Dealer Capers

Submitted: Thursday, Apr 05, 2007 at 20:50
ThreadID: 44034 Views:2607 Replies:6 FollowUps:4
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Well after having the injector recall completed on my TD Jackaroo, I developed an oil leak from the top of the rear engine area only 3 months later, although it could have been there straight after the recall for all I know, which was conduducted at a 'reputable' Holden dealer.

They say it was 2 half moon seals were weeping. I've got no idea what he's talking about , so ask for a quote. $203 he says, about $50 for the parts and 1.5 hrs labour. Sounds much better than the thousands I've been up for on a couple of other things on the Jack, so OK I say.

They don't ring me by 3 days, given it was a 1.5 hr job I ring them and they would get straight onto it. Sorry we forgot to ring you. Not the first time. They Tell me that will be $353. Why I say? Well we had to get a oil pickup pipe in after we had to cut it off. This was the same pipe they replaced during the recall when they blamed whoever worked on it before for doing it up too tight! and had to break it off. Also, rocker cover gaskets, numerous other seals/valve thingies. I called them for doing the dodgey dealer thing, and tell them that they are re-enforcing the dealer's poor reputation for being crooks, and I would take it further if they want. A quote is a quote, and if they find other things wrong while the engine is in pieces then they had my mobile number, don't just lump it on me when I'm ready to pick the car up. (Was going to tell him, but I didn't, that I had been to his house and pruned his trees for 2 hrs, and he owed me $80. But I don't have to tell you I'm doing the work, I just do it and you have to pay. I can't prove I pruned the trees, but you can't prove you did the work!)

Anyway, he has a look at it, tells me he'll call me back in 10 minutes. I get the call in 10 minutes (marvelous how they can remember to call back when they are looking down the barrel of a fraud complaint). He tells me it will all be covered under warranty except $23 because it had to do with the injector recall work. Silly me starts to question that, he say if I was you I'd just be happy with getting away with it for $23. Check the invoice on collection of the vehicle, mentions that the oil pickup pipe was faulty and leaking. What the??

Two scenarios here, firstly were they trying to pinch me for another pickup pipe and the profit they make from the sale,m and all the seals that go with it, despite the fact that it was because of their poor work during the injector recall. Maybe there was nothing wrong with it at all, because it certainly wasn't mentioned during their initial diagonsis.

Secondly, there was nothing wrong with the pipe in the first place, they screwed me over for a new one, then when I showed a bit of nouse and questioned it all (basically said I'm not paying for it) they put in a dodgey warranty claim through Holden and got it all covered under warranty.

So I went from $202, to $353, to $23, and still have no idea if the work they said was in fact done. In fact I was scared that they may have gotten back at me for questioning it all by breaking something else in the engine so I would have to take it in again and they would recoup their lost profit.

I HATE DEALERS. I don't trust them fullstop. Especially when I saw video at a Holden dealer of an employee smoking up a South Australin Police Car in the workshop.

I have vented. I feel better.

D-Jack
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Reply By: Member - andrew B (Kununurra) - Thursday, Apr 05, 2007 at 21:56

Thursday, Apr 05, 2007 at 21:56
Gday D-Jack
Had a similar experience the other day with our local Holden dealer. As we are driving to Darwin tomorrow, I did a quick check under the bonnet, something I don't do too oftern on a car with only 44k on the clock. I took the radiator cap off, and thought that doesn't look very green. Checked the service book, no sign of coolant change being marked down (car is 2002, coolant scheduled every 2 1/2 years. I put my finger in the radiator spot and it came out covered in a rusty looking slime.

I took the car down with the service bok, and asked if they could check their records as to when the colant was last changed. They said it hadn't been. I then showed them my finger (should have been the middle one!). They then asked if I'd like to book it in to be done. I asked can it be done today, ASAP, with a thorough flush free of charge. A bit of tooing and froing in the service managers office I was then offered an apology and they would do it for the cost of the coolant only.

I think it may not be serviced by them again, but the nearest dealer is in Darwin (maybe Katherine?? - anyone, anyone?), and I have already got poor service from them. I'd like to keep the servie history all Holden....but at what price, what else did they miss....might have to start marking the filters etc.

Cheers Andrew

PS - Peter (old Squizzy) - do you like servicing commadoors ?
AnswerID: 231910

Follow Up By: Member - Steve T (NT) - Thursday, Apr 05, 2007 at 22:06

Thursday, Apr 05, 2007 at 22:06
Hi Andrew

DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO KERRY HOLDEN, in Darwin.

These people are bleep en thieves.

Ask any one in Darwin that has dealt with them, I haven't herd one person that has dealt with them say a good thing.

