Disappointment with Jeep franchised dealer

[Surfer]

We have a service plan with a Jeep dealer an are now at the end of the second year of the plan which is a legally binding contract.  The plan offers a FREE loan car however I had to pay £25 for sterilisation of the vehicle after use.  BTW the car stank of smoke possibly from someone smoking a pipe.

Anyway the plan includes MOT, MOT check & repair, 12 month cover £750 worth, 4x4 Transfer box oil and axle oil to be changed at 100k or 8 year.  I am not told that according to the health check I need some repairs done to the tune of £702.  This includes the battery which was replaced on 5th March 2020. The dealer did not know it had been replaced very recently by ETB in Worcester. It is a UKAGM019E Platinum battery.  They state it is not charging as it should although I have no issues with starting and operating the car.  I asked them to re-quote leaving out the cost  of the battery and the cost dropped down to about £480!

Also not included with the documentation was a breakdown of the Scheduled servicing check list.  Plus the service book which had been left in the vehicle was not even touched or stamped to show the vehicle at its 8th year service?  With my previous service on 23rd Sept 2019 a scheduled servicing check list was included so that I could see what servicing was done. 

As per the 100k service schedule in the owner’s manual for the Jeep Grand Cherokee it states that the following needs to be done;

 

Air con filter replaced

Fuel filter replaced

Inspect front suspension, tie rods ends and boot seals and replace if necessary

Inspect brake linings, replace if necessary  (On the previous service plus the most recent one the health check has indicated that the rear brakes are corroding.  This should be covered by the Service Plan!)

Inspect exhaust system

Inspect CV joints

Inspect transfer case fluid  (Service plan states it will be done)

Change automatic transmission fluid and filter

Flush and replace the engine coolant

Replace accessory drive belt

Adjust the parking brake on vehicles equipped with 4 wheel disc brakes

 

There is no mention that any of the above has been done or any transfer or axle oils being replaced.  I have contacted the dealer and given them a chance to comment before escalating the matter as they may have simply confused the mileage and the year.  At 100k or 8th year it is a major service however the vehicle has only done 60k so possibility that they only did the 60k service instead of the 100k.  At the moment I am giving them the benefit of the doubt?

 

[Fireman Iain]

Sadly, there’s dealers, and there’s dealers within the franchises network. My GC was recovered after an electronic glitch to a dealer not of my choosing. As it was all but due a service, I asked them to do that at the same time. 
 

To be fair, they sorted the fault, but the service checklist was just a fabrication. All boxes ticked, but it was obvious they hadn’t carried out all the work. They hadn’t even topped up the Adblue, it was showing 21%, but the box was ticked. I suspect they’d done an oil and filter change, and little else. 
 

I all but threw the key fob back at the service receptionist and insisted on talking to the service manager. Loudly, in the showroom. 

 

In future, my car will only ever go to a workshop I know I can trust. 
 

Hope you get sorted to your satisfaction. 

[Fourpot]

I am so glad my Jeep is old and I can do most things myself. There's no way I'd buy a new Jeep.

[jerryg]

It is not just Jeep Dealers of course!

I have a long list of horror stories about dealers, Vauxhall, Nissan, & Jaguar to name a few!

Funnily enough, I have not had a problem with Chrysler/Jeep dealers - cos I don't use them! Ho Ho.

I don't think I have 'mug' tattooed on my forehead, but they all got taken to task. That's the only ammunition you have got - knowing a bit about cars and checking what work they have, or more likely, have not, done. 

I have in the past gone out to my car, lifted the bonnet, and checked before driving off. The look on their face can be priceless, especially if you find something wrong!

 

[Surfer]

Previously from the same dealer we have had excellent service so this time around for its major service a very big disappointment.  I have not had any acknowledgement or reply from the service desk at the dealer regarding my email.  I did get the standard automated acknowledgement that the email had been read. 

I still have a year left on the service contract, but is the point if they do not carry out a service according to the manufacturer's specifications?  If no reply by tomorrow then I will be writing to the MD of the dealership.

