Dealer/Service question

[baf3472]

I am on my second 2021 Ram 1500. I'm having some issues with the ride quality that I've been trying to get resolved and I'm just wondering if the way the service department works is the same for all RAM dealers or just the ones in my area. I originally let the dealer know it rode really rough, and coming from an identical truck it didn't feel the same and there was issue with my truck 3 days after I drove off the lot with it. They told me to bring it back the following week and they would have one of their "tire specialists" look at it. I got there at the time they told me to and they took my car back and told me they'll call me when it was done. I let them know I was planning on staying there if it wasn't going to take too long and they seemed almost annoyed and they said they weren't sure how long it was going to take but I can have a seat and they'll let me know when they can look at it. I was there for a few hours and suddenly the service advisor walks up to me, hands me my key, says you're all done, and starts walking away. I asked him if he knew what the issue was and he said a few tires were out of balance and one was installed incorrectly. I went to ask him if was it the wheel or the tire that was installed incorrectly but before I could even get one word out, he said thank you and walked away. No paper work or anything. I figured maybe he was just busy that day so i got in my truck to leave and of course, it felt exactly the same. So i call again and explain to the person what just happened and she said that since the tire guy looked at it and did what he could and it was still riding rough, she would schedule me an appointment for a "suspension specialist' to check it out but they were busy so the next appointment was in 2 and a half weeks. I told her I understood and that was fine and we scheduled an appointment for this past Thursday at 7:00 am. I get there a little bit early and I'm waiting in line and the service guy walks up to me and asks if I have an appointment. I tell him I did and he says, and these are his exact words, "well, we're overbooked so you're going to have to leave your truck here and hopefully we'll get to it late Monday or Tuesday of next week." I tell him that I was told I might have to leave it overnight, depending on what they find, but I cant be without my vehicle for 5 days. He says the appointment is for me to drop it off, not look at it and walks away. That obviously annoyed me so I left and called and made an appointment at the other RAM dealer in my area. They said they had an opening for the following Tuesday so I took it. I get there today to drop off my truck, explain whats wrong and they tell me that they'll be able to look at it in 2 days. Of course I left it but it got me thinking. Ive only owned one dodge/chrysler/ram vehicle and it never had to go into service but is this how all Dodge service centers work? Make an appointment a few weeks away and then have to wait a few more days for them to look at it? Why not just make the appointment for the day they'll be able to look at it? Every other dealership I've ever used, if you make an appointment, that's the day they've set aside to look at your car. There have been times where the techs are backed up and they have to keep it overnight, which is fine, but 4 or 5 days later? Is this normal for RAM dealers?

 

[z0n3]

No it's not normal for them to always hold the vehicle for 4 or 5 days. I had my 2019 in the shop a lot for brake issues. Each time the truck would go in for a day to have the issue diagnosed and parts ordered. I would pick it up and bring it back for the repair once the parts were available. Only time they kept it overnight was when they were actually doing the repairs. Sounds like you are going to a bad dealership and dealing with garbage service advisors. Try and find another dealership to have work done. Once you find a good one things should go smoothly.

 

[Sascwatch]

Some dealers are just like this, if you find a good one don’t forget to bring them donuts or cookies or something when you need something done. I’ve done this a few times and they get to know you, and almost never have to wait to get your vehicle in.

 

[baf3472]

No it's not normal for them to always hold the vehicle for 4 or 5 days. I had my 2019 in the shop a lot for brake issues. Each time the truck would go in for a day to have the issue diagnosed and parts ordered. I would pick it up and bring it back for the repair once the parts were available. Only time they kept it overnight was when they were actually doing the repairs. Sounds like you are going to a bad dealership and dealing with garbage service advisors. Try and find another dealership to have work done. Once you find a good one things should go smoothly.

Thats what I figured. Unfortunatly, the only 2 dealers near me are owned by the same guy so they seem to operate the same way. Hopefully I dont have too many issues cause next closest dealer is an hour away.

 

[Sascwatch]

Thats what I figured. Unfortunatly, the only 2 dealers near me are owned by the same guy so they seem to operate the same way. Hopefully I dont have too many issues cause next closest dealer is an hour away.

That sucks, I bought my truck from a dealer about 45 minutes away knowing I’d get a better deal. Luckily the dealer in town here is very good, the next closest dealer 20 minutes away refuses to do warranty work unless you bought the vehicle from them. I reported this to FCA at the time but nothing ever came of it, lots of the same in their google reviews.

 

[mikeru82]

Thats what I figured. Unfortunatly, the only 2 dealers near me are owned by the same guy so they seem to operate the same way. Hopefully I dont have too many issues cause next closest dealer is an hour away.

Although it would suck, it would still be worth it in my opinion. Good service is actually more important to me than what I pay for my truck. Which would you prefer, good customer service an hour away, or terrible customer service that's convenient? I realize this could be a moot question since it sounds like you don't know what kind of service the dealer who's an hour away provides. But I think it might be worth checking it out. I don't see how dealerships with bad customer service even stay in business to be honest.