Cheers Steve.
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Follow Up By: Member - andrew B (Kununurra) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 08:39

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 08:39
Once bitten here Steve - my nissan blew up a couple of years ago while on a trip. Had to go to work so I left it with the nissan dealer (when you don't know anyone, you'd think it should be a safe bet).....2 weeks at work, they said they should have it finished by then. I rang them in 2 weeks and they,d forgotten about it - It was still sitting in their yard out the back where I parked it! Anyway, 6 weeks later it was finished, complete with a $550 job done on the fuel pump (coolant loss is always detrimental to an injector pump! It also came complete with a dint in the rear door. When I got it off the truck, I rang them about the dint and there was an instant reply of yes we sill pay for the repairs, not even an enquirey about if it may have happened on the transport to KNX.......My guess is they knew all about it and just sent it anyway trying to get away with it. I willnever go through their doors again!

Cheers ANdrew
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Reply By: Member - Russell H (WA) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 01:11

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 01:11
Our Holden Dealer is also a Mitsubishi dealer and sadly, I own a 2005 Pajero. For about 30.000k's now, the car has some surging and loss of power issues at speeds of around 100kph or when overtaking.

The dealer initially diagnosed a crook injector pump, which they pulled out of the vehicle and looked at. They rang me and asked if I was using bio-diesel...which I had done once, or maybe twice. They said the bio-diesel had stuffed the injector pump and the repair wouldn't be covered by warranty.

I politely referred them to page two of the Owner's Manual (Fuel Specification) and asked them to show me where it said I can't use bio-diesel. Of course it didn't say anything about using bio-diesel. They said it doesn't matter, that Mitsubishi don't allow any bio-diesel to be used and that it has been in the media. I said that unless Mitsubishi personally contacted me and told me not to use bio-disel, then they didn't have a case. They gave in.

A couple of hours later they rang and said that the problem was caused by water in the fuel and that the repair wouldn't be covered by warranty. I politely asked them that if they build an engine with a fuel filter and a water trap, then why was it my problem if the water trap didn't trap the water? They fought that for a while and then gave in.

Anyway the pump was sent away to a repairer and the Dealer rang to say it was a valve-seat that had dislodged and that it was covered by warranty. Beauty! The pump was returned, fitted and I got the car back. They hadn't fixed the original problem!

I took the vehicle back again. This time they said it was due to some sensors in the steering wheel incorrectly sending messages to the stability controls. They reprogrammed the sensors. Problem still not fixed.

10,000 Km after the injector pump was changed it literally flew apart and had to be replaced. Meantime I've got a $132.00 towing bill and three days lost time because I need my vehicle for work.

While all this was going on I repeatedly asked the dealer if there were any other filters in the fuel line other than the one in the engine bay. "No mate, that's the only one" was the reply.

Next time it went in they rang me and said that the breathers in the fuel tank were blocked and this caused the injector pump to suck the mesh filter on the fuel line intake (in the fuel tank) into the fuel line. So there is (was) another filter!

I know enough about fluid dynamics and pressure dynamics to know that this was bulldust. The only thing that would cause this filter to do this would be if it were clogged up, or it simply disintegrated due to age or inadequate materials. Since the dealer made no mention of any pollutants in the fuel tank, I assumed that the latter applied. Subsequently the dealer informed me that a Mitsubishi representative had visited their workshop recently and indicated that this filter should be changed at about 110,000Km. You've got to wonder why.....

When my vehicle first started having probs it had only done 85,000Km.

They changed the filter and blew out the blocked breather tubes and finally, problem gone. The dealer charged me for all of the work.

One week later I filled the fuel tank and noticed fuel dripping under the car. Not only that but the fuel gauge no longer indicated "full" even though the tank was full. It was perfect before the dealer "fixed" the tank. I went straight back to the dealer. Obviously they cocked something up and they pulled the tank out again.

A few hours later the phone rings. It seems that the breathers were already blocked again (although what this had to do with the fact that the tank was leaking is beyond me). The dealer asked if I had taken the vehicle out into the bush and got dirt in the breathers. What a joke. The vehicle had done 100 km's since the last time they had it and it was spotless - I'd had it detailed so I could flog the mongrel and get it out of my life.

"OK" says the dealer, "if it's not dirt it must be rust." Now these guys had the tank out just a week before and they said they'd cleaned it. The dealer reckons they couldn't see any rust so the only place it could be was the "roof" of the tank.

The dealer said that the valves in the breathers were knackered due to this rust and that if these were to be replaced then the fuel tank should be too. "Now this could get expensive" says the dealer. "WHAT!!!!!!!!!"

I went off my nut. His argument is that rust must have been caused by moisture. He argued that the moisture must have only got in the tank in the fuel and that Mitsubishi cannot be responsible for the fuel I buy. My argument is that I have a car with a 130,00Km warranty. If they can't build a fuel tank to last the length of the warranty, then it's not my problem.

A very heated argument ensued and we are at a stalemate right now, waiting for Mitsubishi to make a decision.

