[00gtr1]

I work For A Ford DEALERSHIP. Is any one else tired of people calling us thieves? I understand the dealer can be expensive to get work done. Believe me I know I've been wrench'in for 8 years at the same dealership for eight years on full commission. (anyone know what that's like?). there are far worst crooks out there. Look at jiffy lube filing chapter 11. I wouldn't try to sell u any type of brake fluid flushes or intake cleanings because they don't fix chit or try to sell you rotors, pads, and calipers on every brake job. I'm just an honest TECH. trying to make a living. sorry for the rant.

 

[thesoundmaster]

I'm not gunna bash on any of the techs at the dealer. Shoot, I know 3 guys who work at different dealers and know the commission is what puts food on their tables. It's not so much the techs as it is the fact that the dealers jack prices on the products to rediculous amounts. I went into the Ford dealer here the other day to replace the keyfob for my remote keyless in my Ranger. $50 with tax included, not as bad as I thought. My buddy Scotty was with me and needed to get one for his Buick, so we went to the Buick/GMC dealer and they wanted $135 to program it. I think that is the stuff people get pissed at. I'd rather the dealer work on my Ranger, the Bronco is easy and not worth the money to have the dealer do stuff with it. The dealer knows my Ranger better than Joe's Auto Shop right next door.

 

[rightofway]

i got no problem with stealership techs, they've bailed me out tons of times
at work sometimes it would take a lot of :scratchhe about the problem and then decide to farm it out to ford
we know some of what makes them work, but our business was what was on the back of the truck

 

[gearrat]

i dont have a prob with the techs i have a problem with the parts people that try to get you to buy a 10 plaastic door keeper that you can get at auto zone for like 3 bucks, shit like that pisses me off. for instance onthe other halfs durango the dodge dealer wantes over 200 bucks for the power window reg assembly with out the motor. i can get the reg with a motor with a lifetime warrenty from autozone for 120 bucks. thats the shit that pisses me off

 

[Blaze]

I was a mechanic at one myself....so I'll keep my mouth shut! :brownbag

 

[Fireguy50]

typically people get what they pay for.
cheap and quality don't mix well

 

[Mudman78]

Had a dealer replace a leaking rear wheel seal under warranty. It started leaking again, but I just figured they didn't clean the gear oil off, just slapped the seal in (flat rate......bang it out as fast as possible to make a buck), so I cleaned everything good. Started leaking again (never really stopped). Brought it back and they said it wasn't covered under warranty anymore (3 yr. / 36,000 just lapsed) and wanted $250 to replace it again. I did it myself for $12. I got the seal from NAPA and it was the same exact seal the dealer used. Found out the tech used a screwdriver and hammer to remove the seal and gouged the hub. The oil was leaking from around the outside diameter of the seal, not the inside. Had to file the hub smooth and put a bead of silicone around the new seal before installing it. Has been fine ever since. I'll never go back to the dealer again.

 

[c-dub]

only issue i have at the dealer is the price, just to many people making money on the service, than again $100 is just a litle higher than i get billed out for when i'm on a project, again working to make others money as well. cost of living and insurance (the real crooks) add workers comp to the mix makes a $25 per hr tech hit $100 real quick. i just wish they could throw me a bone now and again.

 

[s1120]

i dont have a prob with the techs i have a problem with the parts people that try to get you to buy a 10 plaastic door keeper that you can get at auto zone for like 3 bucks, shit like that pisses me off. for instance onthe other halfs durango the dodge dealer wantes over 200 bucks for the power window reg assembly with out the motor. i can get the reg with a motor with a lifetime warrenty from autozone for 120 bucks. thats the shit that pisses me off

The problem is that it is not the parts people that set the price. Just becouse the part is more then you expect, does not mean tha parts guy is ripping you off. They work for a living, and make very little on each part sold. Just so you know, do you have any idea what the mark up is at most dealers??? Most are runing about 40% markup. Being that people expect them to stock EVERY odd ball part that the aftermarket does not sell/make thats not a lot. You know what most aftermarket part stores get for markup??? Most I deal with will not sell a part for under 100% markup. So cut the parts guys some slack. they dont set the prices. Also you would be suprised the number of people that say they cant get a correct part in the aftermarket, and come to a dealer bitch that its the dealers falt. WTF??? And THEN say the wrong part from the aftermarket was cheaper then the correct part. Ya, it was cheaper, but it did not fit the car!!!


