Oil change at dealer - am I imagining this?

benmack1

benmack1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Location
USA
So I bought a new Ram almost 2 years ago. It came with 4 'free' oil changes. I usually am very reluctant to let anyone touch my vehicles, especially oil/filter changes but it was free. I bought the truck at Kernersville but have been having service done in Burlington at Nichols Dodge as it's much closer to where I live.
I dropped the truck off the night before so they could have it all day and get it done at their leisure. I picked it up last night and when I got home started to look it over. The oil filter on these 13+ cummins/Ram combo's is a bitch to get to because of some extra frame steel on the underside so they have to come out through the fender well and there are a couple A/C lines right there. Basically a side-ways removal of a filter that holds a good quart or so. It would be hard to envision doing this without some oil drippings and evidence of hands all over the frame rail area. There is a plastic drip tray underneath. Usually when I pick it up there is oil all over the tie rod and front axle as well as in that drip tray or at least evidence of where they got some on it and wiped it up. Nothing last night. Uh oh. So I get a flashlight and start looking over the filter. The light was just right that I could see a fine coat of dust on the filter with not even a hand mark on it. Uh oh, no this cannot be I am thinking. I usually mark the filter because I am always paranoid these guys may not change it but of course I didn't this time (just in a rush).

Bottomline- I don't think they changed the filter. I am also not sure if they changed the oil itself now. Diesel oil is black after it gets run in my experience so no easy way to tell. It seems they likely dropped the oil and replaced it since the drain plug area was wiped off and there was a drop on the motor cover plastic around the fill area. I just don't think they changed the filter. The invoice says oil and filter and has the charges on it (zero'd out since it's free). No way cummins calls for just a fluid change without the filter swap. Hell, that's probably more important that the oil itself being changed. What the fuck, am I nuts and paranoid?

Anyone ever had something like this? Are these dealers that unscrupulous? I think I'm going to just change it myself to be sure. I am not sure if I want to call the dealer, I am sure they will deny it and hell I guess I could be wrong but it sure seems clear to me. Either way they are not touching that motor again even if they say to bring it back - fuck that. I also will have warranty work for them down the road so don't want to become a marked man. I bet 99% of people never even look so I could see them get away with this all day long.
 
Swap it out. Cheap insurance since it looks like it wasn't done.

If you really want to be an ass, document it prior, during, and after. Cut the filter open if necessary and then show them.


But, if just swap it out and move on with a mental note not to go back there again. Maybe a phone call to express your concern and hopefully it would help keep them from doing it to someone else in the future (but doubtful)
 
benmack1 said:
I bought the truck at Kernersville
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Is that not where Olivers Dodge was at after his shroud came apart??? If so it don't sound like they are any better.
 
My brother works at Kville dodge... In the future just ask for him. Marc Schmitt.
Have several friends who have been long time customers and now just request him for any work to avoid issues.
 
Just to be clear the truck was purchased at Kernersville just for price reasons as it's not the closest place for me but this did NOT happen there (I don't want to be bad mouthing them for this, I have other things to bitch about their sales crew but not this time around). This happened at Nichols Dodge in Burlington. Just wanted to straighten that out.
 
Call them and tell them that you're confident they did not change the filter, and for the sake of maintaining your future loyalty, they should have no problem eating a filter that costs them $10-20. If they won't do that, they're not very customer service oriented. So that would be 2 strikes (bad work and bad customer service), which would be enough for me to go somewhere else.
 
I'd bet on it being an error or laziness on the part of the individual service technician, a dealership is not going to risk the repercussions of not changing the filter for the $6 dollars it might save them, even multipied by every oil change they do.
 
Not to mention, if it was a free oil change, they probably gave the job to a less experienced oil change guy (read: someone who doesn't care) - as opposed to a diesel technician who would probably be more particular.
 
