Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
This is a "let off steam" post... and rightfully so. I have always done my own work and maintenance since youth. Most of the trucks I owned didn't have a warranty to begin with so I got good because I had to... and I liked it. I've collected many tools, a garage and the ability to do most anything except rebuild injection pumps or rebuild an auto. I've worked on trucks, motorcycles, tractors, heavy equipment etc. The only thing that usually keeps me from doing something is the lack of specialty tools. Even then I'll tear it down as far as possible and have someone do the work while I'm with them. That being said...
I finally gave in and decided to take Amy's 2001 Neon to the Dodge Dealership for MOPAR 5-Star Service. No warranty work... just straight up out of pocket charges applicable here. I didn't feel like fooling with coolant since its been cold out and I sure didn't feel like dropping a transmission pan. The car now has 50,000 miles and it was time for a transmission fluid change and a coolant change while it was in there.
In addition... one of the transmission cooler rubber hoses going to the radiator was leaking at the radiator connection. It has been for a while but I always wiped it off and it remained calm. Lately its been leaving a drip on the garage floor and I decided now would be a good time to have that fixed too since fluid was starting to get all over the cross beam under the radiator.
I gave Dodge permission to do what ever it took to fix the leak including new hoses and clamps or whatever. I even gave them a sketch of EXACTLY where the leak was coming from. I specifically told them NOT to refill the transmission until they were sure the leak was fixed. I also told them specifically to do the radiator flush and fill. Nothing more... nothing less.
But in true dealership fashion... they messed up three things completely. Now since I only had them working on two things, you may wonder where the third mess up came from? They took it upon themselves to change my oil. I have always used Mobil 1 and Napa Gold Filters since new. Now I have Mopar Bulk oil and a cheap Mopar Filter. I also got charged for this. And I just changed the Mobil 1500 miles ago so it was fine. All of my service was documented in the manual... and I had decals showing my miles/date of service on the air cleaner. Those decals were gone upon return to boot. So I lost $23. 62 in a Mopar Oil change plus my $25. 00 synthetic oil cost down the drain.
Next they told me there were improved clamps called out for the transmission cooler lines. The stainless worm gear clamps were chewing up the hoses and tightening further did nothing anyway except dig in more. Did I get new clamps? No. Further... they didn't even do anything at ALL to fix the leak. The old mess was still there and the clamps were still dirty and untouched. They did replace one worm gear clamp with another worm gear clamp up by the transmission... where it wasn't even leaking. The other three remained untouched with absolutely no evidence of even a tightening... not that I hadn't tried it already too. Now the thing is still dripping fluid on the garage floor. (I was hot at this point... very hot indeed).
To top it all off... I figured dealerships had modern equipment to pull antifreeze out by vacuum or something. Wrong. While laying under there looking at the new trans fluid dripping... I kept noticing other drops of stuff hitting me all over. Its been snowing and I figured it was water. Nope... red antifreeze ALL over the engine everywhere. Every hose, belt, nook and cranny dripped of it. I popped the hood and it was all over the engine compartment and even all over the back of the headlights. They also drained it out the bottom and let it run everywhere. The entire bottom of the frame and engine dripped red. Amazing. Guess they just build up pressure and remove the cap several times and blow the old stuff out everywhere. I HATE antifreeze. I didn't want the mess of doing it myself... which is why I took it to them in the first place. We keep this car spotless inside and out. When I change oil I wipe the underside down. Clean engines are just as important as clean paint to me. This is a huge joke on me. Words cannot describe my frustration when I look at it.
The whole transmission line leak really burns me up. I paid 35. 40 for a unnecessary worm gear clamp. I was fibbed to about improved clamps... and the real problems wasn't even looked at. Now if I fix it myself... I loose the expensive fluid. And if I let them... I'll just get double charged for the fluid and have to pay labor above and beyond the $283. 27 I paid in the first place.
Now I remember why I work on my own vehicles. Takes more time, less convenient... but I do it right and my blood pressure stays below 400.
I still cannot believe I paid nearly $300 for some antifreeze and transmission fluid. What a joke. Never again. I'll trade off before I let another dealership do this to me. I'm going down there tomorrow and calmly explaining how upset I am. I'm also going to the bank and holding the check Amy unknowinly wrote. They can at least give me a gallon of transmission fluid and hose the engine off inside where its warm.
