Anyone work at a Jeep Dealership?

Cherokeekid88

Cherokeekid88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Location
High Point, NC
Anyone work at a Jeep Dealership or know a good friend that works at one? I need to have some updates done to the software on my transmission in a 2017 Jeep Cherokee and the 2 dealerships I've gone to are wanting to charge for them and I see all the time on JeepCherokeeClub.com that most dealerships don't charge for them and I just wanted to confirm weather or not, I should/Shouldn't be charged for these updates?
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
Anyone work at a Jeep Dealership or know a good friend that works at one? I need to have some updates done to the software on my transmission in a 2017 Jeep Cherokee and the 2 dealerships I've gone to are wanting to charge for them and I see all the time on JeepCherokeeClub.com that most dealerships don't charge for them and I just wanted to confirm weather or not, I should/Shouldn't be charged for these updates?
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Yes you should unless they fall under an extended warranty and/or recall.
Otherwise, you're on the hook just like any other repair.
 
I would assume unless it's under warranty or a recall/tsb that extends the warranty period, you will pay.

With my LJ, there was a tsb or something for a TCM update. Shortly after I bought it I stopped by local dealer to see if it had already been done. I would have had to pay diagnostic fee just to hook it up and see if it had the update.
 
Depending on what the updates are and if you have a good relationship with your dealer, they may do them for free on a discretionary basis while they're processing other maintenance items on the vehicle.

JeepCherokeeClub people may be the type of folks to never turn wrenches which is why you see a lot of the statement that they do it for free for some customers.

If you've never taken your car to said dealer and expect to walk in and have them spend an hour running updates, I think it would be fair to pay them.
 
Bebop said:
If you've never taken your car to said dealer and expect to walk in and have them spend an hour running updates, I think it would be fair to pay them.
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Yup. When I was a dealer tech, I would do the updates if the vehicle was already in my bay and hooked up to my laptop. It would only take 2-3 minutes at most. But, I was already working on it.
To get the work order, drive it in, do the checklist, etc and then expect to do it for free. Yeah, that's a no for me dawg.
 
Gotcha! Seems like the 1st update I had done they did while I had it in for an oil change. I usually take my Jeep to Crown Jeep Off Wendover in G-boro and they recently changed owners and haven't been there since the change.
 
Well I feel conflicted on this. Those updates should free of charge to the customer. ESP if it is a usability update.

We need strong right to repair laws
 
Futbalfantic said:
Well I feel conflicted on this. Those updates should free of charge to the customer. ESP if it is a usability update.

We need strong right to repair laws
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Those thoughts are in opposition to each other...

Right to repair is you have to be able to do the work yourself, your own tools, you buy parts...

Dealer installed updates inherently involve labor on the part of the provider.

I don't know about Jeep, but in the case of my Bronco and Ford, you can download the updates from Motorcraft, and install them yourself, (I've done those multiple times) but you have to have the licensed software and a compatible obdII interface (the tools). That is the right to repair scenario, and I'd not be surprised if Jeep will let you download the updates free, but you gotta get it on the Jeep yourself.
 
Futbalfantic said:
Well I feel conflicted on this. Those updates should free of charge to the customer. ESP if it is a usability update.

We need strong right to repair laws
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Agree w/ @zuke on this 100%.
If you're asking somebody else to take the time to do it for you, then that person should be paid for their time. That is only fair. The exception being that said repair is under a warranty or recall, e.g. somebody screwed up and they are making it right.

Hence generally recall / safety related updates WILL be free. but if its something that is an enhancement over what you paid for - yoyo for that.
As mentioned, doing updates these days isn't hard.

Side story - I bought my Mazda3 on Sept 30.

Oct 2nd, the following Monday, Mazda announces that all cars from that day forward get AndroidAuto as part of the purchase package. Just added via update.
I called my local dealer and asked if I could bring it in and get the update. "Absolutely! That will be $500. Only takes about an hour."
After some choice words, I looked up the details... and by Saturday I had it on my car w/o leaving the house.
 
