items to be remedied... (prior too warranty expiration).

~ passenger mirror replacement (motor sticking during power adjustments).

~ cup holder replacement (color off after prior replacement).

~ console replacement (due to coating pealing & color mismatch).

~ door panel replacement (passenger & driver side due to creaking of loose plastics).

~ door speaker replacement (all 4 due to popping/blown).

~ driver seat heaters (upper & lower)... upper foam & lower foam including leather surface on lower area.

__________________________________________________ _

i dropped the car off on friday at 8 am, august 25th... stopped by to check on the car... no movement until monday late day.

on wednesday, august 30...i receive a call from service... your car is complete and ready for pick-up. i attempted to pick up my car and noticed the seat was not replaced/repaired and the console & cup holder was not replaced... all other scheduled work completed. i tell them to take their time... i want the job to be done correctly & not rushed. i drive off in my loaner.

i receive a call today... thursday, september 7th... your car is complete and ready for pick-up... upon inspection... the cup holder & console has now been replaced... a corrected color match.

now the bad... after a through inspection... the seat covering at the front is still loose... the seat at the rear of the lower pad is now loose at the bracket. the steering wheel leather is scratched & gouged in two places... the new console side is scratched... the upper/forward console area is scratched... the seat back plastic cover is scratched... the plastic around the net behind the seat is scratched... scratched the side seat control levers... the sill plate is scratched (even though i covered it with 3 layers of duct tape to protect it).

total warranty bill to chrysler for the above repairs... $3,822.88. and now because of an inexperienced/careless technician... the bill will be much higher than the above.

the service manager has agreed to order all new replacement parts to make it like new again... and repair the seat as needed.

what a nightmare... it never fails... you take your car in to solve one problem and you end up with many more.

i had to vent... thanks for listening.

 

I had a similar thing happen before on a '98 Grand Am... took it in for routine maintenance... and when I got it back the transaxle was slipping.

It took three tries before I backed the service manager into a corner to say 'FIX IT OR I GO TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER!'

First try, the technician tried to convince me that sometimes when they change the fluid in the transaxle the problem (which was supposedly there) becomes magnified. I asked him if he thought I was only 24 hours old and that I know how transmissions/transaxles operate and that his statement was BS.

Second try they simply returned it to me, said they found the problem and it was fixed. I was 3 blocks away when it slipped in first gear off the line... BADLY.

I turned right around and took it back and that's when I backed the service manager in a corner.

I mean WTF? the car was still new for crying out loud!

Finally they called to tell me that a servo had gotten damaged in the course of my 'routine maintenance' and that it was the cause of the problem and had been replaced. Less than a year later the slipping started again... why? because the bands/clutch packs were worn from the first bungle.

Moral of the story, INSIST on getting ALL the problems taken care of COMPLETELY.

I currently enjoy VERY good service at my dealership.

I hope it all gets repaired to your satisfaction.

 

So sad, but so true. It is so unfortunate how the service industry as a whole treats their customers today. It's not only an issue with Chrysler but with all of them. Today the quality of the service rests solely in the hands of the dealership and now that in many regions the dealerships being bought out turned into chain stores like Home Depot good service is the exception not the norm. Hang in there and dog them until the job is done right, even if it means going to a different dealer.

 

When you have to weigh whether the risk of damage exceeds the risk of the repair, then something is very, very wrong. The automobile industry needs to understand that investments of this size (and owners who really care about their cars) cannot be treated in such a shoddy fashion. It seems that the more complicated cars become, and the more skillful the technicians need to be, the less attention the dealers actually pay to the issue.

We need a new system -- one that rewards competence and punishes stupidity and sloppiness. That system should be the American free market, which is sadly absent while the vehicle is under warranty. When the dealers screw up, the manufacturers should pay to have a quality shop make the necessary repairs. The good mechanics should prosper, as many out-of-warranty shops do, but the dealers' effective monopoly should be eliminated. I understand the theory that the manufacturers' dealers should know the product better than the independents do, but stories like those above question that myth. When any of us find a good tech (or even a good dealer), then we should publicize that fact to build up their businesses and steer business away from the others. Someone might want to think about a sticky listing good and bad repair experiences so that our members have someplace reliable to check the workmanship in their areas. Horror stories like Andrew's confirm that something needs to be done -- and soon.