I had a customer put clear tape over the edge of the hood and fender to see if the hood had been opened when he dropped his car off for service. I saw it before I worked on it and went ahead with the service. I taped a business card to the air cleaner when I was done, lowered the hood and replaced the clear tape. When he picked his car up he went out in the lot , saw the tape and came back in going crazy saying we hadn't serviced the car. I told him to go lift the hood , he saw the card and we laughed our ass off. Being a shop owner I hate the people have had experiences like yours , it makes all my new customers be suspect of my business practices right off the bat. The truth is everyone that comes through my door is has or thinks they have been screwed by a shop at some point. I'm sorry to say the case is usually the same as yours, they have been screwed. I look at estimates and receipts for repairs weekly that I can plainly see where someone has been screwed. Moral to the story, find a good honest shop and stay loyal. I'd go back and tell your story to the service manager most times it's the mechanics that are in the business of screwing people not the service manager.
 
Yeah I'd probably say something. I had free oil changes for a year after buying our Liberty. Used them but checked after them every time. The filter is a pain to get to also.

I worked at a Tire Kingdom here in Charlotte for a very short time. I've actually seen them pull cars in and let them sit in the back of the bay while they were supposed to be getting an alignment. This happened a lot during the buy 4 tires get a free alignment promos..... So it definitely happens.....
 
I bounce back and forth between changing my own oil and letting the dealer do it (usually only when it needs something else I dont want to fawk with). I always use a paint pen on my filters with the date and miles of the change. It helps me keep up with it and also will let another mechanic know that I track that stuff.
 
I just can't let others service my vehicles. I do let ONE guy who was one of my customers from my Snap-on route do major repairs if needed because I just am not able any longer to stay bent over a hood.

My daughter told her BF about her new to us Civic "unh uh, my daddy changes the oil in this car" LOL
 
All right, you caught me. You can relax - I'll fess up. I paid off the mechanic to f with you. It's a new filter I just threw some green his way to wipe some old oil on the filter case and throw some shop shavings on it to make it look like it was old.
 
tlucier said:
All right, you caught me. You can relax - I'll fess up. I paid off the mechanic to f with you. It's a new filter I just threw some green his way to wipe some old oil on the filter case and throw some shop shavings on it to make it look like it was old.
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Ass! :flipoff2: I know you use them too so was going to give you a call and warn you
 
Not to harp the same strings I always do, but when we compensate employees the way dealers do - it's going to happen. Unfortunately many times these freebies for you don't cost the dealer what it would if you were a paying customer - the person doing the work isn't fairly compensated.
 
Well, I couldn't take the high road so I decided fuck it I was going to confront them. I was pleased with their response. I asked for nothing just wanted to see what they had to say. The service rep asked me to bring it back so he could take a look. He seemed genuinely concerned and told me he wanted to know if he had a guy playing games. I spoke with the shop foreman and service head (both obviously not techs by their atire). They were very accomodating and frankly I don't think they could tell if I was full of shit or not. The truck is a garage queen so very clean and the filter looked new. I think however they suspected something was up since they were more than ready to do do anther oil change without any push on my part. They dropped the oil (again?) and replaced the filter. Now I have oil all over the places I expect it since these new 2500 and 3500 make it a challenge to remove the filter through a gopher hole. It seems good now and I am content. That was my last freebie so I'll be doing it at home from here on out. Hopefully I am not a marked man now because I have recalls that are still awaiting upgrades I need them to tend to over the coming months. It was a shitty situation but I don't think I could ask for a better response once the situation arose. It just shouldn't have arisen from the start. I am sure there are some very conscientous mechanics out there but damn you can't seem to trust anyone anymore.
 
mysterync said:
Not to harp the same strings I always do, but when we compensate employees the way dealers do - it's going to happen. Unfortunately many times these freebies for you don't cost the dealer what it would if you were a paying customer - the person doing the work isn't fairly compensated.
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Wait, what?

What does employee compensation have to do with being dishonest, whether at the employee or management level?
 
tkeaton said:
Wait, what?

What does employee compensation have to do with being dishonest, whether at the employee or management level?
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It's a trend that becoming all too common in some dealerships. The techs feel they are not fairly compensated so they've begun to take advantage of the customer. In these parts it's not to common but in other areas it's becoming a real problem. Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying it's acceptable! I'm saying that dealerships not paying adequately/fairly is the root cause.
 
Glad this worked out to your satisfaction. It's hard to build a good shop/customer relationship and even harder to maintain it.
 
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