The Great Factory Service Rip Off

[HSV_GTS]

I'm with the rest of these guys. You are being ripped off by these clowns. My advice is to take it to any of the Sydney based tuning houses (see the premium sponsors section) for a no nonsense evaluation and some friendly tips.

Why do I say this? My GTS engine is being rebuilt for a second time in as many months. The cause of the 1st rebuild was a 'metal fatigue' failure of the cam, and I had to fight tooth and nail to have the Service Manager at the dealership (which I won't name) to undertake the warranty repair. I was told that the cause many have been driver abuse. On a 300kw GTS? I told him where he could stick his driver abuse. After a visit to the Dealer Manager, and a few stern words about customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, the decision was made to replace the engine. As soon as I got it back, the car instantly felt like a bag of sh__t. Poor reponsiveness, spluttery, and a persistent rattle. Two visits later and a set of new plugs (which I paid $130 for), I was again told the car was perfect. No way.

My only solace from these continual lies was to visit Sonny at Marrano's and Sam at Sam's Performance. Both gave me a frank and brief evaluation of the works undertaken. Now the engine is being rebuilt again (at a personally recommended dealership in Sydney) again under warranty, where the mechanics are removing all sorts of rubbish off the pistons, throwing odd bolts from a V6 Commodore into the bin, acid washing the inside of the block to remove excess silastic, and evaluating any further damage caused by inexperienced $5/hr mechanics.

My previous Series 1 VT Clubsport was serviced and repaired at a Chrysler Jeep Service Centre, where a relative was Operations Manager. For three years I never had a problem with anything on the car. Now I'm not saying we all should take off to a Jeep dealership for servicing, however in regards to warranty issues, a second opinion should be attained. The many threads I've read on this forum where hard earned dollars are given for nothing to dealerships is incredible. But guys like Sonny and Sam really know their stuff. It definately is worth the while to take your pride and joy; be it a SS, Maloo, Clubsport or Monaro to these guys. They love Holdens just as much as we do. Their knowledage, experience and expertise far exceeds the d___heads at the dealerships. These guys are not just interested in leeching exceesive amounts money off the poor customer, and then driving home in a WRX STi (He really does!!!). There're in business to provide a fantastic service, happy customers and a little profit. As soon as I get the car back, and I run it in, it will be off to one of these boys for a tune!! :cool:

[Glenn@Autowerks]

Agree 100% with what you have said. I am forgoing my extended warranty to have my car serviced at Sonny's. I have only known Sonny for a couple of months and if this is what all the premium sponsers are like we are all in good hands :thumbsup:

Dealers are crooks, charge heaps and do nothing :eek:

Cheers to the premium sponsers :beer:

[COSMOS]

I am going to kill the next slob at a Holden Service counter who tells me "our techs couldnt fault that issue" and then goes on to tell me they made no attempt to recreate the conditions which I described, in writing, ini detail to them when i dropped off the car....

[Febs]

While I agree 99%, to be fair there are good Holden service centres. My engine was rebuilt, and trans replaced under warranty by a member of these very forums, who works in the service department at Holden Rockdale.

Top notch service (though I'll admit it's a rarity among Holden dealerships these days :)).

Cheers,
- Febs.

[HSV_GTS]

While I agree 99%, to be fair there are good Holden service centres. My engine was rebuilt, and trans replaced under warranty by a member of these very forums, who works in the service department at Holden Rockdale.

Top notch service (though I'll admit it's a rarity among Holden dealerships these days :)).

Cheers,
- Febs.

I totally agree. This type of top notch service only seems to come by very rarely. I don't know what I would have done if I wasn't pointed towards the service centre currently rebuilding my car. It always seems that it's better who you know, not where you go.

[German Statesman]

I'll be as frank as I can, and I'll play ball for both sides....

The motor industry on the whole, is undergoing a huge upheaval - the way it went about business for many years is changing and to be fair it is changing for the better but not as quickly as many would want.

For years and years and as recently as 10 years ago, the typical career path of a young apprentice in a dealership was to do his/her apprenticeship then put one or two years on the tools then put up a hand to 'go out the front', which is floor talk for becoming an advisor. As a trainee advisor, they logged 3 years learning the ropes and serving people, dealing with issues, customer service, conflict management before becoming an advisor. Two years later they may become a senior advisor (specialising in something like HSVs or Statesmans/Caprices), then 2IC, then eventually become service manager.

The sad fact is, hardly any kids want to do 'dirty' trades anymore or put up with apprentice wages - I've lost count of the amount of apprentices I've heard whinging over the years because they are cleaning out the warranty room or doing oil changes for $250 a week when a mate the same age is a labourer on a building site and pulling $1000-$1200 a week. The situation is worse in the diesel workshops I believe, where fitters and turners and diesel mechanics have no-one following them in their footsteps and suddenly there's ads for $100k a year diesel fitters because of a gross shortage.

