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It's Official, I Regret My Purchase

24K views 94 replies 41 participants last post by  brosher 
#1 ·
I am not usually one to post massive complaints on a forum like this. In advance I would like to apologize for the length of this post. Over the past few years I have grown increasingly tolerant and understanding when things go awry. I get it. Stuff breaks and things never go as planned. But through 4 months of ownership I have lost my patience with this car, Saratoga Chrysler Jeep, and Jeep/Chrysler LLC. At first I was reluctant to post this because the last thing I want to do is detract from the positive experiences other owners are having. But after a few days of thought and Chrysler LLC / Saratoga Jeep stirring the pot further I have decided prospective buyers should be aware of how Chrysler is handling (or NOT handling) my situation.

Here is a rundown of the problems with my car. I am going to break this down in terms of trips to the dealer.

Trip 1 (1407 miles) - 1 day in the shop
Shudder - Primarily WOT during a downshift between 40-50mph passing maneuvers. In this case I noticed it following the owners manual instructions during break-in that calls for short full throttle bursts. I reported this at 1400 miles but I also experienced the torque convert lock-up / un-lock shudder at highway speeds. The dealer reported that they could not replicate this and that this is normal behavior during the torque converter's 6,000 mile break-in period.

Trip 2 (1790 miles) - 1 day in the shop
Stereo Feedback - The stereo would create a horrible feedback sound. The dealer diagnosed as a bad amplifier and a part was ordered. I was told the vehicle could not be repaired on a Saturday because the job would take several hours and they only had two technicians on (I'm not kidding).

Trip 3 (2011 miles) - 1 day in the shop
Amplifier Repaired - 1 week later the new amplifier came in and was successfully repaired. I also asked the dealer to look at the shudder again. The dealer could not confirm the problem and said this is normal break-in of the torque converter.

Trip 4 (~5,000 miles) 2 days in the shop
Two days in the shop was because I had to drop the car off and leave it while I was on a business trip. Keep in mind I do not know all of the diagnostics performed and parts repaired because the dealer has not provided me with the paperwork. They said the service request is still open so they are working off the same file.

1.) Transmission Shudder - I demanded they look at this during this visit. The WOT shudder (mentioned above) did not improve and on a country road the vehicle would not properly downshift during a passing maneuver with my colleagues in the car (This did happen and it was really embarrassing for a new car). I won't get into details as I have made previous posts on this.
Diagnosis - Replace Axle Isolators but parts are on backorder.

2.) Rear Flipper Window Misalignment - Adhesive is coming off the brackets and the window became misaligned. The window closes against the rear pillar and has scratched the paint. It has also shifted the tailgate off-center.
Diagnosis - Replace Flipper Window but parts are on backorder

3.) Driver Side View Mirror Blurry - I believe it came this way at delivery and I forgot to ask about it. The reflection always looked like double vision. You would see two sets of headlights in the rear view mirror.
Diagnosis - Replace mirror but the part is on back order.

4.) Defective Key Fobik - One key Fobik stopped working. When inside the vehicle it would say "Damaged Key" on the EVIC.
Diagnosis - Replace Key Fobik

5.) Front Tweeter Rattle - During uConnect calls the front tweeter would rattle. I asked them to look at the housing.
Diagnosis - Front Tweeter but part is on back order.

6.) HVAC Blower Noise - Sounded like fins inside the fan were brushing against something.
Diagnosis - Replace Blower Motor

7.) Intermittent Alarm Sound Off - As it says. Once in a while the alarm just goes off.
Diagnosis - Unknown until they actually give me my paperwork.

8.) RER Unit Restarts During a Drive - Once every two weeks the screen goes blank and RER unit goes through its bootup sequence again.
Diagnosis - Unknown

Trip 5 To the Dealer (2 weeks later ~ 5700 miles) 2 days in the shop
1.) Front Axle Isolators were replaced. Shudder is still present. Now the vehicle shimmy's front to back at highway speed in overdrive acceleration. Waiting for Chrysler to tell the dealership what's next.

