Continuing with the KIA Dealer that has no records. The new owner aquired the Dealership after previous owner went bankrupt so I guess records or not the new owner has no obligation to honor the warranty for customer pay repairs made by the old owner, case closed.
My neighbor says she feels vibration and hears noise when AC is on. We take this car to the Dealer, they charge her 98.00 and say all is well. When we pick up the car I ask the advisor “are you sure no TSB’s exist about compressor noise”? he assures me none exist. I tell him “I will look” he shakes my hand and sends me on my way.
Well as you guys can imagine I do look and one exists, it calls for changing the AC compressor bracket (pays 1.9 warranty).
In my experience and the way I do my work that report that she paid 98.00 for should have started with the statement “checked for bulletins” and if none found say so, but if one exists also say so. Not checking for bulletins is a embarassing rookie mistake and I have seen people fired over it.
OK, if this compressor bracket job goes customer pay I think that the 98.00 should be credited to the bill, what say you guys?
Unlike recalls that pop up with the entry of the vin, A TSB must be sought after, looked up, read through each one that may apply, and realize if that tsb might fix this problem.
TSBs are not neccessarily warranty unless the car is in warranty or the TSB states otherwise, they’re just a “what to do if” repair.
Many TSB titles are pretty obscure, if your problem description doesn’t match exactly it may take a lot of reading to find out.
Here at the Ford dealer we don’t go to the library chasing each and every problem in the door for TSBs unles some red flag occurs to send us in that direction.
I can see how they might not have related this problem to that TSB but I, too, am bothered that when prompted, they didn’t actually go look.
If the TSB applies, I believe their dollars should be applied to the TSB.
There are a total of 6 AC TSB’s for this model KIA. What I mean is the list is not so big. My training teaches me to check for TSB’s everytime .
Considering that you asked the service advisor specifically about a TSB and he states there is none, my opinion is that this 98 bucks should be credited towards the actual repair.
I’d bypass the service writer and take it up with the service manager. If the service manager balks then I’d let the SM know that I’m headed up front to the GM and owner right then and there.
Overlooking a TSB due to work overload, oversight, brain freeze, or whatever you want to call it is one thing but stating none exist after being specifically asked about it is either sheer laziness or incompetence.
Just curious, but what did they actually do in regards to an inspection of this problem that justified a 98 dollar charge?
The $98.00 should be credited to the repair. If for nothing else it would be good way to retain a customer. If they don’t they have not attempted to rebuild any trust and the customer would not get a feeling of value for their money spent.
Pressures, outlet temps,fan operation, deflector controls, inspect for leaks, pretty much a performance check. A pretty easy job for the tech and he could not even add a TSB check too it. We were paid .6 warranty to do a similar bit of work by GM so I figure a full hour for customer pay was fair, but I wanted the tech’s best effort if I was paying top dollar.
I asked what the shops hourly rate was and was told they “bill by the job”, patience is getting tested
This was purely a example of a lazy advisor and a lazy mechanic. KIA or the customer would have easily paid for this work, but some people do not like their authority questioned. The advisor knew he should have checked for TSB’s (heck they have probably done this job before, I got to know many of the common TSB’s by heart) and he got caught not checking and had no where to go. I warned him I would check as soon as I got on-line but he just smiled.This advisor passed up a chance to make some money and so did the mechanic, the are not very hungry at that Dealership. We would be falling all over each other for a 1.9 job,espically when the other choice is to stand around.
I agree with every point you make and if I were the service manager I’d be all over that service writer.
That 1.9 is not a bad labor time for something like this. SAAB had a problem at one time with compressor brackets and that job paid a whopping 1.2 hours. The quickest I ever got those done was in the 2.5 to 3 hour range; hardly a money-making deal.
Oldschool, I Agree With You 100%.
TSBs should have been checked, especially with a complaint of this nature.
They shouldn’t have said none exist when they do.
You were right to check.
$98.00 should be credited when proper repairs are made.
They owe, at the very least, a big apology or complementary oil change and maybe half an hour labor for your time in searching TSBs (Maybe you could bill them) 
I check TSBs all the time and I have found dealers who overlook consulting them. Think of the time and frustration a bulletin like this would save a DIYer or independent mechanic.
CSA
I do try to stress to the public (I mean people who post to Car Talk) about checking for TSB’s but I also realise people say “well how can I check for TSB’s” when they read my advice. For me it is easy since my school has an automotive program and the library at the school subscribes to the EBSCO site but for others I don’t really know the best advice to give for the general public to check for TSB’s, anyone know of a good easy way for the general public to check for TSB’s?
Go to ALLDATA.COM and do a “Service Bulletin Title Search”. This part of ALLDATA is free and it will show any Recalls and TSBs for the car in question.
Without a subscription one wouldn’t get the details but the title of the Recall or TSB would get them started in the right direction by letting them know there is a possible issue with the part or area in question.
I found a TSB on my Merkur in regards to updated strut rod bushings and printed it off (had a subscription then) and went into the local Mercury dealer for those bushings.
The parts manager seemed to be very puzzled about how I obtained this TSB and I simply told him “the net” provided it.
OH you are the guy that bought the Merkur:)
Neat cars in my opinion and it always gets looks; especially when it’s heard due to the engine conversion. A SBF 308, dual four barrels with Ram Air, ported heads with big valves, Lincoln AOD transmission and independent rear suspension with 3:38 gears. It’s a mover.
My current report is denial of warranty consideration because the Sedona is 2 mths in time (6 years 2 mths) out but way short on mileage(54K). The evap code came back today. We are going to seek “Goodwill” from KIA.
Advisor said he did not mention TSB because the neighbor said the car was jerking with AC on and not vibrating and noisy with AC on, OK I guess he has us there but I always went to extremes to get my customers complaints to get fixed under warranty. The exam the mechanic gave surely should have stimulate a response"no jerking but it is noisy and vibrating and we have a TSB for that" I would have made it fit.
I can’t say as I let the service advisor off the hook anyway. A service advisor should be fully aware that most non-mechanically minded people have a very difficult time describing noises and motions and it should be upon him to try and think a bit further rather than handing a repair order to a tech with “car jerks with A/C on”.
With something like this presented I can see why a tech might connect the gauges as a first step.
Just my opinion, but a service advisor should do more than jot a complaint note down on a piece of paper and call it good. I’ve done this kind of work and I ask questions along with physically taking a look at the vehicle. This aids the tech, a bunch, instead of allowing that tech to grope around in the dark trying to figure out what the complaint really is.