Dear Dodge Dealer, *rant*

[RallyeMike]

I've heard it said that the Big Three is struggling against the dealerships in a lot of areas.  The companies would love to abolish dealerships as we know it, and just let you place the car orders with them. 

I think the dealership service departments are definitely hurting customer return rates for Mopar.  But it would help if the factory wasn't building vehicles that sent customers back to the dealerships for work at least once a year.

Youve hit on an interesting part of this relationship. The dealers know that some of the stuff they sell is not good quality, yet they have to lie lie lie to move the only products they have. On the other hand, the dealer gets reimbursed for all the repeated warranty work they do for the factory, so selling vehicle that requires a lot of maintenance brings in business to the dealership (I assume there is profit in the dealer for all this work?). The dealer wants to have your vehicle in the shop as often as possible so they can sell you a tranny flush, inspection, spark plug rotation or whatever. Given the environment that the dealer is constantly immersed in, you can see how questionable practices might start to become a way of doing business for them. Now add in tough times where they are all just trying to survive, and it's not an ideal scenario.

[b5blue]

Yup and dealers have to get cars in "lots",Ford could make you "take" stick shift trucks if you wanted Mustang GTs and such plus there is a messed up system for anyone wanting to "order a car" we had to find one at another dealership and try to swap.The old system of sit down and have your car made for you was resisted strongly by the dealership.

[Mike DC]

       
Two of the most popular subjects on any Detroit musclecar message board: 


1.  Ranting that the brand in question has become (and/or always was) a piece of crap that falls apart, and has ripoff dealership service.

2.  Ranting that American cars are every bit as good as foreign cars these days.
       

[Ghoste]

Well, at least the beginning of this rant was just about the American serice department.

[RallyeMike]

Two of the most popular subjects on any Detroit musclecar message board: 

1.  Ranting that the brand in question has become (and/or always was) a piece of crap that falls apart, and has ripoff dealership service.

2.  Ranting that American cars are every bit as good as foreign cars these days.

And for good reason. I was still driving a 71 Dodge truck until 2002, and I now regret the day I ever had a good enough job to afford a new vehicle for myself      The stories I can recount of incompetence and flat lying over the last 6 years would singe ear hair. While some folks get by ok, I hear the same bad-experience stories from too many people.

When my 2007 pile either gives out or (inevitably) reaches eligibility for a lemon law trade away, I'm going to buy a nice restored or original 70's - 80's truck, and never set foot in a dealership for my own personal vehicle again.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

  What make is your 2007?

[WingCharger]

Two of the most popular subjects on any Detroit musclecar message board: 

1.  Ranting that the brand in question has become (and/or always was) a piece of crap that falls apart, and has ripoff dealership service.

2.  Ranting that American cars are every bit as good as foreign cars these days.

And for good reason. I was still driving a 71 Dodge truck until 2002, and I now regret the day I ever had a good enough job to afford a new vehicle for myself      The stories I can recount of incompetence and flat lying over the last 6 years would singe ear hair. While some folks get by ok, I hear the same bad-experience stories from too many people.

When my 2007 pile either gives out or (inevitably) reaches eligibility for a lemon law trade away, I'm going to buy a nice restored or original 70's - 80's truck, and never set foot in a dealership for my own personal vehicle again.

That is why I want a 1991-1993 Dodge Cummins. Reliable suckers.

[Mike DC]

And for good reason. I was still driving a 71 Dodge truck until 2002, and I now regret the day I ever had a good enough job to afford a new vehicle for myself   brickwall   The stories I can recount of incompetence and flat lying over the last 6 years would singe ear hair. While some folks get by ok, I hear the same bad-experience stories from too many people.

When my 2007 pile either gives out or (inevitably) reaches eligibility for a lemon law trade away, I'm going to buy a nice restored or original 70's - 80's truck, and never set foot in a dealership for my own personal vehicle again.

I feel the same way.  Detroit (hell, any of the modern car makers) have literally made their products into a worse deal than hand-restoring a vintage vehicle to do the job.   It's incredible when you think about it. 

[darkfiire5000]

That my friend is why I do not work for that company anymore!!!

[superduperbee]

When our Intrepid had 54,000 miles and still under warranty, the timing chain fell off bending all the valves. It sat at the dealership for two weeks without being touched, while I paid for a loaner car for my wife out of my own pocket. I called the dealership every day to see how they were coming along. Their "engine specialist was taking it apart and looking for the problem" I was told.
  After 2 weeks I decided to stop by and see how things were going, only to find the car exactly where the tow-truck had left it. I popped the hood and it hadn't been touched, not even a fingerprint in the dirt. I then went home and called Chrysler Headquarters in Auburn Hills. They reimbursed me $300 for the loaner car and told the guys to fix the car. A couple days later it was done, they never gave me one of those survey cards to fill out.
As soon as the car reached the end of warranty 70,000 the engine light started coming on. They had rebuilt the top end and never touched the bottom end. We drove it for 2 more years with 20W50 to keep the oil light off. The trans had started to slip and shift erratically, the suspension bushings were gone, radio quit, dash lights went out, AC quit, wheel bearings were starting to vibrate, steering leaked, electric windows worked when they felt like it etc. Still had a year and a half of payments left when we had to trade it in because of the rod knock [refused to pay $6000 for a used 2.7] This worthless pile of crap that I had meticulously maintained from day 1, sat behind the Toyota dealership for a year then finally was sent to the junk yard, wasn't even a good parts car
  The new Toyota has been in once in 140,000 miles for a minor AC repair. The service department apologized for the problem, gave me a free loaner, kissed my butt, then the manager called the next day to make sure they had kissed my butt properly. Quite a difference from service at any of the Big 3.