[digger]

Um, what can I say.  I worked in the motor trade for a few years before I made my third career change in disgust. Ok, it was a long time ago but out of  five companies I worked in,four of them's main interest was cutting every possible corner. Only one . the first I worked for, was very particular about the service work and standard of cars for sale. That company (Hexagon )was at least one of the dearest and best  in London at the time and I suspect they still are.

 

Unfortunately, as said earlier, your only defence is to know what you are looking for and preferably diy. I do appreciate this can be difficult under warranty.  Sometimes its not the dealer but the individual doing the job. More often it has something to do with things such as,  ridiculous  bonus pay structures which force technicians  to be shoddy. I'm often told things have changed but rarely in my experience. I've said before , ask me at any social when you've plenty of time. I have endless personal factual tales  and ways of catching them out!  As for service contracts, be aware that if they don't follow the manufacturers requirements you may have a problem if a warranty is attached.  As for lousy service performance, my experiences range from : Landrover  who told  me that my new,1200 mile, defender would be off the road for 3months, back to the factory and I would not get a vehicle to use  or ,indeed, any compensation : to the  Suzuki dealer, on the last ''service'' under the warranty, who put my wife's car (good car) up on a lift for two hours, during which they changed the oil and filter . The car emerged , serviced, with first MOT!  They didn't know I had been  watching. I bet you can't guess the rest!  They have since closed down -- not surprised!     I have even come across deliberate 'sabotage' and work creation when there was none to be done!

 

Having said all that, I've  not had a problem with any Jeep dealer .  My only gripe is that there are not enough of them. I have on occasion been very pleased with some other garages  too!

Ps. Forgot. If you don't get any joy, most of these franchises are a part of a big quoted company. Find out which and write to the CEO .

Edited September 24, 2020 by digger

[Surfer]

Thanks Digger. The Service Plan was for service at 87500 miles or 7 years.  Then 100000 miles or 8 years and finally 112500 miles at year 9.  Jeep dealer now argues that as the car has only done 60k they did the 94k or 90 month service however according to the owners manual this service is only done if the vehicle is used extensively for police, taxi, fleet, off road or frequent towing none of which apply to us.

Then of course they are conveniently forgetting about the £750 cover that is supposed to come with the Service Plan.  As per the plan;

 

10% discount off any additional work required

FREE loan car.

87500 miles or 7 years;   MOT 54.85, MOT Check & Repair 12 month Cover £750 worth

100000 miles or 8 years; MOT 54.85, MOT Check & Repair 12 month Cover £750 worth, 4x4 Transfer           

                                             Box oil, replace axle oil

112500 miles or 9 years;  MOT 54.85, MOT Check & Repair 12 month Cover £750 worth

 

They state that they only do the Health Check post MOT.  I would have thought that they would do it pre MOT to avoid the vehicle being failed?  I have been under the impression that Jeep do the MOT, but it seems that they outsource it to another  garage.

 

[Surfer]

Update.  Dealer eventually admitted that they had done the incorrect service and that i should not have been charged for the loan car.  They have agreed to pay for fuel to travel there and back again as for us it is a 140 mile round trip.  I am happy with the resolution as previously we have had very good service from the dealer.  It is also a dealer where members of this forum sometimes go for coffee mornings. 

[Surfer]

On the 21st Sept our 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Overland with 60k on the clock was serviced by a well known Jeep franchise.  Prior to going for the MOT and service it had the 4wd system warning.  Anyway passed the MOT and on collection the message Service 4WD was no longer showing.

Yesterday it came on for a short while and then disappeared.  Today it came on and has stayed on.  The vehicle is on a service plan with the franchised dealer.  Firstly the dealer never did the 8th year or 100k service and instead did an interim service.

I now suspect that in order to get it through the MOT they took off the error message so that they could avoid paying out under the MOT insurance servcei plan which covers MOT failure repairs up to £700. 

Maybe I am wrong but I would have thought that a warning message on the dash was an instant MOT failure?  As the service contract only relates to MOT failure payment I am not sure where that leaves me?  I am very annoyed.

The vehicle is going back next week for the proper service to be done, but it passed the MOT previously and they probably won't do the MOT again so I may end up out of pocket if a repair needs to be done.  Just to add there is no issue engaging the 4wd low on the vehicle.