 

For someone who is a "type A" personality when it comes to your Crossfire as you are, I understand your angst... I would make a bee line to the corp. office of that dealership...

 

The sad but true fact regarding service in any field, not just for our own beloved vehicles, is all but extinct. Companies make it more and more difficult to connect with a person on the phone, due to their intentionally designed automated systems. Getting through to someone is a victory in itself. However, that exhilaration is short lived because of the, often times, rude and unknowledgeable individual on the other end. It is inevitable that you will get the 12 year old who thinks they know everything and gives you an answer, just to give you an answer, even though it's wrong.

I can't tell you when I have purchased anything in the last ten years that has not had something wrong with it, or has malfunctioned in some way shortly after purchase, and has been taken care of, correctly and in a timely fashion, without some sort of hassle.

I feel Andrews frustration.

 

Andrew it doesn't help that many technicians hate your guts. I was appalled to see how techs treat customer cars. I always make it a point to get friendly with the service manager on a one to one basis so he makes sure to put his BEST tech on my car. Also I make sure to take it to upscale dealers in very expensive neighborhoods. Trust me there is a difference in the quality of service you receive. Unfortunately that is what I do to avoid the usual beer swigging moron techs. But its not a guarantee.

 

~ why... because i drop my car off scratch & damage free and i expect it back in return the same way. that doesn't seem like too much to ask for imo.

 

They hate my guts too. In fact the chrysler tech has told my father that he will no longer work on my car. I took it in for the recall radiator fan to be replaced and they scratched my engine cover. When they called me for the follow up call I told them about it. He (chrysler tech) told my dad I was nit picky, and he would no longer work on my car. I had my oil changed Tuesday, and told them I still have the problem with the interstate speed rear end noise. They wrote it down on the ticket, but the service manager told the tech not to check for it.
I'm going to call chrysler in a little while and if that doesn't get me anywhere I'm ready to pursue the lemon law.

 

If you got a problem with your Crossfire and Chrysler will not, cannot fix it, then by all means file your complaint with the federal agency that issues recalls on automobiles... it just takes a second or two and next thing you know Chrysler is mailing all of us a "Bring it in and have it checked out" letter... hooah.

Here is the link: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

 

Andrew... I know your frustrations, I’ve been there many times during the past three years with the problems my car has had. You may remember the seat fiasco I went through to get my seat padding fixed correctly (I posted pictures of my drivers bottom seat cushion). That was the last straw for me. At least you have a dealer who will make things right, that’s a lot better than most of us have it. Good luck…

Wow!!! You must be Alpha male x 100, leader of the pack and a super hero all rolled into one package, or are exaggerating a bit!!! How do you back a grown adult service manager into a corner and threaten him, 'FIX IT OR I GO TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER!'? I’m sure you had him trembling in his boots. Would you mind sharing your technique?

Seriously, I haven’t run across too many service managers that are intimidated by a customer OR their demands. You have every right to see the regional manager, and most will set up an appointment for you with no argument, there is no fear involved. In fact and more often than not, the regional manager will side with the dealership… and don't forget, with Chrysler, the regional manager’s decision is the final word, which in turn gets you out of their hair.

Just a side note, before requesting an appointment with the regional manager and getting him involved, discuss the issue with the dealership owner first and see if he will make things right. As I said above, once a regional manager has ruled against your issue, the dealerships are no longer under any obligation to for that particular problem… unless it becomes a recall issue down the road.

Dude, you’ve mentioned your rear end noise several times. Either you’ve missed my responses to the issue, or have just ignored them. The rear end noise IS a known issue with Chrysler. Have your service writer/service manager get on their computer and look it up in their symptoms/trouble shooting guide… it’s in there with the recommended corrective action, trust me… been there, done that, and had mine replaced.

FirebaseD... that is a very good site. Thanks for posting it, other members may have not known about it.

Just a reminder, the NHTSA does not get involved with issues of bad or poor dealership service per say. They deal with safety related issues. From the NHTSA's web site, they tell you, "Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists".

 

Andrew what I mean is that most techs are blue collar dudes and they can't afford a crossfire so they hate your guts for it. Trust me I grew up with these guys and I can remember them telling me of how they sabotaged this or that from some rich guys stuff they were working on. They would laugh.

