Car dealership is a crook.

[hawkeye08]

Buyer beware is a normal response, but considering the dealer replaced a seal that could be related to the problem is the kicker. We should be able to trust the dealer did the repair correctly. I would pursue a formal written complaint, filled with facts.

I'm not in her shoes so don't know her budget, but my 25 yo daughter was wanting a newer car recently. She figured out what the payments would be and insurance and gas/maintenance. When she found out her current car is not worth more than $400-500 on trade, she was disappointed. I told her that my advice would be to save as much as she could every month and drive her old car until the wheels fell off. She has good tires and it is in good shape. She had an appointment with Dodge/Chrysler dealer to look at 3 used vehicles they had on their lot (Journey/Equinox/Subaru). She went to the dealer at the appointed time and as luck would have it, they had already sold 2 of the 3 cars and only had the journey left. She banged her head several times getting in and out and was not happy with the dealer. She bought some accessories for her current car (cartop carrier, hitch, bike rack) that will allow her to better use her car. If she stays disciplined, she will have the money saved in a couple of years to get what she wants.

 

[Sigarms]

I guess you know more about this then I do. I missed all the details about his daughter.


What did she not know though, other then not to buy a Jeep they are unreliable?

Post #18 per the OP. I don't know the exact relationship of the realtive, but I'm assuming it's a niece (of course I could be wrong, but the relationship was never clarified). I can tell you this... if I co signed for a 20k loan with a one month warranty and the "new" car was making a noise and the dealer wouldn't make the time to see me to look at the car, I would guarantee you that the dealer would be looking over the car and everything documented from that point forward.

"And never mind the fact that she has been trying to get this Jeep back to the service dept since before the 30 day warranty was up because it was making a "noise". I have no idea what that noise was or if it's even related. But the dealer kept pushing it off and making excuses as to why they couldn't get it in until it was past 30 days."

 

[kenmac]

The whole idea of a parent IMO is feedback and guidance when the child becomes the adult, and my line of thinking is that if your raised your child half decently, they would ask you for advice, particularly when it comes to spending large sums of money.

Given the circumstances per the OP, I would find it hard to believe that she didn't need someone to co sign the loan. That's where if I'm putting my john hancock on a line for an offspring of mine, you can bet your bottom dollar I'm going to be asking A LOT of questions and following up with what I signed my name to.

I have a 29 yr old that never grasped my financial teachings. He asked me once to cosign with him on a vehicle. I declined.
It isn't always the parents fault. I tried to teach my son financial responsibility. He just never got it. I doubt he ever will . Poor guy works 2 jobs , wife stays home. I know he lives check to check, or pretty **** close to it

 

[Zerk]

Dealer never removed and replaced the t-case. All they did was replace the rear seal. The one that the rear driveshaft yoke comes out of.

And it was surprisingly clean. Typically the oil level don't come up to the output seal level. And therefore only leaks when in motion. There was a little oily grimey residue around the output seal, evidence of a slow leak, but nothing that looks like it should have lost two qts in 7k miles.

Weather or not she can get anywhere with them or not, it's just a crappy situation. A rather large freaking authorized Dodge dealer (not a fly by night used car lot) just replaced a seal 3 months and 7k ago. Now the very t-case they did that seal in is toast and the dealer they just paid $20k to for this Jeep 3mos again is saying tough...Your problem not mine.

I am pretty sure I would have had quite a few choice words.

Post 18. What am I missing about the girls life and money? I was thinking you knew something from another thread


I am not saying anything g wrong about her asking advice. But she is adult

 

[Sigarms]

I have a 29 yr old that never grasped my financial teachings. He asked me once to cosign with him on a vehicle. I declined.
It isn't always the parents fault. I tried to teach my son financial responsibility. He just never got it. I doubt he ever will . Poor guy works 2 jobs , wife stays home. I know he lives check to check, or pretty **** close to it

You of all people should know that the money is either on the son or grandson to run the parents HVAC business into the ground

A lot of great HVAC service techs go into business because they know HVAC, but rarely do they ever take a business class on knowing how to operate on a P&L.

My boys aren't even teens yet, and I'm over 50. The best advice I got was that you do your best and hope and pray. Am making up a mower check list though for them. This summer they have real work to do LOL

 

[Sigarms]

Post 18. What am I missing about the girls life and money? I was thinking you knew something from another thread


I am not saying anything g wrong about her asking advice. But she is adult

Per the OP, post # 52. Since the OP mentioned "couple", assumed they're married, but in todays time, never a given.

"So while a $400 repair to me or many of us is nothing. For a 22 year old stay at home mom it's tough. I've been there. Know what it's like to live check to check. But waiting til the 10tg is fine with me. Gives them time to explore all options in hopes the dealer pulls through. Like bbb, corporate, media, etc."

 

[LD1]

THAT's exactly why I'm scratching my head. 22 year old stay home mom living paycheck to paycheck buying a $20,000, 9 year old vehicle, and it's making noise the first month driving it, you only have a month warranty and the dealership won't make time to see you to check out the problem, then you get it to your relative to look at it 2 months later? Something wrong with this picture.

