Yes, even the Dealership will lie to you

[02SE]

As a Toyota dealership tech myself, I FULLY understand the dishonesty that happens. I got fired from my last dealership because I kept voicing my opinion about two different techs that continually sold work that wasn't needed. That just pisses me off. How can a company expect to keep customers while bending them over at any cost. I do not recommend anything that I can't bring the customer back and show them the issue. I have more than a few customers that will only let me work on their vehicle due to this. Unfortunately, dealerships are run by number crunchers that could care less about the customer as long as financial goals are being met. The other huge issue is dishonest techs and/or service writers. They are everywhere. Greed runs this country. Unfortunate, but true.:redbrick:

I was a dealer Master Tech myself, about twenty years ago. It was standard operating procedure to try and up-sell the customers at every opportunity. More often than not those 'services' being recommended by other Techs, were unnecessary at that point in time.

Like you, I would only recommend something if it truly was needed, and I could show or document that service to the customer.

I eventually became disgusted with how unethically the dealership in general, and the service department in particular were run, and left to start my own unrelated business.

These days I only work on my own or family member's vehicles, and on race cars that I'm contracted to work on. No up-selling, or other dishonest BS involved.

 

[PitbullRescuer]

As a Toyota dealership tech myself, I FULLY understand the dishonesty that happens. I got fired from my last dealership because I kept voicing my opinion about two different techs that continually sold work that wasn't needed. That just pisses me off. How can a company expect to keep customers while bending them over at any cost. I do not recommend anything that I can't bring the customer back and show them the issue. I have more than a few customers that will only let me work on their vehicle due to this. Unfortunately, dealerships are run by number crunchers that could care less about the customer as long as financial goals are being met. The other huge issue is dishonest techs and/or service writers. They are everywhere. Greed runs this country. Unfortunate, but true.:redbrick:

Ironic that your screen name is Devious. LOL. I applaude you for sticking to your guns. A very good friend of mine was a Toyota Master Tech for about 10 years, he finally left and opened his own shop for similar reasons. It's unreal how many Toyota customers he brought with him. He is very successful now because he did it the right way.

I have been in the mortgage business for 10 years, you can imagine the reputation that goes with that. But, I have done it right, I've never had a complaint filed against me, I've never screwed anyone over and as result I have survived in a pretty volatile business. I haven't made as much money as some other people did but I'm still here and they're not. Now, every mortgage I do is a personal referral. I don't buy leads, haven't worked a lead in a very long time. My dad told me a long time ago that you don't ever want to do something to someone that would keep you from being able to look them in the eye if you saw them afterwards. It's a very simple rule of thumb but it'll carry you a long way.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

Dang guys wish i would of thought up some of the stuff you guys are bringing up. it sucks cause just from this, Everything has come together and i realize that this place seems to be no better than Spiffy Lube changing my oil. Man it sucks when people cut corners. I thought that if i was one of the first to get an oil change today the tech would have taken his time and done everything right.

I wont be able to get back over there today and i'm pretty sure its too late anyway but hopefully when they call for the survey i can voice my opinion and those techs will improve.

i agree 100% with you guys are saying. its just up-selling. Another thing they told me but they emphasized this as more of an opinion. but They told me my brake fluid and power steering fluid is dark and that it could use a flush. Now this i know I've never bled the brakes as far as i can remember so i'm sure it needs done but i may be looking at other options to do this

I think what unnerves most people (me included) is when the dealership does dumb stuff such as what happen to Durk's son at Hyundai (asking to change stuff the car doesn't have), owners catch said dealer being dumb, untrustworthy, or both, and then the owner thinks, jeez, what else have these whackjobs done to my auto that I don't know about?

My mother took her Camry in for an oil change special at a Toy dealership in Charleston SC a couple of years ago (4qts for $10). I looked on the receipt a month later when I came to visit and they charged her $26 for the oil filter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF? I went up the chain to management, literally barking at him on how they could make such an egregious error? He answer, mistakes happen. Tough luck. I slammed the $26 filter on his desk and asked him if it looked like a $26 filter, that we should reference it against what was in stock. He told me to leave or the cops would be called. I guess now since dealers cannot make as much on new autos as they did ten years ago, they have to make up for it somewhere else.

BTW,the ownership was forced out and hauled into court two years later due to a class action lawsuit brought on by other pissed-off customers.

man im gonna have to look at my receipt cause this oil change was a little more expensive then it usually is i think. i gotta go look at some of the records but im thinking i may have one of those $26 filters on there haha that sucks though. criminals!

its crazy i sometimes feel that the newer cars are built to break so they can get repaired and the circle of life "to say" continues its flow

I see your point



To the OP....Next time they offer you a service like that, ask them to show you what they are talking about. That way you're standing in front of the problem and he can show you what he's talking about. It will be easy to bust him on it at that point.

haha that made me laugh. just picturing this guy talking smack about my TB then asking him to show me. that would have been worth it, just having him try to describe invisible carbon build up. dang it!

