Really could not have said it any better. And the industry tactics against Tesla have "strong arm" written all over. Doesn't surprise me but it's sad.

If anyone who cares in the industry is reading this, I will buy a car from you new after you've convinced me that your service department is highly competent to service the car I bought used from someone else, as well as being courteous and treating my like a long-term customer, not just a short term cash flow.

Until then, the cars I have bought new have not been worth the hassle. I have been better served by indie dealers and the internet community.

I will give credit where credit is due however ... our local Ford dealer has a crew of very knowledgeable mechanics in their truck service department. These are guys who work on contractor trucks up through the F550 range, and they seem to know their stuff. We have had our F250 there a few times and although I've paid almost through the nose for the work, I was very confident they were doing it right (they also withstood my polite quizzing on the subject of my truck and passed very well). If I had the money I'd buy a new diesel from them tomorrow. Maybe after the kids are grown

 

Automobile dealerships are the tip of the iceberg. Ever try to get warranty work on a Freightliner or Western Star in Houston? There's one dealership. ONE! There are literally acres (no exaggeration) of trucks sitting waiting to even be looked at to determine what's wrong with them. Look it up on Google Maps. All those trucks in the 3 lots to the north of the building are waiting for service. You can't see the couple dozen more inside. And the place is open 24/7. If you are under warranty they are the only option. And there's no loaners while you wait for them to get around to doing you the honor of looking at your vehicle. Then they might get around to fixing it when they feel like it. They get paid by the hour, they're in no hurry.

 

I'll stop calling them stealerships when they stop trying to rip me off every time I go there.

 

I think the automotive industry has built this reputation for themselves simply by exploiting the fact that the average consumer will sometimes lack common knowledge about how their car runs and operates, thus leaving them a vulnerable target for unnecessary parts and maintenance. On a car forum you'll typically find more enthusiasts, or people who at least have basic knowledge as to how a car works, so at times it can be easy to lose sight of just how gullible people can be. Don't believe me? Here's 4 minutes of cringe worthy evidence


Lets have a moment of silence for all those affected by dishonest dealerships all around the world

 

Wow really??? Have you ever compared prices from stealerships and independant garages? In my area there is a huge difference for the dealer. I saw a dealer installed stillen exhaust on a Q50. Price quoted on the sticker was and extra $2500!!!!

I've also made the mistake of going to firestone to have oil changes. They offered to do a vehicle inspection for something like $12 bucks. They came back with a parts list totalling $2500!!! hahaha this was a used car I paid a grand for!!!

 

It's a commonly know fact that service departments are not the most scrupulous of people or places. The best thing a car owner can do is try to understand or research an issue before taking the vehicle in for work. Before I met her, my wife, was the victim of these dishonest practices with her "09 Sebring Vert. She had a great warranty with the car, BUT the warranty company was drug over the coals again, and again. Luckily the 5 times her car went into the shop her rental cars were covered in the warranty program. If I remember correctly, after all was said and done car "fixed" the total cost was in the upper $6K area. She had a faulty valve in a cylinder head.

 

Most "chain" places so this, that's why I stopped using Sears for anything years ago. When they come back to you with the list, it's a wonder your car even runs anymore and is road worthy based on their "observations".

 

My father had a saying...." There are victims and there's volunteers.

 

Well I got my car back the other day and everything seemed to be in good working order except a front marker bulb is out and my battery failed their test I guess. It read 12.7 volts, but if I'm not mistaken 14 volts would've been a pass so I'm not too concerned. They also suggested I replace the brake, power steering, and tranny fluid if it hasn't already been done in a previous scheduled maintenance. The quote for all that plus changing my air filters was $900.

After I contact the dealer I bought from to find out if the fluids have ever been changed, I will most likely be going somewhere else to have that done. And should I ever decide to replace my marker bulb and battery I'm sure I can take care of that on my own.

To do the inspection and top up my low brake fluid (brakes were fine) cost me $110. While the quote they gave me for the other work did seem a little high, they didn't pressure me at all to have any of it done. I can see how a fool could be presented with this list of $900 worth of work and think it needs to be done right away, but the dealer didn't try at all to hide the fact that all the things on the list weren't really necessary at this time.

Despite having to wait at the counter for twenty minutes, after making an appointment just so I could drop my car off, I'd say it was a fairly positive experience. Just to be clear, I fully agree with the meaning behind the word stealership, and I understand it's use is warranted in many cases. I just find the word itself to be a bit silly.