Dealership experiences

[trickett90]

Just tell everyone your experiences at the dealership, good or bad. This thread could possibly be entertaining...

Here is mine: Just got the LS back in the driveway about 10 minutes ago. Brought it in to get my misfire fixed. It was my fourth coil replacement so you could say I had a very good idea what was wrong with it the first sputter I felt. I did the other three myself, but then found out about the Ford extended warranty program for the coils. So this is my very first experience ever bringing any vehicle to the dealership. When I dropped it off I asked them to also see if there were any updates for the transmission, it has been shifting horribly for a while. He said they will check, and it will be $45 for the reprogram. Good price.

The outcome: stress tested my coils, #7 was bad, replaced. When I asked about the update he said there was one and they had "thrown it in". Free of charge. So I sign my name, grab my keys and walk out to my freshly washed shiny black LS. The drive home was the best ever it has ever driven ever. For free. Hopefully future dealership visits remain so customer satisfactory.

 

[trickett90]

To jmtiseo: I also asked about the transmission flush. I asked if the filter change was included in the flush. He stated that the filter is not so much a filter as it is just a screen, which gets cleaned out during the flush. So its not really necessary. Maybe joegr has some info on this.

I do believe it was you that was raging pretty good one day because they did not change your filter when you had your transmission serviced. I don't recall if you just got your fluid changed or you got the flush, but when he told me that I thought of your thread so now I'm sharing.

Also, the price I got was $169 for the flush. Seems kinda high....?

 

[mot]

LOL! Darnit! I just did the VCG/COP/Plugs on my wife's car. I didn't hear that it was under dealer warranty until like 2 days after! Oh well.....

 

[JVIP]

Ow boy do I have a few..

Prior to getting my LS, the same week in fact, I bought a Infinity Q45 pearl white black interior just a gorgeous car all together. The next day I went to start it up and it kept shutting off on me, come to find out the cars computer was junk. Not wanting to deal with it I got my money back from the dealer and found my LS, which then took 3 months off and on to get the transmission fixed after it went to the E mode after a few days of driving it. After the police got involved, a lawyer for both sides it was fixed free of charge, they paid for the rental car for the whole time and received a free 12k warranty on it for no cost. This ahole could have given me my money back for it and gotten off easier.

And on to today, I saw a 07 F350 with a 4 inch lift and 37's and 65k miles online at a dealership and immediately wanted it so I went to the dealership and looked at it, took it for a test drive and it was evident after a short drive this things was about to fall apart, it shook violently, the steering wheel had ridiculous play in it and it made loud popping noises when you turned......nice for a truck asking 24K. Guy told me all it needed was an alignment and it would be fine..........at anything over 45 mph it felt so unsafe, seems like it was a shooty lift instal maybe....

 

[Jwall]

I don't think I have even taken a car to a dealership for more than an oil change, or a simple recall.

 

[2002_lincolnLS]

I don't think I have even taken a car to a dealership for more than an oil change, or a simple recall.

Thats the only thing My car has ever been in for, and the only reason I don't change my oil is it's not cost effective 20 bucks for full service and top off all fluids and tire pressure or 40 buck for just cheap oil and a filter...

Plus then I don't have to dispose of anything

 

[Krakabeast]

Holy cow, $45 for a tranny reset? You could have done it yourself in 2 minutes.

 

[joegr]

Holy cow, $45 for a tranny reset? You could have done it yourself in 2 minutes.

That was for a FLASH update, where new firmware and/or tables is/are uploaded to the PCM. Most people are not equipped to do that in two minutes (or two days).

 

[Krakabeast]

That was for a FLASH update, where new firmware and/or tables is/are uploaded to the PCM. Most people are not equipped to do that in two minutes (or two days).

Oh, I thought he meant the simple retraining of the shift points. Joe, do you know if Ford kept working on updating the firmware after 2006?

 

[joegr]

Oh, I thought he meant the simple retraining of the shift points. Joe, do you know if Ford kept working on updating the firmware after 2006?

Well, they still use that transmission, so I am sure they are still refining the control of it. However, I doubt they've done any changes for the LS PCM in the last few years.

 

[G-RELL]

Ive taken mine in for a few things, unbelievably great service....

My fuel pump/senders were going out (so i thought). Not wanting to throw parts at it (sorry 2002 LincolnLS) I took it up. I would have to cycle the key 10-50 times before you could hear the pump kick on and start.... I would take it up, and it would start fine. Theyed keep it for the weekend, trying all differnet senerios to try and duplicate. Even came in on a Sunday (closed on Sundays) and it would start fine. after the 3rd trip up there it finely got it to no start. Instead of throwing new pumps in it the tech tested all the systems (he felt the problem had nothing to do with pumps). eventully , while thinking about it at home, thought it must be in the connections. sure enough, bad pin in the connector... Fixed the connection, its been fine ever since... after hours of working on it... no charge... could have easily put new pumps in and the 5 hours labor that i had already aggreed to pay.
you dont find dealers like that anymore

 

[jmtiseo]

To jmtiseo: I also asked about the transmission flush. I asked if the filter change was included in the flush. He stated that the filter is not so much a filter as it is just a screen, which gets cleaned out during the flush. So its not really necessary. Maybe joegr has some info on this.