Sorry to vent, but I work for a dealer parts dept, and trust me...Im not getting rich over that odd ball clip that noone else makes. [oh and its not the dealers falt that the aftermarket does not make it!!!!!]

 

[Mels]

My dad loves to bitch about the guys at the parts stores, but I told him until you've been there, don't bitch about it. It's not as cut and dry as it "looks" to you. And yeah, the counterperson doesn't set the price, Ford does. Like I've said before, find a parts guy you trust and strike up a friendship with him, then I'm sure you can get something worked out. The dealer can't exactly give this stuff away, they have to make some money.

Oh and I'm not one of the "stealership" guys...I'm a Ford parts girl. :toothless

 

[scott 351 wins]

ive done service plumbing and most homeowners are afraid that they will get screwed, depends on the customer and their attitude towards me on how i will bill the job. i tend to give the customer a break, got hell from one boss on how is was too fair on billing.

 

[deadeyedick]

What I don't understand about dealership service departments is why do the techs and service advisors work on commission? That seems like it would encourage those employees to try to sell unnecessary repairs in order to increase their commissions.

I went to Gordon Chevrolet in Orange Park, FL for some SEL work...well, after spending over $600 on various repairs which didn't correct the problem, they tell me I need a new engine. OK, fine, I got over 200k miles out of the old engine and replacing it was cheaper than buying another vehicle in similar condition. But they wouldn't apply the $600 I'd already spent on ineffectual repairs toward the price of the new engine. Either they knowingly performed a bunch of unnecessary repairs and ripped me off, or they were just incompetent...and ripped me off.

We purchased a $40k Tahoe from this same dealership and took it into their service department for some warranty work. Well, they farmed the work out (to remove a cosmetic blemish from the dashboard) to some subcontractors who stole a $35 Surefire flashlight from the glove box. I asked to have it replaced and they told us that they are not responsible for items left in the vehicle.

:shocked

Now I can understand if it was something valuable like an ipod that got snagged, but were talking about a flashlight here; am I supposed to take the jumper cables, jack and spare tire out of the vehicle too? I spent $40,000 on a vehicle at their dealership, but they won't pony up $35 in order to maintain customer good will? :wtf

Needless to say, I won't be returning there ever again and I don't hesitate to bad mouth them every chance I get. :goodfinge

OK, that's the end of my rant about this particular dealership. :toothless

 

[c-dub]

What I don't understand about dealership service departments is why do the techs and service advisors work on commission? That seems like it would encourage those employees to try to sell unnecessary repairs in order to increase their commissions.

I agree, nothing like having them replace the starter only to have the truck almost strand you on a ski slope with a bad battery cable. cable was 80 bucks installed by myself. starter cost me 300 from the dealer. obvious they didn't bench check it:twak

 

[00gtr1]

The problem is that it is not the parts people that set the price. Just becouse the part is more then you expect, does not mean tha parts guy is ripping you off. They work for a living, and make very little on each part sold. Just so you know, do you have any idea what the mark up is at most dealers??? Most are runing about 40% markup. Being that people expect them to stock EVERY odd ball part that the aftermarket does not sell/make thats not a lot. You know what most aftermarket part stores get for markup??? Most I deal with will not sell a part for under 100% markup. So cut the parts guys some slack. they dont set the prices. Also you would be suprised the number of people that say they cant get a correct part in the aftermarket, and come to a dealer bitch that its the dealers falt. WTF??? And THEN say the wrong part from the aftermarket was cheaper then the correct part. Ya, it was cheaper, but it did not fit the car!!!


Sorry to vent, but I work for a dealer parts dept, and trust me...Im not getting rich over that odd ball clip that noone else makes. [oh and its not the dealers falt that the aftermarket does not make it!!!!!]

I know what your saying there. my parts guy's get that all the time from people. and it's true the parts don't make a ton of money on the markup. Also a good parts guy is hard to find. experience pays

 

[SigEpBlue]

I've worked on the parts counter end AND the service side of auto repair business. From this, I know there are two things everywhere: thieves and idiots. A dealership is unfortunately not immune to either. Having said that, and having experienced the service at a couple of dealerships back home (Brondes Ford in particular), I will never ever have my vehicles serviced at a dealership again. Nor will I allow my vehicles to be worked on by any independent shop in Toledo or Monroe, save two. Grand Rapids? Forget about it. I've never seen con-artistry this devious! Multiple occasions here, I've seen my friends ripped off by the shops here, both dealers and independents. One chick had a leaking lower radiator hose, and they told here she needed all new hoses, a radiator, and maybe a head gasket. :smilie_slap They were just too lazy to look underneath and see the real problem.

