Where is the QA in the dealerships

Good Morning all


I had some work done at one dealership and the vehicle kept coming back worse. Simple things and I am not trying to knit pick but the final straw was the valve stem caps missing off two of the four tires.

If you can’t put the valve stem caps on when its literally non-intrusive , it gives me concern when you do anything else. So the alignment was off, steering wheel had so much play in it I had to question the

QA process. the headlights were pointing at the ground and I really thought it was my eyes. Finally, I had an issue with the sun roof ever since they touched it. I took it back six times only for the Lead Service

manager to tell me he could not recreate the issue. Long story short I was fed up and took it to another dealership and All but two of these issues were resolved same day and I didn’t even have an appointment

In addition to that the lead tech road in the car with me concerning the sun roof and in five minutes he was like YOU are right lets go back. He started looking at it after I parked only to see more stuff the other

dealership did incorrectly.

My thing is why in this day and age do you have to worry about stuff like this. I thought there was some sort of quality assurance process involved at dealership. Thanks be to God I was able to get to someone

who actually had the knowledge skill and ability to trouble shoot and fix things. I was really upset when I initially got my vehicle from the previous dealership and it was driving sideways with steering off so bad.

I simply refused to take it back there concerned I would only reap the same if not worse results.

how can I hold them accountable?

 

About the only way is to not go back. You can file a complaint, but that and $3 will get you a cup of coffee. Dealerships are their own worlds, very hard to get quality people if you're not paying them properly.

 

There really isn't anything that can be done. If they left the valve stem caps off, I would check the torque on your lug nuts. Even if you went to the lead service advisor, they don't care. They know that they have customers in line that don't know anything about vehicles and wouldn't even notice things out of place. Kind of like how they always tell customers in the waiting room that they need a $75.00 cabin filter plus labor for installing it. I was irritated one day when I was in the dealer at the parts department and I heard that being said to a customer. I told the customer that the filter was about $15 and if she wanted to get it i would put it in for her. The adviser was pissed. I achieved my goal haha. They always try to screw the elderly.

The sales guys get it too....I was in there about 2 years ago picking up my grille and they had a lifted 4R on the floor. I was on one side looking at the sticker and an older guy was on the other side. He said "Nice 4runner isnt it?" right as a salesman walked up. I said yes but its way over priced. The salesman ask why i said that. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him that they were full of shit because the listed the lift kit as a $9,000 upgrade. It was a spacer kit.

 

I actually had a salesman tell me I couldn't put $$ down on a vehicle coming into the dealership later that year because I wasn't an "established customer". No worries. I went down the road a piece and found a dealership that more than happy to take my deposit on a new Tundra. At the time, no one had any on the lot. I was appreciative of them telling me upfront, so I didn't have to dick around and find out after I spent $ there.

 

That's crazy. I went to a dealer that I have never been to with a VIN that was inbound to them in a few weeks. They said "yes, it is inbound for our inventory in about 3 weeks and is not sold yet". They printed out the build list, showed me what it had, and I said I'll take it. 30 minutes later it was financed in my name and i just had to wait for it to get delivered.

 

That's how it went at the 2nd dealership I went to!

 

I try to do most things myself for just that reason. I don’t expect free service but sometimes they are gouging the pockets of the customers.

 

Yep, that's how it went for our 4Runner; and on my 2020 Tundra it took maybe 5 minutes to talk them down from $49K to $41K or so. (Granted, this was JUST prior to COVID.)

On the other hand, wife went to a competing dealership when looking @ Highlanders; and once their finance manager found out she was also looking @ a Highlander, he literally said (and I quote), "Well, studies show you end up buying from the last place you go to...so if you are serious about buying, come see me." Then walked out. Their saleslady was red as a stop sign.

Drove over to the Toyota dealership and told them about this situation...and they named the exact finance manager. My salesman said "Yeah, we love him. He's our best salesman!"

 

Business only goes to those who want it, not entitled to it.
If you want to play hard ball and act like your don't care? Guess what, neither do I.
You are not the only dealership in town, and certain not in the state nor the whole NA.
I am not saying dealership salesperson/finance has to bend backwards, but being nice and all, fair.
I ain't asking much.




Right? Or, am I?

 

Yep, agreed 100%.

So, turns out that the dealership with the finance manager who did that? They got bought out a year or so ago by a volume dealership chain. Guess who's NOT working @ that dealership any more?

 

Karma. That's all I gotta say.....lol

 

A good dealership is a great resource.

A bad dealership is worse than you can imagine. Sounds like you got one of these. Better off doing it yourself and saving a few bucks if you have the time and tools. I just had a botched oil change (last free one) and they also struggled mightily to get an alignment correct, costing me many miles on the stock tires, which, while they were pretty crappy, still carry value and their crappy work cost me time and money. It’s just not worth it.

Vote with your wallet. It’s the only thing they listen to.