Hate to take my car to dealer for service!!!!!!!

[YLW DRM2]

Every time I am taking car to a dealer for service I absolutely hate it. Here is my latest rant...
I noticed an oil smudge on the oil pan that would re-appear every time I wipe it off, see my other post: http://forums.viperclub.org/srt10-s.../630823-oil-smudge-bottom-oil-pan-normal.html
Based on Mark's comment in the post above I decided to take the car for service to a dealer, after all I paid for 0 deductable extended warranty. To start I had a problem to find dealer nearby, keep in mind I live in San Francisco, not in the desert like little town, but the nearest survived dealer about 15 miles from me and they did not have Viper tech. So I took it to THE DEALER - I think the only one who left with the Viper tech to do the warranty work in Bay Area- Stevens Creek Dodge, which is like 50 miles away from SF. So I made an appointment to bring the car for service this past Tuesday. To get to the dealer and back to work to San Francisco total travel miles back and forth close to 100 miles, so I wake up at 5:30 to get to the dealer by 7am. When I get to the dealer the first thing the service manager tells me is that the Viper tech is busy for next few days and will not be able to do anything on my car. To my question why the heck I bothered to make an appointment the service manager said that the appointment guys have no idea who from technicians available and who is not. So because service guys can't figure out their crap this all of a sudden becomes my problem - leave my car at the dealer to be handled by people who don't give a crap much about the car or to take it back home and go through another extra day of waking up early and driving of 100 miles just because ? Well, I decided to leave the car at the dealer. Though I still cannot understand, if they made an appointment for my car, which means that some tech should be available to do the work, if this tech is not Viper certify than why not to swap around work that Viper tech was doing to the lower end guy (since I doubt big time Viper tech was working on another Viper at the time) and have viper tech start working on my car. Well never mind that. Three days in the service at the dealership the service manager calls me today and tells me that I can pick up my car, the only thing they did is added some kind of die, that is it. The reason for the die is for me to drive the car and have me bring the car for the next oil change so that they can see where the leak is coming from. So instead of changing back end gasket like Mark suggested they didn't bother to do any good investigation, they didn’t do anything . Sounds to me almost like drive the car until it starts leaking oil like the water from the faucet and maybe kill your engine and then we’ll see if we can help you. Oh and they now want me to pick the car ASAP because they don't want to pay extra day for the rental.

Sorry for the long post, I am so frustrated, I just needed to steam off...

 

[JonB]

You're not a VCA member? VCA had a party here recently, in YOUR region:

Normandin Dodge. TWO Viper techs.... "Five Star" modern place.
Normandin Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep, 900 Capitol Expressway Auto Mall, San Jose, CA

It crept later:

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

It did not take a Viper Tech to come to that decision, I would try your luck at another shop if I were you. Sometimes smaller dealers will let you watch and help the situation along rather than treat you like an idiot! Remember to write down the mileage if you leave it anywhere.

Sorry for their poor service,

 

[Venomiss]

If you have to leave it anywhere take pictures of the inside and outside of it.
Better safe than sorry.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Sorry for your troubles, find a better dealer. They're not all jerks. Also a few paragraph breaks would have made your post easier to read.

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

Sorry for your troubles, find a better dealer. They're not all jerks. Also a few paragraph breaks would have made your post easier to read.

Rage writing!

 

[adamlotus]

find a good indepandeant repair shop

 

[BlknBlu]

I love taking mine in for maint. I live near Woodhouse.

Bruce

 

[YLW DRM2]

find a good indepandeant repair shop

Can I bring it to independent shop for a job under extended warranty? I thought I can only bring car to dealer to do work under warranty (eventhough extended).

 

[Black Adder]

Normandins on Capitol Expressway have 2 viper techs- I know their website doesn't say it but they are Dodge service center for Vipers - took over from Hartzeim

Chrysler & Jeep Auto Parts & Car Accessories San Jose | Normandin Chrysler Jeep
Regards

 

[Fast Viper]

You can bring the car to an independent shop for a "extended" warranty repair. The shop calls the warranty company, and lets them know about the estimated cost of the work, and the company evaluates it, and decides to send a adjuster or approves the job over the phone. Then they send a check, or credit/debit card to the business with the amount due for parts and labor. It sometimes takes a few days, but, it's like any other repair, assuming you have a good extended warranty.

 

[Achilles99]

You can bring the car to an independent shop for a "extended" warranty repair. The shop calls the warranty company, and lets them know about the estimated cost of the work, and the company evaluates it, and decides to send a adjuster or approves the job over the phone. Then they send a check, or credit/debit card to the business with the amount due for parts and labor. It sometimes takes a few days, but, it's like any other repair, assuming you have a good extended warranty.

That doesn't apply to the Maxcare warranty does it?