Well I've made my decision.

1) This is just one of the horror stories for this vehicle. In all I've had 17 weeks of downtime in two years of ownership. I'm going to the media with this story.
2) 17 weeks * 7 days * $1000.00 per day lost income =$119.000.00 that I have now lost because of the crappy Pajero. Mitsubishi will be seeing me in court.
3) I still haven't paid for the last lot of work (they obviously didn't do properly) and
it will be a cold day in hell before I do.

you can read about the whole sorry saga here....

2005 Pajeros falling to pieces

cheers

away
AnswerID: 231937

Reply By: Member - Bucky (VIC) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 05:28

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 05:28
I have used a good Independant Garage, that stamps the book, and actually does whats on the book, without all the " LIES " that dealerships do.
How these places can justify the rediculous hourly rate, and then put an apprentice on the job, mystifies me.
I once asked the Nissan Agant in Leongatha ( Vic, ) to fix the turbo lag in my New Navara,( at 15,000 km ) and was virtually fobbed off, I went back straight away and asked them to fix the problem. They gave me the " run around ", so I took it to someone who dyno-tuned, and serviced for less than what they charged me for a standard service..
Who wins , and who looses ??
Guess !

Cheers Mate
Bucky
AnswerID: 231939

Reply By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 08:12

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 08:12
Funny how fraud and plain theft seemingly becomes "normal practice", when carried out by smiling faces in corporate clothes. The dodgy dealing (not doing scheduled work but charging for it) started from day one of my last new car's life (after I personally queried their attention to schedule detail with the service manager). Their fraud, and the accompanying boolsheet was too deep and too frequent for me. My solution was to start servicing my own car in the garage at home, (during the warranty period), until I found a good local mechanic (realising that not everyone has the time or the circumstances to do this). He has turned out to be skilled, reliable and honest - I count myself very lucky.
I didn't want to risk goodwill from Holden head office re the warranty period remaining, but my hate for the dealer's corrupt practices over-rode that concern !
After making any sort of a stink at a dealer's place (no matter how right you are) it pays never to go backIMO - a 'payback' routine is very human - to be expected it seems.
AnswerID: 231949

Follow Up By: Kev M (NSW) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 08:40

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 08:40
I also feel that we should name and shame such Lemon Dealers.

I have no quams in naming shoddy workmanship by dealers

Kev
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Follow Up By: WA Joe - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 09:26

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 09:26
I know a bloke who dropped his car off at the dealer for a service and forget to leave them the keys. He realised it a few hours later went back down to the dealer and as he walked into the service department the smiling girl there said the service was all done here is your bill and I'll just go and find your keys.

Perhaps they broke into the car, hotwired it, drove it into the service area did the service then back out to the parking lot now that would be custermer service.

He never went back there again.
Joe
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FollowupID: 492888

Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 10:09

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 10:09
We can't all be so harsh on dealer servicing - there are some out there that do a good job :-))

They don't make any money out of selling cars (low margins, discounts and the wages of the dollybirds in the showrooms), so they need a big margin on the servicing that they expect you to get done by their dealership.

But bad dealer stories do stick in your mind forever, and we do keep trotting them out, so it can be a bit unfair. My story (2 cars ago) is that I've not used a dealer since they dropped some rubber into the aircleaner, bleep tered the turbo, scored the bores and then tried to blame me for it over a 10 week period. It took an independant tester to prove the junk in the intercooler came off the airconditioner during installation and prior to delivery.
We struck a deal on a replacement car, and I've gone back to doing all all my own servicing. I go into remote places - can't afford to have things missed, bolts loose, tappets not adjusted, and they only use the minimum spec oils. The peace of mind and the huge amount of money saved is a bonus.

Mind you, if I had a problem that I couldn't sort, I'd still go see them, because they sometimes have a few clues that we never know about.
AnswerID: 231957

Reply By: nowimnumberone - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 16:05

Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 16:05
we had one of our customers buy a mazda tribute.(60000ks)
we service her husbands company cars(hiluxs)
i looked in the glove box for a service book but could only find an exteded waranty book.
so i read the fine print and it said this vehicle must be serviced buy us to keep waranty or prior aprovall needed before any servicing.
i phoned our ford dealer(brian dunn)and asked service for the go ahead to do the service.
sorry they said we cant allow you to do the service we dont make much out of theese warantys so we need to service them.
but it says in your waranty book to get prior approval before servicing.
they went on with some rubish about thats the way they have to word it buy law or something.
so i ring the customer to let them know we cant service there vehicle without them losing there extended waranty
i dont want them mongrels touching our car stuff the waranty just service it please.
and that leads to another story about it being dealer serviced by its previous owner.
i tell you what they must only ever change oil and oil filter.but thats is another story
cheers
AnswerID: 232008

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