The long and short of it is that to avoid a drain on floor personnel, a service manager may take service advisors from another field who are not qualified, don't diagnose on the front counter, and wait for it - are eligible for a training allowance. All good and dandy, however the one glaring omission is unescapable to to the customer - no product knowledge, or the ability to know what they are talking about. The new personnel are not trained in auto knowledge, not trained in what goes wrong and why it does, they are trained in customer satisfaction, conflict resolution, upselling products and services, gross profit/cost of sales percentages and business retention practices, and senior service advisors and 2ICs fill in the gaps.

The industry has suddenly realised that they can't teach these things in-house like they did for many years, and the training has to be outsourced to specialised professionals who are changing the way things are done, but find dealerships can't spare the staff to go to such courses.

Things are changing, but slowly. As time goes by, you will hear more proactive customer-focused things first hand as you walk into dealerships. Just like the old days when a woman in a dealership buying a car was called 'love' or told to 'go home to your husband and tell him what colour you want' such ways do take time to change. One example is an advisor who says 'you're three months out of warranty - no chance'; that is steadily being changed to 'I see that you may have a case to present to the manufacturer - it'll be their call, but lets give it a shot and see what they say.' I've lost count of the amouunt of people who have thanked me for that phrase at the end of the day.

Now, on the other side of the coin..... :D

Realise that your advisors handle as many as 30 clients a day every day, as well as answer phone enquiries in an environment that is best described as sort-of organised chaos. Mistakes do happen, and more often than not, they are clangers and usually involve a customer being unintentionally dudded somewhere - if you have been intentionally dudded, then go higher with your complaint.

Don't go into your dealer ready to pick a fight - dealers don't build cars, a manufacturer does and a dealer is not to know which one is a lemon and which one isn't; that's called mass production, and where my BMW is an absolute model of reliability and durability, a good mate's 540i is a workshop turkey and costs him thousands a year to my hundreds. A couple of years ago, I was 20kgs heavier at 96kgs, and a bloke I'd never met in my life, steamed into the service reception, grabbed me by the collar and reefed me 3ft up to his face without saying a word. It turned out he had picked up a brand new VSIII Statesman from another dealer three days ago and around at his brother-in-law's place that afternoon showing it off, this beautiful Amazon Blue Statesman International failed in the driveway. All it was was the ECM harness hadn't been clipped into the ECM properly at the factory and it gradually worked itself off.

No-one can read minds - if I did, I'd make a fortune selling the book to husbands that are expected to know how :lol: :lol: :lol: if there is a way to make the problem in your car happen, say so; if you feel that your advisor isn't making progress with your complaint, ask for a senior or a foreman to chat with you in the nicest possible way.

Most of all, you have a direct number to the manufacturer, in their Customer Assistance Centre - in two words, use it. Whether you want to give your service guy a wrap, a kick or just a general comment, go for it.

You should be able to build a satisfactory relationship with your dealer, whether your car is good or bad. A lasting relationship with an advisor would be possible if the industry didn't have such a high turnover of staff and the chronic headhunting that is going on for good staff.

Be patient, good things are coming. As Rachael Hunter once said, it won't heppen overnight, but it will heppen.

[markone2]

Sitting comfortably in the service lounge drinking complimentary coffee and knocking back a nice bit of cake is a good lead in to the mornings entertainment at one Logan Rd establishment…beats the hell out of Coronation St ,as both sides prepare for battle…and battle it is..On any chosen morning..only problem being a slight ringing in the ears after some of the language….

[German Statesman]

Sitting comfortably in the service lounge drinking complimentary coffee and knocking back a nice bit of cake is a good lead in to the mornings entertainment at one Logan Rd establishment…beats the hell out of Coronation St ,as both sides prepare for battle…and battle it is..On any chosen morning..only problem being a slight ringing in the ears after some of the language….

From the advisors or the customers? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[VYSSBlack]

Hi German Statesman,

Could you please give us the direct number to contact the manufacturer. I had a complaint, I rand Holden customer service and they told me they cant help and referred me to my local dealership. :bash:

[German Statesman]

Hi German Statesman,

Could you please give us the direct number to contact the manufacturer. I had a complaint, I rand Holden customer service and they told me they cant help and referred me to my local dealership. :bash:

Hi VYSSBlack

Was it a vehicle problem or a dealership problem?

[Drewie]

Reading this thread and a few previous threads on same subject of dealer service I tend to get the impression that the Sydney dealers appear to be the worst, I have had Holdens for probably the past 20 years and have had next to no trouble with the dealers here in Melbourne and I have quite a few friends with Holdens who use the dealers as well and I can't recall every hearing any complaints from them. The firm I used to work for had a fleet of around 20 commodores, they were company cars supplied to people in management positions and we all had them serviced at what ever dealer was convenient so we all used different dealers and once again no one ever grumbled about service. Just an observation but there seems to be more grumbles about the Sydney dealers.