 

[baf3472]

Although it would suck, it would still be worth it in my opinion. Good service is actually more important to me than what I pay for my truck. Which would you prefer, good customer service an hour away, or terrible customer service that's convenient? I realize this could be a moot question since it sounds like you don't know what kind of service the dealer who's an hour away provides. But I think it might be worth checking it out. I don't see how dealerships with bad customer service even stay in business to be honest.

Unfortunately, in this part of my state, the dealers seemed to be owned by the same people. Both Honda dealers are owned by the same guy, one guy owns 3 of the 4 ford dealers, etc...

 

[mikeru82]

That is indeed unfortunate. I guess you'll just have to move then.

Sorry, I don't have a viable solution to this other than drive to a dealership that's not owned by that same guy. Definitely not ideal. You could always get @RamCares involved. They've been known to be helpful.

 

[baf3472]

That is indeed unfortunate. I guess you'll just have to move then.

Sorry, I don't have a viable solution to this other than drive to a dealership that's not owned by that same guy. Definitely not ideal. You could always get @RamCares involved. They've been known to be helpful.

Well just heard back from the second dealership so it looks like it’s just an issue at the other one. Thank you for the help and your truck still looks great. Everytime I see it, I wish I would have gotten patriot blue.

 

[Nukegm426]

I’ve always struggled with finding a good dealer.... never had the issues you described but never completely satisfied with service. Well a couple years ago I became friends with a service advisor then when I bought my truck at a dealer where I was introduced to the owner and the service manager, low and behold my favorite advisor started working there lol. I haven’t had any real issues but the few times I’ve gone in for stuff they did me right.

 

[mikeru82]

Well just heard back from the second dealership so it looks like it’s just an issue at the other one. Thank you for the help and your truck still looks great. Everytime I see it, I wish I would have gotten patriot blue.

That's great to hear. I hope they take good care of you. And my truck thanks you for the compliment.

 

[RamCares]

Well just heard back from the second dealership so it looks like it’s just an issue at the other one. Thank you for the help and your truck still looks great. Everytime I see it, I wish I would have gotten patriot blue.

That is indeed unfortunate. I guess you'll just have to move then.

Sorry, I don't have a viable solution to this other than drive to a dealership that's not owned by that same guy. Definitely not ideal. You could always get @RamCares involved. They've been known to be helpful.

Hello baf3472 and mikeru82,

Thanks for the mention @mikeru82! We're sorry to hear about your experience @baf3472. If you would like this encounter officially documented in a case, please let us know. Otherwise, please feel free to reach out via private message if you ever need additional assistance while your vehicle is in service. Our team is just one PM away!

Hannah
Ram Cares

 

[Dusty1948]

I am on my second 2021 Ram 1500. I'm having some issues with the ride quality that I've been trying to get resolved and I'm just wondering if the way the service department works is the same for all RAM dealers or just the ones in my area. I originally let the dealer know it rode really rough, and coming from an identical truck it didn't feel the same and there was issue with my truck 3 days after I drove off the lot with it. They told me to bring it back the following week and they would have one of their "tire specialists" look at it. I got there at the time they told me to and they took my car back and told me they'll call me when it was done. I let them know I was planning on staying there if it wasn't going to take too long and they seemed almost annoyed and they said they weren't sure how long it was going to take but I can have a seat and they'll let me know when they can look at it. I was there for a few hours and suddenly the service advisor walks up to me, hands me my key, says you're all done, and starts walking away. I asked him if he knew what the issue was and he said a few tires were out of balance and one was installed incorrectly. I went to ask him if was it the wheel or the tire that was installed incorrectly but before I could even get one word out, he said thank you and walked away. No paper work or anything. I figured maybe he was just busy that day so i got in my truck to leave and of course, it felt exactly the same. So i call again and explain to the person what just happened and she said that since the tire guy looked at it and did what he could and it was still riding rough, she would schedule me an appointment for a "suspension specialist' to check it out but they were busy so the next appointment was in 2 and a half weeks. I told her I understood and that was fine and we scheduled an appointment for this past Thursday at 7:00 am. I get there a little bit early and I'm waiting in line and the service guy walks up to me and asks if I have an appointment. I tell him I did and he says, and these are his exact words, "well, we're overbooked so you're going to have to leave your truck here and hopefully we'll get to it late Monday or Tuesday of next week." I tell him that I was told I might have to leave it overnight, depending on what they find, but I cant be without my vehicle for 5 days. He says the appointment is for me to drop it off, not look at it and walks away. That obviously annoyed me so I left and called and made an appointment at the other RAM dealer in my area. They said they had an opening for the following Tuesday so I took it. I get there today to drop off my truck, explain whats wrong and they tell me that they'll be able to look at it in 2 days. Of course I left it but it got me thinking. Ive only owned one dodge/chrysler/ram vehicle and it never had to go into service but is this how all Dodge service centers work? Make an appointment a few weeks away and then have to wait a few more days for them to look at it? Why not just make the appointment for the day they'll be able to look at it? Every other dealership I've ever used, if you make an appointment, that's the day they've set aside to look at your car. There have been times where the techs are backed up and they have to keep it overnight, which is fine, but 4 or 5 days later? Is this normal for RAM dealers?

Don't think so. Does not represent my dealer's service department, which is excellent.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 049711 miles.