Anyone know what 5 star means?

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I assumed that a "5 star" dealer gave service. I assumed wrong. My 98 Cummins goes in bad, comes out worse every time. Its not the personel. They change almost weekly. I think Chrysler in general has a NO CUSTOMER SERVICE policy with every dealer. I for one, have bought my last Chrysler product! All I can say is that I had planed on buying a PT Cruiser and a 4x4 Durango in the very near future, but due to the lack of service I seem to get from my local dealership and the "We couldn't Care Less" from the wonderful people at Chrysler, (once you finally get thru on their only phone number to the public) I choose to spend my hard earned cash on a product that the dealer and factory will stand behind. Ive tried to speak to the local Dist. Mgr. that covers the Northern Calif area, and this guy couldn't be bothered to return any of my calls. Is that what I paid $38,000 cash for? No service, no support. I guess thats what Chryslers 5 star is all about! As Ive said in other posts, my 1982 Oldsmobile 5. 7 diesel only had to see the dealer 2x in the first 100k miles. NONE OF WHICH WERE ENGINE PROBLEMS. I hope anyone else out there who is thinking of throwing $30k + at a truck, looks at the customer satisfaction records of their local dealer before they make the same mistake I did! The new Chevys are look'n rather good to me!

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98 Quad Cab 4X4 Cummins Automatic Totally loaded Minus fuel sender plus right brake pull, no extra charge!

[This message has been edited by Phil Johnson (edited 11-28-2000). ]

 

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Yeah, lets face it, the dealer service overall has taken a dive. Think about it in this manner: A kid gets out of engine school and has no idea what he's doing yet. He goes to work at an auto dealership. He learns how to work on cars as he goes along. 90 percent of what he does, he does wrong. But he's improving... ... at least he thinks so. When they handed me the keys to my 97 and introduced me to the service manager, I smiled and shook his hand and told him (as my truck stood outside with the engine idling) to go outside and look at it for one last time because he'd never see it again. I kept true to that promise. Anything small and annoying, I was able to fix using good old fashioned ingenuity. Maybe I was lucky. All I know is that the more hands that stir the pot, the more likelyhood of problems surfacing. Problems that were never there before. I'd be lying if I said I never broke a bolt. The difference between me and the tech at the dealer is that he looks around and sees that nobody's watching, then sticks the busted bolt head down with a little RTV and sends you on your way.

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Chris Timochko
1997 5sp 4X4, HX40, BD 4" Brake, Marine Compression, Custom Tuned Injection Pump, 370B Injection Nozzles, Delivery Valves, Governor & AFC Spring Kit, Psychotty Air, Water Injection, NOS Diesel Kit, 6" Chrome Exhaust System, No Smoke Valet Switch, McLeod Dual Disc Clutch, Mag-Hytec Rear Cover, Cummins Chrome Kit, Optima Red Tops, Hadley Bully Horns, Hurst Line Loc, Goodyear Wrangler AT/S 305/70/16s. Test mule for Auto Wurks Diesel race program

 

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Most dealer techs will also see something that is broken,but not fix it if it's not on the service order. Not so if you do it yourself.

 

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never had any trouble with my dealer, but then again never had many problems with my truck, but its only got 165,000 miles on it, guess i'll have to keep waiting #ad
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,(for all my problems to surface). Then again, i usually fix small things myself, don't go *****in' to dodge every time i hear a creak or rattle, i fix it, 'cause all of 'em are the same, dealers that is, same people, different faces. Buy a duracrax if ya like, or a flowerchoke, and good luck, to you, and the dealer. i've been my own warranty station for a long time, and i kinda like it that way. I guess what i'm trying to say without ******* anyone off is: to each his own! have a good day and BOMB on !!!!!!!!
and to dieselb59, what is your buisness location, i'm up here in middletown NY and i'd like to ride down and check you guys out... .

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'95 xt cab,slt,4. 10,auto,285 BFG all terrain ko's on Centerline Extreme Billit Comet 3's,K&N,tst 230/605, silencer ring in top of toolbox, boost and pyro in full pillar mt. 164,850 mi and climbing... went to feed the cat and it was GONE !!!!!