[Finn]

LOL these wise asses had the nerve to call and ask how my experience was...

phone jockey-"on a scale of 1 to 10"
me cutting in-"1"
repeat.

[Ghoste]

I can't help but wonder how the perceived quality of domestics would change if the dealers started to act like they were actually grateful for the business and showed some remorse at repairs?

[Sublime/Sixpack]

It would have made a significant difference.

[RallyeMike]

What make is your 2007? 

Sorry to say, 2500 Ram CTD.

Many of them have ongoing issues with the new emissions system which cause a buildup of soot in the EGR system, low performance and premature turbo failures. Though it's a known and prevalent problem, the salesman will gladly smile and sell you one anyway without a word about it. The literature on these trucks even still touts how wonderful and green the high-tech emissions systems are. Then when you take it in for all the warranty work, the service department will scold you and tell you it's your fault for driving the truck too easy, and hand you a revised service schedule adding the repair work they have been doing under warranty to YOUR required service schedule. Really, I'm not joking.

The ranting that is going on is not unfounded, and it's symptomatic of what may very well be the end of Chrysler 

I can't help but wonder how the perceived quality of domestics would change if the dealers started to act like they were actually grateful for the business and showed some remorse at repairs?

Bingo.

[Ghoste]

But is that Chryslers fault or the EPA?  I know for a fact that Ford is having the very same problem with their diesels and I'd bet GM is in the same boat.  I would assume that Toyota Tundra owners aren't experiencing this... since they don't offer a diesel engine or a truly heavy duty towing package.  The domestics have a LOT of problems but it seems unfair to mad at them for this particular issue when its the direct result of federal legislation.  Now as to whether or not the salesman should have told you, he probably should have but most of the car salesmen I've ever known were lucky if they were smart enough to tie their own shoes.

[RallyeMike]

But is that Chryslers fault or the EPA?

Hey, Jack. This here is the dealer rant. We already flamed the Environmentalists 

[Ghoste]

Fair enough.   

[Mike DC]

When you sell a messed up product, you're supposed to take care of the owners.  It doesn't negate the basic issue just because all three of the Detroit brands might be treating their customers like crap over the same thing.  Nor does it become the customer's problem when it's a govt-mandated issue causing it either. 


Catalytic converters are govt-mandated too.  But that doesn't mean we wouldn't be looking to the factories to reimburse us if the CCs were making the motor die every year. 

[Ghoste]

But is it right to BLAME Dodge for it?  Expect them to honor their warranty and treat the customer properly?  Without a question or doubt, but when it comes to blaming them because auto manufacturing technology hasn't kept pace with mandated changes, I can't do that.  If Dodge had taken the same route (in this case) as the Japanese makers and just chosen to not offer a diesel pickup, then there would all sorts of whining and moaning about how crappy Dodge is for not giving us the truck we want.  It doesn't excuse the dealers but the way everyone so readily attacks the American car makers, that I just don;t get.  I guess I must be really really really blessed because in all the years of American cars I have owned they evidently were all built to Asian car maker standards becaue I haven't hit any of these universal lemons I keep hearing about.
Sorry Mike, I went right off on a tangential rant of my own there didn't I?  I'm better now, rant off.

[Mike DC]

I don't mean to blame Mopar or Detroit for unrealistic govt mandates either.  But that's not what pisses so many people off. 


This is what's so symptomatic of the mindset that needs to change:

Many of them have ongoing issues with the new emissions system which cause a buildup of soot in the EGR system, low performance and premature turbo failures. Though it's a known and prevalent problem, the salesman will gladly smile and sell you one anyway without a word about it. The literature on these trucks even still touts how wonderful and green the high-tech emissions systems are. Then when you take it in for all the warranty work, the service department will scold you and tell you it's your fault for driving the truck too easy, and hand you a revised service schedule adding the repair work they have been doing under warranty to YOUR required service schedule. Really, I'm not joking.

There is too much of a mentality in Detroit (and the nationwide dealerships) that the buyer is the default party to blame and bill for everything.  The buyer always gets stuck unless they can force the factory into paying with paperwork/legal threats.  Of course it's an industry-wide issue but Detroit is much worse than many other brands IMHO. 

It's penny-wise and pound-foolish in the long run.  The factory/dealer can get away with another quarter of black ink this year, but the customers eventually just get sick of being screwed and start looking elsewhere for a car. 

[Silver R/T]

We have owned Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi. Every car needs maintenance and if you don't care for it sooner or later it will break and it will be costly.

[Mike DC]

Nobody is saying we shouldn't have to be doing maintinence on a car. 

But there's maintinence, and then there's unacceptable failures that aren't being reimbursed.  Too much of the latter going on. 

[500hp_440]

When they are doing oil changes at Jiffy Lube(after MOPAR folds)you will get the last laugh.

i hope that doesnt happen
i agree i wouldn't have paid i would told them to put back the oil and filter and the oil and left, you can always do it cheaper
sorry, i think thats better

[Sublime/Sixpack]

 

[nh_mopar_fan]

I need a translator.