Car dealership is a crook.

[adventure bob]

What was the diagnosis that led to the rear t case seal being replaced? I would definitely file a BBB complaint that they were the last ones to work on the case and it ran dry. Either they didn't refill it or they didn't fix the leak. I would fill the case and drive it looking for leaks. If it leaks out the rear seal, they didn't fix it properly pure and simple. If it doesn't leak at all it wasn't filled.

If you take your car in for an oil change then it explodes after you leave the oil change place because there's no oil in it, a court would find that reasonably suspicious. I would file a small claims court for the damages. I would also elevate that to FC. The nice thing about SCC is that in most states theres no lawyers. I would name the service manager or the technician in the claim.

Remember right now, your not a threat and they have to take no action because your not. Form a business perspective threats and angry customers are merely interesting until a sheriff appears with a summons to appear in court. Now they have to do something. They either have to make you happy or go to court. They certainly do not want a ruling against them in open court. In most cases, the PR impact of having a ruling against your service dept. that any citizen can see will prompt them to take action outside the courts.

Remember it costs them nothing if you take no action, and you have to fix the problem.

 

[Gunny]

For all the big talk, when is the last time someone checked their transfer case?

Don't know about anybody else, but I check mine yearly, drain and change the fluid per the owner's manual. Pretty good hit on the pocketbook with mine, it uses some GM fluid that nobody else makes, at least I can't find an authorized substitute for it. I think it's right around $9 per quart, takes a bit more than two quarts, so I've got a little sitting on the shelf in the garage. I'm not sure about Jeeps maintenance schedule, but it's darn sure on the list of GM's service schedule.

 

[Zerk]

Taking it to a mechanic after I bought if fom a dealer helped ensured that I got a new transmission (at no charge to myself). Should of seen the service managers face when they looked at the engine in detail and told me I was right. They made it right though. Good chance if I didn't take it to a mechanic who knew the brand, the problem may not of surfaced for a year.

I buy a car, it's not getting resold, it's going to drive until it dies. A a large investment (to me at least) well worth the money on have a couple of second opinions on the product you're buying.

Bring it to, two different mechanics is extreme. I would find one good one.

 

[Zerk]

Don't know about anybody else, but I check mine yearly, drain and change the fluid per the owner's manual. Pretty good hit on the pocketbook with mine, it uses some GM fluid that nobody else makes, at least I can't find an authorized substitute for it. I think it's right around $9 per quart, takes a bit more than two quarts, so I've got a little sitting on the shelf in the garage. I'm not sure about Jeeps maintenance schedule, but it's darn sure on the list of GM's service schedule.

2 9 dollar quarts is a lot of money?

 

[Zerk]

This is the issue I have with your post.

You claim the dealer is a crook, yet you're admitting that "technically" the dealer didn't do anything to make them a crook.

22 year old buying a 20k car? Did she need a someone to cosign the for the loan? What did her parents say when she told them she's buying a 9 year old car for 20k? She may not have much experience, but hopefully her parents do.

Assuming a loan was taken out on the vehicle, at most, a extended wrty might run like $1,200-$1,500. Add that into a car loan, and you might be paying and extra $20 or $40 onto the loan.

Could the dealer done something? I think you stated that they offered to do the fix for half of their labor, so although they may not of offered what you wanted, they still offered something.

I'm still trying to figure out why if the car was making a noise within the first month the car was bought, why did it come to you to look at 3 months later?

All that said, I completley understand the reality that you can't pick family

At 24 I bought a new truck, no Co signer.

Agree myself, I am not spending that much on vehicle that old.

But it was 30-40k new, and probably blue booked at that, with miles under 100k.

 

[Sigarms]

Bring it to, two different mechanics is extreme. I would find one good one.

1 - Both are who I would consider very good overall.
2 - Each one does have their speciality and what they really dig.
3 - One I got into shooting, the other I got into suppressors, it's also a social visit as much as them performing a service for me (now at the one shop, we even shoot behind his shop lol).

 

[Sigarms]

At 24 I bought a new truck, no Co signer.

I'm over 50 and never bought a new vehicle in my life

Actually, my wife still gets on me every once in a while because John's old F mower still cost more than any vehicle we've bought LOL

That said, both my wife and I don't get into fancy cars and we both see spending money on a new vehicle as a wasteful investment as you're losing money when you drive it off the lot. Generally I'll spend about 3 months doing research on pricing vs age and mileage before buying something that we consider a bargain.

 

[Zerk]

I buy new and used. But everything I have bought new was a left over and decent deal.

 

[arrow]

I would not jump to the conclusion that the transfer case is "toast" just yet and here is how I would approach this. It could very well be that the chain is worn as a result of no oil or indeed a cog might be missing a tooth or two. Until it's opened up, no one knows for sure. Either fix is not earth shattering but it is labor intensive and by that I mean $110-$125 an hour.
They made a ton of money on this Jeep. Perhaps as much as 8K. If you suggest with them to at least do a look see as opposed to thinking a whole new transfer case, they may coincide and if indeed it is not as catastrophic as it sounds, they may just go for the fix. If it's a 231, a missing c-clip on the input shaft that may have been forgotten to be put back can also cause chunking and grinding. Then maybe a case of suds to the service manager if it falls this way.
I know dealerships get demonized but in the end, they are simply people. The trick is not for anyone's heals to be dug in just yet. It's all in the approach.

 

[Zerk]

Depending on model.and options, that jeep is blue booked for 21k. More then I would spend, but we shouldn't assume she got a horrible deal.
They are expensive new.