[This message has been edited by JD (edited 11-26-2000). ]

 

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I think 5 star refers to how they treat you not if they do job right. It should mean both. There have to be good Dodge dealers out there some where.

Trick my Dad told me about when trying to get hold of someone on phone that seems to be dodging you.
Tell his secretary that you are returning his call.
I don't like dealers service dept. never have. It seems one thing gets fixed, another thing goes wrong.
But it isn't just Dodge/Chrysler it all them. Evem big truck dealers are getting sloppy. I know a Man at the market in the trucking business he has and buys KW's but his main driver complained they were missing to much on maintenance. He bought a Peterbuilt for this driver. So the truck would get proper maintenance. Moral find another dealer.

 

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5 har as in: Har-Har-Har-Har-Har

Took my truck in to the local 5-scar for 3 recalls. (the ONLY reason they EVER see my truck). Spring perch, ingnition switch (which is really the blower relay) and the light switch recalls.
Got it back,
1) Steering wheel is crooked (about 35 degrees!)
2) Brake control in a new and exciting position. (if the tech would have looked, he didn't need to dissamble it, only remove the hold down screws!)
Within the next 3 days (one of which it sat):
3) Radio and compass displays don't dim when lights switched on.
4) Halogen back up light doesn't work.
5) Fog lights don't work.
6) Running lights don't work.
A little tip for those of you receiving the headlight switch recall: The switch as delivered doesn't fit in the dash. Defrost duct interferes with the connector for a ground. The tech that worked on my truck bent it out of the way with the connector in place. This distorted the connector and made it loose and it fell off. This was responsible for items 3,4 & 6! The interesting thing is that the running lights worked when everything else didn't.

I still need to get the foglights working (they lost a wire under the dash). And I'm not sure what to do about the steering wheel. As I recall, last time I had it off, there is a dummy spline to keep the wheel installed correctly.

As a side note, after being berated by the service writer for arriving at 7:30 instead of 7:00 "'cause this takes all day to do", the truck was done at 4:30. It was still siting in the lot when I drove out at 7:50 and yes, the same tech did all three recalls!

Gee, should I take it back so they can fix it?

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'94 3500 4x4, 204,000 miles, Never had a cat, Auto w/shift kit (thanks Dave G), 3. 54 Gears, TST #5 plate, 235-85-16s, Rancho 9000s w/remote, Isspro gauges inplace of cupholder & Amsoil Bumper to Bumper. NRA member. Blue Ribbon Coalition member.
"Warrantee? We don't need no stinking warrantee!"

 

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Boys and Girls you have to understand what motivates a dealer... . MONEY... . so if your having problems just stand at the dealers entrance and tell every customer that walks up to buy a new truck your sorry a story. Guess what, they will do everything they can to stop you from telling on them and driving a client to Ford or some other more friendly dealer. I know first hand with a Volvo. The Volvo dealer after two weeks of one screw up after another and me going along finally stood up and told on they. Within four hours a tec was flown in and by the end of that same day that Volvo sounded like a Singer Sewing Machine. Bucks drive these dealers and that means sales of new trucks going out the door. Not fixing your rig thats your problem and it doen't make any difference what dealer or mfg your looking at there all the same greedy money graben bunch.

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Stephen's 1995 Dodge Cumming Automatic 3500 in Sanger CA. Pulling 35 Foot 9600 lbs 5th wheel. BD fuel plate 230HP,Air Filter Boot Removed, Vibrating Mirrors, Screaming Tubro

 

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My '95s have a pile of recall notices in their glove boxes,but I'm afraid to take it to them,I know what will happen. I was able to get the parts for free on three recalls I felt were important and then did the work myself. No trust from me,although there must be some good dealers out there.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks Stinger,Warn fender flairs and running boards(Play truck)95 3500,5 speed,Driftwood,Banks&Phscotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(work truck)

 

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Two of my wife's best friends husbands are in a 3 car dealer family, one is the general mgr, the other sales mgr. We have a few beers and I find out how they really feel about customers. "Just give us your money and shut-up and go away quietly, HA-ha-ha, stupid customers" Then I see these guys acting like the customers best friend at work. I don't trust these guys any farther than I can throw them, or anybody that is trying to get my money!!!!!

