car dealer reliability???

When living in the Midwest and having over time found an honest and skilled mechanic, I would take my vehicles to him when they were out of warranty.

Now, I don't know any honest & skilled mechanics where I live and don't want to go through the trial and error to find one. Plus, my car is under total warranty for a long time. When it gets close to ending, I'll sell and get another under long dealer warranty. Maybe certified pre-owned.

My tires do need replacing sometime in the next month though. Out of my pocket, of course. Though the battery was replaced under warranty. That surprised me.
 
Well it happened again. Daughter took her car to her local dealer yesterday (think it was the Dodge dealer but they have several locations with several brands). She took it for an oil change, tire rotation and supposed to do complimentary car wash and 21 point inspection. They told her she needed front pads and rotors ($320 quote). I told her I would do them this morning. So she picks the car up and it wasn't washed. No big deal. They said they forgot so ran it through. Still no big deal. So she comes over this morning after going to Advanced Auto and spent $120 for pads and rotors. So I get done and notice her one tire looked low. I'm thinking can't be low I'm sure they would have checked that when they rotated the tires or did the 21 point inspection??? The tires say 51 PSI max. 3 were at 32 and 1 was at 30 so obviously they didn't check them.

These are minor issues but the totality of the circumstances is a little over the top. This was a separate dealership from the others I mentioned earlier.
 
boatman37 said:
Well it happened again. Daughter took her car to her local dealer yesterday (think it was the Dodge dealer but they have several locations with several brands). She took it for an oil change, tire rotation and supposed to do complimentary car wash and 21 point inspection. They told her she needed front pads and rotors ($320 quote). I told her I would do them this morning. So she picks the car up and it wasn't washed. No big deal. They said they forgot so ran it through. Still no big deal. So she comes over this morning after going to Advanced Auto and spent $120 for pads and rotors. So I get done and notice her one tire looked low. I'm thinking can't be low I'm sure they would have checked that when they rotated the tires or did the 21 point inspection??? The tires say 51 PSI max. 3 were at 32 and 1 was at 30 so obviously they didn't check them.

These are minor issues but the totality of the circumstances is a little over the top. This was a separate dealership from the others I mentioned earlier.
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If I were you I would literally print this thread out, highlight the specifics of the dealership experiences you're documenting about and mail it to the dealership general manager and "corporate"! Then watch them jump when they realize the information being passed around on this site!
 
I thought about contacting the original dealership I mentioned in the first post with all the loose oil filters, damaged wheel, cracked bumper, etc. I guess their corporate office is in FL (Napleton is the name of the dealership). I haven't been back there in a couple years but it would be nice to be able to go there since it's about 3 miles from my house.
 
boatman37 said:
Well it happened again. Daughter took her car to her local dealer yesterday (think it was the Dodge dealer but they have several locations with several brands). She took it for an oil change, tire rotation and supposed to do complimentary car wash and 21 point inspection. They told her she needed front pads and rotors ($320 quote). I told her I would do them this morning. So she picks the car up and it wasn't washed. No big deal. They said they forgot so ran it through. Still no big deal. So she comes over this morning after going to Advanced Auto and spent $120 for pads and rotors. So I get done and notice her one tire looked low. I'm thinking can't be low I'm sure they would have checked that when they rotated the tires or did the 21 point inspection??? The tires say 51 PSI max. 3 were at 32 and 1 was at 30 so obviously they didn't check them.

These are minor issues but the totality of the circumstances is a little over the top. This was a separate dealership from the others I mentioned earlier.
Click to expand...

I sure hope you didn't inflate your daughter's tires to 51PSI, as that's the Max not necessarily the PSI they should be set at to run properly. If you did, it must feel like it's riding on the rims. Look on the door jam on the drivers sided for the proper PSI for her car, and tire combination.
 
I did set it to what the tire sidewall says. The door jamb sticker won't be accurate as they aren't the factory tire. I do know the ones on it are the 18" Good Years but not sure what model Good Year it is. I have always set mine to the max setting on the sidewall for over 30 years and never had an issue. Test drove her car and it was fine. And when the dealers DO check the pressures they are set to the max stated on the sidewall.
 
The tire pressure sensors (if the vehicle is so equipped) in the tires are set to what is vehicle manufacture specs, or what is on the door jamb, regardless of type, size, or brand of tire. A deviation from that number will set a TPMS (tire pressure monitor system) fault and display on the dash in what ever manner the vehicle has. (check engine/tpms). Ever since the Bronco II roll over /firestone tire problems any tire dealer with any sense uses vehicle manufacture (door jamb) specs for tire pressure.

Many vehicles have staggered pressure requirements. (my E350, The Admireles Mini)

Bob!
 
This car doesn't have TPMS sensors. It's a 2007 Chrysler Sebring Limited with 18" factory wheels.
 
boatman37 said:
I did set it to what the tire sidewall says. The door jamb sticker won't be accurate as they aren't the factory tire. I do know the ones on it are the 18" Good Years but not sure what model Good Year it is. I have always set mine to the max setting on the sidewall for over 30 years and never had an issue. Test drove her car and it was fine. And when the dealers DO check the pressures they are set to the max stated on the sidewall.
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I think you should call Goodyear. Tell them exactly which tire you have, which vehicle you're using it on....and ask them what the proper tire pressure for front and back would be.

All tires are not meant to be normally run at their max inflation pressure. If your dealers automatically inflate all tires to max inflation pressure regardless of application I say they'd be wrong most the time.
 
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