Worst dealer experience ever

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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

No local news up here unfortunately but we do have a highly active local FB page. I think I'll be posting there as well as doing a YouTube video.
82 J10
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You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

SJTD wrote:What does that tell you about the other dealers?
That they're not worth dealing with either and I'll never be buying another FCA product again.
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You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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Shagoneer
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Shagoneer »

When I was having problems with a ford dealership years ago, I wrote them an email and CC'd the local newspaper, and then I wrote to the BBB. They fixed the issue real quick after that.
Definitely start taking pictures and documenting everything in case in does come down to a court case
In the market for a new FSJ
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REDONE
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by REDONE »

Yeah, I know I said not to mention legal action, but your financial injury is approaching the same $$$ as the retainer for a lawyer. That's the breaking point in my perspective. It's time to seek a consultation to see if you have sufficient evidence for a case.
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yz400e
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by yz400e »

Geez, what a nightmare. Much worse than mine. Until I saw you were from Colorado, I was sure you had taken it to the dealership in Whitefish MT

I hope you can get it resolved.
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fulsizjeep
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by fulsizjeep »

Just think of all the fun we would have if the "new" GW is released under conditions like this?
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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

fulsizjeep wrote:Just think of all the fun we would have if the "new" GW is released under conditions like this?
I know, right?
82 J10
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You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

Chrysler ended up assigning a new case manager to the case. I'm told the old case manager's promise to have my Jeep detailed will not be honored and that she was unaware of this situation. The dealer had left the windows open on the JK the entire time it was there during monsoon season which led to a wet interior with standing water on the floorboards. It's a Jeep, meant to be submerged but still!

I ended up getting the dealer to refund the rental car charge, told them I would not be leaving until they addressed it. Problem solved.

While I was loitering at the dealer one of the sales associates was chatting with me and told me the dealer is so short staffed they've got salesman doing diagnostic work because they have no technicians.

Spoke in depth with the new case manager and was told unless the Jeep is dumping antifreeze or oil onto the ground and blatantly obvious they will not do anything, end of discussion. She seems to believe the dealership's claim of diagnosing the jeep in depth even though only 1.5 miles were put on the Jeep, instead of the claimed 250, and it left with the MIL flashing away. She suggested I confused the traction control light with the check engine light.

The new case manager instructed me to make an appointment with a new dealership but everyone is booked out well in advance. Can't afford to go around in circles when this is my daily driver.

I ended up trading the Jeep in over the weekend, on a Chevy. Literally on my way to the dealer the head gasket let go....heat on full blast, blowing cold air. The dealership is familiar with the head issues on the 2012's and they did not penalize me for it.

I really loved my JK and I love the Jeep brand but after this whole fiasco I don't think I'll ever buy another new Jeep. Chrysler's customer service sucks to say the least. This whole situation never had to happen and could have been easily avoided.
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You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

...wow.
Just...wow.

bigun
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by bigun »

Bummer on the problem with the Fiat dealership, hopefully the Chev will work out for you!

SJTD
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by SJTD »

I suspect the problem is that they sell all the JK's, or whatever the current version is, that they can make so they aren't worried about an individual with a lemon.

There's really no competition in the US market for a "Jeep".
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Reminds me of how they "handled" the issue with the 4.0 bad cylinder head.
Anyone buying a used JK should be highly suspicious or plan on a motor swap from the get go.
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Cecil14
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Cecil14 »

tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:Reminds me of how they "handled" the issue with the 4.0 bad cylinder head.
Anyone buying a used JK should be highly suspicious or plan on a motor swap from the get go.
Honestly, and I know this is an unpopular opinion here, but anyone buying any Jeep product (or Chryo/Fiat for that matter) should just not. I love my Jeep as much as the next person, but Chryo has had so many quality problems over the last 20+ years it is absolutely astonishing that they're still in business. That's not really restricted to Chryo/Fiat/Jeep, it goes for the entire auto industry (and many others). The best way to force a company to improve their product is to demonstrate that they will go out of business unless they do otherwise. The automotive industry as a whole really needs to be knocked down a peg (I know, I've been inside for ~14 years). As long as people continue funding things, there's no reason to make any changes.


aa
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Cecil14 wrote:
tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:Reminds me of how they "handled" the issue with the 4.0 bad cylinder head.
Anyone buying a used JK should be highly suspicious or plan on a motor swap from the get go.
Honestly, and I know this is an unpopular opinion here, but anyone buying any Jeep product (or Chryo/Fiat for that matter) should just not. I love my Jeep as much as the next person, but Chryo has had so many quality problems over the last 20+ years it is absolutely astonishing that they're still in business. That's not really restricted to Chryo/Fiat/Jeep, it goes for the entire auto industry (and many others). The best way to force a company to improve their product is to demonstrate that they will go out of business unless they do otherwise. The automotive industry as a whole really needs to be knocked down a peg (I know, I've been inside for ~14 years). As long as people continue funding things, there's no reason to make any changes.