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1972 Chinook class C with 96/215 5spd, 4/5" exh, 4"BD, MagHytec, 85gal fuel, K&N RE0880, AutoMeter, 370's, BD gov kit, BD afc kit, 16cm, 16%btdc, yada-yada-yada
www.fostertruck.com/cummins

 

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5 star means:

When you call for a appointment for recall work or some other specific job they tell you that they don't take appointments and to bring your $35,000 truck in at 7am and they will get to it when they have time! Don't even think of asking for an appointment two weeks out in hopes of getting same day service. They just don't work that way.

5 star means: When they do warranty work they will replace everything except the kitchen sink (and charge it all back to DC) and still not fix the problem! They will do this till the warranty runs out.

5 star means: When you bring your truck in for service you can only count on it being done right 1 out of 5 times!

I've had better luck with smaller dealers. One of the best was in Smithers, British Columbia! They fixed a problem that two other dealers had worked on numerous times over a three year period with no luck. They diagnosed the problem in 10 minutes and had it fixed in two hours (replaced rear universal and both front wheel u-joints; all were totally dry of grease and bearings were rust).

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1995 2500 SLT Club 4x4, auto, 3. 54, 3300 pound Elkhorn slide in camper, AirLift air springs, Ricka dual wheel adapters (used only with the camper on), K&N, DC tow hooks, Rancho RS9000, Hellwig rear sway bar.
108,000 miles and counting.

 

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See my post 5**** dealer on no engine drivetrain. It all goes together with this one.

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96 2500 4x4 Driftwood auto Waren 4x boards pyro,boost,trans temp on a piller mag hytec trans

 

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Tracy,
What was in your post??? Did the big boys delete everything you said? It didnt come thru on my screen, kinda like when I type **** or **** . . BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING US HERE. . PG rating I guess

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98 Quad Cab 4X4 Cummins PAID WAY TOO MUCH$$$$$$$$ Automatic Totally loaded Minus fuel sender plus right brake pull, no extra charge! K&N filter, Line X spray on liner that chips everytime I haul something, WORTHLESS CHRYSLER 7/100,000 WARANTY, First name basis with Enterprise Rent a Car and my local AAA tow truck driver.

 

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I've had no problem with Gene's Chrysler here in Fairbanks... ... ... ... Well no problems with thier service dept. The diesel tech here is very knowledgeable and friendly. He is willing to answer all your questions. The sales staff is a different story.

I was waiting to pick up my truck from service and a salesman asked me when I was getting a new truck. I told him when he offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. He later told me that they will NOT sell a truck for less than sticker. I walked away. See here in Alaska, the dealers add a second sticker and call it market adjustment. Usually it is 10% I know this is just a ploy for more money. I'm not falling for it. Besides, I love my 95 #ad


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Jason Case
'95 2500 4x4 Auto Reg Cab
BD torque converter and valvebody, #5 fuel plate, BD 4" exhaust turbo back, K&N RE-0880,transmission temp, boost and egt gauges.
Pressure Lock installed

'99 KTM 300 EXC

 

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I have a 5 star dealer here in Marysville Ohio. Tried to take my truck in once, will never go back. Actualy wrote the dealership about my visit. It will be a cold day in heck when I let them work on my truck! #ad
Its like turning a bunch of monkeys loose with wrenches and screwdrivers!

Found a fantastic mechanic near me, he has me for life!


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Mark
1996 Dodge 3500, 4x4, Duel, Green and silver.

 

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I must apologize for my tardiness in reacting to this thread. I'm sorry.
There, I did it.

This isn't the correct forum for the subject, so I'm moving it over to the "Other" forum, and hope the moderator over there doesn't think I'm wrong #ad


Thanks guys, for putting up... .

Mark


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ICQ 3807791 Power Wagon
Please visit Land Speed Record Pages at www.my2kcity.com/lsr
Email powerwagon@my2kcity.com
12 Valve Forum moderator and Procrastinator extraordinaire...
Mark Koskenmaki