Sorry about the rant. I've read plenty of dealership stories. Thought I'd get away with some service just this once. Was I wrong.
I finally gave in and decided to take Amy's 2001 Neon to the Dodge Dealership for MOPAR 5-Star Service. No warranty work... just straight up out of pocket charges applicable here. I didn't feel like fooling with coolant since its been cold out and I sure didn't feel like dropping a transmission pan. The car now has 50,000 miles and it was time for a transmission fluid change and a coolant change while it was in there.
In addition... one of the transmission cooler rubber hoses going to the radiator was leaking at the radiator connection. It has been for a while but I always wiped it off and it remained calm. Lately its been leaving a drip on the garage floor and I decided now would be a good time to have that fixed too since fluid was starting to get all over the cross beam under the radiator.
I gave Dodge permission to do what ever it took to fix the leak including new hoses and clamps or whatever. I even gave them a sketch of EXACTLY where the leak was coming from. I specifically told them NOT to refill the transmission until they were sure the leak was fixed. I also told them specifically to do the radiator flush and fill. Nothing more... nothing less.
But in true dealership fashion... they messed up three things completely. Now since I only had them working on two things, you may wonder where the third mess up came from? They took it upon themselves to change my oil. I have always used Mobil 1 and Napa Gold Filters since new. Now I have Mopar Bulk oil and a cheap Mopar Filter. I also got charged for this. And I just changed the Mobil 1500 miles ago so it was fine. All of my service was documented in the manual... and I had decals showing my miles/date of service on the air cleaner. Those decals were gone upon return to boot. So I lost $23. 62 in a Mopar Oil change plus my $25. 00 synthetic oil cost down the drain.
Next they told me there were improved clamps called out for the transmission cooler lines. The stainless worm gear clamps were chewing up the hoses and tightening further did nothing anyway except dig in more. Did I get new clamps? No. Further... they didn't even do anything at ALL to fix the leak. The old mess was still there and the clamps were still dirty and untouched. They did replace one worm gear clamp with another worm gear clamp up by the transmission... where it wasn't even leaking. The other three remained untouched with absolutely no evidence of even a tightening... not that I hadn't tried it already too. Now the thing is still dripping fluid on the garage floor. (I was hot at this point... very hot indeed).
To top it all off... I figured dealerships had modern equipment to pull antifreeze out by vacuum or something. Wrong. While laying under there looking at the new trans fluid dripping... I kept noticing other drops of stuff hitting me all over. Its been snowing and I figured it was water. Nope... red antifreeze ALL over the engine everywhere. Every hose, belt, nook and cranny dripped of it. I popped the hood and it was all over the engine compartment and even all over the back of the headlights. They also drained it out the bottom and let it run everywhere. The entire bottom of the frame and engine dripped red. Amazing. Guess they just build up pressure and remove the cap several times and blow the old stuff out everywhere. I HATE antifreeze. I didn't want the mess of doing it myself... which is why I took it to them in the first place. We keep this car spotless inside and out. When I change oil I wipe the underside down. Clean engines are just as important as clean paint to me. This is a huge joke on me. Words cannot describe my frustration when I look at it.
The whole transmission line leak really burns me up. I paid 35. 40 for a unnecessary worm gear clamp. I was fibbed to about improved clamps... and the real problems wasn't even looked at. Now if I fix it myself... I loose the expensive fluid. And if I let them... I'll just get double charged for the fluid and have to pay labor above and beyond the $283. 27 I paid in the first place.
Now I remember why I work on my own vehicles. Takes more time, less convenient... but I do it right and my blood pressure stays below 400.
I still cannot believe I paid nearly $300 for some antifreeze and transmission fluid. What a joke. Never again. I'll trade off before I let another dealership do this to me. I'm going down there tomorrow and calmly explaining how upset I am. I'm also going to the bank and holding the check Amy unknowinly wrote. They can at least give me a gallon of transmission fluid and hose the engine off inside where its warm.
Sorry about the rant. I've read plenty of dealership stories. Thought I'd get away with some service just this once. Was I wrong.