 

[LittleCaesar]

Ford is probably the best when it comes to preventing DIY maintenance these days. My buddy is a parts supplier for Motorcraft and told me the other week that the SYNC modules and brain, if they go south and they have, are not covered under warranty and are about a $3500 fix since: 1. they are built now per car, not as a car + inventory surplus 2. the system has to be reprogrammed, which you know no $15/hr tech can do. I don't know if it is a built to break or fail timeline they use or whether not enough R&D is done before launching the auto.

But even with all the hazing here, there are still some good dealers with service departments out there. For my dad's trucks, his GM dealer is an A+.

 

[iowajosh]

If you're in a business where people get dirty, don't trust anyone in a clean white shirt. Its kinda like office space where the guy's job is to talk to people because engineers can't talk to people.

 

[Toms97]

I do the vast majority of my own work on my vehicles but there are times when I need someone else with the right tools for the job. Of course this is usually for tires and alignments but even as infrequent as that is I have long since given up on any dealership in my area. I ended up going with a local shop where the guy knows his sh** and always offers to show you what he is talking about, he doesn't make you ask, he offers right from the start of the conversation.

Point is, just because its a dealership I still don't expect them to know what they are doing. They can mess up or have that one idiot tech just like anyone else. I don't walk in there with the idea that they will ever be any more honest with me than they think they have to be. So, I asked around and found a mechanic who is honest and who knows what he is doing. I think this is the best route to go. There isn't a dam thing the dealership can do for me that he can't and that includes him getting his hands on OEM parts, so I don't feel the need to bother with them anymore.

 

[Rock Slide]

Pikeman, yours about takes the cake. That blows. I'd never go back to that dealer. All this betrayal has made me want to post. :bigok: Here's my 3 stories...


1. About 10yrs ago, I owned an '86 4Runner lifted/locked yada yada. Would hear a mysterious pop sound every time I took off from 1st gear. Couldn't find the problem, gave up and took it to a Toy Dealer to see if they could find it.

Service writer came back about an hour later and said the "lift" on my truck caused my driveshaft to bend and it was going to cost me $1,600.00 to have it replaced. I laughed right in his face and left. What a joke...you could literally stoop down and see my driveshaft was straight as an arrow.

It pissed me off enough, that when I got back home, I crawled back under there and found the problem...my rear leaf blocks had caused the spring plates to loosen slightly and thus causing a bit of axle wrap...thus the pop. I ordered new full length springs (as I never did like the choice to add lift blocks), chunked the blocks, installed the new springs and guess what, no more pop.


2. Two years ago, another Toy Dealer close by, tried to get me to pay them $1,000.00 to replace 2 working catalytic converters! Instead, I found the problem and fixed it for free. Yet another mysterious noise I could not find on my current '02 4Runner that I hoped my new Dealer could find. Check out my full rant on YT...I even posted video of before and after the fix: Baffle Broken Inside Cat Converter...How to Fix? - YotaTech Forums.


3. Just 2wks ago, my sis-in-law had me drive her '02 4Runner to her Toy dealer to have her Timing belt/water pump replaced. I stopped that morning and bought a bottled water and threw the $0.95 cents in change in the ashtray, put the dollars in my pocket. Dropped the 4Runner off at the dealer and came back that afternoon to pick it up.

Came back, picked it up and about 15mins down the road I remembered the 3 quarters & 2 dimes I threw in the ashtray...opened the ashtray, and guess what, only the 2 dimes were still there...quarters were gone! The freaking audacity someone has to steal money from me, yet leave some behind as if I wouldn't notice anything missing. I mean, come on, .75 cents...hell, just ask.


As you can see, I'm very leary of dealers and do my best to do all my own work...

 

[Nelsonmd]

Yeah, I think we've all probably got stories about shops...

My Pastor took his 96 LTD into a Meineke (the owner is well known by a number of my friends and is a good guy) because he was leaking gear oil from the rear diff. The guy there told him that the cost of repair was more than the value of the vehicle, so wasn't worth repairing. I got under there and cleaned off the rust, found no holes, so checked the diff seal and found the bottom 3 carrier nuts were loose. Tightened them up and the leak was gone. From totaled to free in 5 easy minutes...

I guess the techs there are not as honest as the owner.

 

[brian4t]

Two weeks ago I was quoted $420 to replace my MAF. That's right $420! I told the service writer to simply add the $40 diag. fee to my bill at the parts dept, he left and came back with $210.00. I would have to pay the diag. fee anyway so I just told him to install it...

 

[GottaBeTRD]

wow guys good stories! I think i've had similar experiences with the MAF and other things like you guys and when I first bought the truck im pretty sure I paid some of those prices you guys did. dammit!