[shepp0]

I am going to kill the next slob at a Holden Service counter who tells me "our techs couldnt fault that issue" and then goes on to tell me they made no attempt to recreate the conditions which I described, in writing, ini detail to them when i dropped off the car....

although i can appreciate your frustration in them saying they were unable to fault the problem, youve got to look at it from both sides, i work at a dealership as an apprentice (not holden) and there is nothing worse then not being able to fault a car, you have to remember that you have the luxury of driving the car day in day out, compared to the matter of hours/minutes of driving time the techs may have in your car, if you outlined a series of instructions to make the car fault then you are correct in the service advisor being at fault, in which case im sure the service manager would be willing to hear about, your best bet always is to go for a drive with the workshop foreman, or someone equally as qualified in the workshop, and have them diagnose the problem.

[HSV_GTS]

although i can appreciate your frustration in them saying they were unable to fault the problem, youve got to look at it from both sides, i work at a dealership as an apprentice (not holden) and there is nothing worse then not being able to fault a car, you have to remember that you have the luxury of driving the car day in day out, compared to the matter of hours/minutes of driving time the techs may have in your car, if you outlined a series of instructions to make the car fault then you are correct in the service advisor being at fault, in which case im sure the service manager would be willing to hear about, your best bet always is to go for a drive with the workshop foreman, or someone equally as qualified in the workshop, and have them diagnose the problem.

You are probably a one of the very few that actually give a rats about a car, however the state that my car's engine was found last Tuesday morning, I beg to differ. As I stated previously, my engine was rebuilt in a manner that was, quote "Incompetantly". This was from the mouth of a Holden Service Centre Foreman. That no inspection by the Sevice Manager, or the fellow looking after my car was undertaken (pretty obvious it wasn't) it says a lot for Holden's mindset. (The next day I found a large chip in the rim of my front wheel and oil was leaking from a welsch plug). Hopeless, absolutely hopeless.

Being told nothing is wrong with the car is one thing, giving inexperienced apprentices work experience on rebuilding a customers pride and joy is totally unacceptable. These guys are more interested in making sure customers come back with problems again, again and again.

[VX-300]

Why do I say this? My GTS engine is being rebuilt for a second time in as many months. The cause of the 1st rebuild was a 'metal fatigue' failure of the cam,

Welcome to the club......there are at least a dozen instances of C4B cam failure reported on this forum. When It happened to me 6 months ago the Stealership and HSV made out they had never heard of this failure before.

I sent pics off to this guy :
Mark W. Campbell
VP, Research and Development
Crane Cams
530 Fentress Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114

His opinion is here :
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=30136&page=6&pp=15&highlight=spalling
POST 82

[VX-300]

I'll bet your cam and lifters look just like this :

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PerthPurplePenguin/gtscam2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PerthPurplePenguin/gtscam.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PerthPurplePenguin/gtslifter.jpg

[SV8VY]

My car and (dare I say it)Ford van gets serviced at my mechanics I've known for 15 years.
Good thing is I get great rates,they ask me which oils I want and I can watch or even help.
I also get to use the hoist and tools if there is a free spot.
Many times I can walk in and wait halve an hour or so and they will squeeze me in to fix a problem.
You need to find 1 mechanic you can trust and keep him as long as you can.That way he/or she will know the car inside and out with no guess work if there is a problem.

[VYSSBlack]

Hi VYSSBlack

Was it a vehicle problem or a dealership problem?

Multiple vehicle problems + incompetent service advisor trying to void waranty at the first mention of waranty repairs who did not pass on all information to mechanics or the area rep(which I had typed up in detail and given instructions on how to replroduce the faults) = partially voided warany.

Paid to have the job done properly by a competent person, no going back multiple times to the dealer to get screwed over.

[German Statesman]

Multiple vehicle problems + incompetent service advisor trying to void waranty at the first mention of waranty repairs who did not pass on all information to mechanics or the area rep(which I had typed up in detail and given instructions on how to replroduce the faults) = partially voided warany.

Paid to have the job done properly by a competent person, no going back multiple times to the dealer to get screwed over.

Sounds like the customer assistance rep has rightly identified most of your issues stemming from a servicing dealer, hence the recommendation to return to the dealer to have it sorted. My advice is to talk to the service manager, and if that fails, try the dealer principal.

As for the vehicle issues, sort the dealer ones out first and then try Customer Assistance again.

Good luck with it - I hope you get a good outcome.

