I just picked up my 2004 Coupe from the service department at the dealership and I am pissed off!

This is the 4th time it's been back to the dealer in the last 2 weeks for the Check Engine Light. After keeping the car for 2 days they finally decided it was the O2 sensor. But that is not what has me pissed. When I picked up my car I found the following:

1. Speaker grill on the drivers door has a hole in it. Apparently some mechanic with big shoes kicked it and cracked a hole in it while exiting the car.

2. Big scratches on the engine cover. So bad they are through the silver paint and down into the black plastic.

3. Grease smudges on the headliner.

4. Multiple grease hand prints on the car.

5. And the worst... a 2 inch long curb rash on the driver's front rim.

Of course I immediately found my service advisor and showed him all the problems. He assured me they will take care of it but of course I have to come back in a few days after they order the parts.

Do these people just not care or do they think we won't notice? How can you rub up against a curb and not bother to tell the person that you damaged their rim? I guess if I had not taken the time to go over the car before I drove off then they would have just denied it.

Sorry for venting, but I feel better now.

 

We should make a list of dealers to avoid, because like you I have had my share of dealer related damage/problems. I just wish the darn dealers could hand the warranted part to me and let me install it.

 

I'd find another dealer for service with Five Star rating. If your current dealer has the rating, I'd report the incident to Chrysler. If there's no other dealer near you, maybe ask for a chat with the GM for his/her assurance that it won't happen again.

My SRT6 is the first American brand I've purchased since 1993. Had only Audis since 1998, and although they have been far from trouble free, none of their techs had as bad an attitude as I encounted on the first trip to my local dealer for the XF.

I'm not sure why it is, but it seems like personnel at dealers for US brand cars are neither as knowledgeable nor as tactful as their counterparts with Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan, Infiniti, Lexus, Honda, Toyota ... need I continue? Not just techs but sales people too. When I ask a question about a foreign brand model, 3 times out of 4 the sales person knows the answer. When I ask at a US brand dealership, 3 times out of 4 the sales person does not know the answer.

It's no wonder that US brands are failing. Labor and pension costs are making it tough too, I realize, but IMO US brands would do much better if their dealer people were as professional as the foreign competition.

 

Don't be sorry for venting I'd be pissed too. Last week when I took mine in I asked the service writer to walk around the car with me when I dropped it off. Then I told him this car is my hobby, I don't play golf, I don't hang with the guys, I don't go to sporting events, I detail my car every chance I get, I'll bet its cleaner than any car on your lot...don't screw it up. Apparently he listened because he asked me to do the same when I picked it up which I had no problem doing. I hate leaving my car anywhere except in my own garage. I think I'd be goin nuts on them if it was my car, no excuse for those kind of things happening. I hope they take care of you.
jpristel - good idea on a list of dealers to stay away from. I would guess all it would take would be a thread started on that specific issue. I'd run it by Andrew.

Pat

 

~ sorry to hear the bad news...

when in for servicing... i always take my car in spotless and do a complete walk around the car with service advisor making notes of its lack of any flaws (rim rash...scratches...chips...etc.).

i also attach a sticky note to the speedo area... "please do not wash & keep indoors... thank you". i have been fortunate... my dealer truly goes above and beyond.


i hope the dealer makes it right for you. i would request a "new" replacement rim... not a repaired/resprayed rim (its never the same).

 

It seems very few people that work at dealerships, especially in the service departments care about how owners feel about their property. Is appears that all you are is someone with a problem and let me see how fast I can fix it, no matter what I destroy in the process. I guess the bottom line is that the work ethic in this country, and I don't mean just car dealerships just isn't what it used to be. No more personal pride. Let me get it done so I can do the next one. C'est la vie.

 

You guys are getting me scared now. I have to take my car in for the recall they issued, and I've done nothing but kept my car in pristine condition. I haven't even put that many miles on since I've had it, trying to keep it's value up. And now the more and more I look at it, people are having problems with their dealers scratching and messing up the cars. I don't know what I would do if they screwed up my car, but I would know I would be seriously pissed if anything happened that happened to you, bluepony.

 

I have has the same problems with a dealer here in North Texas, HOYTE Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep. I have brought my crossfire in twice for service and each time something was screwed up when picked up. I have since switched to a dealer in Mckinney named El Dorado Motors. Been in for service twice, with a pleasant experience both times. Keep looking maybe you'll get lucky and find one that has people with some job pride. HOW DO YOU GET A 5 STAR RATING ANYWAY. Every Chrysler dealer around here displays the 5 stars. BS if you ask me. Not truly earned.

 

The best that I have heard it explained is that it is 5 stars out of 10!!! And they just don't get any better than that.