aa
Kinda hard to vote with ones dollars when the auto company has such deep pockets. Look at VW (now likely BMW, MB, And others) and how they were affected from diesel cheating. It's cost them LARGE $$ but they keep on making money. Look at US companies. How many were failing (perhaps as a result of people voting with dollars) and then the Gov steps ok n and saves them.
Short of building one's own vehicle I don't see any auto manufacturer who offers a product new I'd consider worth the exorbitant cost.
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Cecil14
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Cecil14 »

tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:Kinda hard to vote with ones dollars when the auto company has such deep pockets. Look at VW (now likely BMW, MB, And others) and how they were affected from diesel cheating. It's cost them LARGE $$ but they keep on making money. Look at US companies. How many were failing (perhaps as a result of people voting with dollars) and then the Gov steps ok n and saves them.
Short of building one's own vehicle I don't see any auto manufacturer who offers a product new I'd consider worth the exorbitant cost.
It's a tough equation, no doubt. The telecommunications and energy industries are in the same boat. Used cars would go a long way towards the auto problem. Most people are simply not willing to inconvenience themselves for any reason, even the smallest amount, in the short term for long term gain, though.

Humanity: the ultimate in shortsightedness.

aa
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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

tedlovesjeeps71 wrote: Anyone buying a used JK should be highly suspicious or plan on a motor swap from the get go.
It's funny you mention this. When I was at the Chevy dealer cleaning out my glovebox I flipped thru the owners manual pouch and found 2 work orders from the original owner. At 11ooo miles the oil pump solenoid went out. Had trouble deciphering the invoice but I couldn't tell whether they just replaced it or did the entire engine at 11ooo miles. I bought the Jeep with 20ooo on the clock. Always, ALWAYS had wicked bad spark knock (like worse than FSJ bad) and there was a tap in the engine if you listen thru the gear shift.

The one thing I'll give that Jeep is the fuel mileage. 23MPG commuting across a MTN pass every day and 26 in the flatlands.
Last edited by Grand_Wag_85 on Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

bigun wrote:Bummer on the problem with the Fiat dealership, hopefully the Chev will work out for you!
I'm thinking it will be alright. In the last 36 hours I put 600 miles on it and it hasn't skipped a beat.
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You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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derf
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by derf »

I just picked up a daily driver. Thought about a Grand Cherokee. Thought about one of the car based Jeeps. It's for daily driving after all.

But I never went to the Jeep dealer. Picked up a Subaru instead. I've been lucky with my 2012 JK but it doesn't make sense to tempt fate too often.
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Stuka
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Stuka »

tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:Reminds me of how they "handled" the issue with the 4.0 bad cylinder head.
Anyone buying a used JK should be highly suspicious or plan on a motor swap from the get go.
2012's are really the only year with engine issues. The old 3.8L can have oil burning issues, but my old '08 2dr that I owned for 9 years and traded in last year never had a single mechanical issue (I had two TSB's done, but they were minor). It was actually a super reliable Jeep, and I still see it being driven by the new owner pretty regularly.

So far my '17 has had no issues. I do hear a heat shield vibrate at very specific load/rpm, but people don't even notice it unless I point it out. But, being that its the 10th year of the JK, I pretty much expect it to have all the bugs worked out.

The new JL's do have several common issues. Which is normal for first model year vehicles. (NEVER buy a first model year vehicle, from any company).
Grand_Wag_85 wrote:
bigun wrote:Bummer on the problem with the Fiat dealership, hopefully the Chev will work out for you!
I'm thinking it will be alright. In the last 36 hours I put 600 miles on it and it hasn't skipped a beat.
What did you end up getting?
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Grand_Wag_85
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Re: Worst dealer experience ever

Post by Grand_Wag_85 »

Stuka, don't get me wrong the JK was always dead reliable but these last 4 months it just started to get silly with the oil and coolant consumption. Aside from all that I haven't done anything other than oil changes, brakes and tires. Aside from the cylinder head issues I thought it was pretty durable. Over the past year I've come to the conclusion I need a truck and the head fiasco gave me the extra persuasion.

Got an older Duramax Silverado, 2004 2500HD with the LLY. Pretty clean truck, almost every bell and whistle. Chevy dealer was generous with the trade in. Went up to Idaho to get it because every one of those around locally either has way too many miles or is really beat up.

Now that I've got a tow rig next comes me actually getting off my @$$ and building the Gladiator
82 J10
77 J10 Golden Eagle 401
88 GW

You know it's bad when your car is on the EPA's 10 most wanted list!
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