[APCLB]

Just to add insult to injury,check out these posts,
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=43584&highlight=dealer+dints+car

[German Statesman]

Just to add insult to injury,check out these posts,
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=43584&highlight=dealer+dints+car

When you have 80+ cars a day in your service centre, and any number of people that pop in and out buying cars, seeing staff in the dealership and flitting in and out for whatever reason, its hard to keep an eye out for everyone's car - I saw a XJ8 Jag accidentally ram into a brand new R8 that was in for a first service, and the elderly Jag owner was ready to drive away if i hadn't have stopped her. Even then she was adamant the R8 was parked wrongly.

Its easier for a dealership to ring you and tell you they've damaged your car, rather than the reverse applying - if YOU have to ring, it looks bad, bad, bad. If your dealer has stood his ground and denied blame, I would say that there is inconclusive evidence that an employee of the dealership caused the accident - there's no other real reason why a dealer would risk losing the business of a client over it.

On the other side of the coin, I've seen that many put-ons from customers with rust and damage that was allegedly caused in the visit to the big bad service department, you sometimes can't be blamed for being cynical :D

[HSV_GTS]

In regards to the above comments made above, I would like to retract the statements that have been made on this public forum. These were personal thoughts. In no way was this thread perpetuated by others than myself. I thank everyone for their understanding. :)

Safe Driving

[SLE355]

So your shit caning every dealer mechanic, then taking it back to another? :confused: So if i have bad work done by a forum sponser, are they all bad?

[markone2]

Ummmmmm.. recently purchased VU ute ( read this week ) with perfect set of *Books*
showed last service at 51K...ute travelled 52K but a quick inspection on hoist showed an old oil leak from P/Str Box ( bad )... and an oil filter that look very very original..if you follow my drift :eek: ...Dealership phoned and service history confirmed.....shame shame shame

[German Statesman]

Everyone's had at least one bad experience when it comes to handing money over for work done, and that bad experience shouldn't reflect on everyone else in that trade or franchise group.

Car franchises, whether they be Holden, Ford, Toyota or whatever - they are seen as big punching bags because they roll over large sums of hard earned money that's spent on a neccessary evil. Very few people other than ourselves enjoy spending money on cars, and I've met some people that absolutely despise it to the point where they are irrational to deal with.

There are good dealers out there - people who enjoy the job, enjoy the change to meet people, enjoy the excitement of an industry that has the fanfare and excitement of new models every couple of years. I was in a Holden dealer for the launch of the VT, and I'll never forget seeing my first Bermuda Blue one on the back of a delivery truck where we all stood around like excited kids waiting for a look.

A little bit of empathy from a customer to a dealer and vice versa goes a long way to making a long and successful business relationship.

[Glenn@Autowerks]

Without reading right into all the above posts, mines being serviced on Saturday by a forum sponser. Simply, they can be trusted, thats it :D

[markone2]

Everyone's had at least one bad experience when it comes to handing money over for work done, and that bad experience shouldn't reflect on everyone else in that trade or franchise group.

.


True.....however it took me quite a number of Dealership experinces in a very short space of time ( most of which are contained here within the forum ) before finding the right one ...which was a bit of shame really... as I now cover all warranty work myself...less stress you see :)

[German Statesman]

Ummmmmm.. recently purchased VU ute ( read this week ) with perfect set of *Books*
showed last service at 51K...ute travelled 52K but a quick inspection on hoist showed an old oil leak from P/Str Box ( bad )... and an oil filter that look very very original..if you follow my drift :eek: ...Dealership phoned and service history confirmed.....shame shame shame

Reminds me of the 'wholesaler' that offered me a carton of Crownies if I 'lost' my dealership logbook stamp in his general direction; I had another promise me $100 for every book I'd stamp and dud service history I'd make up if he bought a vehicle with an incomplete history. Yet another showed me how he would give me enormous amounts of work in an independent workshop and make me a fortune if I turned the other way on a car that might not be up to scratch, and I've lost count of the ones I've met that have knowingly sold stinkers to people who got suckered and then laughed at them behind their back as they poured their commissions down their throats or stuck them into a stripper's g-string.

Car salesmen have been the bane of my life ever since I started working in the motor industry, but I don't judge them by the bad ones I've met...

[markone2]

Without reading right into all the above posts, mines being serviced on Saturday by a forum sponser. Simply, they can be trusted, thats it :D


I concur.....Got it in One :)

[markone2]

Reminds me of the 'wholesaler' that offered me a carton of Crownies if I 'lost' my dealership logbook stamp in his general direction; ...


Now thats expensive :eek: ......$14.00 up at the key-cutters..

[German Statesman]

Exactly the way I spend monet too - price becomes irrelevant if you know that you are being looked after, and that security is everything.

[VQST80]

I totaly agree german statesman.

If a person comes in and is civil they get such a better responce. A guy came in to the dealership I work at and tried to make our service manager look like an asshole at 9.oclock monday morning in front of no less then 6 customers getting booked in, Calling him a fag, a tool , U name it..