[spookie the aardvark]

This getting beyond a joke Whatever happened to customer service and getting the job right first time ??????????????? I think you maybe right Surfer, "I now suspect that in order to get it through the MOT they took off the error message so that they could avoid paying out under the MOT insurance service plan" or did the MOT in house and fudged the issue.

It always amazes me that big companies, like Jeep, sell you a service/insurance package for your car - make you take it to a main dealer to get any work done and then offer such poor service and expect the customer to put up with it

This is one of the reasons I would never buy a new car, instead buying a cheaper second hand car and either working on it myself or taking it to "a competent adult" who I could trust to do the work, and trust me I am very distrustfull of most mechanics untill they proove themselves

[spookie the aardvark]

Appologies for all the vomiting emojies in the last post

[frosty]

the message to service the 4WD system would not fail an MOT, as it is not a safety issue, but i do agree with what you say about the dealers, the service 4WD system means that it is not working properly, ie it means there is a fault, so it should be repaired under warranty. 

[Surfer]

17 hours ago, frosty said:

the message to service the 4WD system would not fail an MOT, as it is not a safety issue, but i do agree with what you say about the dealers, the service 4WD system means that it is not working properly, ie it means there is a fault, so it should be repaired under warranty. 

 

Just to be clear, it is a 2012 Jeep GC that we bought second hand so no longer under warranty, but isnow on a service plan.  The Jeep has a full Jeep dealership service history since day one.  The plan was sold to me indicating that the vehicle was insured for repairs related to the service up to a value of £750. 

At its service last month it was pointed out to me that the rear brakes were corroding.  The MOT tester had an advisory that there was a slight leak from one of the shocks at the rear.  I asked the dealer why the brakes had not been replaced as per the service plan and then I was told that only related to a MOT failure and we would need to pay nearly £500 for the discs to be changed?  Our local Inde can do the same job for under £200 using good quality discs.  We were definitley not told that "service" repairs were not covered when we took out the plan.  Both my wife and myself were present when I agreed to the plan.  Their excuse is that their rep acted improperly and has been fired.  To my mind they were still acting on behalf of the company and if it was improper it shoudl have bene picked up when passed to amangement for approval.

We have been blindsided by the dealer who is known on this forum as coffee mornings are organised at this dealer!  Maybe time to get ome legal advice from Which Legal Services?  Just resent paying for the legal advice when it shoudl not be necessary.

 

[Surfer]

Here is a copy of the service contract with hopefully all details removed.  The vehicle was in for its 100k or 8 year service although it has only done 60k.  Note where it states "MOT £54.85, MOT Check & Repair 12 month Cover £750."  The 12 month cover indicated that the Jeep was covered for repairs up to £750 for 12 months.  We were given the impression that this included repairs required at time of service and not just repairs aligned to the MOT.

 

Attatched file removed by Admin

 

Edited October 25, 2020 by Jim
Attatched file removed by Admin as it contains personal identifiable data.

[spookie the aardvark]

"Their excuse is that their rep acted improperly and has been fired" That just sounds like a cop out. If that's what you agreed with rep, and he was representing the company, then the contract is with the company and not the rep. That would be my understanding of it. I had the front disks and pads done on my 2002 GC by the mechanic i use with MOPAR parts and that was only about £200 so where do they get off trying to charge you nearly £500 for just the disks?

Sorry back to the vomit emojies again

[V]

Quote

Terms and conditions apply, please ask for full details. The quotation is valid until the date shown. A revised quotation will be provided on request. The illustration and pricing shown is based on the information presented and your predicted annual mileage. Your vehicle may alert you when servicing is required, however please be aware this may not correspond with due dates shown above. All amounts shown include VAT at 20% and any change to the prevailing rate of VAT will invalidate this quotation.

 

It is always best to read the small print. If not straight away before signing, before the cooling off period expires (if applicable). If they sent you paperwork after signing in 2018 that should have included the full details that you were agreeing to. Contracts like these usually include a load of excluded items like tyres and exhausts but can sometimes be quite surprising excluding things that most people would think are covered.

