2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Customer Service? What a joke!

[SpoonPig007]

I need advice or at least a number to call. . just got off the phone with the 800 customer server number. I politely explained the following:

Last Thursday: Truck pukes antifreeze from freeze plug on 6. Tell dealer.

Friday: Call dealer, still troubleshooting.

Monday: Still troubleshooting.

Tuesday: STill troubleshooting.

Wednesday: Replaced thermostat & gasket. didn't fix (duh). . they finally find leak from freeze plug under 6. Will have truck until middle of next week. No loaner, no extended warranty... truck only has 30k on it.



Called 800# to try to get loaner, afterall, dealer will have truck for almost 2 weeks total, and I told them what it was on day one. 800# guy says no, I ask to speak to a manager, flat out told "No. . we don't escalate or transfer. " What a load of crap. What kind of customer service can't escalate a problem? This is a perfect example of why Dodge loses customers. If this is not corrected, I will not be buying Dodge again. I hate to say that, but factory backing has to matter at some point.



Anybody have any advice, all I want is a loaner, and I don't feel I should have to pay for it. Am I wrong? This is not a wear and tear itne, it is very obviously an issue with production. I am not the only one this has happened to. HELP!

 

[AKDrifter]

Piglet, I know how you feel. My new '01 had steering problems since day 1. I fought the "service" dept in Whitehorse and Seattle for months. Finally I decided to fix the prob. myself at a private garage, the prob. was brakes, I paid $1,200 out of my own pocket to get it fixed. The only time I recieved a phone call from Dodge of Bellview in WA was because I gave thier dealership a bad rap on the mail in "how we doing" report.



Conclusion: Good dealers are few and far between,

You are your own service station,

This site is a pot of gold for $35,

You will still never own a better truck.

 

[SpoonPig007]

UPDATE: Good info to have...

Called a neighboring dealer, their Service Director explained to me that Chrysler ranks all of the dealerships and Service Managers based on volume, $$, and survey results. Basically, the higher the ranking on the Service Manager, the more exceptions he can them make to the rules. This includes warranty work, loaner... etc. If the truck is still covered by the 3/36, even thelowest ranking Service Mgr has the right to overise the loaner policy.



So I called the SM, politely explained the situation, and was met with "You had the chance to buy the extended, you chose not to. " I told him I knew about the ranking, and knew about the fact that he had the right to override thr rule, he admitted he did. I clarified it again, and asked for the reason why he would't make the exception; and was told "We'll get to the truck as soon as we can. " No loaner.



Called the GM, he's out today. My hands are tied.



I am so glad I chose not to purchase the exteded warranty. I odubt they would cover anything at this point.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

I really like the 4 days of troubleshooting a leak that's visible at the freeze plug.



Certified mechanic? certified dumb@#$ is more like it and an inept a$$%*!* for a service manager.



Makes me that much happier that I bought the wife a Ford.



I do my own work on my Dodges.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Call the service writer back and inform him that you will be calling the local better business bureau & bureau of automotive repair to lodge a complaint. Usually will get them off their arse. Of course you could go to the dealership owner directly or park your arse down there with a big sign like a picketer.....



Brian

 

[SpoonPig007]

Final Update:

Bottom Line: I have to suck it up.



Oliver C. Joseph's (Belleville, IL). . spoke to the General Manager. He said "Why should I have to eat the cost of the loaner when you didn't buy the truck from me?" I told him that his dealership never responded back when I emailed the offer to buy, he said, "I don't believe that. " He then went on to state "the dealer where you bought it has a bad service department, that's why you didn't take it to them. "



So in a nutshell, he called me liar, and badmouthed another dealer. What an ass. Do people not realize potential income?



I told him he just lost a potential customer, he responded "Oh please, you wouldn't buy from us anyway, you'll just go to whoever gives you the best deal. "



Unbelievable.



I am astounded. I cannot believe that lack of customer service attitude today.



Do Ford owners has similiar stories? I will have to check out the PowerSmoke boards and see what their experiences are.

 

[SpoonPig007]

I FOROGT THE BEST PART!!



When the owner of Oliver Joseph's said "Yeah, and I will be losing a lot of money on your factory warranty covered repair because Chrysler will only pay for the hours they list in their repair manuals, and they are always wrong. "



Like that is my problem?

