I've just gotta vent here... maybe a service writer can convince me I'm out of line.

Saturday I needed to pull an old truck I've got out from behind my shop. It has been sitting a while and sunk into the sand a bit so I figured 4 wheel low would be good. After spending a while getting a chain set up on the old truck I started to drive my RAM over and tried to shift to 4WD. Nada, nothing the shifter was just floating. I look under the truck and DANG, the linkage from shift lever to transfer case is just GONE.

I've been putting off getting some work done so I figured I go to the dealer, pick up a part and make an appointment for other work. When I tell the parts guy he says "wow, second one today!". So apparently this is a common thing the bushings rot out and the link just drops off. Bad news was that the forward bushing is part of the transfer case lever and they did not have it in stock.

So I figured, fine - I'll make an appointment for the airbag recall and to diagnose my AC issues and pay them to bolt on the lever too. But when I go over to the service writers and explain this they look at me like I have two heads! Somehow at this dealership no one ever comes in person to make a future appointment and this concept was crazy to them. Next, they have a "policy" that they will not order parts based on a customers diagnosis. I told them I'd PAY the parts in advance, just please order them and make sure the parts arrived before my appointment.

Somehow in the 5th attempt to explain this a mechanic took my truck into the shop to "diagnose" it and the service writer told me that unless I agree to let them do the repair (at a price he does not know yet...) I owe them a $100 "diagnosis fee". I told him he needed to think about that a little harder and can we just get the parts ordered so I can get my truck back and I'll drop the truck for the appointment.

Somehow between lunch time and "it's Saturday" and whatever... I had to go find a manager to tell the mechanic to order my parts and give the truck back. The mechanic got pulled back into the waiting area "so there won't be more confusion" and he said... yes the shift link is missing, you don't want us to replace it? At which point I explained that HIS parts department had told me (over an hour earlier) that one part needed to be ordered. It took another 20 minutes to order that part and return my truck.

Am I wrong to think these people are idiots? It is a HUGE dealership, very close to my house and I let them do a few things before... but I'm feeling like this degree of confusion is a recipe for bad work, over charging, and mistakes...

 

This is an example of bureaucracy getting in the way of common sense and yes, your concerns are correct.

 

The less time you and your truck are at the dealer, the better off you will be.

For small stuff that requires a part to be ordered, like the transfer case linkage, just order the part and install it yourself rather than argue with the dealer.

You will be time and money ahead and way less stress...

 

I'm done with this dealer....

This morning I dropped off the truck and mentioned that the driver's side issue is only apparent when ambient temps get above 85 or so, this morning was 78 and all vents were plenty cold. I asked if that meant low refrigerant?

The service writer said he thought "no" but that an evacuate and recharge was $150. It told him that if that was the diagnosis... go ahead and charge it.

He just called and told me the evacuate and recharge didn't work and now they need $875 to take apart the dash to see if the problem is a door. He would not promise this would fix anything either.

The killer was when I asked him if they'd install the shift linkage too and knock something off the $875 to get an OK. He told me the shift linkage install was $180 MORE and that was at a discount.

I told him that if one bolt and two bushing was 90 minutes, his estimate on the A/C was probably inflated too - button up the truck and leave the parts on the floor. Oddly he sounded relieved to stop dealing with me.

Anyone know a good mechanic in Orlando?

 

This story just keeps getting more bizarre.
Does anyone know a good place to address a letter and complain? This just makes my head spin.

As noted above I tried to order a new 4WD shift linkage last Saturday when I tried to shift to 4WLo and found out mine had fallen off.
Dealer parts dude tells me it is two grommets and a linkage but the front grommet "only" comes with the lever arm ***'y. Lever arm/grommet is not in stock.
I fight to get them to open a RO and PO linked SO when I return they can fix it when my recall notice work is done. I figured I'd give them a 1/4 hour so I had one less thing to do.

I return for my app't yesterday and drop the vehicle.

At noon they call to say the work estimate is $170 to install the shift linkage and I laugh at them. I tell them to put the parts on the passenger floor and I'll pick up the truck in the morning.

This morning I go to get the truck.... no parts? I chase down the manager who brings me to parts and they let me know the front lever is still back ordered but will arrive this afternoon. So what did they think I was talking about when I made them LINK the RO and PO in their system???

So after work I go to pick up the parts. Front ***'y with grommet I've already purchased. Now I learn that when I pre-paid the parts I only purchased the backorder part... more $$'s for the linkage and rear grommet. Fine... $11 for the grommet, $20 for the linkage.... done.

I open the parts to find that the front and rear grommets are identical, so the back ordered linkage was not actually needed... I can just get two grommet, press them in, press in the linkage, adjust the play and lock the slider.

I tell them I don't want the $30 front arm/grommet I just waited for - I just want two $11 grommets and the linkage. But because the front arm ($30) was "special order" it cannot be returned!!

What is worse?
Charging $22 for two stinking rubber grommets that can't be worth more than 99 cents?
Charging $30 to sell me the $11 grommet attached to a lever arm I don't need?
ATTEMPTING to charge me $170 in labor to press in two grommets, press in a linkage and tighten the play adjust?

Or maybe the fact the my 4WD shift linkage is held in place by two bits of rubber that deteriorate and let the who thing fall onto the road?

This has me steamed...