 

Man, you just threw every blue color worker there ever was under the bus!!! As a person who has made a living with my hands, put a roof over my families head, AND owns a Crossfire which is only used as a weekend toy, I'm telling you your statement is unfounded, rude and full of s**t!!! And what do you mean by "they can't afford a crossfire so they hate your guts for it? Are you for real??? I hate to say it, but even at original MSRP, the Crossfire (with the exception of the SRT's in the $40k plus range) in the scope of things, the Crossfire was not all that expensive. Have you priced the pickups and SUV's a lot of us bubbas are driving?

Grant you, service in ALL segments of our lives has changed over the years, but I have never known anyone to go out of their way to damage or destroy someone's property out of spite. Now you do have the crooks that will rip you off every chance they get in the car repair business, but that's a different story.

You owe blue color types a big apology, or go stick your head in a toilet and see who comes to your rescue... be assured it won't be some suit with a briefcase.

 

upon closer inspect... they also cracked the rear sub speaker cover & they forgot to install the seats (side bolt) plastic cap.

another follow up call to the dealer for additional parts to be ordered.

here are some pics of the damage... so careless.

seatback.jpg

seatbacklowercover.jpg

net.jpg

steeringwheel.jpg

 

I have told them that and none of the dealerships I take it to will listen to me. It's very expensive to replace the rear end on these cars and in doing so will throw off there dollar to warranty percentage.

 

Sorry buddy but I was a blue collar worker for years before I got into IT and I saw it with my own eyes, heard the stories while we were hanging out. I am not saying all of the techs are like that but many are. When I switched from my dealer in blue collar neighborhood to dealer in frumpy upper class neighborhood the service got better. Unfortunately this happens. No offense.

 

Car companies are in dire straits, and they deserve it...

 

OUCHE!! Sorry to see those NASTY scratches. Obvious carelessness. I would think the Chrysler service dept. would bend over backwards to correct this and should be very worried about their service rating.
If they don't get it right I would be standing on the Managers desk.

A report to NHTSA with your photos may be beneficial if their attempt to correct it isn't to your satisfaction.

Or you could have Sharonaln67 give em a call. ...

Good luck and keep us posted. I'll join the gang if a lynching in in order.

 

I did not give up and kept calling my contact well AFTER the area manager said my car was fine (what an a&&). Lo and behold, the car was NOT fine and after having another dealer work on my car, the found the problem and fixed it and well, NOW my car is fine.

Be persistent - if you were in FL, I'd give you the number of the person I dealt with. But I can only recommend going online, finding all the DC email addresses you can find and start blasting them with the same strong message... it worked for me... but it was not easy, tons of work on my part but in the end, I got what I wanted - a car that runs the way it’s supposed to.

Companies of this magnitude do not make it easy to get assistance anymore then do they really want to hear from us - that toll free number and Ask Dr. Z are pure BS...

If I can do anything to help, please let me know and I will! Good luck!!!

 

No, I'm not an alpha male... I was extremely fed up with the 'stuff' that... first the technician, then the senior technician, and then finally the service manager was shoveling at me.

I laid down the facts about how an automatic transmission/transaxle work and they shouldn't be BSing a customer like that and just fix what THEY broke. I also stated that I would not take the car back until it was... 1. Fixed properly (which I failed to force them to rebuild the transaxle) 2. The regional manager ruled it was not their problem.

So, the "I backed the service manager into a corner to say 'FIX IT OR I GO TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER!'" was being more readers digest than anything. But I did have him quite nervous by the end of the conversation and he assured me they would find and fix the problem or replace the transaxle under warranty.

I am now to the point where I know the service manager at my Chrysler dealership on a first name basis and the parts department manager AND the fleet manager at the dealership. Most of the techs there are very nice and personable and have no issue with me standing at the open bay door to observe the work being done (a little quirk I picked up from my father, who was a Marine for 22 years and was a mechanic of the 2½ Ton trucks and the like).

I am really happy with my dealership to date as well as the car. I will be going in for basic service in October to insure that everything is running smooth for my road trip in December. I have no worries that these folks will take care of me and my Crossfire.