2.) Rear flipper window is on national backorder. Nobody can tell me when this part will be available. I have been advised to minimize use of the rear window and tailgate because it is damaging the paint. Really?

3.) Driver Side Mirror is replaced and fine.

4.) Front tweeter was replaced but there is still a rattle with the uConnect over the system. The speaker no longer rattles over grainy roads.

5.) Blower motor replaced. Now something is loose in the blower area under the glovebox. It shakes and rattles over bumps and when the engine is in Eco mode.

I know that the vehicle will have to go back into the shop to have the window replaced (1 day). And future shudder diagnosis will probably be performed (at least 1 day). Another attempted repair will require at least 1 day. All told I can expect at least 10 total days in the shop during my first five months of ownership. This assumes they find a window for me AND they determine what they need to test for the shudder.

On Monday, April 4th I opened a complaint with Chrysler's Case Management. Becky called me on Tuesday, April 5th to introduce herself as my case manager. I explained my concern about the flipper window and shudder. She said she would contact the dealer and look into the order for my part and facilitate the technical team helping the dealer. I asked if she had an e-mail address for me to send a written complaint to. She said they do not. Really? Come on!

On Wednesday, April 6th I called my dealer to get an update as we had discussed. After waiting on hold for 20 minutes to speak to my service representative I finally spoke to a person who tried to help. He said my service rep needed to call me back and would do so before the end of the day. It is now Thursday and they have NOT called me back.

Becky called me back today, Thursday April 7th. She said that a survey I responded to on Tuesday, April 5th was brought to her attention. I got the impression this was the only reason she called. The survey had asked me to rank my satisfaction with my Jeep on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (highly satisfied). I said 2. They asked me to rank how likely I was to recommend a Jeep to a friend or family member. I said 1. She apologized that I have had so many problems. She said she has contacted the dealer and is waiting for the Service Manager to call her back with the work order number, part number on order, and PO number. She apologized for all of the inconvenience but asked that I give the technical team time to figure this out.

I asked the Case Manager today when Chrysler would admit enough is enough here. She said that the technical team needs to be given time to sort out my issue. I do not believe that my shudder issue is any different from the others reported. So the bottom line is they are not telling me everything that is going on.

The unprofessional behavior of my dealer has only exacerbated this situation. If they had taken my initial shudder complaint seriously who knows how much more patient I would have been. During the sales negotiation for this car I specifically asked if they provided loaner cars during service. I was told that they find something for you to drive if the vehicle is in for a day or more. The Service department has finally admitted that they do not provide loaner vehicles. If the dealership had been honest in the first place I would not be in this situation because I would never have bought the car. I am a Sales Manager for a manufacturing company and cannot be without a vehicle. Walking away from the sale would have been a no-brainer.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this process is the lack of communication and compassion from the dealership or Chrysler LLC. Several trips to the dealer with a BRAND NEW $40k+ vehicle is a MAJOR inconvenience. Being without a car for six days over the course of four months is unacceptable. Not taking a complaint seriously is inexcusable. Not proactively communicating is mind blowing. Even an update that it is being researched is better than silence. If I routinely ignored customers for more than a business day I would be fired.

I am the exact customer that Chrysler wanted. I was a loyal Honda/Acura buyer (four of them in a row, actually) that was willing to be open-minded and look past the sins of Chrysler's past. I am also a young, upwardly mobile professional that would have loved to buy from Chrysler for many years to come. Further, I'm a car guy! In 6th grade I knew that my dad's company car (Dodge Intrepid) had the 3.3L V6 as opposed to the 3.5L 215hp V6. Because I am such an enthusiast friends, family, and colleagues value my opinion and pay attention to what I drive. They have all been shocked to see me choose a Jeep (Chrysler product). They are even more surprised at how tolerant I have been of this cars foibles. My experience has persuaded two possible buyers (one for a new Jeep and another for a new Dodge Durango) not to make a purchase. They don't want the same headache that I have.

I now feel compelled to share this experience with others, include it on consumer reviews of the car, and I am submitting ALL of this information to TrueDelta for their reliability ratings. I signed up when I bought the car.