This guy had bought a vy ss ute and was using it to tow a brick trailer every day, and his diff was clunking(Crown wheel was missing 3 teeth).
We were gonna fix it, but because it was going to take a while to get it rebuilt he spat it.

He dropped it off on a friday arvo and just said the diffs fu.ked, I gotta go, So fix it.
Acted like the biggest fool!.


A couple of days later our Dealer rep came out and voided his warranty because of all the rubber under his gaurds and his highly illegal rear tyres.

Driver abuse.

We gave him a card for our diff rebuilders and said good riddance.

If he had just been slighty civil he would still have a warranty and maybe even a new diff.

[German Statesman]

Now thats expensive :eek: ......$14.00 up at the key-cutters..

Really? ;)

He was of the lazy persuasion - explained his disappearance from the scene not long afterwards.

[markone2]

Really? ;)

He was of the lazy persuasion - explained his disappearance from the scene not long afterwards.


Probably needed to stop in at spare parts to purchase a new Service book :confused:

[Glenn@Autowerks]

I totaly agree german statesman.

If a person comes in and is civil they get such a better responce. A guy came in to the dealership I work at and tried to make our service manager look like an asshole at 9.oclock monday morning in front of no less then 6 customers getting booked in, Calling him a fag, a tool , U name it..

This guy had bought a vy ss ute and was using it to tow a brick trailer every day, and his diff was clunking(Crown wheel was missing 3 teeth).
We were gonna fix it, but because it was going to take a while to get it rebuilt he spat it.

He dropped it off on a friday arvo and just said the diffs fu.ked, I gotta go, So fix it.
Acted like the biggest fool!.

A couple of days later our Dealer rep came out and voided his warranty because of all the rubber under his gaurds and his highly illegal rear tyres.

Driver abuse.

We gave him a card for our diff rebuilders and said good riddance.

If he had just been slighty civil he would still have a warranty and maybe even a new diff.

So the moral to the story is to suck up to the dealer to get things fixed under warranty ?

[German Statesman]

True.....however it took me quite a number of Dealership experinces in a very short space of time ( most of which are contained here within the forum ) before finding the right one ...which was a bit of shame really... as I now cover all warranty work myself...less stress you see :)

Warranty can be a funny thing - i've had the most success with warranty when treating it in a proactive way, and creating a win-win situation for everyone involved. Not so long ago I had a young couple who were freshly married, both working long hard hours to get ahead, and the window reg on their TS Astra broke - not a cheap proposition in anyone's language.

I offered to go into bat for them, and presented a case to my dealer rep where they had been loyal to the dealer group despite being tight with money, and even though they were over in time by a fair margin, they were under in kilometres. I told him that we were all their age and in their financial situation once, and I genuinely liked them as people.

Result - GM fronted up for everything, extremely happy customers for life, and a little job satisfaction for yours truly.

[German Statesman]

So the moral to the story is to suck up to the dealer to get things fixed under warranty ?

Not at all.

Work in with your dealer, not against them. I'll go to the ends of the earth for my clients if they stay loyal to me, and that's through thick and thin, through my stuff ups and theirs.

We all have a job to do, every now and then we go that extra mile for someone we know needs it or deserves it.

[seldo]

Everyone's had at least one bad experience when it comes to handing money over for work done, and that bad experience shouldn't reflect on everyone else in that trade or franchise group.

Car franchises, whether they be Holden, Ford, Toyota or whatever - they are seen as big punching bags because they roll over large sums of hard earned money that's spent on a neccessary evil. Very few people other than ourselves enjoy spending money on cars, and I've met some people that absolutely despise it to the point where they are irrational to deal with.

There are good dealers out there - people who enjoy the job, enjoy the change to meet people, enjoy the excitement of an industry that has the fanfare and excitement of new models every couple of years. I was in a Holden dealer for the launch of the VT, and I'll never forget seeing my first Bermuda Blue one on the back of a delivery truck where we all stood around like excited kids waiting for a look.

A little bit of empathy from a customer to a dealer and vice versa goes a long way to making a long and successful business relationship.
Yeah, you are not wrong there GS. A bit of reason goes a long way and particularly when the customer doesn't understand that the dealer didn't make it, and thinks that the other 79 cars that are in for service today are not at all important - what about mine???? You are totally incompetent because you cannot organise yourselves so that there are 4 guys on stand-by waiting with baited-breath for me to arrive and to drop everything and attend to my car immediately. Don't you know I'm important..? It's sometimes very hard to remain calm at the front desk... It seems that cars somehow bring out the worst in people....

[Febs]

A slab in the boot got me a new 4L60E (as opposed to a reco) when my car went in for warranty work, I'm told.

:)

Cheers,
- Febs.

[Glenn@Autowerks]

Not at all.

Work in with your dealer, not against them. I'll go to the ends of the earth for my clients if they stay loyal to me, and that's through thick and thin, through my stuff ups and theirs.

