15,000 mile checkup = lots of aggrivation

My wife took in our 3 year old Chrysler T&C with 14,000 miles on it to the dealership where we bought the car. She was having brake pulsating problems. They recommended the 15,000 mile checkup because at $165 it included “Brake inspection and adjustment”. They of course found bad rotors which we could have gone to any brake place for. Now they want another $225 to fix the rotors and put on new pads. Then they found a nail in one tire and a screw in another. $30 each to patch. Then they found a brake light out. $35. What’s the deal with dealerships? These 15,000 mile checkups seem like a loss leader for them to find out more stuff wrong with our crappy American car so they can fleece us.

If your brakes are pulsating then it’s usually bad rotors. Most cars these days rotors can’t be machined so they replaced.

They of course found bad rotors which we could have gone to any brake place for.

SO…Why didn’t you??

Then they found a nail in one tire and a screw in another. $30 each to patch.

Price wize that’s not unreasonable. But I have to ask…I’ve yet to see a tire with a nail or screw in them that don’t leak air…didn’t you notice??? How often do you check your air preasure???

These 15,000 mile checkups seem like a loss leader for them to find out more stuff wrong with our crappy American car so they can fleece us.

Most dealers are like this…So why don’t you take the car someplace else??

At least in your case they are finding and fixing problems that you really have and really need fixed. My complaint is the dealerships that want to do a lot of maintenance services that are not recommended by the manufacturer, or useful.

With the possible exception of oil changes and timing belt replacement, dealerships are almost always more expensive than independent mechanics. Now, in addition to their usual pricing structure, you have to consider the future that this dealership may be facing.

The dealership is a sales agent for a failing company, and their sales have been nil for at least a couple of months, with no predicted relief in sight. Most likely they are attempting to maximize their bottom line at this point, especially in view of the predicted demise of at least the Chrysler passenger car line, and possibly the whole enchilada.

In other words, they may now be even more expensive than usual since they have few other sources of income.

I didn’t have the rotors done initially because the service scheduler person said they would fix the brakes - no matter what. I had to yell at a few people (which I hate to do - but it is a part of life these days) and they agreed to take off the $165 for the 15,000 mile checkup if I did the full rotor job. So it worked out OK. Yes, one tire kept going flat but the other was a suprise. No biggie there.

The Service Advisors are pressured to sell (pressured is not a adaquate word) their Managers are tolerant of The S.A.'s telling “stories” in order to sell.

Making a profit is not something to be ashamed of.

If your getting new OEM rotors, and OEM or better pads $225.00 is not so bad,if they are just turning (maching) the rotors then the price is bad. Make sure they pack the bearings,some will say they do but they wont.

$30.00 to patch a tire is probably double what it should be.

You probably didn’t know about the brake light so you didn’t have a chance to fix it yourself,sounds like you got beat-up for $30.00 (bulb should have been replaced for cost of part only,builds customer loyalty).

Dealerships are not all the same in regards to charging top dollar for every last thing, but the do all have high overhead, and management that feels it is their job to get as much money as possible and they don’t temper this goal with the value of building customer loyalty.

I guess we had a nicer dealer, rotors pitted and warped at 12k, pads eaten up, but the service manager called it close enough to warranty and did them for free, No problems after that. I wonder if there is a pattern of bad rotors out there.

What’s the deal with dealerships?

Don’t make the mistake of judging a group by the actions of a few. I have found good dealerships and bad dealerships. Shop around to find a mechanic you like. He or she might be at a deslership, a tire retailer, or an independent shop. You never know until you look.

Seems like the the brake rotors should have been replaced under warrantee. They are a wear item, but this isn’t a wear issue. If you pointed this out to them, I’ll bet they would have found another solution.

i dont mean to sound cocky, but why dont you just do it yourself?
i mean, it takes like 3 minutes to put a plug in a tire, and less than an hour to put on a set of brakes and a rotor

Good job speaking up to these shysters. 15,000 miles on brake pads doesn’t say anything unless you say you do a lot of city driving or highway driving. If you have lots of braking going on (city) 15K isn’t unreasonable. The brake light expense of $35 is a friggin’ joke so I’m suspicious if you actually needed a brake job after all. And. $165.00 for a 15k mile checkup? What a scam and a half. Good for you for speaking up. And try to find a better garage.

Excuse Me, Crappy American Car?

Is it just American cars that drive over screws and nails? All cars do this. Burned out light bulbs can happen on any type of car that has bulbs. Inspecting the lights with a walk-around check should be part of every driver’s routine. The Owner’s Manual that came with your car tells you how to replace one. Since this Dealer is charging $30 to patch a tire, then I know they only had to put in a bulb for $35.

Fourteen thousand miles in 3 years can contribute to pulsating brakes. At 5,000 miles per year, I’m guessing this van is either parked for extended periods or makes many extremely short trips. Either way, corrosion can attack the rotors and never get completely cleaned off by the van’s inactivity, especially under certain foul weather conditions. All cars do this. Drive it!

You are correct about being fleeced. Why do you allow it? Go somewhere else or learn to take part in inspecting and maintaining it yourself if the cost bothers you.
You are wrong to call this van a Crappy American Car based on what you have indicated. I have bad news. Based on what you’ve said, any car you own will be “crappy” regardless of its nation of origin.

Sounds like you jumped right on the “Crappy American Car Band Wagon”. I’m not buying this song and dance.

CSA: Proud Owner Of Seven Fantastic American Cars (One is a Chrysler Corp van.).
Not one of my cars is crappy!

Some of these prices are suspect. $30 to patch a tire.? Even if it’s a patch and not a plug, that’s still pretty high. The tire place by my work patched a tire for for for $12 last year. $35 for to replaces a bulb? Are you freaking kidding me? Last week when I had my car in for state inspected they found a burnout out bulb license plate bulb. Total cost for replacement was 92 cents. I imagine a brake light bulb would be a little more, but certainly not $35. If they are just turning the rotors then $225 is really high as well, if they are replacing them, thens it’s a little easier to swallow.