Sorry if this seems incredibly negative. To some extent I needed to document this and vent. I went into this purchase fiercely positive and incredibly excited about this car. I fully expected to keep it for 10 years or more. I was so impressed with the content and quality that I jumped brands. Instead, my worst nightmares about vehicle ownership have come true. This experience has made me entertain taking a tremendous loss at trade-in just to get back to a dependable car/brand. Maybe my car is one in a million but if I had known how frustrating this COULD be I never would have bought this Jeep.
 
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#2 ·
Well. That sucks. I am not sure what the lemon law states exactly or if it even exists in your state but it sounds like it was made for this reason. Have a lawyer send a letter to the dealer. I am not sure where to go from here but it sounds like its time to lawyer up and demand your money back or a vehicle replacement. Good luck.
 
#84 ·
Re: It's Official, I Regret My Purchase/response to "lemon law"



Any lemon law, regardless of state, refers to the repeated "break-down" or "unrepairable" issue. That is to say, in order for the lemon law to be relevant, you would have to have the same issue, e.g. bad transmission, repeatedly fail. It does not protect you against multiple different issues. Sorry for the bad news...
 
#3 · (Edited)
Sounds like you got a turd. I'm sorry to hear that. You should get out of that car and either give another WK2 a try or go back to foreign if you feel this is indicative of american carmakers.

The solace for the rest of us is that these types of issues are few and far between. I've been thrilled with my purchase so far. That means nothing good for you, but it's good to know that your experience is currently an exception, like all automakers experience, and not the norm that it used to be. I hope they make things right for you.

P.S. - I'm talking about the car and not the dealer. It is well documented that the chrysler dealer network is still operating in the distant past and needs service badly.
 
#4 ·
Don't let the dealer or Chysler off the hook. Keep taking it in and if you have a certain number of trips in without it being fixed Chrysler should offer a buyback. If this happens, request cash refund and buy a different non-Chrysler vehicle and from a different dealer obviously. If they don't fix the shudder, use your state's lemon laws. You should check your state lemon laws if you haven't already but I'm betting you have looked into the lemon law rules already. Good luck. Thank you very much for this post. I'm closer to not buying a new Jeep.
 
#5 · (Edited)
We ought to get a moderator to add a sticky thread that lists dealers to avoid. Dealers need to be held accountable for shady tactics and poor customer service. This thread would be helpful to people looking to buy and hopefully put pressure on dealers to be accountable for the products they sell. Someone should make this happen in every forum listed on this website. Why not? Do a simple Poll of all Chrystler dealers. Do it by state to break it down. The percentage feedback would be very telling and a great tool for those of you looking to purhase. Can we make this happen some how?
 
#7 · (Edited)
We ought to get a moderator to add a sticky thread that lists dealers to avoid. Dealers need to be held accountable for shady tactics and poor customer service. This thread would be helpful to people looking to buy and hopefully put pressure on dealers to be accountable for the products they sell. Someone should make this happen in every forum listed on this website. Why not? Do a simple Poll of all Chrystler dealers. Do it by state to break it down. The percentage feedback would be very telling and a great tool for those of you looking to purhase. Can we make this happen some how?
Just don't gloss over the fact that Chrysler designed and assembled the vehicle with all of these problems. Several people have a shudder problem, it sounds pretty bad, and it's never been fixed. Stalling issues in the WK were never fixed or even acknowledged. Water leaks in the WK and WK2. On and on and on the list of problems and poor customer service from many Jeep dealers and from Chysler Jeep itself.

I was dead set on buying a new WK2, but it's just not worth the risk of the problems or the "unable to replicate" and never getting it fixed and being without a new expensive vehicle.

A Porsche Cayenne will be my next SUV, I just won't be able to afford all of the options but what's important is the way a vehicle drives and reliability.
http://omaha.porschedealer.com/Cayenne-Testing-in-Severe-Desert-Conditions/15395/special.php :thumbsup:
 
#6 ·
Wow...not good. I would be VERY frustrated too. What was your build date?
 
