Stealership does me again!

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:27 pm

So I bring it in for the LBJ recall and some other stuff and just got a phone call from the dlr. Seems one of my Mopar locking lugs shattered when they tried to undo it. Dlr tells me it's gonna cost ME around $100-$125 to bust off the pieces and rethread the stud or whatever. Whatever happened to the days when if a dlr broke something they: 1. fixed it and hoped you didn't find out about it or 2. owned up to it and fixed it. Now it's on me or they can't do the recall.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:56 pm

If they are the stock locking lugs.. let them pay for it. I wouldnt give them a dime.. I can guarantee they tried to use an impact wrench on it.. :roll:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:02 pm

Quote:

If they are the stock locking lugs.. let them pay for it. I wouldnt give them a dime.. I can guarantee they tried to use an impact wrench on it..

Unfortunately I don't have any choice. :cry:

DoverKJ · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:05 pm

It wasnt broken before you brought it in, I would make them pay for it. Talk to the manager and keep going up the ladder if you dont get a suitable answer. They damaged your vehicle, they are responsible for the damage.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:10 pm

Yea, right. They insist the nut was overtightened prior to them trying to get it off. That's ok, it's one less vehicle they will sell when it comes time to replace this one. A fact I'm going to make sure the manager & owner of the dlrship are well aware of. I'm also going to notify DC even though I know that's useless.

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:14 pm

Go in and ask nicely for them to fix the damage they have done to your jeep, point out that none of the other ones were overtightened. If they still refuse kindly ask for a survey to fill out and like you said just take your business elsewhere. And let as many people know as you can about your experience.

Hmm, How many members does lost have now?

3465 as of superdave

Post the dealer up here and I would say you are off to a good start.

detroit_doc · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:20 pm

$125 to fix a stud, are they nuts?

If i were you I'd tell them to put it back together, don't pay them a dime, and take it to another dealer.

When my family owned a brake shop we had studs brake/strip all the time. You punch them out and pull a new stud. It costs maybe $2 and is very easy. We never charged our customers, or even bother telling them about it.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:24 pm

Evidently what happened was the head either rounded or tore off the locking lug leaving nothing to turn the locking lug off with so they had to drill it off before they could get the stud out. 1 hrs labor.

psinsyd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:28 pm

Aren't they supposed to call you before doing any additional labor?

They break it they buy it. In this case they bought a busted locking lug nut and stud.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:34 pm

Quote:

Aren't they supposed to call you before doing any additional labor?

They did. They also said they couldn't do the recall unless they fixed that so I said to do it. I'm still gonna raise hell when I get there. Leaving in 5.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:41 pm

Gosh.. Thats a bad situation.. You know the impact wrench is what caused it.. Ask them if they used one. You are NOT supposed to use one on those.. I usually do.. but thats me.. :lol:

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:42 pm

A real shop would weld a nut to the broken end and use a socket to get it off. Then all you have to do is press a new threaded stud thru the brake rotor from the back side. Any 2 bit tire shop can do that. If it was the only one that broke, like someone said above, they probably used an air socket on it instead of manually getting it loose. Don't let them bend you over on this one...If nothing else, have them write up a statement as to what happenned and let them know you will be letting your attorney handle it from here.

detroit_doc · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:45 pm

Also be sure to ask for the broken parts (stud and lug). They are required by law to return them.

DoverKJ · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:04 pm

Couldnt they just use one of the locking lug nut removers Sears/MAC/Snap-On sells to get the remains of the locking lug nut off.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:48 pm

UPDATE:
It just gets better & better.

I get 3 minutes from the dlr & get a call on my cell... "Won't be ready tonight". "WE HAVE TO ORDER YOU A RIM"!!!!

AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

So I get there & before I even see the serv mgr, the tech sees me & says "Let me show you the problem."