 

[lschultz]

My opinion

I would go(done it before)to the owner of the dealership and explain the problem to him. If necessary throw a fitOo. get downright mean talk :-{} real loud so ever body in there will hear you Ask him if he is familiar with the INTERNET,TDR. Problems I had before all this was not necessary but I was ready to throw a fit if needed. I'm a little nuts anyway been called a idiot (Whitmore comes to my mind )before. Try to be professional about it. Sometimes you don't have to make a arse of yourself.

 

[vc]

customer service

Would it help you out if you got a hold of the regional customer service manager and explained the situation and how you have been treated?



And as far as taking longer than what Chrysler say it takes to fix it, why didn't they look at what you told them the problem was to begin with instead of changing the thermostat and wasting time.



vc

 

[illflem]

Write your story up here http://dodgeram.info/survey_dealer/Dealers.htm and send them the link

 

[pm720]

I'm a little confused here. Your truck is a 2002 and you noted it has 30K on it, is this not still under the 3/36 warranty? I agree with contacting the BBB and BAR about this.



Scott

 

[Pit Bull]

Go get your truck. Take it to your selling dealer and have it fixed. Write detailed letters to Dodge and everyone that can put a hurt on this guys business. Make sure you copy him on all of the letters. I would not let these guys touch your truck. Why did you take it to them in the first place? How many dealers are there in St. Louis area? I know we have a member that sells for a dealer in that area. Remember if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it might be a duck

 

[LSMITH]

On the second day my truck would have been out of there, even if I had to pack 100 gallons of water to get it to the next dealer. Life is too short for this kind of BS. Most dealers are slime, and the techs inept slugs. Find the right one in your area, or start doing it yourself. It is too bad it comes to that but it is reality. Ford, GM, and all the rest have the same situation.



Lodge a complaint with the BBB, the owner will have to respond and it will be recorded. It will at least get his attention. TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND 100 PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW!!!! Word of mouth is very very powerful. If you have a little spare time hang out in the showroom and tell people walking in about your experience. It will take them a while to figure out what you are doing and those people will tell others what they heard. When they figure out what you are doing they will throw you out, if you don't leave right away they will call the cops, AMHIK. One guy CAN make a difference.

 

[RichB59]

I need a truck

for my wife. She is driving a 92 Dakota and it's wearing out at 152k. I'm thinking of a Toyota because of dependabilty. I can live with a Dodge breaking down once in awhile but the BS from the dealers is getting hard to take. Who the heck do they think they are kidding. This BS of ( could not duplicate the problem) this makes me puke and it's all I ever get from them. Time for a change. I love my Diesel but no more gassers from Dodge.





RichB

 

[baby.driver]

Gosh Piglet

with all the typing you've done here did it occur to you you could type out a letter to the owner of the dealership?

It worked for me.

Give us his name and address. I'll send him a letter and copies of your posts if you like.

 

[catoiler]

Or do it this way;Go down to the local parts house pick up a freeze plug and spend about 1 hour fixing it and become "your own warranty station" and forget about the stealer!

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by piglet007



Anybody have any advice,

Since your in the St. Louis area why don't you contact ( JTeague ) he is a TDR member and is a mechanic at a St. Louis area Dodge dealer. If I were you I would also go to the TDR events in the St. Louis area and find out the scoop on service in your area.

 

[SpoonPig007]

Truck Status..

Ok... truck is staying at the dealer, as I am unable to take more time off work to shuttle it to the next dealer. Once I get it back, and verified that they didn't screw anything up, I will take the wise advice of documenting the entire process, and sending letters to every level of Dodge that I can find addresses for.



The dealer is a small town dealer, I am even considering taking out a local newspaper ad detailing what happened, but will run that by my brother (attorney) first. I don't want to get involved in a libel case.



Then... from then on (sticking out my chest and thumping on it). . I AM MY OWN WARRANTY STATION.



Thanks for all the advice on this.

 

[Pit Bull]

Re: Truck Status..

Originally posted by piglet007





Then... from then on (sticking out my chest and thumping on it). . I AM MY OWN WARRANTY STATION.



Thanks for all the advice on this.

Why would you want to be your own warranty station? The cost of the warranty was in the price of your truck when you bought it. If you back down now and don't make DC fix anything that goes wrong with your truck, while under warranty then they win and we lose. I will never be my own warranty station and they will fix any warranty problem I ever have. I do have an advantage from a time stand point since I am retired and have all of the time I need to screw with any dealer that wants to play Good luck in the future but don't let the dealer win!!!

 

[SpoonPig007]

I think doing my own work in the future is less whether or not they will cover it, and more about whether or not I trust them to do the work...