[Surfer]

11 hours ago, V said:

 

It is always best to read the small print. If not straight away before signing, before the cooling off period expires (if applicable). If they sent you paperwork after signing in 2018 that should have included the full details that you were agreeing to. Contracts like these usually include a load of excluded items like tyres and exhausts but can sometimes be quite surprising excluding things that most people would think are covered.

We leant that a long time ago and do check the small print and nowhere in the T&Cs is anything stated about the 1MOT, service & repair 12 month cover £750,etc.  I have now contacted Which Legal Services for further advice and will update when I hear more.

TBH disgusting treatment by a well known franchsied dealer with 3 - 4 branches around the country.

[Steve G]

I haven’t logged into here for some time, it’s getting quite libellous! 
 

Alternatively, maybe everybody’s despondent with the weather and the 3 Tier system?
 

As some adults have posted here though, every industry, every profession, every retail outlet, every office, has somebody who doesn’t represent that business in the best light, and we all encounter it. Then, we all evidently deal with it in different ways.......

 

Surfer, given your plight, it appears you’ve not spoken to any senior management or Directors of the business that you’re not naming yet posting documents revealing their name?

 

My simple suggestion,  if like me you’re of the opinion that life is short and a good outcome is a quick outcome, speak to Elliott Cartwright on Monday, he’s a Director, you’ll have his number.......

[jerryg]

My recent experience, aka nightmare! Car in to dealer for service (still under warranty)(Not a Jeep) 

Collected car - asked what oil had been installed, apparently critical for my performance car, they just replied 'oh, whatever  they recommend'!  

Did you vacuum out oil or drain out through sump? We normally vacuum it out. ( I don't agree with that)  So why have you invoiced me for a new drain plug. Oh! I'll go and ask the technician. Sorry, he drained it out sump. So why have you still charged me for a new drain plug, becuse I marked the old one with white paint and it's still there! Oh, he admitted he drained it out sump but re-used the old sump drain plug. Unbelievable, well not really, read on!

How much oil did you instal? Oh, whatever is specified. OK, so my manual says it takes 7 litres, last year you charged me for 7 litres, but this time you've charged for 8 litres! No answer was forthcoming, just a red face.

Why have you charged me to fill up wndscreen washer fluid, when it was full to the brim ( I filled it up the night before) and I specifically told you when I booked it in that you were not to touch it as I didn't want you mixing your inferior fluid with what I had put in, and I even left a sticky note on washer fluid lid to this effect.

So, after a rather heated 'discussion' with the dealer assistant manager, and after several pauses while she consulted with Technician and Service Manager, she returned to say that theTechnician would be disciplined, and Service Manager would receive a formal warning. I doubt whether either of these would be actioned.

But she suggested they refund me £100. I reluctantly accepted as I was loosing the will to live!  I have now found an independant, but dealer trained technician staff, to have any future work done, although I will do most of it myself, and just get VAT registered garage to do basics and safety check, and stamp book, well enter on 'on line' service history, to comply with extended warranty I took out.

Bit long winded, and slightly off thread, but you get the general idea. Don't go to a dealer unless you know them and their personnel well. There are perfectly competent and able and cheaper garages out there who can sevice and repair your motor, with manufacturer trained staff, whatever the make of your vehicle.

You couldn't make it up. Well you don't have to, because it was real, it happened!  

Caveat emptor!

[spookie the aardvark]

2 hours ago, jerryg said:

My recent experience, aka nightmare! Car in to dealer for service (still under warranty)(Not a Jeep) 

Collected car - asked what oil had been installed, apparently critical for my performance car, they just replied 'oh, whatever  they recommend'!  

Did you vacuum out oil or drain out through sump? We normally vacuum it out. ( I don't agree with that)  So why have you invoiced me for a new drain plug. Oh! I'll go and ask the technician. Sorry, he drained it out sump. So why have you still charged me for a new drain plug, becuse I marked the old one with white paint and it's still there! Oh, he admitted he drained it out sump but re-used the old sump drain plug. Unbelievable, well not really, read on!