#8 ·
Ford and GM, whose dealers were better than Chrysler's to begin with, have embarked on campaigns to improve their dealership networks' quality. Fiat apparently hasn't gone the same route, perhaps because in southern Europe dealer networks tend to be poorer than what we are used to over here, at least from what I have experienced which is very limited.

Of course, Fiat has faced a huge task in enhancing the mess they obtained in Chrysler after so many years of neglect and poor management. When it comes to upgrading production and vehicle design, Fiat has really done a remarkable job.

But as Acura once showed, you can take worthy but not exceptional vehicles and get exceptional creds among the public simply by having an outstanding dealer network and factory focus on customer satisfaction.
 
#11 ·
I had a November build date. This was the exact color combo and feature set I was looking for. I looked hard for this car. The deal was really good so I pulled the trigger.

I looked up the Lemon Law. NYS says they get four tries at fixing it or it has to be in the shop for 30 days over 24 months (or 18,000 miles). I think that is slanted too far in the dealer's/manufacturer's favor. I am stuck trying to get Chrysler to do something or get some satisfaction from the dealer.

Thanks for all the support guys. I was a little worried people would tell me I was over the top. I really wanted this to go well. This was worse than I ever imagined.

I think the longer that this draws out the less likely I would be to give Chrysler a second chance. I do feel that if Sergio knew about things like this he would be up in arms. Organizational change is a hard thing, especially for a part time CEO. But man I would not let this kind of stuff fly in mine.
 
#15 ·
rent a car and drop your gc off at the dealer. tell them you do not want it back until everything is fixed. tell them you dont care if items are back ordered, you dont want it back until it is fixed and tested. let the 30 days run out and then take it back three more time for the shudder. hire a lawyer and lemon law the thing. i did that with my POS F-250 diesel and then took a picture of my new G-35 and sent it to Bill Ford along with a letter that stated i fixed the problem my F-250 was having. they have lost a customer forever, and my kids have been brain washed to hate Ford. someday my grand and great grand kids will be to.
 
#12 · (Edited)
mjw,

I read that but that was just a couple of days ago so that person won't really know if the shudder is resolved for good or re-emerges for months. I say this because I had a stalling problem with my WK since new that has had several attempts to be fixed and several times seemed to be fixed only to have it stall again. It seems much better but still can stall if I start it up under certain conditions.

Oh, and thanks for the well wishes about the Cayenne.
 
#17 ·
One thing I can tell you from my own experience is case managers are just people that work in customer service and listen to your complaint and call the dealer for you. At this point you should be dealing directly with the service manager and he should be talking to chrysler. You could request a buyback but chrysler goes by the lemon law in your state for buybacks which means you will have to take it in a total of 3 or 4 times depending on the state and them not be able to fix it. Chrysler will most likely not offer a buyback you will have to request it and go through the process which will take some time and you would have to buy another chrysler product.

Another point I think the person that had the driveshaft and diff replacement for the "shutter" problem was not the shutter problem. I think this was just a drivetrain vibration up to 20 mph and it was a 3.6. I say this because I had the same problem on my previous WK2 Limited and it was just a rear end problem not the shutter that other talk of on the 5.7 between 35 and 60 mph.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Well this is disconcerting. I'm in final negotiations for my WK2 although the store still has to locate a unit to my specs. I'm probably still going to go through with it and hope that I get a good one. It really sucks that you got a lemon but I agree with the comments here that you need to be persistent and diligent in your fight to get it made right. It is unfortunate that you are having to put that much time and energy into this but hopefully soon Chrysler will wake up and do a buyback for you. So far my jeep store has been really great but I recognize there can be big differences between the sales and service processes. Im going to go meet the service staff on my next visit there to start a relationship. Good luck.
 
#19 ·
There are lawyers that deal specifically in Lemon Laws. Google that shit and contact them! I have a personal friend of mine that got taken care of here in NJ (not too far away) and then some dealing with a Toyota lemon...

very sorry to hear about your troubles though, I wish you the best of luck and a speedy resolution!
 