Futbalfantic said:
Well I feel conflicted on this. Those updates should free of charge to the customer. ESP if it is a usability update.
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If the previous software passes the gov mandatory tests (which is does, otherwise this would be a mandatory recall, and free), why should you get the improved one ?
 
Bebop said:
If the previous software passes the gov mandatory tests (which is does, otherwise this would be a mandatory recall, and free), why should you get the improved one ?
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I think the software should be free and right to repair is real.

Now when you want to repair your own stuff you should be required to go through 4 weeks of classroom training a year, unpaid, and required to complete 100 hours of field service a year, then you are qualified to buy the software at a cost of $25,000 per license per year. Now repair your own stuff...and understand if you change anything in red the full warranty is null and void.


That's my life on the daily.
4 weeks of classroom per year x 172 Field service technicians followed by ...."why do I have to pay for this your guy was only on site 20 minutes"....

rant off. Just how I started my morning
 
Ron said:
I think the software should be free and right to repair is real.

Now when you want to repair your own stuff you should be required to go through 4 weeks of classroom training a year, unpaid, and required to complete 100 hours of field service a year, then you are qualified to buy the software at a cost of $25,000 per license per year. Now repair your own stuff...and understand if you change anything in red the full warranty is null and void.


That's my life on the daily.
4 weeks of classroom per year x 172 Field service technicians followed by ...."why do I have to pay for this your guy was only on site 20 minutes"....

rant off. Just how I started my morning
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Yup.
They pay for the years, not the hours. (Minutes in your example)

I can regear a JK30 from start to finish in about an hour. Should I charge an hour labor? Sure thing...my labor rate is $400/hr šŸ˜
 
These topics are not blending smoothly even though they seem the same. John Deere is a POS, but so are people who want everything for free and don't value other's time. It's a pretty wide spectrum for balance in the middle.
 
Futbalfantic said:
If we donā€™t have access to the software or tools then there is no possibility to perform the update. That is not a right to repair. Iā€™m looking John Deere right in the face.
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The John Deere RTR lawsuit is actually a whole other bunch of shit.

Here is the long story very short. The Engine manufacture is liable to the US EPA "eternally" for the engine complying with federal emission requirements.
By providing software access a customer can change the the fuel curve, timing, or any number of other fatcors that would cause the engine to run outside of emission standards. At which pointthe manufacture is liable and owes the US EPA significant fines.

The EPA refuses to change this law...
 
Ron said:
The John Deere RTR lawsuit is actually a whole other bunch of shit.

Here is the long story very short. The Engine manufacture is liable to the US EPA "eternally" for the engine complying with federal emission requirements.
By providing software access a customer can change the the fuel curve, timing, or any number of other fatcors that would cause the engine to run outside of emission standards. At which pointthe manufacture is liable and owes the US EPA significant fines.

The EPA refuses to change this law...
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The more you knowā€¦. Interesting twist
 
Ron said:
The John Deere RTR lawsuit is actually a whole other bunch of shit.

Here is the long story very short. The Engine manufacture is liable to the US EPA "eternally" for the engine complying with federal emission requirements.
By providing software access a customer can change the the fuel curve, timing, or any number of other fatcors that would cause the engine to run outside of emission standards. At which pointthe manufacture is liable and owes the US EPA significant fines.

The EPA refuses to change this law...
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Honest question, is it a law or a 'regulation'?
 
trailhugger said:
Honest question, is it a law or a 'regulation'?
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My bet is regulation. Typical .gov overreaching. As far as im concerned, if it's not constitutionally assigned to the fed, it's none of their business.
 
Not meant to call you out for the terminology, honestly wondered and figured it might be a good chance to acknowledge overreach. ;)
 
How much are they charging to update the software? according to Jody, it takes 2-3 minutes. let's just say 5 min at $120/hr is $10. hell double it for profit and being a stealership. $20.

Now, Did something about the vehicle change that required an update? Or is this an inherent issue in the programming? Dependent upon that info, and assuming the the latter, I personally don't agree that a software update classifies as a repair. Why the fuck wasn't the software correct to begin with? But that's just my thoughts and not worth a damn thing when it comes down to it.
 
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