How much oil did you instal? Oh, whatever is specified. OK, so my manual says it takes 7 litres, last year you charged me for 7 litres, but this time you've charged for 8 litres! No answer was forthcoming, just a red face.

Why have you charged me to fill up wndscreen washer fluid, when it was full to the brim ( I filled it up the night before) and I specifically told you when I booked it in that you were not to touch it as I didn't want you mixing your inferior fluid with what I had put in, and I even left a sticky note on washer fluid lid to this effect.

So, after a rather heated 'discussion' with the dealer assistant manager, and after several pauses while she consulted with Technician and Service Manager, she returned to say that theTechnician would be disciplined, and Service Manager would receive a formal warning. I doubt whether either of these would be actioned.

But she suggested they refund me £100. I reluctantly accepted as I was loosing the will to live!  I have now found an independant, but dealer trained technician staff, to have any future work done, although I will do most of it myself, and just get VAT registered garage to do basics and safety check, and stamp book, well enter on 'on line' service history, to comply with extended warranty I took out.

Bit long winded, and slightly off thread, but you get the general idea. Don't go to a dealer unless you know them and their personnel well. There are perfectly competent and able and cheaper garages out there who can sevice and repair your motor, with manufacturer trained staff, whatever the make of your vehicle.

You couldn't make it up. Well you don't have to, because it was real, it happened!  

Caveat emptor!

couldnt agree more with everything you said

[Surfer]

17 hours ago, Steve G said:

 

Surfer, given your plight, it appears you’ve not spoken to any senior management or Directors of the business that you’re not naming yet posting documents revealing their name?

 

My simple suggestion,  if like me you’re of the opinion that life is short and a good outcome is a quick outcome, speak to Elliott Cartwright on Monday, he’s a Director, you’ll have his number.......

I never realised there was a second page and have asked Admin to remove the document.  As you may have noticed I avoided naming the company in my posts, but ovelooked the document.  However nothing libellious as I have written my issue as it happened.

 

Thanks to Jim for removing attachment showing to many details. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by Surfer

[spookie the aardvark]

1 hour ago, Jim said:

Totally agree and we have the forum section "Jeep Dealer Feedback" which is not just for those purchasing a new Jeep but for good or bad dealer experiences including serivices and repairs so please do post all your experiences here, good, bad or average.

 

Maybe we should rename the forum section title to include independents?

There are a lot of very good independents out there

[Surfer]

17 hours ago, spookie the aardvark said:

There are a lot of very good independents out there

It is finding them around our area in south Midlands that is an issue.  Nearest one seems to be Shrewsbury and that is about 70 mile from Worcester.  There are two Jeep dealers not too far from us, but we would prefer to avoid them one in particulair. 

BTW I emailed the Jeep dealer with my concerns and a senior manager contacted me and went through everyhting and agreed that I was correct and the issues should never have happened.  We have come to an amicable resolution and I am pleased if they stick to it.  Just a pity it had to be escalted to senior management for a resolution.  I will update again after I have collected the Jeep. 

[spookie the aardvark]

8 hours ago, Surfer said:

It is finding them around our area in south Midlands that is an issue.  Nearest one seems to be Shrewsbury and that is about 70 mile from Worcester.  There are two Jeep dealers not too far from us, but we would prefer to avoid them one in particulair. 

BTW I emailed the Jeep dealer with my concerns and a senior manager contacted me and went through everyhting and agreed that I was correct and the issues should never have happened.  We have come to an amicable resolution and I am pleased if they stick to it.  Just a pity it had to be escalted to senior management for a resolution.  I will update again after I have collected the Jeep. 

I had trouble finding a mechanic who knew about Jeeps in Portsmouth, so I googled "Jeep mechanics in portsmouth" - not a huge choice I must admit Selected one and went down to chat to him. Turned out he knew all about the WG/WJ and nothing was too much trouble. Gave him a few jobs to do - Great - so he got the bigger jobs too. Always pays to chat to the actual mechanics, we can all tell if they are trying to bullst us.

Really glad you managed to get it all sorted in the end, just a real shame it took so long and you got treated badly in the first place