Im an ex-service writer, what do you want to know?

HEMI LOL

Twin Screwed
Established Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
3,569
Location
Tacoma
what have you always wanted to know or suspected about dealer service departments? ill tell you the truth.
 

FIVEHOE

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2012
Messages
1,530
Location
AZ
Lol I’m sure you guys rip on those cars just as bad as we did when I worked valet...
 

HEMI LOL

Twin Screwed
Established Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
3,569
Location
Tacoma
Lol I’m sure you guys rip on those cars just as bad as we did when I worked valet...
where I was it was actually pretty good. my guys never really joy-rode customer cars. although the brand I worked for made NOTHING remote exciting so it kinda made that easy.
 

ajaf1656

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
2,003
Location
Boise
I had a buddy in the AF who had to take his 2003(ish) Roush into the dealer for some reason. While it was parked in the back it got jacked, basically everything that made it different from a GT was stripped off and it was found on milk crates. We all thought it was an inside job. Another friend's dad was the parts manager at the dealership and couldn't dig anything out of the other employees. It was just hard to believe that an insured car got parked behind a dealership, locked behind a gate and stripped of every specific part without it being a service employee who knew it was there and what it had that was valuable. You ever hear of that type of thing?
 

velocicaur

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Messages
221
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
How much were you "forced/pressured" to up-sell and how many people took it? Do you feel like you took advantage of the unknowing because of this? Do you feel like your morals changed while there?

*I know there are plenty of good people and dealerships out there that do their best. At the same time, the lines can get shady over time when you're working on commission, pressure from above, etc. This applies to many professions but car dealers definitely have one of the worst reputations.
 

Outlaw99

Join us.
Moderator
Premium Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Messages
18,102
Location
North Carolina
I worked at a dealership in F&I years back. Bought my used jeep there. After I purchased, a service advisor told me what they had done to it and said I could easily fix. They pulled the vacuum hose off so my blend vents wouldn't work. They also loosened a airbag connection under my seat and a few other similar things. All designed to get customers back in to pay to fix things. We also told people we filled tires with nitrogen and charged them....we didn't even stock nitrogen.

After working at a dealership and knowing what I know now, I will never, as long as I live ever take any vehicle I own to a dealership for anything.

Sent from my SM-G986U using the svtperformance.com mobile app
 

13COBRA

Resident Ford Dealer
Established Member
Premium Member
Single Barrel Sirs
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
22,317
Location
Missouri
I worked at a dealership in F&I years back. Bought my used jeep there. After I purchased, a service advisor told me what they had done to it and said I could easily fix. They pulled the vacuum hose off so my blend vents wouldn't work. They also loosened a airbag connection under my seat and a few other similar things. All designed to get customers back in to pay to fix things. We also told people we filled tires with nitrogen and charged them....we didn't even stock nitrogen.

After working at a dealership and knowing what I know now, I will never, as long as I live ever take any vehicle I own to a dealership for anything.

Sent from my SM-G986U using the svtperformance.com mobile app
Sounds like you worked at an incredibly shady and unlawful dealership. Once you found out they tampered with the airbag, you should've filed a lawsuit and retired.

Sent from my Potato
 

PhoenixM3

Hello Kitty Slayer
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
6,343
Location
Colorado Springs
They pulled the vacuum hose off so my blend vents wouldn't work....

Sent from my SM-G986U using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Fiesta STS are notorious for blend motor failure, and I took my car in for what I thought would be a warranty repair. I knew that I could do it myself, but it is a bit of a PITA. The service advisor told me they’d have to remove the dash, which I knew was B.S. It was maybe a 20 minute job which only required removal of the panel beneath the steering column. To date, I haven’t bought a car from a dealer in CO.
 

Ramairgt1

ST 'D
Established Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
929
Location
NE Georgia
Took a 2005 TL in for a transmission issue back in the day and ended up with this thanks to the tech taking it home.
thumbnail_DSCN16901.jpg
 

Ramairgt1

ST 'D
Established Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
929
Location
NE Georgia
Well, did they solve the transmission issue?

lol

That sucks, what was the solution accepted for that shit?

Went back and forth with them until A lawyer friend of mine sent them a letter. They changed their tune after that and I ended up getting every penny I put into that car. It only had 1k miles on it when it was totaled.
 

Black Gold 380R

Multiple SVT Collector
Established Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
5,580
Location
El Paso, TX
I worked at a dealership in F&I years back. Bought my used jeep there. After I purchased, a service advisor told me what they had done to it and said I could easily fix. They pulled the vacuum hose off so my blend vents wouldn't work. They also loosened a airbag connection under my seat and a few other similar things. All designed to get customers back in to pay to fix things. We also told people we filled tires with nitrogen and charged them....we didn't even stock nitrogen.

After working at a dealership and knowing what I know now, I will never, as long as I live ever take any vehicle I own to a dealership for anything.

Bunch of scum bags. It's stories like this why I don't deal with dealerships unless it's absolutely necessary.

You should provide this dealerships name so no one else goes their either.

My brother was a service writer for years. He worked for the local Ford, Honda and Buick dealerships. He has never told me any stories about such unscrupulous behavior/tactics from any of those dealerships. Yes he complained about the pressure of working for commission and upselling tactics, but never out right deceiving the customer. He did say the Honda dealership used to hand out comment cards to the customers and he would get pissed because most complaints came from work the mechanic did, but if the customer gave a bad review/comment it would reflect negatively on him. Needless to say he is no longer working as a service writer.
 

08mojo

...
Established Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2012
Messages
2,681
Location
Atlanta, GA
Obviously there are exceptions, but are the majority of service advisors car-illiterate? On a rare occasion, I get someone who actually enjoys cars and is an enthusiast. It seems the rest of them don't know the difference between a lug-nut and an air filter.
 

5.0 Hatch

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Messages
1,152
Location
Gulf coast
I'm hesitant to bring my vehicles in for anything even under warranty. I once brought my Tacoma in for a recall and while there, the service guy comes out with my air filter to show me how dirty it was and asked if I wanted it replaced. I politely told them no thanks since it wasn't dirty at all. 6 months and 15k miles later while at home checking fluids, etc. I found they never put the filter back in.
 

Crimson2v

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Messages
3,254
Location
North Carolina
I worked at a dealership in F&I years back. Bought my used jeep there. After I purchased, a service advisor told me what they had done to it and said I could easily fix. They pulled the vacuum hose off so my blend vents wouldn't work. They also loosened a airbag connection under my seat and a few other similar things. All designed to get customers back in to pay to fix things. We also told people we filled tires with nitrogen and charged them....we didn't even stock nitrogen.

After working at a dealership and knowing what I know now, I will never, as long as I live ever take any vehicle I own to a dealership for anything.

Sent from my SM-G986U using the svtperformance.com mobile app
I brought my Tundra in for an airbag recall and on the way home the airbag light came on. I called them back and he said they’d look at it but would charge be diag. I told them forget about it. I found the plug under the passenger seat disconnected.
 

Users who are viewing this thread



Top