway, I called the dealer. They said they would repair it and the repair would be covered under warranty. They would give me a loaner for the week they had the truck. I said ok, and made the appointment. As the appointment got closer I began to stress out about the thought of letting the stealerships body shop handle this repair. First of all, these guys can barely get an oil change right. Second of all, a buddy of mine who owns a body shop looked at it and said the right way to do the repair is to remove the hood, repair it, then paint both sides of the hood before re-install. That was all I had to hear. All I can picture is them removing my hood, letting the truck sit somewhere with the engine exposed, dust from the body shop everywhere, the hood never lining up correctly again, and the PXR paint which is that black granite, that sometimes looks black, green or brown depending on the light, with a ton of metal flake in it, not matching the rest of the truck.
Needless to say I canceled the appointment. My buddy who owns the body shop who I trust with a bunch of my vehicles, who by the way painted my fender flares, hood scoop and cab spoiler to a PERFECT match, is gonna do the repair. $750 and of course no loaner, but I know the truck will be done right, and he is literally around the block so once he removes the hood I can bring the truck home and cover it in my driveway.
The wife says I’m crazy, you know, to pay for a repair that they would cover under warranty.
But I don’t see it that way.
Am I crazy?
I was a service writer at a Dodge/Mazda dealer back when there were all the trans issues. Our trans guy was backed up for months and wasnt making much money for all those jobs. He took his sweet time doing everything and never really gave a crap about whether it was right or not. He wasn't the only tech or body guy that was just there for a paycheck. Obviously, it not true for every dealer or every tech, but I'd say it's a pretty common occurrence. Especially for warranty work.
