Am I Getting Hosed by the Dealership?

kingofsting

New Member
Apr 9, 2006
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already know that I'm getting jerked around. I just wanted to see how you guys think I should handle the situation. First, some background. In January my fuel gauge stopped working; initially I was told that they thought my self installed sound system was related to the error. Turns out it was a busted motor in the cluster but it still cost about $300 to see if the system had an effect or not. In may and June I went through a three or four week ordeal because my car was leaking fluids. The first trip for that cost about $1000; two subsequent trips to correct the problem cost about $500 and that was after I went off on the service manager. Also I got a six month guarantee for the work done in writing. Flash forward to the day before Thanksgiving. I brought my car in for a screech at start up followed by a whistle in the engine bay. I had them do the 95000 mile service according to the owners manual. I was assured the problem was fixed and the $1000+ bill was paid. The next day the noise returned so I brought the car in yesterday. Apparently the screech is my starter rubbing against the flywheel so now they are replacing the starter as I type this. Also a hockey puck looking thing with a donut hole was identified as the source of the whistling and thus replaced. I was told that the repairs would cost just under $500. I told the rep to do it but I have no intention of paying because I feel like I'm being screwed especially since the dealership is independently owned and operated. The only problem is, my father pays for this stuff (I'm a broke college kid!) and he's more passive than my mother and I. I feel terrible because I don't want to see my father being taken advantage of, so ill be going to get the car with him even though I've for class. I am fully prepared to leave my car out of principle if the bill is not nullified; am I being irrational? Do I have any other recourse short of the BBB?
 
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The car is 05 V6 the dealership is Dana Ford Lincoln Mercury in Staten Island, NY. They became the only game iin town after Island Ford shut down last year

heres what was done last week:

Complaint: C S screeching noise when starting check belts.
Correction: VERIFIED CONCERN, REPLACE BELT AND TENSIONER

Complaint:Check spark plugs for possible change (service manual says to change em at 100k, which im close to)
Correction: replace spark plugs and ignition wires (apparently they were burning out)

Also; replacement of oil, fuel and air filters, oil change, and cleaning service for fuel injectors and throttle body.

Total: 1218.43, reduced to 1091.02 because they love us so much
 
Also heres the ordeal I went through from May to July, not June as I previously thought:

5-1-09

Complaint: Vehicle towed in, customer states vehicle has a power steering fluid leak. a lot of smoke coming from under the hood (it was bad!!)
Correction: Unable to verify Power steering leak but found antifreeze leaking from thermostat housing. Removed and replaced thermostat housing and gasket as needed. Road Tested OK
Parts Needed: Housing-Thermostat O Ring
Thermostat Assy Anti-Freeze
Gasket
Also, i had new rear brakes put on, the lower control arms and ball joints were removed and replaced due to excessive wear and my alternator was replaced due to a noise coming from an internal bearing on alternator
Total:$1116.31, with $1030 ESP deductible.


6-16-09

Complaint: customer states coolant is leaking
Correction: PRESSURE TEST SYSTEM - REPLACE COOLANT TEMP SENSOR; TOP OFF COOLANT AND BLEED SYSTEM
Labor: $50.00 Parts: $49.36

Total: $107.69 (also some unrelated work was done by my request, including a $100 charge for an inspection that couldnt be done because of my tune bringing the bill too $497.86)

6-26-09
Complaint: Customer states vehicle has a antifreeze leak - 3RD TIME VISIT
Correction: UNABLE TO VERIFY CONCERN. PERFORMED PRESSURE TEST. PASSED. LET VEHICLE WARM UP, NO LEAKS FOUND. NO PROBLEM FOUND AT THIS TIME.
Labor: $120

Also, the oil change was done and the inspection was done @ $120, but I made the dealership split the bill.

Total: $77.26


7-1-09

Complaint: Customer states vehicle has a antifreeze leak - see history attached
Correction: UNABLE TO VERIFY COOLANT LEAK BUT FOUND GREEN AC DYE LEAKING FROM CONDENSER. LINE GOT RUSTED AND DYE IS LEAKING THROUGH O RING. REMOVED AND REPLACED CONDENSER AND RELATED PARTS. RECOVERED SYSTEM AS NEEDED. ROAD TESTED OK
Parts Needed: Condenser Assy Refrigerant - R-134A
Tube Assy
Labor: $250.00 Parts: 184.25

Total: $470.63 with a handwritten 6 month guarantee from the service manager.
 
This is why I do all of my own service, from minor to major repairs, on my Mustang as well as all of the other vehicles owned by my family. My work is always better, more reliable and way less expensive.

Yeah, you're getting screwed. Time to take a course in auto mechanics and purchase some good tools. It will pay you back untold $$$ for many years to come.
 
I say yes.

I recently was quoted 1600 bucks for a simple OEM clutch replacement job after my clutch showed signs of failure at 30K miles and within warranty period.


No thanks i'll pay half and get a real clutch installed somewhere else.
 
unless you're going for warranty work, there's no reason to go to a Ford dealer, unless you want to. Find a good, honest mechanic and stay with him. You'll save around 50% right off the top and have someone who's opinion you can trust. There's a reason they call them 'Stealerships'.
 
unless you're going for warranty work, there's no reason to go to a Ford dealer, unless you want to. Find a good, honest mechanic and stay with him. You'll save around 50% right off the top and have someone who's opinion you can trust. There's a reason they call them 'Stealerships'.

x2 ............... I have a cash guy for minor stuff and another "on the books" mechanic for major stuff.
 
