Tom-D
Taxi to Parking
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Tom-D
Jiffy Lube Scam
- Thread starter Tom-D
- Start date
SSDD...actually, that was chump change stuff, I've seen waayyyy worse, by a Toyota dealer even trying to charge my sister several thousand dollars for repairs clearly under warranty, yet when she took it in, they said it wasn't covered. When I brought the car in to the same service writer (and the car had out of state plates, this being the next day, you'd think he'd have recognized it) he told me "Yeah, it's a known defect in the computer, it'll take us about 2 hrs to swap and it's covered by the warranty". I started reading the guy the riot act in front of all the other other customers, the General Manager came down, and I continued chewing on his a$$ as well. Having grown up in the car business and as a mechanic, this stuff burns my a$$.
K
KennyFlys
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It seems one of the few places that do actually work on the vehicles are the high-end car dealers. One local MB dealer has an elevated, enclosed walkway over the service area where can look all the work being performed.
The last time I had oil changed, I was told I needed the transmission fluid changed. It was a prettier red than the paint on the Jeep!
The last time I had oil changed, I was told I needed the transmission fluid changed. It was a prettier red than the paint on the Jeep!
Skip Miller
Final Approach
I had a MB dealer working on my MB for a routine maintenance interval. The oil filter was left so loose that there was a quart left on the dealer's driveway. I always check under the car... yes they were embarrassed but nothing sub$tantial offered in compensation.One local MB dealer has an elevated, enclosed walkway over the service area where can look all the work being performed.
Post-maintenance preflight is important!
-Skip
tonycondon
Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
my favorite is when they bring my air filter out, and its got some dirt on it. "well its getting kind of dirty, we can replace it for only 99.99" they say.
"well, i guess if its dirty that must mean that it is FILTERING so put it back in the car!"
"well, i guess if its dirty that must mean that it is FILTERING so put it back in the car!"
K
KennyFlys
Guest
Probably the same idiot who thinks WD-40 is the cure-all to mechanics.
AdamZ
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Adam Zucker
Scams abound. I took my old Pathfinder ( the SUV not the plane) in to a local Auto shop that was part of a 3-4 store local chain. It was close to work and they did oil changes for a very reasonable price and they seemed friendly enough and had good deals on tires. Well I tood the Pathfinder in for an oil change and asked them to check all belts and hoses as I was taking the family on a trip down to Virgina, That was on a Thursday or Friday. Sunday on the way back from Va. I'm on the DC Beltway and I hear BAM! The wheel gets very tight and I pull over b/c I thought I blew a tire. Tires all look good so I get back on the road and to a rest stop and open the hood and find a frayed and broken power steering belt. Ya that was money down the drain.
I should have known better but then I took in my Accord for an inspection. I was about to sell it so I didn't want to do any big repair work and I told them so. They call me and say they can't pass my car b/c it has a hole in the exhaust system and it will cost like $200 to fix. I was ripped because not two months prior I took the car to Midas Muffler and had the system checked and a new muffler put on. I told them If there is a hole midas missed it or screwed up and I'll make them fix it under warranty. I take it back to Midas and the guy shows me that the hole was man made. Some one took a pointy object like an ice pick and jammed it through a perfectly sound exhaust pipe. There was no rust or corrosion near the hole and you could even see where the metal was bent on around the hole on the inside and outside of the pipe where the object was rocked back and forth to work its way in. I had to have it repaired so I gave the business to Midas and bought the car back to the Auto Center to get my inspection sticker put on. Boy did I give them a raft of you know what. Never went back of course.
I should have known better but then I took in my Accord for an inspection. I was about to sell it so I didn't want to do any big repair work and I told them so. They call me and say they can't pass my car b/c it has a hole in the exhaust system and it will cost like $200 to fix. I was ripped because not two months prior I took the car to Midas Muffler and had the system checked and a new muffler put on. I told them If there is a hole midas missed it or screwed up and I'll make them fix it under warranty. I take it back to Midas and the guy shows me that the hole was man made. Some one took a pointy object like an ice pick and jammed it through a perfectly sound exhaust pipe. There was no rust or corrosion near the hole and you could even see where the metal was bent on around the hole on the inside and outside of the pipe where the object was rocked back and forth to work its way in. I had to have it repaired so I gave the business to Midas and bought the car back to the Auto Center to get my inspection sticker put on. Boy did I give them a raft of you know what. Never went back of course.
SkyHog
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Everything Offends Me
I actually caught a similar scam on my old Mitsubishi Mirage. I accidentally scored the oil filter by dropping a wrench on it one day. I took the car in for service, and they kept it for about 4 hours. When I came back, the same oil filter was in place, but more surprisingly, the air filter was GONE.
When I complained, they pretty much called me a liar, saying that I took the air filter out and damaged the oil filter doing it.
So no, dealers aren't immune, they're just as susceptible to scandals as any other place, they just charge a lot more to screw ya. Find a good, local, ASE certified mechanic and befriend them. They'll do ya right. Stay away from the dealers.
When I complained, they pretty much called me a liar, saying that I took the air filter out and damaged the oil filter doing it.
So no, dealers aren't immune, they're just as susceptible to scandals as any other place, they just charge a lot more to screw ya. Find a good, local, ASE certified mechanic and befriend them. They'll do ya right. Stay away from the dealers.