We all have a job to do, every now and then we go that extra mile for someone we know needs it or deserves it.

I have never worked against my dealer, yes, there are stuff ups on both sides at times. The biggest prob is that its all about money at the end of the day. Dealers there to prove themselves to their Principal, the public there to pay for it. Its that simple. Latest example, walk into a HSV Dealer, didn't want to know me :bash: SS for a trade, HSV salesman snubbed me till I got the loan, then I was his best friend...that sucks :eek:

Dealers have to appreciate the public are their living, they dont call the shots, the public do. Then the bullshit lies on extended warranty, pay 3 times more for a service to keep the warranty, thats crap too !! My extended warranty now gone, and I love it that its gone, car being serviced by a mechanic now, not an apprentice. End of rant :lol:

[German Statesman]

A slab in the boot got me a new 4L60E (as opposed to a reco) when my car went in for warranty work, I'm told.

:)

Cheers,
- Febs.

I got my house built quicker taking Fri afternoon off and going down to the site with a cold carton of Golds - apparently they also garuanteed that my roof didn't leak, my brickwork was all even and my plasterwork was faultless.

I think I would've got a matching shed and a front fence if I'd taken JD & Colas down :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[SLE355]

Ummmmmm.. recently purchased VU ute ( read this week ) with perfect set of *Books*
showed last service at 51K...ute travelled 52K but a quick inspection on hoist showed an old oil leak from P/Str Box ( bad )... and an oil filter that look very very original..if you follow my drift :eek: ...Dealership phoned and service history confirmed.....shame shame shame

Ummm, Mark do you know what the original oil filter looks like? Maybe they are really dodgy and it's never been changed but why would EVERY dealer mechanic do that, are the mechanics getting a commision for not changing them? :lol:

[SLE355]

Without reading right into all the above posts, mines being serviced on Saturday by a forum sponser. Simply, they can be trusted, thats it :D


I'm sure your forum sponser can be trusted, i would trust Sonny, but have you had it serviced or worked on at EVERY forum sponser and know they can be trusted?

[Glenn@Autowerks]

I'm sure your forum sponser can be trusted, i would trust Sonny, but have you had it serviced or worked on at EVERY forum sponser and know they can be trusted?

The exact answer is No....Sonny is my mechanic, what are you saying ?

I have no reason to dis-credit any forum sponser here, after meeting some, I am sure the accreditation to becoming a premium sponser here is of a very high standard.

[German Statesman]

I have never worked against my dealer, yes, there are stuff ups on both sides at times. The biggest prob is that its all about money at the end of the day. Dealers there to prove themselves to their Principal, the public there to pay for it. Its that simple. Latest example, walk into a HSV Dealer, didn't want to know me :bash: SS for a trade, HSV salesman snubbed me till I got the loan, then I was his best friend...that sucks :eek:

Dealers have to appreciate the public are their living, they dont call the shots, the public do. Then the bullshit lies on extended warranty, pay 3 times more for a service to keep the warranty, thats crap too !! My extended warranty now gone, and I love it that its gone, car being serviced by a mechanic now, not an apprentice. End of rant :lol:

I'm genuinely sad when people have gone to the wrong dealer - yes, some dealers are there for the bottom line and to get it as quickly as possible, but there are also dealers who are around for the long run.

The HSV sales bloke at my dealership will talk to anyone, and knows that if you don't buy a car off him this time around, he'll be there three years down the track when you finally can - he's sold seven cars this year to people that have kept his business card from two or three years ago, and when their luck has turned, he's got a deal.

No-one services HSVs at our place but a fully qualified HSV mechanic or his fully trained backup - end of story. If he's not there or sick on a day off, the backup tech does it or I rebook the customer. No-one, and I mean no-one else touches my customer's cars, I don't care if they're rebuilt Merlin V12s for the RAF in another life, I have a standard that my team stands up to, and that stays.

Glad to see you have a tech you can trust.

[SLE355]

The exact answer is No....Sonny is my mechanic, what are you saying ?

What im saying is you havent been to EVERY sponser to say 'they' can all be trusted, just like some people on here haven't had 'every' dealer mechanic work on there car to say they are 'all' bad and dodgy.

I'm glad yours can be trusted.

[Glenn@Autowerks]

What im saying is you havent been to EVERY sponser to say 'they' can all be trusted, just like some people on here haven't had 'every' dealer mechanic work on there car to say they are 'all' bad and dodgy.

I'm glad yours can be trusted.

Thats bullshit, so you are now saying premium sponsers on this site cant be trusted ?

I have had 2 work on my cars....Greg from Sureflo on my VY SS Ute and the VY 2 SS Wagon, Sonny from Marrano's on the HSV. Both guys are great, I cant see your point in going on with this. Maybe tomorrow Sam's then the next one. WHATS YOUR POINT ? If you have had a problem with a Premium Sponser complain about it or back off. Leave these guys alone.