Can we say screwed, wusthof? I realize you may not understand how offensive that word is (I was raised in a household that used that word), but it's quite an offensive word.
 
sorry dude...........just because I use it - i should have known not to use it here. Uh yea, I also know what it means and the potential offence of it like many other slang terms used. won't happen again - like the site too much :hail2:
 
Kingofsting- time to figure out the mechanical side of life. Cause you are doing nothing but screwing yourself and your wallet paying someone to do your own work. I have saved roughly 10,000 or so in labor alone on what i have done to my 65 stang. Maybe a class at your local college or just pick up a chilton. Get a set of tools from sears. You can get a basic set for about 150-200 bucks thats really nice for what it is. Get a set of standard and phillips screwdrivers, hammer, rubber mallet, pry-bar, and a set of SAE and Metric Wrenchs, and a breaker bar.. Probably a great start. And you can grow from there getting what you need. In the words of clint eastwood. You can imagine how many tools a man will aquire after a period of 50 years...
 
My mom's t-stat housing and gasket and t-stat were replaced when her housing cracked - it ended up being like $500.

Find yourself a good, honest mechanic. As previously said, I too have a cash guy I go to for quick fixes. His turnaround time is excellent. I'll bring my car to him after work at 5, and pick it up around 9 oclock that night - dirt cheap, too! I also have a major, certifications-galore mechanic I go to for the larger things that are needed, as I can swipe that magic piece of plastic and pay for it later. :nice:
 
Can we say screwed, wusthof? I realize you may not understand how offensive that word is (I was raised in a household that used that word), but it's quite an offensive word.

Since when is the word screwed a vulgar and offensive word?

Maybe it's vulgar and offensive to you because you have a sexual and offensive meaning of it. That may be how you take it but not everyone does.

To many, including me, the meaning of being "screwed" is the common cartoon of it which is that of a "giant threaded hardware screw" being run through someone. That would hurt like heck to most people so thus when you are being "screwed" you are being hurt in some way.

If you want to place other meanings on it, that is up to you. To most it is quite an innocent word when used in the context is was intended.
 
i had a similar problem. i drive an 08 gt. my powersteering whent tight last week so i took it in. i told them from the get go that it was my pump due to my burnt fluid and the come and go of the problem. i took it to the dealership because all other mechanics in my area have lost my trust. i would work on it myself but i am unable to get underneath my car and icannot drive it on ramps because it is too low to the ground. anyways the dealership had my car for about 4 hours and didnot do any work on it at all. all they did was charge me $100 to tell me that the problem was my pump. so then i had to wait about a week for the pump to come in and them change it. total cost was $470. but it works now so i guess thats all that matters. but damn i know it cant be that hard of a fix.
 
Only thing I see wrong is the part about your aftermarket stereo causing the fuel gauge not to work? WTF?? that makes no sense

The rest of the charges sound normal and without seeing the car myself I don't know what it did or did not need.. I don't see bill padding or anything that jumps right out at me.. The fuel injection and TB cleaning is sort of not needed.. It's nice to do but not something that you NEEDED.

I can understand your problem with the serp belt and tensioner not fixing the noise on start up.. That sounds like a tech error for me if the noise is the exact same noise.


I know you said 3 or 4 times for the coolant leak but I only see repairs on the first two visits..

I really don't know how some of the people that responded can say your being ripped off without SEEING the car :shrug: Do some of you guys realize that LI ny is one of the most expensive places in the country for auto service..


No offense but some customers can be insane so I don't know what to think of complaints like this.

LOL I had one female doctor ( you think somebody with a job like that would be smart) send a 3 page letter ( two pages were the copy of the bill with the work they did) ripping us up and down because she brought her son's expedition in for service before a long road trip and we ( I was the tech) missed some stuff it needed and when he was 3000 miles away they did the work..

I replaced a bad ball joint, 4 tires and replaced the tail pipe he smashed backing up. Plus I did a oil change and fuel and air filter.


The work I missed..

BG trans flush, BG fuel injection flush, BG power steering flush, plugs and 8 coils ( lol all 8) ( truck had 40k on it and did not need 8 plugs he had one coil go out during the trip.. **** happens what am I supposed to be a physic? ) they also got her for a T case service and front and rear diff services..


LOL they took the RAPE stick to her.. HARD

So i got a complaint letter for NOT draining her wallet and padding the hell out of the bill :rlaugh:


Anyways.. If this was at the dealer I work for we probably would help you out with this latest problem since you appear to be a good customer. Not saying we would do it for free but we would pay for some of it. most likey deduct the cost of the belt and tensioner repair from the starter repair.

BTW all dealers are independently owned and operated. Any dealers ford took over for whatever reason are sold to other local dealer owners or sometimes they end up as a dealer development store where ford puts somebody in buisness.
 
...I just wanted to see how you guys think I should handle the situation... The only problem is, my father pays for this stuff... I feel terrible because I don't want to see my father being taken advantage of...

Yup, your Dad is being taken advantage of, big-time. By you.

More than anything else, I bet it's your conscience that's bothering you... a good sign you're growing up and will soon be a responsible adult in the working world.

Later, you can pay your Dad back -- with regular phone calls, emails, anniversary parties, grandkid visits, a restored '67 Fastback, or whatever makes him happy.

In the meantime, if this situation seems unresolvable and REALLY bothers you that much, sell the car and use public transportation.

Or maybe talk with Dad about getting a new car for Xmas. :D
 
Since when is the word screwed a vulgar and offensive word?

Maybe it's vulgar and offensive to you because you have a sexual and offensive meaning of it. That may be how you take it but not everyone does.

To many, including me, the meaning of being "screwed" is the common cartoon of it which is that of a "giant threaded hardware screw" being run through someone. That would hurt like heck to most people so thus when you are being "screwed" you are being hurt in some way.

If you want to place other meanings on it, that is up to you. To most it is quite an innocent word when used in the context is was intended.

he meant this word >>> J*wed. whatever, I'm dun! :jaw: