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What is up with the service department???

5K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  Flyinghigh 
#1 ·
Hey gang! Yes, I'm still alive and well and yes, we still have both our Calibers. They've both pretty much performed flawlessly so i really have little to ask or offer these days, so that's why I rarely post anymore. Anyway, the R/T recently crossed the 100,000 mile mark, and, since it came with the Lifetime Drive-train Warranty, I've always had the dealer do all the required services so there's never (never say never!), less likely, any questions IF something goes wrong on a covered component. At the last oil change the service writer reminded me the there's a 'required service' at 102,000 miles. That being, a coolant flush and replace, and a replace timing belt. He quoted me a price, roughly three car payments :wow:, and asked if I wanted them to do it. He told me I didn't HAVE to have them do it, any shop would do. I reminded him why I had all my service done at the dealership and he agreed that was a good reason. I couldn't schedule it right then because I knew it'd be an all day job and I would need to know what day the wife would be off. So, I called the next day and scheduled the upcoming Tuesday. I called on Thursday, four business days before the service date. So, we drop the car off FIRST THING Tuesday and head home waiting for the call that it's ready. PM the phone rings, it's Rick, the service writer. "Mike, we've got a problem, the timing belt hasn't come it yet. You can come get your car, or we can put you in a loaner." I ask when the belt should be there and he says, 'anytime'. So I ask when can I pick up the loaner and he says anytime between 5-6. I ask when the R/T will be done, he says 5 pm Wednesday. Fine, the wife will need a car the next day to get to work well before her Caliber could reasonably be done. We head down to the dealer and he gives us a darn near brand new Journey SXT. No kidding, it's got like 600 miles on it and is luxed out nice. Cool, she can drive that to work no sweat. :smileup: So, Wednesday comes and goes, don't hear a peep from the dealer. I call at, like a minute past 6, and the service department is closed. No biggie, the wife won't be home until after Midnight anyway. The next day I call the dealer again. "Well, Mike, I knew you guys had the nice loaner, and the shop was pretty backed up today, so I went ahead and let yours sit, I figured it wouldn't be a big problem." The only problem I mentioned was, it doesn't get anywhere near the mileage we're used to, and it doesn't, that V6 is thirsty. So, here we are, Friday the Thirteenth, wife has , once again taken the Journey to work. I call the dealer at 4 pm and he says they are waiting on another part, (can't remember what he said, a tensioner maybe?) and to go ahead keep the loaner for the weekend. "I told him she had already gone to work and wouldn't be home until tomorrow (double shift). So, I take my unbroken car in for a 'required' service and, unless we get it back before 1 pm Monday, the next time she works, we'll have had their loaner for a full week. when all that's was needed was about 6 hours service... :4-looney:
Again, it's not so much a problem as it just fails to make a lick of sense. Any thoughts? I have all weekend.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Timing Belt? World Engine with a chain driven cam?
The "Service Advisor" is a total idiot, playing you for an idiot!

I'd have just done the cooling system myself.

Well, crapo. I know I read the owners manual right myself, buy I don't have HERS handy, mine (SRT) doesn't mention anything about the "timing belt", but I'm fairly sure hers does... I know it has a chain, I figured it was pretty much verbal simantics... Now I'm not so sure.:doh:I'll be taking another trip to the dealer tomorrow to see what the deal is.
 
#4 ·
Wow! To me that's pretty crappy customer service. Since you had a nice loaner he figured you wouldn't mind if he just let yours sit?? I think a phone call was in order here to see if YOU wanted to just let yours sit while someone else got their car on time. What a crock! I don't know about you, Mike, but I'd definitely be having a little chat with the service manager about customer service and a discount on the price of the job after that. Of course, I've been told I'm pretty much a sorry s.o.b. to deal with when it comes to stuff like that! And I thought all of the engines in the Calibers were timing chains without scheduled replacement intervals. Guess I was wrong on that one too.
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Wow! To me that's pretty crappy customer service. Since you had a nice loaner he figured you wouldn't mind if he just let yours sit?? I think a phone call was in order here to see if YOU wanted to just let yours sit while someone else got their car on time. What a crock! I don't know about you, Mike, but I'd definitely be having a little chat with the service manager about customer service and a discount on the price of the job after that. Of course, I've been told I'm pretty much a sorry s.o.b. to deal with when it comes to stuff like that! And I thought all of the engines in the Calibers were timing chains without scheduled replacement intervals. Guess I was wrong on that one too.
Well, they are all chains. Not sure what the deal is. Is this a misprint??? That's from the 2008 PDF manual on this site!

Good freaking gravey.
You can be an S.O.B. to deal with? These guys have no clue what a pissed off Mike Turk is like. I'm stuck at home tonight, the kids are in bed and the wife is putting in a double over night, but a buddy just drove through the dealer lot, my R/T is still sitting where it's been parked for 5 days straight now. :shakehead:
 
#8 ·
The Diesel Caliber is the only engine with a timing belt. All gas engines have chains (as Dave mentioned before).
 