#21 ·
Wow sorry to hear but I completely understand the feeling of embarrassment with your collrabies in the car "especially" when it's a new car that's being top rated. But I'm glad you posted that. This forum is for that the pros and cons. This thread may make others realize the issuesand bring it to chryslers attention to fix these bugs.
 
#22 ·
Sounds painful, I'd hate to have your experience. That said have you considered trying a top flight dealer? I'd give it a shot before throwing in the towel. Service is a key profit center for dealerships. Knowing the history if a dealer deals with most of your outstanding issues after a couple of visits (and maybe provides you a loaner) they've made a friend/customer for years to come.
 
#23 ·
I finally received paperwork from the dealer today. They did something right. There was no mention of anything that was performed on the last three items for trip 4. I just want to be fair and tell everyone when they do the things they say they will. It took about a week for them to send this to me. I will go back to my original post and update the diagnosis / repairs performed as needed.

Still no call back from the service department about the window parts and shudder fix. Not even a, "we're working on this with Chrysler..."

I left a voicemail the GM of the dealership yesterday around 12:30pm. He was out but I asked him to call me back to schedule an appointment. I told him he should be aware of my experience with his dealership, the problems I have had with my car, AND that while I wouldn't recommend it, if friends or family feel compelled to buy a Chrysler product, I am telling them it is in their best interest to find another dealer. My co-worker opted not to go to Saratoga Chrysler based on my experience. We'll see if he calls me back.

I also received a phone call from someone else at Chrysler that would like to follow-up on my survey and welcoming me to the Jeep family. She and I have played phone tag and not yet spoken. I agree with one poster who said that I have not yet gotten above the Customer Service level at Jeep. If the glass is not in by next Wednesday (four weeks) I will probably demand to speak with the next level of management. I cannot trade the car in as is (if that is what I decide to do).

I have thought about another dealer but suspect it would be difficult to make a switch in the middle of this case. I am not sure exactly where to go but would probably check out Armory first.

Thanks again for the comments and feedback from all. I appreciate it!
 
#24 ·
My next vehicle won't be a Chrysler product. It's the Subaru STI for me.

But for right now, I'm just enjoying my WK while it last.
 
#27 ·
I received a call from my case manager today that the rear window arrived at the dealership (4 weeks later). She said the service manager would be contacting me. He called about 30 minutes later to schedule an appointment. He also asked if I could drop it off at a time when he could take a drive with me to feel/understand the shudder. I'm going to drop it up late tomorrow afternoon.

So at least some progress. But there were several calls not returned to me in this process. Its better than nothing.

I'll post how I make out with all of this.
 
#29 ·
I received a call from my case manager today that the rear window arrived at the dealership (4 weeks later). She said the service manager would be contacting me. He called about 30 minutes later to schedule an appointment. He also asked if I could drop it off at a time when he could take a drive with me to feel/understand the shudder. I'm going to drop it up late tomorrow afternoon.

So at least some progress. But there were several calls not returned to me in this process. Its better than nothing.

I'll post how I make out with all of this.
I went through this process of dealing with case managers on my previous wk2 and what I could tell is they really don't do anything except listen to what you have to say and call the dealer for you. The service manager needs to be the one making the calls they are the ones that can contact the district managers at chrysler. Customers do not normally talk directly to these people from my experience. From my experience all customer service does is listen and say I'm sorry your having these problems.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I met the Service Manager this afternoon. He was very professional and let me show him all of my concerns. I showed him the window and how the misalignment of the window had pushed the lower right corner of the tailgate into the bumper. He said that was a new one for him but they would take care of it. I showed him how it made scratches on the pillar and top of the bumper. He also said they would fix the rattle in the replaced blower motor.

The worst part about this was the car did not shudder as it usually does during the drive. I was so embarassed. There are few times where the car shifts great but most of the time it doesn't. I took it out to run errands during my lunch break and the shifting felt awful. A few hours later and it was fine. I can't figure that out. When my girlfriend picked me up she was shocked it didn't do the shudder. She's experienced it a lot.

