What's your worst stories of shop/dealership work on your vehicle (Ram or otherwise)?

[jdmartin]

Reading the thread on oil changes had me laughing and cringing at some of the stories. I thought it might be fun to have a thread on the worst of the worst. I'll start with some of mine:

- I used to rebuild classic Mustangs (67-68). I had a hard top that I had just finished doing the body work on; I had installed a new trunk lid, had my body shop weld on a new taillight panel, I put a brand new bumper on it, taillight lenses, brand new gas tank, the works. It was all primered and about to go in to paint. The C4 automatic transmission was starting to slip and I had about a week wait on the body shop so I called the transmission shop to see if they had time to do a rebuild. They said they could get it done in a couple of days, so I had plenty of time. So I dropped it off on Monday. Wednesday morning I called them (this was before cell phones) and they said they were putting it back in the car that morning and it should be ready that afternoon. So when I got off of work I called to see if it was ready to pick up before I got schlepped all the way over there. Guy says "Well, we have a little problem, you probably need to come by here". When I got to the shop, my Mustang is smashed against another car in the parking lot on the rear end. Turns out the mechanic had it running, had it in gear with no wheel chocks and no parking brake, and was filling it with transmission fluid. Well, once it got enough fluid to drive, guess what? It did, and it was in reverse, and it drove off in reverse and smashed into the other car. Completely demolished all of the new work that had been done in the rear - cracked the gas tank, destroyed the rear panel & trunk lid, etc. They paid for the repair work but it delayed me getting it painted and sold by 3 or 4 months.

- When I was in the Navy my old GMC truck (automatic) blew third gear, but still drove (I've never had a good understanding of the guts of automatics) in 1-2-4. I drove around like that for about a year and then one day a guy on my ship said "Oh, I rebuild transmissions all the time back at home". So we rent a spot at the hobby shop and I buy the rebuild kit. Guy says it will take him a week, tops. 3 weeks later I still have no truck because the guy is jerking around getting it done and I'm getting tired of bumming rides from my apartment, and paying daily for the bay at the hobby shop. He finally says it's done (we were in drycock at the time) so I go down there to get it with the keys. Get in and the only gear that works is reverse! So we push it back into the bay and I (more or less) threaten him with an ***-kicking if he doesn't get my truck fixed. In the meantime he gives me his car to drive, an old beater Monte Carlo. He spends another month screwing around with my truck and says it's done. I go down there and this time I've got reverse and first, but nothing else. So I drive it all the way back to my apartment in Norfolk in 1st gear, taking all back roads, then call a wrecker when I get home and get it towed to the transmission place. When the transmission guys open it up there's broken pieces of stuff everywhere! I had already paid this guy so I go down to the boiler room and tell him it's my money or his ***, and I get a refund. Between the money I spent on the hobby shop, the rebuild kit, and then the real rebuild, it ends up being about 2 grand - almost what the truck is worth!

I've got others that I'll add but let's hear some of yours!

 

[nburd]

Here is mine. This is why I do not trust dealer service anymore and I learned my lesson. Right after college, in 1993, I bought a used 1990 Audi 100 from an Audi dealer. I had a 110 mile highway commute daily for work and wanted a safe comfortable highway car. I also bought an extended warranty for 5 years or 100k miles. I had the car always serviced at that selling dealer including oil changes.

Two years later In the spring my AC quit. I opened the hood, inspected the system and found my condenser had a crack in it. There was oil around the crack. I checked my warranty and the condenser was covered. I made an appointment and left the car for the condenser replacement. I made the appointment a week before and they told me the part would be in stock. I had a loaner as prescribed by the warranty.

Anyway I got a call from the dealership later that day that my condenser was not bad, the issue was the AC Climate control module (not covered under warranty) and it would be $900+ for the repair. As I always buy the factory service manual, I looked up testing the ACCCM and it could be tested by pressing some buttons and it provided diagnostic codes (Audi used a Cadillac climate control unit). The next morning, I left early for work with my spare key and tested the climate control module for codes. There were none and the unit said everything was ok. There may have been a low refrigerant pressure code, but that was all. I was furious. I bought the car there, always had them service it and even financed it there.

I arrived back to the dealer later that day and confronted the service adviser. I informed him that I was an engineer, I knew how to test the system, the car needed a condenser, and they had completely lied to me about my repair. He started back talking that I did not know anything, etc etc. I went back to the car (parked exactly where I left it when dropped off) did I the diagnostic again with him present, showed him nothing was wrong, opened the hood and showed him the hole in the condenser. I finally stated they were to put the “gosh darned” condenser in the car and charge the system. I also demanded to see the condenser they had in stock. He stated they had it and went to get it. Of course he comes out with a condenser for something else and we opened the hood together so I could catch him in another lie. At this point, I called him a complete liar and said I want my car repaired ASAP Or he would be on the evening news.

The next day, my car was done, condenser, recharged and the AC worked for the next 4 years and 170k miles when I sold it to a friend (who still has it today). I never went back and never trusted any dealer again. That was 1994 or 95.

From then on I decided to do my own service on all my used cars and I have done everything since.