LD1 - I have no doubt that you're a good man, I'm just thinking you have the brains in the family, and I mean that as a compliment.

Like I said, can't pick family.

Enough with the personal stuff. Its not relevant to the situation at all. Would it matter if it was my rich grandmother in the same situation? Aside from brushing off the repair bill, the facts are the same that IMO, the dealer is in the wrong.

She's 22, and dont have the benefit of life experiences that most of us have had. And rough homelife with parents that were never married and have been separated for several years. So why buy a 82k mile clean nice one owner AWD Jeep. Pretty simple. Hauling kids and ohio winters. Want a nice low mile reliable vehicle. For me, its nothing to save a ton of money and buy higher mileage and older vehicles. I know how to work on them, and have more than just one vehicle so if it sits for a month til I get time to mess with it, so be it. But shes 22, had several cheap high mileage used cars. Buying someone elses problems is all. So would you rather spend money on a monthly payment for a nice reliable vehicle, or spend the money evrey month because the POS is nickle and dimeing you? Which is what her last few vehicles were. So how much is actually saved?

But again, you opinion or my opinion of what she should or shouldnt have done, or weather or not she should have bought the jeep or not.....none of that is relevant at all. This isnt a matter of personal opinions on how bright she is, or how much income they earn, or any of that. This is strictly about a dealer doing a repair and umpteen point inspection and selling cherry 1-owner jeep. Then 3-months later their repair failed.

Why didnt she bring it to me sooner....life. I have a job. Im busy. She has kids. Her BF works full time. We dont live right next to eachother. And at first the noise was just an annoyance. A sign of "something" going wrong that she wanted checked out before it got worse.. She wanted to be a big girl and handle things without calling me for every little odd noise her vehicle makes. Dealer kept blowing it off, not returning calls, etc etc. Until it had its catastrophic failure where you could here the chain jumping. THATS when she called me immediately. I determined what it was, and seen the paperwork of the dealer JUST installing a seal 3 months prior. Thats when I Told her "take it back and have them fix their problem because it shouldnt be on you", She did, they said "not our problem you should have bought the extended warranty, have a nice day".

Oh, and I did say in the first freakin sentence in the first post that she is my cousin. But not sure how that is relevant either.

But on a side note, I did call the service dept today and pretended to be a future customer looking for a authorized chrysler dealer for future work as I was new to the area. And inquired on their warranty for service work for things like intake gaskets, waterpumps, etc. I rattled off half a dozen common things INCLUDING transfer case seals. They said their standard warranty as per chrysler is 2-year unlimited mile warranty on their parts/work for everything except things like tires, brakes, belts, etc. Which I found quite odd. Since apparently they must not warranty those same parts with the same techs installing them if they sell their own vehicle they installed them on.

 

[kenmac]

You of all people should know that the money is either on the son or grandson to run the parents HVAC business into the ground

A lot of great HVAC service techs go into business because they know HVAC, but rarely do they ever take a business class on knowing how to operate on a P&L.

No worries about them running it into the ground. I sold the business last yr ? (heck I forget lol) & living the retired life ! haha

 

[arrow]

State is Ohio.

No it won't be expensive. 75k mile used case is $400. And I'm going to install it when they get it.

Just a hint to mark drive shaft position to yoke as it came off to keep balance.

 

[PILOON]

Most of my drives were purchased used.
I always have a total service done within the first week so as to discover any faults, OK that generally is in the $150. range but sure gives me peace of mind.
I call it 'cheap insurance'.
On a Jimmy we dumped ALL fluids and filters. Kept that one 10 years with minimal maintenance costs.
My 'toy' a toyota MR2, took to a dealer for $200 service that resulted in the seller dealer having to spend over $1200. to bring car up to decent used specs.
My present 'driver' is a Kia Serrento that still had factory warranty so that was different case as it was low mileage with 1 1/2 year factory coverage left.
Nice clean one owner low mileage 'off lease' unit.

In all honestly I have had less problems with used than new vehicles.
Have had new one drop a front wheel due to no lubrication.
Another had the differential totally seize up as no lube was in it.
On a 16 mile old car slamming the door had the rear window totally shatter.
Another would want to leap across the median if I tried to pass a car.
Oil changes were impossible on one as the specified filter would not fit.
Had another that the ruptured modulator valve sucked the transmission dry of fluid.

I like a GOOD used, low mileage one driver car that was well cared for with somebody else eating the depreciation.
So far I have stayed on the good side of the curve!

Now as to service at large dealerships, that's another pet peeve as there no longer exist mechanics that can diagnose anything that a computer wont tell them what part to change.
Generally the service salesman simply says leave it and we will change parts and tell you what it costs when we are finished. eg: blank check!
Lon live the dedicated mechanic with dirty fingernails and an oily rag in his back pocket!
\And RUN from the guy that brags about his huge Snap-On tool chest with his $5000.+ load of tools.
I love and admire the guy that is so innovating as to modify and or make his own special tool for job.