Stealership Service Rant

Precisely why I avoid dealerships.

 

It's not just this industry though. I work in transportation and I see our sales guy lie also. I've always said I can't do sales because I'm not blunt, and too honest. I'm not sure how people can lie so easily.

 

Dan, from what I've seen you do, you could open your own shop and do well. When I lived in Orlando I took my Corolla to a shop that specialized in Japanese vehicles and they were 2 guys like you. They got fed up with being techs at the Dealership and started their own company. They were always packed and did great work at fair prices.

 

I took my wife's 2019 Toyota RAV4 to the dealer for the 10,000 mile maintenance/checkup. Can you believe Alamo Toyota on 281/1604 Interchange in San Antonio INSTALLED tire alignment readers at the entrance of the service department. As I drove in, the guy ask why was I there for, I said the vehicle needed the 10,000 mile service checkup/oil change, etc. (Its all pre-paid up to 75,000 miles) . The guy tells me that the RAV4 has misaligned tires. I looked at him, and told him, "this is a new vehicle, I haven't gone off-roading, nor I lived in a place where it is not paved, and the RAV4 is driving like new. He said that the alignment is off, I just looked at him straight in the face, and said "you kidding me", that's how you get people to get alignments when they don't need it, geez. Needless to say, he did not ask me anymore.
Can you believe they install alignment readers at the very entrance of the service department ? Now, that's a little too much.

 

My dealership has the same.....crazy

 

That's shameless. I'm glad you told him straight. They must sucker A LOT of people with this method...

 

Same thing happen to me when I recently took my wife's 2016 Sienna in for a 20k oil change. No signs of abnormal ware just their assessment.

 

Double dippers; idiot light came on in wife's Prius, AutoZone reads it as a coolant pump issue, take it over to Hesser Toyota. Yup, you have an intercooler pump leaking between the systems, $680. Service complete, we paid. Down the road I find the TSB listing for her car includes ALL Prius to have same service done at no charge to customers. They charged us, AND submitted to Toyota NA for a "reimbursement" for warranty work. Scumbags.

 

Here in DFW, most dealers fall under one of three major ownership groups. There are very few "family owned" dealerships. My experience has been hit/miss with the major ones. I picked up on this from waiting for service from several product lines. "Sir, you need an engine oil conditioner!" No thanks, even the manual says they don't recommend any additives. Just change it regularly.

 

I hope you promptly turned around, confronted them, and broke a big ole' can of WHOOP...

I know I would have if I had found out what they did. Called Toyota too to let them know.

"Scumbags" .... Agreed.

 

Oh YES! NA wanted a photocopy of receipts and we were reimbursed, turned in Hesser to the State. We've had similar instances with BMW and motorcycles; an attorney introduced us to the TSB search, and I'd imagine most folks have no clue they are paying for warranty work that should be free, plus a rental vehicle comped to boot!

 

$$$ in due time I plan on doing something along those lines. Still young.