 

[Dustin]

Had a dealer replace a leaking rear wheel seal under warranty. It started leaking again, but I just figured they didn't clean the gear oil off, just slapped the seal in (flat rate......bang it out as fast as possible to make a buck), so I cleaned everything good. Started leaking again (never really stopped). Brought it back and they said it wasn't covered under warranty anymore (3 yr. / 36,000 just lapsed) and wanted $250 to replace it again. I did it myself for $12. I got the seal from NAPA and it was the same exact seal the dealer used. Found out the tech used a screwdriver and hammer to remove the seal and gouged the hub. The oil was leaking from around the outside diameter of the seal, not the inside. Had to file the hub smooth and put a bead of silicone around the new seal before installing it. Has been fine ever since. I'll never go back to the dealer again.

that sounds have been taken right back to them.


yes a repair under 3/36 thats done is not covered past 3/36 even if its the same repair. Your issue was a recheck and depending on long you waited to bring it in will determine there decision to cover it. how long did you wait to bring it back? I have a feeling it was too long then warranty ran out and they where thinking you wanted something for free.

people think the dealers rip people off but shit there are plenty of people out there looking to screw the dealer as well. They think we work for free. i agree the labor rate is on the high end but generally speaking you get better workmanship, parts and warranty

 

[Need4racin]

I try not to take my trucks to a shop or even the dealership. No one cares about my truck as much as me. Since our trucks are older and the parts have been out for a good amount of time, you can usually get just as good quality parts at the auto parts store as you can at the dealer. Just don't get the cheap line, get the parts store's premium line up. Napa and carquest usually have just relabeled boxes for their premium line up. like napa gold filters= wix filters carquest blue= wix filters, carquest blue suspension (tie rods, ball joints, etc) = Moog.

Then there is somethings that are better to get at the junkyard or new from ford, like powersteering pumps. Most of the parts stores carry cardone which is the biggest POS ever.

 

[JoeBob1901]

AFAIK Ford doesn't set prices, they may sell a certain part to dealerships at a price but dealerships actually set their own markup, which is why there are discrepancies on part costs $$$

I feel a dealership is just like any, they have their good and bad techs. I've never gone to one for any maintenance, just parts. Here they have a high labor rate and all their trucks on their lot are quite a bit higher than ANYONE elses'. They want roughly 3-4k more on the same equipped truck!

 

[Mudman78]

that sounds have been taken right back to them.


yes a repair under 3/36 thats done is not covered past 3/36 even if its the same repair. Your issue was a recheck and depending on long you waited to bring it in will determine there decision to cover it. how long did you wait to bring it back? I have a feeling it was too long then warranty ran out and they where thinking you wanted something for free.

people think the dealers rip people off but shit there are plenty of people out there looking to screw the dealer as well. They think we work for free. i agree the labor rate is on the high end but generally speaking you get better workmanship, parts and warranty

Left rear wheel would smoke and smell like gear oil when hauling a load or towing. Brought it in under the 3 yr./36,000 and they replaced the seal. A month and a half went by without issue because the brakes wouldn't get hot enough to smoke and smell when I drove the truck around empty. The next time I saw smoke and smelled gear oil (towing my trailer), I took the wheel off and saw the leak. I wasn't bad, but it was there, that's why I figured they just didn't clean the brakes off good enough. I cleaned everything up (never pulled the hub off) and again it was fine as long as there was no load on the truck. A couple months went by before I towed with it again and then it started smoking and smelling. By now the 3/36 warranty was up, but it still had a 7/70 powertrain warranty and the t-case output seal was leaking, so I brought it back and told them about both leaks. They said the t-case seal was covered, but the wheel seal was not and they gave me the $250 price. I said I would do the wheel seal myself. I still can't understand why a t-case seal is covered, but a wheel seal is not. The rear axle is part of the powertrain. It wasn't until I took it apart to do the seal myself that I realized the dealer tech is the one that fawked it up. I wasn't looking to get anything over on anyone.

 

[bossind]

I have a problem with any tech or parts person that doesn't know what they are doing and just throw parts at a problem. I expect them to resolve and fix a problem faster and better than a non-trained me can do. I also expect my truck/car to be cleaner than what I brought it to them; I don't expect to see greasy fingerprints on the hood, fenders or on my interior. I expect service, clear communication and repaired in a timely manner!!

Thus I do all my own repairs.