Question about Dealer???
#1
09-18-08, 11:39 AM
Question about Dealer???
I brought my 2004 Tahoe into the Chevy dealer for a noise in the rear brakes - 57K miles, I figured time for rear pads and rotors. The tech told me that I definitely needed new rear brakes, but that ALSO my backing plates had become so coroded and rusted that they had bent and were gouging the rotors. They would have to take apart the whole rear axle and for $1,130 I would be all set.
Hmmm. I decided to get another opinion. The guy I found showed me the pristine rotors (yes needed replacing, but not gouged at all!) and said the backing plates were "perfect". My question is this: I am stunned by the boldness of this falsification. This is a full service Chevy dealer! Am I being naive? Does this sort of thing really happen where they just make stuff up???? Should I go and confront the dealer (bad for my blood pressure and probably will put them on the defensive) or should I just tell everyone I see driving a Chevy??? Thoughts appreciated!
Hmmm. I decided to get another opinion. The guy I found showed me the pristine rotors (yes needed replacing, but not gouged at all!) and said the backing plates were "perfect". My question is this: I am stunned by the boldness of this falsification. This is a full service Chevy dealer! Am I being naive? Does this sort of thing really happen where they just make stuff up???? Should I go and confront the dealer (bad for my blood pressure and probably will put them on the defensive) or should I just tell everyone I see driving a Chevy??? Thoughts appreciated!
#2
09-18-08, 01:31 PM
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Go back and get a written estimate, then confront them, call your local Better Business Beaurau, and tell anyone who will listen how big a crook they are. Without a written estimate, and a repair order from the actual repair all you have is hear say. I worked in the auto repair field for about 10 years and this kind of stuff does happen, and gives all of us a bad name. Get proof and give em hell!!
#3
09-18-08, 01:46 PM
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After you get the stuff you need, go to the Service VP, the guy in the suit and tie, not the guy anywhere near the work area. Confront him with the charges and tell him you expected better. What will he do to make it right, since you had to take the time and effort to find the falsification? Probably a free brake job if you still need it, or free services for the rest of your ownership.
THEN, go to the BBB, and tell a friend or 20, how bad they were. Don't forget to say how good the guy you found was as well.
THEN, go to the BBB, and tell a friend or 20, how bad they were. Don't forget to say how good the guy you found was as well.
#4
09-18-08, 02:35 PM
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that is probably just the one tech at that dealership not the whole bunch, i had a run in with a tech like that at my stepfathers station back in the early 80's he would falsify all kinds of things to sell a job. cost my stepfather a lot of money cause the guy worked for him, even though he knew nothing about cars. i finally got him fired because i caught him lying to customers about repairs more than a few times.
murphy was an optimist.
murphy was an optimist.
#5
09-18-08, 02:57 PM
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This comes up often in this forum. I suggest doing what the fella's above has said.
:: NOTE TO FUTURE POSTERS::
Please refrain from "bashing" dealerships since it's not appropriate in these forums. We all have had bad run in's with mechanics or dealerships sometime in our life, so let's keep it clean and professional. I'm stating this now in attempt to prevent future nasty nasty postings, which usually happens when dealership service questions rise.
:: NOTE TO FUTURE POSTERS::
Please refrain from "bashing" dealerships since it's not appropriate in these forums. We all have had bad run in's with mechanics or dealerships sometime in our life, so let's keep it clean and professional. I'm stating this now in attempt to prevent future nasty nasty postings, which usually happens when dealership service questions rise.
#6
09-18-08, 08:02 PM
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These backing plates are notorious for rusting out. The estimate they gave you was way to high. We charge about 4 hours to replace these, and we also do the axle seals while we have the axle shafts out. Our labor rate is at $87.00 per hour, parts are about $100.00. The rotors and pads are around $200.00. Do the math.
#7
09-19-08, 09:07 AM
service goals?
Thanks everyone for the replies on this and the reassurance that I am NOT crazy!
I have not gone back yet, but am telling everyone in town about it, especially my friends who were all set to buy a NEW Suburban from this dealer! I just wonder about techs falsifying...what do they have to gain from that? Are the techs on commission? Do they have quotas they have to meet? One guy told me that this happened because it was the end of the week and the dealer hadn't met their service goals yet!
I figure all of you do it yourself-ers have probably worked in lots of shops...
I have not gone back yet, but am telling everyone in town about it, especially my friends who were all set to buy a NEW Suburban from this dealer! I just wonder about techs falsifying...what do they have to gain from that? Are the techs on commission? Do they have quotas they have to meet? One guy told me that this happened because it was the end of the week and the dealer hadn't met their service goals yet!
I figure all of you do it yourself-ers have probably worked in lots of shops...
#8
09-19-08, 09:31 AM
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I figure all of you do it yourself-ers have probably worked in lots of shops...
Being a Chevy owner myself for years, it's been my experience that dealers can be a little more "picky" about things than most mechanics that run their own shops. It doesn't mean that the problem isn't there, just that you may be able to hold off on replacing it for a while longer. Most dealers will have many mechanics working there so I think it's a little unfair to tell everyone not to buy there just because you got two different opinions. As for prices, I think everyone's aware that dealer's prices have always been higher, but look at the overhead they have. They need to charge more. JMO though.
#9
09-19-08, 08:05 PM
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Dealer technicians are paid flat rate. Say a job pays 4 hours to do. You get it done in 2 hours, you just got paid for 4 hours of work. Some dealers, but not all, do get a little commission for additional items they sell. We get like 10 bucks for selling 200 bucks worth of additional work.