He said he believes that it has happened to me but he said that some of what I am experiencing could be normal for the vehicle. It did small little blips but I told him if that was all it was I could have lived with it. It still felt rough but it didn't skip like it usually does as it tries to find what I presume is second gear. It did do the low rpm shudder that I have felt at speed 45-65mph. He seemed to think that was normal. He used terms like shudder and unable to find a gear on his own. It made me feel like either he had heard similar complaints or he had been briefed on them by Chrysler. He said his plan was to drive mine and some others to see how they differ. He asked questions about my driving style and my previous car. I thought it was interesting because he highlighted the differences between my sedan and my Jeep. I told him I was aware of those and that I can typically discern normal vehicle operation and problems with the drivetrain. If what happens with my car (even though it didn't right then) is normal I am not sure this would be the car for me. I don't think a car should buck violently when it searches for a gear at a downshift. One thing to note: he seemed surprised that I ditched an Acura TL to go to this Jeep. He said that the Hemi and Multi-speed transmission are basically bulletproof but Acura's are some of the best designed precision vehicles.

I know that something is not normal with it and I hope they find something because right now I feel like I am taking crazy pills. I am at least taking solace in the face that a few other people have seen it and/or driven it and experienced it, even after the axle isolator was replaced. Hopefully they find something tomorrow. But at least the rear window will be fixed and I'll be able to use my trunk again.
 
#31 ·
The worst part about this was the car did not shudder as it usually does during the drive.
I appreciate all that has been said, and I fully agree... consider the following please:

- If it didnt do it for you, there is a possibility that it is actually not doing it for these techs... furthermore they dont pay their bills by driving your vehicle around unpaid for 2 hours trying to feel it happen. I am NOT saying its not happening, but an intermittant issue with something like a shudder can be tough to diagnose if its doing it all the time let alone if its not doing it for the tech. Its still not ok that you are paying for this issue and I am not defending the dealer pushing off a problem, I am just saying be open minded, and I am sure your patience has been appreciated!

- Thousands of these cars have been built, stuff gets missed, a bolt gets cross threaded, connectors dont get plugged in, seams dont get sealed. There is no excuse for these quality control issues, but again consider, of the thousands of these vehicle made and sold, there are going to be some that are not 100%, Something got overlooked, forgotten or skipped. Again its not an excuse, but its odds. There is not ANY manufacturer whom makes a perfect car line with no cars with faults or missed things. There are better (duh) but its luck of the draw and unfourtunatly this was not a good draw for you.

I apologize for you experience with Jeep, being nothing more than a tech for this company, I feel for you and wish everything could be perfect. I hope these issues will be resolved for you and the rest of your experience with jeep (no matter how long or short you are with this one) is much better!
 
#32 ·
Update:

The service manager called me today as promised. They are keeping my car one more day. He said there is a programming issue with the car. He said they took freeze frame diagnostics and sent them to Detroit. They are keeping my car overnight because they are hopeful that Engineering in Detroit will have a new program to "tighten up" the drivetrain components on the vehicle tomorrow. I asked if they saw what I was talking about. He said they saw some things that required the freeze frame diagnostics. He said they have more issues with the 3.6L engine than the 5.7L. He then said he mis-spoke and meant to say complaints.

I have to say that the Service Manager has really stepped up. He is making things happen and at least giving me some feedback. He is a little cryptic in his responses (that may be because if it is a programming thing he doesn't know specifics). I would love to hear details because I am obviously concerned. Knowing the details of what is wrong and how they plan to fix it just makes me feel more comfortable.

So it took a lot of pushing and prodding from multiple angles to make things move but they are finally giving this some attention. I am not sure it should have necessarily taken this much effort on my part but at least they are making an attempt to address this. And at least they went through what sounds like a very thorough diagnostic and found something along the lines of what I was saying.

I am assuming the rear window / tailgate and blower rattle were fixed. We really only discussed the transmission. I'll post further updates as they become available. Thanks again to all for your feedback.
 
