Never Taking the Car to the Dealership Again

[5stringJeff]

The last year or so, my brakes have been pretty soft. Since we are going on a road trip soon, I wanted to get them fixed. So I took it to a mechanic my wife knows (and trusts) instead of the dealership.

Let me backtrack a bit. About two years after buying the car, the brakes went out. It took the dealership four trips and two months worth of work to figure out what was wrong (thankfully the brakes were under warranty). But they never really felt tight, like brakes should. So I took them to this new mechanic.

So he replaced the master cylinder, and they were supposed to have worked fine. My wife picked the car up Friday and proceeded to start home. The brakes seized on her, to the point where she couldn't even get it in gear! So we had it towed back to the mechanic. He called this afternoon to inform me of the problem.

The dealership, in order to keep people coming back and making more money off of them, was adjusting the rod between the master cylinder and the vacuum booster, which helps the brakes engage (as he explained to me - that's a new part in my terminology). So the dealership was knowingly ignoring the real problem (my master cylinder) and putting a Band-Aid on it by adjusting this rod, which made my brakes super loose. So I guess the new mechanic didn't realize this, and replaced the master cylinder without readjusting the rod, which caused the problem Friday.

Anyway, the car's out of the shop, and I've got fully functional brakes! And I am NEVER taking my car to the Kia dealership again! The Kia itself is a fine little car, but I'm sure as hell not giving that dealership one more cent!

 

[dilloduck]

The last year or so, my brakes have been pretty soft. Since we are going on a road trip soon, I wanted to get them fixed. So I took it to a mechanic my wife knows (and trusts) instead of the dealership.

Let me backtrack a bit. About two years after buying the car, the brakes went out. It took the dealership four trips and two months worth of work to figure out what was wrong (thankfully the brakes were under warranty). But they never really felt tight, like brakes should. So I took them to this new mechanic.

So he replaced the master cylinder, and they were supposed to have worked fine. My wife picked the car up Friday and proceeded to start home. The brakes seized on her, to the point where she couldn't even get it in gear! So we had it towed back to the mechanic. He called this afternoon to inform me of the problem.

The dealership, in order to keep people coming back and making more money off of them, was adjusting the rod between the master cylinder and the vacuum booster, which helps the brakes engage (as he explained to me - that's a new part in my terminology). So the dealership was knowingly ignoring the real problem (my master cylinder) and putting a Band-Aid on it by adjusting this rod, which made my brakes super loose. So I guess the new mechanic didn't realize this, and replaced the master cylinder without readjusting the rod, which caused the problem Friday.

Anyway, the car's out of the shop, and I've got fully functional brakes! And I am NEVER taking my car to the Kia dealership again! The Kia itself is a fine little car, but I'm sure as hell not giving that dealership one more cent!

Learned that one too---took mine in (reluctantly) cause the engine check light was on---they did a computer scan and it reported that something was clogged in my carburator-------I told em my truck DIDN"T HAVE A CARBURATOR and took it home after giving em $90.

 

[Trinity]

Come on guys I'm a women and I know better then to take my car to the dealer for repairs, they'll screw you everytime!

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Learned that one too---took mine in (reluctantly) cause the engine check light was on---they did a computer scan and it reported that something was clogged in my carburator-------I told em my truck DIDN"T HAVE A CARBURATOR and took it home after giving em $90.

do you have an "Auto Zone" in your area? It's a very good parts store. They will scan your car for the check engine light problem for free. I have saved about $180+ in scans. The first problem was the PCV valve was old, a $2 part, and the other problem later was the spark plugs were needing replacing. Even if we took the car to a two-bit shop, we would have been charged for the scan, then hit up for parts at quadruple what they cost at the store.

if you don't have an Auto Zone, there might be a similar store in your area. I think NAPA and Checker do the same thing, but don't quote me on it.

 

[dilloduck]

do you have an "Auto Zone" in your area? It's a very good parts store. They will scan your car for the check engine light problem for free. I have saved about $180+ in scans. The first problem was the PCV valve was old, a $2 part, and the other problem later was the spark plugs were needing replacing. Even if we took the car to a two-bit shop, we would have been charged for the scan, then hit up for parts at quadruple what they cost at the store.

if you don't have an Auto Zone, there might be a similar store in your area. I think NAPA and Checker do the same thing, but don't quote me on it.

Went one better---figured out all the codes on line and how to work that little puter that gives them too ya.
tools required----one flathead screwdriver!

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Come on guys I'm a women and I know better then to take my car to the dealer for repairs, they'll screw you everytime!

not necessarily. I haven't had a problem with the Village Chevrolet, the dealer I bought both my cars from, 2 years apart. I even dealt with the same sales guy, who gave us $2k off the 2nd car because we were repeat customers, and gave us free oil changes for a year, something he didn't have to do, nor did we ask him.

we had an ignition issue with our impala (it was loose, so the car would periodically think it was being stolen, and you would not be able to start it for about 30 minutes). it was covered under warranty, but at first we did not know for sure. we actually had the place we were having the oil changed at, put it on the scope, because it wouldn't start in their lot. They reported it as some other part needing to be replaced. we brought it to the original dealer, showed them the paperwork, so they just replaced the part, without re-checking the problem, because the scan report showed what it was supposed to be. a month later, the car starts doing the no-start thing again. we bring it to the dealer, and they put it on the scope at no charge, and it ended up pointing to the ignition. So we paid the two-bit shop $90 for a wrong diagnosis. I wish we would have brought the car to Village in the first place. the two-bit shop was shut down a month later by the state because they were found to be swindling money from people, same way we were. I'm glad I didn't have them try to 'fix' the problem, and only lost $90-it could have been more.

I have had nothing but good service from Village. personally, i like major dealerships better than small stores because the larger ones are less likely to just pack up and leave, so if there's a problem, and you complain, they are likely to actually do something about it. they have a bigger reputation/image to protect, and word of mouth here travels faster than you can say Golden Snitch.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Went one better---figured out all the codes on line and how to work that little puter that gives them too ya.
tools required----one flathead screwdriver!

be careful. you can short out your car's computer if you do it wrong. i have seen it happen-my brother tried it on this truck. he had to then replace the body control module, which ran about $500.

 

[dilloduck]

be careful. you can short out your car's computer if you do it wrong. i have seen it happen-my brother tried it on this truck. he had to then replace the body control module, which ran about $500.

yes maam !!

 

[fuzzykitten99]

yes maam !!

i know you'll be careful. i just don't want it to happen to you. I like you better than my own brother right now.

 

[dilloduck]

i know you'll be careful. i just don't want it to happen to you. I like you better than my own brother right now.

hey--I gotta sister I'm not real fond of too right now !