 

Aptiva, blame it on "Flat Rate", the mechanics only get paid for what they do, so the faster they work, the more money they make. And if the dealer doesn't make them pay for any damage they cause, then they never have any incentive to be careful and do the job right in the first place.
I feel the same way 2005 Base does. I'm so paranoid about taking my car back to the dealer that I know for sure (with my luck) something bad is going to happen to it. But what can I do?
It's almost sounds like some Chrysler dealers and their employees have the attitude, "Well since you Crossfire owners don't think our American made cars are good enough for you, then don't expect any sympathy from us when they break down." I say this because I worked in the parts dept. of a Buick dealer in the late 60s, and the mechanics used to hate working on the Opel back then. It was almost as if it was "beneath" them.

Then I hear rumors that there have been several communications "break downs" between Chrysler and Karmann Industries that seems to be a little more "involved" than just a simple language barrier problem. So that makes me think that the Germans are pissed off because there are a bunch of under appreciated Mercedes vehicles over here masquerading as Chryslers.
It's like, we can't win.

 

I have had numerous cars / dealer problems over my 35 years of existence. I have found the only way to repel irreversible damage is to take the necessary precautions before taking the car in. For example: taping a disc of cardboard on the speaker grill assemblies to prevent shoe cracks or even taping a plastic grocery bag on the shift **** to prevent deep 'ring' scratches. You can even line the door sill with transparent book tape if you are worried about shoe scuff marks. You see ... my problem is this: you can do the customary walk around with the dealer, but if something is found damaged = you will more than likely receive more damage as they try to pry and rip the now defective parts from your car. Sort of a trade off from bad to maybe worse! Prevention is always better than having to bring the car back for more repairs/damage. - just my 3 cents -

 

I agree with X-LR8... "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound cure". My Dealer has treated me like a "King" thus far. When I bring my car in for service I put seat cover on, I cover my speaker grilles and illuminated sills, and like Andrew...I tell them not to wash it. I also video tape the car before it goes in with the Service Writer in the video with full sound. I am also very, very **** about the cleanliness of my Roadster Limited.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

Since I took delivery of the car back in 2004 this is the first real 'service' I have needed (other than the oil changes). The first 3 times I took it in for the check engine light I waited while they worked on the car and I was able to keep an eye on them. This time they asked to keep the car for 2 days to figure out why the CEL keeps coming on. I'm not sure if the mechanic did the damage or just the guy that shuffles the cars from the parking lot to the service bay.

What is really frustrating is I made it a point to tell the service advisor when I took the car in that this is -not- my daily driver. I only drive it a couple of times a month, the rest of the time it is in my garage. There are no door dings, no scratches, no rips in the interior, nothing except for a few rock chips up front (don't get me started on the paint quality). I even showed him the car cover that I keep in the hatch for the days that I do drive it.

Coming from a BMW to the Crossfire I can definitely tell a difference in the service department. I think part of it is because BMWs are treated equally when brought in for service whereas the Chrysler service tech goes from working a high mileage Dodge mini-van to working underneath a dirty Jeep to working on my Crossfire.

I'm still waiting for the service advisor to call me back regarding the replacement of the damaged items. Now I'm worried they will screw something up while replacing the items. Perhaps I can convince them to just hand over the parts and I'll do it myself?

 

Since I'm new to all this European/American car stuff. Does anyone take their cars to a MB dealership for service or do their mechanics look down on the car because it's badged an American. Just curious.

 

Bluepony

Be sure to post if you are able to convince the dealer to turn over the parts.

I cringe thinking of taking my car in to get the replacement engine cover installed. Be glad to drive in, pop off the old cover (damaged thanks to their carelessness while doing the recall) and install the new one. They are welcome to the old cover then.

Really don't want to let the car out of my sight after this recent bad experience. (Unfortunately that have damaged the car on two visits and made an oil change last 3 hours on the only other visit.) When challenged about wanting a 5-star rating, the service manager told my husband they have a 90% rating -- as if to say our compliant could not touch them!

 

J,
What AZ dealerships have you been to that I should avoid? I need to take mine in for a passenger seat stitch that has come undone. I have yet to visit a dealer for any work yet...
...except for once on my 2004 where one of the two air-injection rubber hoses split where it slipped over the nipple...I actually went to the parts dept and they ordered the part for me for around $8 bucks and I replaced it myself.

 

I have to agree that I'm scared to death to take mine to the service department. I've worked in sales at the dealership level and have seen it all. To the sales staff and most techs, it's just another car. I recently took my wife's suv in to fix the hood dents that occurred when dealer staff leaned on the hood to get the VIN. I happened to notice that while the dent guy was fixing it, the tech was leaning on the drivers door. They just don't get it!