#34 ·
Update 4/15:

Chrysler asked the Service Manager to gather more freeze frame data today. The service manager told me he has now felt several examples of intermittent shutter and vibrations in the car that he believes are not normal. He said Chrysler is analyzing all of this new data. They have to wait for Chrysler to make a recommendation as to what they should do next.

The dealer arranged a rental car for me today so I am at least no longer without transportation. It has been a rough few days.

So they have verified something, still unclear as to what, but it sounds like the analysis is very thorough. I am still hopeful they can figure something out and if possible it will help others with similar problems. The service manager said he wants to see this through so he set me up with a rental so that they could continue to work on the car.

I'll keep everyone posted as more information becomes available.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Update 4/16/11:

I have become a pretty tolerant and understanding person over the past few years. Working in small companies as a Sales and Marketing professional kinda forces you there. Otherwise, high blood pressure and a constant state of stress will put you in an early grave. Today I experienced the worst example of customer relations at Saratoga Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Saratoga Springs, NY.

As you know my car has been in the shop since Wednesday evening. I had some stuff in the car that I needed to get out of it for the rest of the weekend (a NYS trailer registration/inspection, running shoes, and paperwork). I went to the dealership around 3:00pm to retrieve my items from the car. After checking the lot my Overland was nowhere to be found. I went in and asked the sales people if they could let me into the shop to get my car. It wasn't there. They told me that because the car is having drivability issues someone probably took my car home for the weekend to collect additional data. They asked if I had been notified of this. I had not. I asked to speak with the General Manager, Dan.

If you read my first post you know that I left Dan a message about a week and a half ago asking him to call me to discuss my experience with the dealership. In the voicemail I told him that my experience was unsatisfactory and he should know I am actively steering people away from this dealership. My tone was very unemotional and matter of fact. (Since then the Service Manager has stepped up big time. So much so that I was considering leaving Dan another message about his above and beyond attitude. The exception to this being my car disappeared and nobody could tell me where it is). Dan never called me back. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was on vacation or unreachable.

As soon as I asked for Dan someone on their way out of the dealership turned and looked me. He told me, "I don't have time for you." Then he turned around and said, "What's your last name?" I told him. He said, "Oh, you're the guy that called me last week. A word of advice, don't start out a conversation telling someone that could help you that you are actively steering people away from their dealership. I don't have time for you." I was in shock. The General Manager of a dealership doesn't have time for customers? Even if I went into the dealership acting like a raving lunatic (rather than a rational adult as I have) wouldn't he want to know what I was so upset about? If he's angry that I am encouraging people to steer clear of Saratoga Chrysler wouldn't he want to find out why and do everything within his power to turn me into a source of referrals? As a Sales Manager, if one of my sales reps ever told a customer they don't have time for them I would fire them on the spot. If an employee who does not report to me ever said something like that to a customer I would try to get them fired. If a customer called me and told me they are telling business associates to do business elsewhere I would drop whatever I was doing to understand why and try to address it. There are different ways of doing business, but in my professional life I subscribe to the idea that the customer is always right. It is unfathomable to me that someone with such a low regard for customers (especially a client that purchased one of the most expensive cars on their lot) could be tasked with running a business.

I have no idea where my car is, who is driving it, how far they are driving it, what they are doing with it, and when it will be back in my possession. Based on the brief treatment from the General Manager and the unexpected (and not permitted) disappearance of my car, I am very nervous about trusting anyone at this dealership to work on this car. I now feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. It is going to be difficult to get out of this car and probably impossible to get another dealership to pick up this case.

I view the dealership as representatives of Chrysler. I hope that someone from Chrysler is reading this and becomes aware of how important customer relations are at the dealerships AND at the corporate level. I have not decided exactly how I am going to proceed but I plan to escalate this as much as possible.
 
#63 ·
I have no idea where my car is, who is driving it, how far they are driving it, what they are doing with it, and when it will be back in my possession.
Why not threaten to call the cops and report it as stolen? That'll get their attention, it's absolutely legit (not a false police report, at least in my state), and it's not like you're trying to stay in the dealer's good graces at this point. All you want is your car back so you can get rid of it through other means (the thing's a lemon, by all accounts).
 
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