 

[nburd]

Here is another two more recent stories. Both from the same dealer who I have leased two rams from. 1 in 2013 and 1 in 2020. I did not buy my bighorn from them.

A co worker in 2011 bought a used 2009 or 10 Sierra 1500 crew 5.3 from this dealer. Again financed it there, had them do all of his service. In 2014 around 70k miles he came into my office and stated his truck was dead. He got the dreaded “stop the engine, low oil pressure“ warning the night before and had it towed to the same dealer. A day or two later the dealer called him and said his oil pump had failed and it would be $1700 or so to fix it. He came to my office again and told me this. I had a 5.3 suburban with 190k at the time. I pulled out my service manual and one of the checks was a defective oil pressure sensor. I told him when they close, go to AAP and buy this $20 oil pressure sensor, I told him how to replace it. That night he went to the dealer, opened his hood and replaced the sensor. He started the truck with his spare key and “magically” no oil pressure issues at all. He drove the truck to 140k with no future mechanical work, and sold it outright to buy his next 2017 Sierra. He did buy it from another dealer.

Finally same dealer, similar truck. A good friend has bought 5 new vehicles from this same dealer (over $130k in cars) And always had his service, everything done there.

His most recent purchase was a 2009 Sierra Crew 5.3 that he bought new. His wife bought a Jeep unlimited from them 2 years ago. We were both scoutmasters and travelled a lot together. Anyway, at 100k miles, they kept telling him he is using oil and his rings were getting bad. Start thinking about a new motor......I told him that was BS, a valve cover upgrade fixes the issue.

then in 2019 (138k) he was Coming home from a trip and he got the Christmas tree of warning lights and it started skipping. He made it home and called me. I went over and read his codes, heard the skip and told him either he had a fouled plug, bad coil or one of his DOD lifters had collapsed. He took it to the dealer.

I happened to work right across from this dealer so he called me when it was there. We had lunch plus he called me every step of the repair because I knew they would shaft him. 1st, it needed a new tail light for $300 for an inspection. Plus the inspection. They also did new plugs and wires for another $300+. I had mentioned the “oil use TSB” to him , which can cause a fouled plug/skip and oil usage, so he asked and they installed a new drivers updated valve cover (another $300). His total Bill was $1100+or so, and the truck still skipped (But had a new inspection sticker). At the end of the day they said he needed a new engine for $4500+.

After paying the Bill. They referred him to sales who quickly offered him $1500 as a trade in value. After a lot of negotiation he got them up to $2500. He called me that night and I bought the truck for $3k from him. He started shopping for a new truck.

That night, I pulled the valve cover and immediately found a number 1 rocker was not moving and was real loose. I removed the intake, took a punch, fabricated the tool, tapped the lifter, and it released. The cam was perfect, the motor spotless inside. The truck ran for a few minutes on all 8. I got some mis information that said you could prevent it from going into DOD by keeping it in tow haul mode. That is not true!. I drove it and it went into DOD and the lifter stuck again. I next day aired in a DOD disable obd device for $125., tapped the lifter again, installed the device and the truck ran perfectly.

I called him and asked if he wanted it back. He gave me my money back , bought the parts and paid me $50/hour for my time. He drove it for 8 more months with no issues before trading it in (at that same freaking dealer) on a new 19 Sierra and they allowed him $9k. Rewarding them with another purchase.

I recently took the 2020 Warlock to that dealer for a free state inspection, wiper recall and I told them the drivers exhaust sticks out 1” longer that the right. Could they even them. It was that way when we got it, new. When I picked it up, it was inspected, the wiper torqued, and the drivers Tailpipe was adjusted up and is now hitting the bumper. It’s 1/2” higher than the right. I laughed out loud and said, I will fix it myself this spring. They could not even get that right.

I do not trust dealers, period.

 

[Sjay]

I have a 2007 Dodge Sprinter that needed re-painted. Talked to a local paint shop and they said they could have it done in about 8-10 days. We negotiated a price and I dropped the van off before going on vacation so they could paint it and I wouldn't be without it (I use it for work).

Got back from vacation and called to pick it up. Yep, they never touched it.

 

[jdmartin]

I have a 2007 Dodge Sprinter that needed re-painted. Talked to a local paint shop and they said they could have it done in about 8-10 days. We negotiated a price and I dropped the van off before going on vacation so they could paint it and I wouldn't be without it (I use it for work).

Got back from vacation and called to pick it up. Yep, they never touched it.

That reminded me of once with my custom van. About 25 years ago we were getting ready to take a cross country trip as my sister was getting married, and we were taking our two labs with us. I dropped my van off at the service place I always used for stuff like that after making an appointment with them 2 weeks in advance; it needed an AC tune-up or repair (this was summer). They kept giving me excuses why it wasn't done and finally called me the afternoon before we were leaving to pick it up that it was done. Sure enough, it blew cold air. For about 20 minutes. Apparently it had a massive leak and they never bothered doing anything except tossing some freon in it to get me off the lot.

Because we had to leave the next day I ended up having to go down to a cap store and buying a cap for my truck so I could carry my two dogs the next morning. And coming home it was record breaking temperatures so my two big labs had to ride in the cab with us (extended cab Nissan).