I walk over and the first thing I notice is, it's the REAR WHEEL!!!! :shock:

Now, I may be just a garage mechanic but even I know that the LBJs are on the FRONT end!! :!:

I calmly ask why he's even working on the rear wheel to begin with and am told it's so he "could check the brakes"! Which, by the way, I just had done and the brand new pads can clearly be seen right in between the rim spokes. Which I made sure to point out. :idea:

At this point I see that the rim is also all gouged up around the now totally mangled remains of the stud/locking lug. Which is why they are now ordering me a new rim which won't be in till tommorow. I ask why he was drilling the stud to begin with instead of using one of those "damaged locking lug removal sockets". He doesn't have a set!! So, instead, he's trying to drill on of the hardest pieces of metal on the vehicle, the stud itself. :shock:

While attempting to keep the drill centered. And not damage the rim. But remove the head of the locking lug. And not damage the rim. He failed. :oops:

Of course, my brother (who ran a Pep Boys for a couple years) has to start goin off on the guy about his incompetance and offering like 3 other possible ways he coulda gotten the lug off. So, I drag him outta there and go see the service writer. I start off with "I'm going to try to remain calm. You will wait till I finish what I have to say and then you will go get your manager so I can speak to him about why I am not paying for this."

I go through the whole thing: "You're butcher mechanic's fault, I didn't ask for ANYTHING to be done on the rear, last time I was here you overcharged me for a fuel pump, I spent close to 30K with you guys, you do all my service, in the market for a new Jeep - not gonna buy it here, wanna file a complaint with the owner and DC if they think I'm gonna pay for any of it, you should eat the damage, etc."

Then I get all done and she says "We already decided you weren't gonna have to pay for any of the work involved in that mess. We're eating it. Mechanic ##cked up and already got reamed. He never should have touched the rear. etc." BUT, "He also chewed up every drill bit in the place and we are having some new ones dropped off from central along with the rim first thing in the morning, you'll have it by 9 or you can take it tonight and come back by with it so he can get the rest of that lug off and put on the new rim."

I figured I might as well let them finish since I didn't really need it tonight.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:49 pm

I have to say...At least they did the right thing in the end!

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:02 pm

If you realy want to try to stick it to them you may be able to
when I had the dealer doing some waranty work on my Ranger a few years ago they droped one of the rims on the edge of the lift from about 5' up
they said that it was 'heavier then they thought' I had 32X11.50 SSR's on it wich are about 80# each
That some how broke the lip right by the bead and I was quite POed
when they put the new rim on it was new so the other 3 did not mach and it was quite clear that they did not mach they tryed every thing to make them 2 1/2 year old rims mach the new one but could not do it
I told them I wanted 3 more new ones they of corse refused I worked my way up to a manager who at the time I bought the truck was in sales sold it to me another long story and in the end got 4 new rims when I brought it in cause the ABS light would come on when it rained

You have to be calm and make them see things your way put them in your shoes
remember that you can cach more flies with honey than with salt

OH yeah and the fix was to put some dielectric grese in the plug for the ABS wich I knew but why should I fix it when it is under waranty
what should have cost them $20 ended up costing them $800+
Maby next time they will leave the tires on if they don't need to take them off

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:10 pm

Well I am glad to see it is going to be taken care of. I guess the hoped to get it apart before you got there, then say it was the front? If the rim doesnt match, I would go for 4 more to make all 5 match. Hopefully you wont have that headache though. Good luck with the new dealership search.

DoverKJ · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:13 pm

What a bunch of idiots. So instead of calling in Snap-On or MAC or asking one of the other mechanics in the shop if they had a locking lug nut remover, I am sure someone had one, he tries to drill a harded nut off a wheel stud.

What an idiot. After the first couple of drill bits broke or went dull, you think someone would have told him to find another way to get the nut off.

I bet if he had gotten it off before you got there, they wouldnt have told you about the rim and would have said you brake pads need to be replaced.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:10 pm

Quote:

I guess the hoped to get it apart before you got there, then say it was the front?

That was exactly my thought. Luckily I know which tire is which from the wear and the fact that one is plugged. But, would I have checked for that?

Even if the new one doesn't match, I have the spare which still looks newer then the others. So, actually I'll end up with 2 newer looking rims on the KJ.

Gonna see what happens when I tell them I want a new, complete set of locking lug nuts.

Stealership does me again!

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