[SLE355]

Thats bullshit, so you are now saying premium sponsers on this site cant be trusted ?

I have had 2 work on my cars....Greg from Sureflo on my VY SS Ute and the VY 2 SS Wagon, Sonny from Marrano's on the HSV. Both guys are great, I cant see your point in going on with this. Maybe tomorrow Sam's then the next one. WHATS YOUR POINT ? If you have had a problem with a Premium Sponser complain about it or back off. Leave these guys alone.

All i did was ask you a question and then told you my point, its pretty simple, im not having a go at your sponser or any other sponser, so stay calm.

Remember, its ok to have a 'free for all' on dealer mechanics, but you can't post anything bad about a sponser. My PM box has a few though, but i don't air what people tell me in confidence and i dont get on a forum and bag bad work i've had done.

PS. None are about your sponser.

[Glenn@Autowerks]

All i did was ask you a question and then told you my point, its pretty simple, im not having a go at your sponser or any other sponser, so stay calm.

Remember, its ok to have a 'free for all' on dealer mechanics, but you can't post anything bad about a sponser. My PM box has a few though, but i don't air what people tell me in confidence and i dont get on a forum and bag bad work i've had done.

PS. None are about your sponser.

Where exactly did I post anything bad against a sponser ?

Using the pm's, no more posts tonight

[SLE355]

Where exactly did I post anything bad against a sponser ?


I never said you did post anything bad about a sponser, cos you didnt! :)

Yes PM's, i think the misunderstanding has been sorted :cool:

[APCLB]

I'm genuinely sad when people have gone to the wrong dealer - yes, some dealers are there for the bottom line and to get it as quickly as possible, but there are also dealers who are around for the long run.

The HSV sales bloke at my dealership will talk to anyone, and knows that if you don't buy a car off him this time around, he'll be there three years down the track when you finally can - he's sold seven cars this year to people that have kept his business card from two or three years ago, and when their luck has turned, he's got a deal.

No-one services HSVs at our place but a fully qualified HSV mechanic or his fully trained backup - end of story. If he's not there or sick on a day off, the backup tech does it or I rebook the customer. No-one, and I mean no-one else touches my customer's cars, I don't care if they're rebuilt Merlin V12s for the RAF in another life, I have a standard that my team stands up to, and that stays.

Glad to see you have a tech you can trust.


GS have alook at the link I provided,3 pages of complaints about dealership stuff ups etc,but like you said,some are good some are bad,my point is the damage & the stuff ups should n't happen in the first place.
Think about it,first they rip you off on the service price,so as to keep your warranty in tact. I can only just live with that & like HSV Z clubby I cant wait til warranty is over with,I dont need all the bs thats involved with dealing with this particular dealer.
But when they add injury to the insult & damage your car whilst it's in their care,tell you there is nothing wrong with the car when you know full well there is,tell you that no apprentise is working on your car (i caught the kid doing a service on my brand new SS,months later I took it back to get a wheel balance & another apprentise,a 2nd year, stuffs the front rims on my SS!!) or just give you the run around hoping you will give up & go away is just not on.You are paying through the nose for their care,experience & expertise in the first place.To be given a bum rush by some corn hole trying to make an impression on his boss at my expence is just not on!!!

But the main point is this bs shouldn't have to happen in the first place,if the #%^ in the workshop did the job right the first time & took some pride & care of a customers cars instead of watching the clock,you blokes on the front counter wouldn't cop as much greef off customers.end of rant............

[Jimbo_AUS]

GS a quick question.

I am with LeasePlan for my lease and they pick up all costs on warranty and repairs for the life of the lease.

Would a dealer be more likely to make sure they do the right job on a Leaseplan car considering the volume that they generate?

[German Statesman]

GS a quick question.

I am with LeasePlan for my lease and they pick up all costs on warranty and repairs for the life of the lease.

Would a dealer be more likely to make sure they do the right job on a Leaseplan car considering the volume that they generate?

Hey Jimbo,

Leaseplan are a valued client of our dealership, whether they be sales or service vehicle customers.

All customers are treated equally whether they be private or fleet because the moment you show preferential treatment you lose the customer who doesn't benefit from it.

I go over and above for my HSV clients if that answers your questions.

[Jimbo_AUS]

Hey Jimbo,

Leaseplan are a valued client of our dealership, whether they be sales or service vehicle customers.

All customers are treated equally whether they be private or fleet because the moment you show preferential treatment you lose the customer who doesn't benefit from it.

I go over and above for my HSV clients if that answers your questions.

Thats good to know. Wish I was in Brissy. :)

I think what I was trying to say was....Does Leaseplan have any "clout" when it comes to its customers having to deal with dealers/service ppl etc.

Suppose I take in my car and I'm not happy with something and the service ppl try to fob me off or treat me like a mug. Would a call to Leaseplan help to solve that sort of issue.