I do believe it was you that was raging pretty good one day because they did not change your filter when you had your transmission serviced. I don't recall if you just got your fluid changed or you got the flush, but when he told me that I thought of your thread so now I'm sharing.

Also, the price I got was $169 for the flush. Seems kinda high....?

Haha, thanks for thinking of me. I'm not as worried now as I was before. I know it's a different transmission but we physically pulled out a filter out of my truck trans so I assumed it was the same sealed like unit. Oh I was about to hulk mode lol. They replaced the solenoid valve body and refilled the fluid. I didn't ask for a a full trans service where they replace the filter and fluid therefore I did not recieve it, nor was I asked if I wanted the service done.

$169 is cheaper than what I was quoted. I believe mine was more in the $230 area.

 

[mot]

Had to replace the computer in the drivers door. The alarm kept going off when my wife was driving it, or even just sitting in the driveway. I found a comp, and we replaced it, but I had to take it in to get flashed. After a couple hours they called and said it was ready. I showed up, picked it up, and the key fob didn't work. So, I went back in. LOL they reprogrammed the door comp, but never synced it w the key. Plus, the wash job was shoddy. Oh well..... There are other dealers closer now where we moved.

 

[jmtiseo]

No on to my experience. I'm still befuddle on one time I asked them to check the brakes while it was up on the lift for an oil change and tire rotation. They changed the oil, rotated the tires. The brake inspection consisted of looking through the wheel at the front of the rotor. I told them I suspected a sticky caliper or something. I don't know maybe I'm going in there and expecting more.

 

[cirelle]

No on to my experience. I'm still befuddle on one time I asked them to check the brakes while it was up on the lift for an oil change and tire rotation. They changed the oil, rotated the tires. The brake inspection consisted of looking through the wheel at the front of the rotor. I told them I suspected a sticky caliper or something. I don't know maybe I'm going in there and expecting more.

The question is... did the tech put on his superman x-ray glasses???:shifty:

Checking the stickyness of the calipers requires x-ray glasses and... you have to stand back 15 feet to be able to get the full picture.

It also sounds like the service manager didn't put on his sunglasses and flash you with his neuralizer. ... they are the experts

Just yankin' your chain.

 

[regiment1]

Boy, howdy, where do I begin?

In 2002, shortly after we bought our LS, it was shifting rough. I knew we were close to the end of the warranty, so I called the dealership to get it looked at. That was on Thursday. The "service adviser", Dale, said he couldn't get me in until the following Tuesday. I took it in Tuesday. It was the solenoid pack. Dale tells me the car went out of warranty the Friday before I brought it in, but "Ford agreed to take care of it under warranty."

Since I had the car in anyway, I had them do a regular service, including coolant flush. The next day, the car overheated as my wife and her friend were driving between CU campuses on East Colfax in Denver. East Colfax is not the safest part of town. My wife, being resourceful, looked under the hood, and found that they hadn't put the cap on the degas bottle. Dimwits.

But never mind that, the solenoid pack was replaced twice more. The third one lasted about 12k, at which point I took it to another dealership. They said the parts warranty was expired on the solenoid, and the second and third were replaced under parts warranties from the first repair. After arguing with them about the original warranty repair, they pointed out that repair was done as After Warranty Assistance, a favor Ford will do for you once only. My buddy Dale never told me about the AWA, or I'd have fought hard to get the original repair under the actual warranty. The second dealer's service manager took it up the Ford foodchain for me ("You have to be patient, but I'll get you help," he said), and got us a new tranny about 9 months later.

So, two Lincoln dealership experiences. One was full of @ss-clowns, the other one was good from the service advisers, to the techs to the service manager.

Oh, yeah - about a year after the new tranny, I take the LS into a third dealership, this time a Ford dealer, and who greets me but old buddy Dale from the Dope Dealership. "It's just an oil change" I counseled myself and let it go. After 6 hours, when I called to get the car, the oil change still wasn't done. Dale said he'd have it finished or me in an hour. I went in an hour later, and Dale, looking startled, ran back to get the car. A half hour later, another service adviser came to tell me that the car "was making a funny sound" and they wanted to inspect it. Turns out, Good Ol' Buddy Dale hopped into the car and started it before the new oil was added and seized the motor. Seriously, now: WTF?

 

[HDDave]

I don't think I have even taken a car to a dealership for more than an oil change, or a simple recall.

I'd like to be there if you took your LS in and see their faces when they opened the hood...

 

[joegr]

I have had dealership experiences that range from really good to pretty bad. Here's a story that may be interesting. It concerns the dealership that I've had the overall best experiences with, although they have stolen a number of flashlights from me.