Guess what i found though? the story gets even worse. So the night before i was leaving school I noticed my throttle response was a little off and i thought it was just because I may have flooded the engine a little when I took those pics opening the TB. It stopped after my truck warmed up so i thought all was fine. Well... the next day I started for my 500 mile trip home for the holiday, i notice my throttle response was even worse, my truck was running like crap. I was freaking out. I was wondering what they did to my truck for rejecting their recommendations

As i was listening to everything to try and diagnose the problem. I could hear a pretty loud vacuum leak when i pressed down on the gas. So first thing i think is my air filter. (i have a Volant CAI) I take the lid off of the intake and sure enough, my filter is off of the pipe just sitting there hanging out in the box LOL so all this time my intake was sucking all this unfiltered air. i was like WTF?

Anyway, im not sure if i accidentally knocked it off snapping those pics but the filter is pretty hard to take off. the only way to get it off is by loosening the clamp. I mean i can pull on the filter and its not gonna come off. It even has a little hook to lock the filter in place. So yeah i'm not putting the blame on them 100% but wow! I wonder what they would of charged me for this haha

 

[fightman80]

I'll never take my truck into the Stealership for work ever! I once got a rear axle seal done there, as the previous small time shop I brought it to, didn't repair it properly. When I got in, I told them not to charge me for the Gear oil to top off the rear diff....as I had some in the back seat they could use.....instead....they charged for a can of Brake Cleaner....for cleaning my brake shoes and drums! Give me a break!!

I've read all your horror stories....and am glad none of you fell for the "You need to change the Halogen Fluid in your headlights" line! lol! I've heard stories of that kinda stuff going on at some shops....but mostly to young unsuspecting women.......:flamethrwoer2:

I don't know how people can live with themselves after doing stuff like that to customers!

 

[Supra725]

here's another story..

when my starter started to quit, I went into the stealership for the starter contacts.. and before I made the purchase, I asked them ' if it doesn't fit, can I return it ' , they said ' sure ' ..

went back to my house, got the wrong parts.. and the guy at the counter said in an moody tone of voice ' I can't take this back ' . at that point, I was about to go Donkey Kong on his booty..

second story..

same dealer.. they have an rent a car program.. 1 month before my trip, I made the apportionment to rent an Sienna for two different weeks.. first time went fine but second time is when they screw me over.. 2 days before my trip, they called ' Hi, due to an recall, we are not able to rent out our Sienna's ' , I was like, ' is 2 days before Christmas, how on earth am I going to rent a car? ' , their response ' try enterprise '.. I called every dealership within 100 miles from me...NOTHING......

once is enough, but twice... they can take that sienna's and shove it up their bottom..

 

[ALBPM]

I think maybe you should rethink this...

Call him out on it. Make him show you. Nice folks don't rip off other nice folks.

Honestly, if you really do like the place and they lied like this, I'd speak to the manager and tell him how this dishonesty makes you question your loyalty. His response to that will tell you whether they are really worth your loyalty or not. If they've done good honest work in the past, then maybe it was just the tech trying to get commission work or something.

I did this a year ago regarding my Throttle Body which was spotless after my cleaning and a couple other things. I got an apology from both the Service and Customer Relations Managers and I get treated with a lot more respect when I call for appointments.
Also, I approached the situation as a training issue and didn't get belligerent.

So now, following even just Oil Changes the Customer Service Mgr calls me to see how they did....

 

[jrm]

service mgrs are sales guys

the more they can bill beyond parts the more money they make. i worked for a Porsche/audi dealer once processing warrenties. i'd see these guys work people over big time.

 

[aeroneer1]

That's why I wont go there or anywhere. The only thing I would think about having them do is the Timing belt, but I think I can do that on my own too.

At least you were smart enough to know all they do there is blow hot air.

Exactly same for me, I will do everything else. But thinking of having stealership do timing belt. I mine the price isn't bad for labor actually, and they'll wash your car for ya.

 

[Qyota]

I had an alignment done recently, and I was called during the service appointment by the young service "writer". He told me my power steering fluid could use a flush, and asked if I wanted it done now.

Interestingly, I had - the night before - just filled the steering system with brand new ATF, since I replaced the steering rack and pressure lines. So, in effect, I had JUST flushed the power steering fluid not 24 hours prior.

Think they even opened the hood? Let alone the PS cap?

Dorks.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

interesting this thread came back. I'm about due for another oil change. If they try to "warn" me again I'm gonna call them out on it like you did ALBPM.

They sent me a survey thing and I filled it out with everything that happened in my last visits. Did i hear anything back? Nope... and its been since November I think?? If it happens again, im gonna have to go verbal and see if i can get the respect that way.

 

[Shawn5800]

"Professionals" who work at dealerships and lie to customers are in breach of the ethics they surely learned. A proper professional makes all known issues with a vehicle know to the customer-These issues must be translated in a simple manner free of false information.

I tell my customers and managers when a tool needs servicing or replacement when it actually needs it. I expect the same from every who calls themselves a "professional"