Dealer incompetence...recourse?

[hotkarl]

Basically, a set of spark plugs cost me $38k.

Going back 3 months, engine light came on, but truck was still running good. Changed appropriate sensor according to code.
Now truck runs like crap.
So I bring it to dealer. 2 months later they can't resolve issue and basically condemn my truck. Yes they had it for 2 months.
Said they checked every possible cause and couldn't find out problem.

So, needing a truck, I buy a new one.

For ***** and giggles I take another shot at trying to fix truck so I can sell it for more than scrap. Dealer said they checked everything. I asked spark? Yeah. Fuel? Yeah. I pull air hat off and see that there is no evidence of anyone doing anything under there, no finger prints or grease smudges on the coils, throttle body, sensors, nothing. I pull a coil and a plug.
There was nothing left of the plug.
Pull all the plugs. Same.
Put new plugs in and truck runs like new.
I mean really?

Not sure how I should handle this.
Oh and on top of that, they never tightened the lugs on the front wheel they pulled off.
So when I had taken it home, the wheel came loose and wiped out the studs and elongated the holes on my wheel.

At a loss. Do I need a baseball bat or a lawyer?

 

[Marley]

Unbelievable.....hope you took pics of plugs.
Changing plugs in a 5.7 is challenging but should not have been overlooked by dealer, it's protocol.

 

[WhiteExpress]

I highly doubt you can take much action against the dealership, unless you have paperwork where they expressly indicated they changed the plugs. Idiot mechanics unfortunately aren't illegal (in most ways anywho).

 

[HemiLonestar]

I highly doubt you can take much action against the dealership, unless you have paperwork where they expressly indicated they changed the plugs. Idiot mechanics unfortunately aren't illegal (in most ways anywho).

Should say on the dealer invoice/receipt they're supposed to give you when you pick it up and pay for their overpriced work lol.

 

[hotkarl]

They did not charge me because they didn't "fix" it. I think they just couldn't be bothered with it. When they scanned it and couldn't resolve it with an easy fix like a sensor or something they just shrugged it off. Pissed me off that I got ****** around for over a month with zero resolution. I would call weekly (they never would call me) and I'd get some BS line that they checked this or that and were still working on it. But whatever.

So now, I've got a truck sitting in my driveway with elongated bolt holes in the wheel and stripped out studs. Not safe to drive and I'll be damned if I'm gonna pay to fix it.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Better get a lawyer then, or sell the truck because otherwise it will continue to sit there lol

 

[ST-8]

Did you buy the new truck from the same dealer?

 

[hotkarl]

Did you buy the new truck from the same dealer?

Yup.

 

[ST-8]

Damn they double ****** you. I would just chalk it up as an L fix the wheel an hub an sell the old girl, they did you dirty.

 

[hotkarl]

I'd like to pass it down to one of my sons. It's been in the family for a while.
Was my father's then mine.
IDK. I'm building my case and I'll approach the dealer at some point and see how they handle it. At a minimum, they should take care of the damage due to the loose wheel.

 

[HemiLonestar]

They should, but ya know how that goes. If you're closeby I can do your hub; I also have a set of 4th gen 20" chrome clads in good shape if you're interested.

 

[GrumpyOleMan]

I wouldn't wait too long before I took it back to dealership. The longer you wait the more likely they will disavow any responsibility.

 

[Jason G Slabaugh]

Wait, you took it in to get a running issue resolved, so why is a wheel loose? They shouldnt have even touched your lug nuts

 

[hotkarl]

They pulled the right front wheel for easier access to the crank & cam sensors.

 

[madtrucker2016]

I would sit down with the Manager of the dealer and see if he will compensate you this is not good business to do a customer like that seems they parked your truck and did nothing hope they didn't charge you for doing nothing

 

[hotkarl]

Nope. They didn't charge me but I guess indirectly they did by getting my ass behind a new truck.

 

[scott lass 18]

get ahold of local news bet once on air they may change there mind s do a report on it send it in sadly I went to court won first time garage went in there country friend judge I lost they put a cheep engine in my truck bad people out there did report to bbb on them ! and dealers out there my dealer some one scratched front of dash i drove away came back sad dome one else did it 500 miles on truck never go back again or all my friends !

 

[Milkman6453]

Made a $40k purchase without a second opinion, i dont think theres anyone to blame but yourself. At the very least get the diag cost back, but seems like they didnt charge you.....

 

[Jerrybob]

You gonna let that dealer work on new truck? I would try to get some reimbursement then find another dealer.

 

[hotkarl]

This is all old news and ancient history.
It's small town stuff so you just deal with certain things.
No, I will never use this dealer again that's for sure.

I actually still have the truck and I've recently gotten back into trying to fix it.
If I could just get it to run right again I could sell this '18.