I'm not asking if they get preferential treatment but do they carry clout if you know what I mean.

[German Statesman]

Thats good to know. Wish I was in Brissy. :)

I think what I was trying to say was....Does Leaseplan have any "clout" when it comes to its customers having to deal with dealers/service ppl etc.

Suppose I take in my car and I'm not happy with something and the service ppl try to fob me off or treat me like a mug. Would a call to Leaseplan help to solve that sort of issue.

I'm not asking if they get preferential treatment but do they carry clout if you know what I mean.

Know where you're coming from :)

A leasing company has one or two dealers in each city that it knows does above average work, based on their customer feedback. If there is an irate customer unhappy with a dealer, a leasing company will often refer them to the dealer they know will be able to look after the client. We get the odd phone call re this sort of thing and usually its the overlooked things that are the problem - even human stuffups god forbid!!

A leasing company won't stand over a dealership on behalf of a client - the emphasis is on working together to help the end user, and they work i with us as much as we work in with them.

[Vulture]

Just wanted to add my voice to the crappy service work that goes on at some Holden dealerships. My VYSS has been hesitating, surging and down on power for some weeks at least and has been investigated by the local dealership's service dept. The car has been in twice while they diagnosed an O2 sensor problem, it had also been serviced prior to this.

Today I thought I'd check the aircleaner element as I wondered how dirty it has become and was astounded to find a plastic bag almost completely covering the element! It must have been ingested at some point. Now this plastic has most definitely been there for a substantial period of time as there was a very clear difference between the bits of the element that were covered by the plastic and those that were not. It had formed a perfect imprint of the plastic bag's shape due to dirt getting on the piece still flowing air and not on the piece where the bag had obstructed air. This had to have taken a while as I don't live in a dusty environement and the unobstructed bits were very dark.

I cannot believe that a mechanic would not at least check the aircleaner element as a first stop for a car down on power etc! OK, the O2 sensor problem is a completely separate thing but geeeez! WTF were they doing at the services as well? The problem with the delearship up here is that there is no competition from other dealerships as they are the only one in town.

[SS_Fury]

does ya car go good now with no placcy bag? Must admit i have never heard of a placcy bag gettin sucked in!

[jaskel]

I am going to kill the next slob at a Holden Service counter who tells me "our techs couldnt fault that issue" and then goes on to tell me they made no attempt to recreate the conditions which I described, in writing, ini detail to them when i dropped off the car....


man I am soo with you on that...I am sick of these bafoons...

[APCLB]

Just wanted to add my voice to the crappy service work that goes on at some Holden dealerships. My VYSS has been hesitating, surging and down on power for some weeks at least and has been investigated by the local dealership's service dept. The car has been in twice while they diagnosed an O2 sensor problem, it had also been serviced prior to this.

Today I thought I'd check the aircleaner element as I wondered how dirty it has become and was astounded to find a plastic bag almost completely covering the element! It must have been ingested at some point. Now this plastic has most definitely been there for a substantial period of time as there was a very clear difference between the bits of the element that were covered by the plastic and those that were not. It had formed a perfect imprint of the plastic bag's shape due to dirt getting on the piece still flowing air and not on the piece where the bag had obstructed air. This had to have taken a while as I don't live in a dusty environement and the unobstructed bits were very dark.

I cannot believe that a mechanic would not at least check the aircleaner element as a first stop for a car down on power etc! OK, the O2 sensor problem is a completely separate thing but geeeez! WTF were they doing at the services as well? The problem with the delearship up here is that there is no competition from other dealerships as they are the only one in town.

Oh man,that must have stung them.What was their reply to that find?
Also could this be what faulted the O2 sensor?If the bag was covering so much of the cleaner,the dust etc must have finally nearly clogged the air cleaner,starving the motor abit too much?

[Vulture]

does ya car go good now with no placcy bag? Must admit i have never heard of a placcy bag gettin sucked in!

It goes much better, particularly at WOT and the throttle has got back response. To be fair, mine is more likely to ingest something as it has been butchered by an exhaust shop up here for the fitment of an SS inductions thingo (which has since been disconnected).




Oh man,that must have stung them.What was their reply to that find?
Also could this be what faulted the O2 sensor?If the bag was covering so much of the cleaner,the dust etc must have finally nearly clogged the air cleaner,starving the motor abit too much?

I haven't told them about it, I'm sure they would just say "Oh, it wasn't there when we serviced it etc." but I tell you, that bag had been there for yonks - even I feel like a dill for not checking it! The car still has an uneven idle and sometimes a check engine light which is related to the O2 sensors (I bloody hope) so getting them replaced. I notice that the latest Repco flyer is advertising them and I've got a discount voucher. Maybe should do it myself?

[Tonner]

MARK Pms cleared out now :)