Yet another reason Chrysler is suffering...

[2007]

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Yet another reason Chrysler is suffering... and it has nothing to do with the UAW, executive bonuses, or company jets.

It has to do with the dealerships.

Other than many dealerships being old, dirty, and run down looking... they have a horrible service department too!

I just had my 12,000 mile oil change. (The guy who drove the car in the shop was DIRTY! He looked like he was rolling in oil!) Every oil change has been at 1 of 2 Chrysler dealers. This last time the mechanic said the oil pressure sensor was leaking, so he replaced it. Because I'm curious, I lifted the car up tonight to check things out.

Guess what? Much to my amazement, the car appears to have greasable lower ball joints! Apparently neither of these 2 dealers who have serviced my car know that they are greasable either.

It really makes me mad that they are too lazy to grab a grease gun and grease these things. I shouldn't HAVE to check these things. I'm going to check them in the lot after my next oil change, and try to get it for free if they've not been greased.



Here's some pics, left and right. It doesn't look like a grease gun has been on the fittings for a while...

[Ironman]

Actually, the mechanic who drove your car into the shop had probably been rolling in oil trying to repair somebody's vehicle and get it back on the road in a reasonable amount of time, it's a dirty job, especially when they get a vehicle that is leaking fluids badly, and hasn't been washed in ages. And the grease gun fittings actually look like they have been greased, and all that crud is road grime stuck to any grease left on the fitting. if it wipes off easily, then I would say they probably did grease it.

[2007]

Originally Posted by Ironman

Actually, the mechanic who drove your car into the shop had probably been rolling in oil trying to repair somebody's vehicle and get it back on the road in a reasonable amount of time, it's a dirty job, especially when they get a vehicle that is leaking fluids badly, and hasn't been washed in ages.

Then let him make my payments if he wants to trash my car. There were cigarette ashes in the car too, like the big one that falls off the end of the cigarette and all stays together. I don't smoke! Nobody in my car smokes!

Originally Posted by Ironman

And the grease gun fittings actually look like they have been greased, and all that crud is road grime stuck to any grease left on the fitting. if it wipes off easily, then I would say they probably did grease it.

I didn't get all that crap in less than 200 Interstate highway miles. That's just 2 days to work and back. I've been greasing my own fitting for 22 years, I know what they should look like. I hit all 14 of them on my Suburban every 3,000 miles.

[Ironman]

The ashes are inexcusable, but as for the fittings, it doesn't take long for grease to attract crud, and mechanics may not be so careful as to how much grease they put in, which means overflow, or the grease gun nossel could be worn out. I would report the ashes, but wipe off the fittings before you raise a stink, if the gunk comes off easily and feels like grease then there ya go, if it doesn't, then raise a stink about that too. BTW not all dealerships are that cruddy, and the fact that you own a Chrysler tells me you had to have bought it somewhere, most likely a stealership. besides, the crap on the fittings does not look like oxidization, not the kind you would find on brass or stainless fittings, and trust me, I work with metal for a living, I would know.

[2007]

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Yeah, I bought it new close to a year ago. The dealers around here have been around forever, so their buildings are old. There's mostly just small towns around here. The dealerships in populated areas look a lot nicer.

I'm going to leave all the old gunk on there until the next oil change, then I'll check it as soon as it comes out of the shop. The gunk should make it easy to tell if his gun has just been on there or not.


This dealer also tried to charge me to cross rotate my tires on my old Escort ZX2. I told them that they didn't cross rotate the tires, and I wanted my money back. They had the nerve to argue with me, then ask what made me say that. I showed them on one side of the car that the brake dust still on the front wheel (disc brakes) and none on the back wheel (drum brakes). The other side was opposite. All they did was move the two tires front/back on the passenger side and that was it. The look on their faces when I proved them wrong... priceless. I got my $13 back too, although it took me a half hour for them to admit they screwed me.

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[quicksilverdon]

Many dealers are scam artists - it is not a Chrysler-only problem.
I have actually been pleased with the service from my dealer - I bypass a closer dealer who isn't good....

[Hooligan]

Everyone bashes the Dealer!!! I have worked for a dealership in the past and the dealer I have now are the best that I know. Go Boniface Hires in Central Florida.

[soonercruiser]

I drive 45 miles to get to the dealer I trust!
This one thing I learned young...am now 61!

[2007]

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Frank, that's awesome that you have a dealer you can trust. I wish I was so lucky



The dealer I bought PT from is also the one who has done the first 3 oil changes. Although I never checked the ball joints after a service, I have been overall pleased with their service... except for the service manager insisting that I give him $180 for a spare key since I wasn't able to program my own if he sold me just the blank. I'm unsure if I had the leaking oil pressure sending unit when it was in there or not. This place is a 5 star dealer.

But, I found out that they decided to go "appointment only" for oil changes when I was 46 miles from home with only 58 miles until my next oil change. I would have been about 280 to 290 miles overdue by the time they could change the oil.

I don't want to be even 1 mile over... so I brought PT to a dealer only 9 miles away. This place sells like 19 brands at the same location. This is the dealer with the dirty guy, no greased ball joints, ashes in the car, etc. Since then, I went to the Chrysler website and learned they are NOT 5 star. I went to BBB and learned they have an "unsatisfactory record" with 1 unresolved complaint. I'm not sure if this link will work, but this dealer is really pitiful St Louis, MO: Check Out a Business or Charity

Also, "BBB processed a total of 16 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 16 complaints closed in 36 months, 3 were closed in the last year".

My original dealer had 0 complaints.

There is another dealer close by that I may try. He is in a small town with a small dealership. It's my opinion that smaller dealers do a better job because they fell they have to to keep business.

Otherwise, I guess I'll have to schedule my oil changes...



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[nexium]

It ain't just Chrysler. I brought my new 93 Ranger in for a warranty repair. When I picked it up, the steering wheel and seat had dirty grease on them. The service manager went out of his way to find and throw me an almost clean rag and tell me he had no time for my crap. Last new Ford I bought.