This happened Sometime around 1992 or 1993. I once had a 1991 Grand Marquis. It got to where the rotors would quickly warp on it. I had tried what I could (changed the calipers, rotors, and pads), and it would warp again in a thousand miles or so.
I explained all this to the service manager and asked that he find the real problem. He came back insisting that I just needed the rotors turned and pads replaced. I said that if he did that I would be back in a month with warped rotors again, but he held firm. Finally, I got him to promise that this would fix it or they would eat whatever it cost to fix it when I came back in. I paid the $300 or so for the brake job.
About a month later, I came back with the rotors warped again. Fortunately, the service manager honored his promise. They ended up replacing the rotors, pads, master cylinder, proportioning valve, and vacuum booster. All this at no additional charge and with a free loaner while they did the work. It did correct the problem and there was no more warping for the remaining couple of years that I had that car.

One thing that I've found that seems to help the dealership service experience is to every great once in while after a service visit, insist on seeing the owner (of the dealership). Once you do, tell him what a wonderful job the service guys are doing. The next time you visit, they will bend over backwards to help you.

 

[Kumba]

I bought my car from a Lincoln dealer about an hour away because it was an exceptionally clean low-mileage off-lease 2006. This dealer ended up being pretty crappy as they said they did recalls on a car that weren't done or not correctly. Falling Headliner in the rear is what immediately comes to mind.

So I go to the local Lincoln dealer about 20-minutes away, which incidentally originally sold this car, and have them do the work. Things were fine as all I ever had them do was oil changes. At one point the brakes were squealing and I asked them to take a look at it. They come back and tell me I need to replace everything and here's a $600 bill. I told them to cram it up their arse and left.

Went to a Ford dealer with a commercial sales/service department that is only a half-mile down the road. They have been excellent as far as servicing the car, working under the warranties the car has, and in general diagnosing things. Only hickup I have had so far is I replaced the DCCV prior to taking it in to them for a coolant flush and oil change. When I drop it off, I tell them I sometimes get a faint but annoying clicking/thumping/gurgling sound coming from under the passengers side dash, which I think is just air in the line from when I replaced the DCCV. I asked them to check it out after they flush the coolant. When I go to pick it up, they tell me I need a new DCCV and that will be $600 please. I tell them they are retarded and just read a stupid code I hadn't cleared. That if they ACTUALLY did a point check from the shop manual they would know that was an old code. So they proceed to tell me that I should have told them I replaced the DCCV. I told them that if I paid for the $600 DCCV replacement, would they put in writing they guarantee the thumping/gurgling/clicking coming from under the dash would go away, and if not give me a loaner and fix everything wrong related to it. They evidently did not have the same conviction in their diagnosis that I had in mine. Shocker.

The long and short of it is, I have yet to find a dealer where they spend time actually figuring out what is wrong. Unless you go in there guns blazing, they will just throw parts at it or read code scanners.

So for anything tricky, I mostly diagnose and do the work myself or have a shop down the road do the work. Between this forum and what knowledge I already have, I am usually spot-on with the diagnosis. For instance, that thumping/clicking sound is either the Fan motor or blend doors. It doesn't happen when I turn the fan speed up.

 

[kaball]

I have had some hit and miss dealerships in the short time that I have owned my LS.

When I was in NY (where I bought the car) I had all wonderful experiences. It might help that my father works for FMCC.

As soon as I move down to Daytona all I have had is trouble. I purchased the extended service plan as some of you have read and it has already paid for itself. However I have to jump through hoops just to use it at the only Lincoln dealership around. There is only one LARGE conglomerate of dealerships all owned by the same person in one spot. This guys got it all, Ford/Lincoln/Mercury/Volvo/Hyundai/Toyota/Scion/Nissan/Infinity/BMW/Chevy/GMC/Buick/Fiat/VW and I am sure I am missing a few. It always seems like I get lost in the cracks.

One instance...I take the car in for a passenger side window regulator. They say that they don't have the part in but can have it in a few hours. OK fine. I ask them to do an oil change while I wait on the part, they say fine. An hour later they come back and say that they would like to do a engine cleaning. This is right after I had replaced my plugs and coils and have already cleaned the engine. I say no thank you. they also want to do a PCM update for $45, that sounded reasonable and I can't do that on my own. done. They come back a third time and say I need new brakes and new front tires. It was going to cost me $175 for the brakes and they quoted me $225 per tire for the two fronts. I told them to shove it on the tires. After all of this is done they say that the part would not be in till the next morning and give me a rental.

Next day I come in and they haven't even done the oil change yet.... brakes are done and the window was fixed but no oil..So I come back later in the day and they have it all buttoned up and say that they need me to come back the next day so they can replace a lug nut that they stripped the day before... come on a lug nut? they have 12 different car dealerships and about 10 auto-parts stores within 20 miles and they don't have a lug nut? They didn't even wash the car. oil all over the engine bay and grease and brake dust all over the exterior.

Only reason I go back is they gave me 2 free oil changes and the ESP.