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#9 ·
Yes, that's clear now. I'm going down there this morning when the wife gets home, and have a first hand look. Best as I can figure, they haven't done anything to it YET. Hopefully, this just works out to an extended "test drive" of a new Dodge Journey.
 
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#10 ·
Yes, that's clear now. I'm going down there this morning when the wife gets home, and have a first hand look. Best as I can figure, they haven't done anything to it YET. Hopefully, this just works out to an extended "test drive" of a new Dodge Journey.
Hmmm - never thought of that - a sales ploy! Tricky!!
Those guys are good!! For whatever reason, they want to "move" the loaner they gave you.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Round one: Wife got home this morning. I get her keys, jump in the Journey and off to the dealer. Surprisingly, the service depart was open, young guy working the counter. Before even talking to him, I go over, unlock the R/T and pop the hood. Without question, NOTHING has been touched in any way, form or fashion. 100% of the dirt is intact, coolant level perfect. I shut the hood and go to the service desk. Once he's finished with the customer ahead of me, he turns his attention my way. "What's up Mike?" "I'm not happy. Not happy AT ALL." "What's the problem?" "Seems I've been waiting 5 days for a service that not only isn't required, it's down right impossible!" "What do you mean?" "THAT CAR DOESN'T HAVE A TIMING BELT, IT HAS A CHAIN THAT NEVER NEEDS REPLACEMENT!!!" "Unless it breaks." he adds. "IT"S NOT BROKEN!!! THE CAR IS PERFECTLY OPERATIONAL, STILL!!! It hasn't been touched!" He tells me there are lots of notes on my service ticket, "We're waiting on a tensioner." I ask how they can possibly know it needs an a tensioner if the thing's never been cracked into??? For that matter, why wasn't I simply informed, 'Opps, we made a mistake, you car doesn't have a belt, it's a chain, and it doesn't need service'? WHY??? Why jerk me around for 5 days at all???" I make him go with me to see the filth covered engine. "Show me where anything has been touched!" Okay, well I guess we'll get on it first thing Monday. "No, you will not. I don't want you guys working on my car, AT ALL, it doesn't seem you know enough about it TO work on it!" I point out I have enough things on my plate, including two autistic children, I don't need a dealer trying to suck more than two car payments out of my bank account for phantom services I don't need! The poor kid, who really didn't deserve my wrath apologized some more, asked me I could go ahead and leave it till Monday when the head service writer would be there. With all the notes and everything else, he would feel better about it. I stressed once again, they were not to TOUCH the car again, and I would wait until Monday morning. He offered me a different loaner if the gas mileage was a problem. I pointed to a red Challenger R/T that was sitting near where I picked up the Journey. "Is that one a loaner?" "No, it'd be an Avenger." "I'll stick withe the Journey for now. Thanks." And I came home. We'll see how round two goes Monday morning. I'll be there personally again.
 
#15 ·
I'm betting that some major ass kissing is coming your way, Mike. If not, I'm guessing that you'll be severing ties with that particular dealer and taking your business elsewhere.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Round two and the total knock out: Got up early this morning, jumped in the Journey and drove to the dealer. As I'm pulling up my wife calls to tell me the dealer just called, I don't answer. The service writer is walking out toward me, "Mike, I just called your wife, she said you were on your way, what seems to be the problem?" I say, "I'll give you one opportunity to end this quickly and painlessly, you say to me, 'Mike, I'm sorry, it seems we've made a grave error, I apologize for any inconvenience, here are your keys.'" His foolishly didn't take me up on the offer. "What's the problem?" I take out my verbal shotgun and unleash both barrels on him. I start with them attempting to sell me a phantom service, that not only isn't required, it's downright impossible! Followed up with what they SHOULD have done when they realized it didn't have a belt at all, it's a chain, that never needs replacement, Chrysler's words, not mine. I ask why I wasn't informed it had a Chain, not a belt the first day he called. He says, oh yes, it's a chain of course. I ask, then why keep calling it a timing BELT? The only way to confuse a chain with a belt is if you're a hard core biker or a heavy metal rocker. With that, several "F" bombs were dropped as well as stating that I can only come to these two conclusions, ether you guys are incompetent, or crooks, with the possible third option of all of the above. Given that, I don't want you working on my car ever again, give me my keys, please. Keys were produced along with several other forms of apology. I took them, bid them, Good day', and left.
Called the next closest dealer and scheduled the coolant flush and replacement for next week. So, that's should be the end of the story, I hope. Thanks to all for the help and encouragement.
 
#18 ·
Interesting story, indeed! Weird dealership.
 
#19 ·
the whole story seems to suggest they were trying to get you interested in a Journey..
but it seems like you won.. no milage was put on your Caliber and you got to wear out their Journey...I went to look at the Dart this morning. they had it out front it was covered with the carbon fiber graphics said rally sport.. as soon as I walked up to it I had a dealer on my butt so I took off...I am going to wait a couple years before I test one..
 
#20 ·
Glad to hear you got them straightened out, Mike. I'd relay that story to the new dealership's personnel, just to let them know you're not an idiot and won't be taken for a ride.
 
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