 

[viper067]

Wow, that is some poor service ... the last time I took my viper in the tech was asking for the keys before I exited the car to let them know I was there. It was also interesting in that there were about 10 people in the waiting area when I arrived. A viper should have its privileges

 

[YLW DRM2]

Wow, that is some poor service ... the last time I took my viper in the tech was asking for the keys before I exited the car to let them know I was there. It was also interesting in that there were about 10 people in the waiting area when I arrived. A viper should have its privileges

Ha ha, man I think those good days of good service is gone, the few supporting vendors that we are lucky to have on this forum is the dying breed of good service.
To continue my story, the service manager called me demanding that I pick up my car today or they will charge me overnight for the rental, etc. He would not care that I work in San Francisco and don't have time to come 50 miles away before they close. So I took off earlier from work and got there on time. I come the same site service manager and he looks at me like who the f.. are you. Told him I am the guy with the yellow viper and he sends me to return rental car to Herts. I come back from in about 10 minutes thinking that my paperwork is ready and my car is waiting for me, ha ha, nope, no way, he starts doing paperwork just when I got back. So I had to wait another like 15-20 min before car roles up to the front.
However, the apogee came when the guy hands me over the paperwork and asks to pay $75 at the cashier. I have to confess, I asked them to re-program my wheel sensors that came brand new with the Forgeline wheels that I put last Spring, but never got to reprogram them. So I am thinking that is fare $75 for the reprogrammed sensors, but wait, the guys comes out and says nope they could not reprogram it. They simply charged me because technician checked it out and could not communicate with the sensors, so they didn't reprogram it. I called for Service manager and he told me because I have aftermarket wheels they could not re-program sensors, but because technician spend half an hour on it they will charge me. Oh and he said I am lucky that they don't charge me for the work they did to check where the oil is leaking from . So there I was steaming like an overheated ****** Chevy in a hot day giving my Visa to the cashier, only to wait little longer for my car and to see a guy come out from the car without even trying to pick up the usual paper and plastic protection that they put on the floor and seat. Though, it looked like they put this so called “protection” just before bringing car to me, because whole floor got some kind of white crap all over it.
Feef, needed to get this out of my chest.

 

[Achilles99]

That sounds ridiculous. They saw that you had aftermarket wheels and knew they couldn't program it, but still spent time trying to do it and charged you for it?

If I were you, I'd dispute the charge and never go to that dealership again.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Send a complaint to Ralph Gillis. This is a dealer that SHOULD have lost their franchise.

 

[Camfab]

Uh hello, news flash.....................this is NOT abnormal for most Dodge dealers. Actually I'll go so far as saying most Dodge, GM, and Ford dealers. You try to support this country by buying American (whatever that means) cars and these thieves that run dealerships just S%!t all over you. I've been given the so called rental car run around so many times it's stupid. It goes like this...........Uh well we can't give you a rental untill the tech checks it out and determines the time required to do the repair. OK when does that happen................later today when your at work and can't get one. Translation.............we are shafting you and your not going to ever get that free rental car the warranty calls for.

Oh I feel so much better, my hard earned tax dollars went to save these idiots, but wait, the honest service providing small guy (Chuck Tator comes to mind) gets the corporate ax.

 

[Kevan]

*IF* I drop off the truck for ANY warranty service, I remain with it.
I will have my toes on the edge of the little yellow 'no customers beyond this point' line.

If for some odd reason I can't remain with it, I will have the department manager come out to the vehicle with me for a photo shoot.
SMILE!
Pics of them with the odometer and trip odometer.
(No crying about not having a digital camera. YOU OWN A VIPER!!!)

I've always found it takes a couple of tries before you find the right dealership.
Test a couple of different dealerships with TINY things; stuff that you can wait while they do.
See how they treat you and your ride.

Paperwork not ready after several days with the vehicle? STRIKE ONE
Charging for work that is not completed? STRIKE TWO
Returned with dirty/dusty interior? STRIKE THREE

And, if I begged on both knees, could I get a couple of extra "Return" hits?
Thanks.

 

[vinny2]

Uh hello, news flash.....................this is NOT abnormal for most Dodge dealers. Actually I'll go so far as saying most Dodge, GM, and Ford dealers. You try to support this country by buying American (whatever that means) cars and these thieves that run dealerships just S%!t all over you. I've been given the so called rental car run around so many times it's stupid. It goes like this...........Uh well we can't give you a rental untill the tech checks it out and determines the time required to do the repair. OK when does that happen................later today when your at work and can't get one. Translation.............we are shafting you and your not going to ever get that free rental car the warranty calls for.

Oh I feel so much better, my hard earned tax dollars went to save these idiots, but wait, the honest service providing small guy (Chuck Tator comes to mind) gets the corporate ax.

does the extended warranty from Chrysler automatically include a rental, or is that an aftermarket warranty, or some kind of addendum to factory extended warranty?

 

[Joseph Houss]

A perfect reason to join our VCA, enjoy some meetings, or at a bare minimum, call your local VCA regional President and ask for a list of Viper oriented dealers. Heck, they might even offer an introduction to the Viper Tech prior to your visit!

 

[YLW DRM2]

does the extended warranty from Chrysler automatically include a rental, or is that an aftermarket warranty, or some kind of addendum to factory extended warranty?

I guess, it depends on the warranty, but before bringing my car to the dealer I called warranty guys directly and they confirmed that I have rental car in the policy. Though the rental should be no higher than $35 a day.