Service or ripoff?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I reckon everyone has experience or knowledge of a shonky service. I had my first HSV returned to me with bent wheels after a mechanic at the dealer took it for a 'test' drive. Mate was charged for a service and the car never left the carpark where he had parked it on arrival. He just happened to be across the road at a coffee shop and saw it sit there the whole time until the call to say the service was done and a relative had a major service done on his cruiser and discovered that none of the lovely new parts he was charged for were fitted. Only found out because he had a weep from the rocker cover gasket which wasn't fixed by the new gasket that should have gone on after the valve clearance check (not the audible thing either)...

But I had also had some good service too. A really minor water pump weep picked up one service outside warranty and the job done at no cost to me because it should not have failed so soon. Etc.

It is just sad that you cannot automatically trust that what you pay for gets done. I think a lot of blame comes with the fixed price or free servicing regimes being offered these days. The difference between the reduced price and actual price you have already paid for in the cost of the car and the lower price is incentive to stick with the dealer network but for some of them this is an opportunity to make a little more cream by stinting on the work done.

I stick with dealers while a car is within warranty just to make it easier should I need to claim but after that I use my trusted mobile guy who doesn't care if I sit there and watch or help.

[thebigo Member Find all posts View Profile Close thebigo]

############# I can't see why you are so touchy about a customer marking the parts they are paying to be replaced.

If I am doing a 40,000 service as an example I get the job, put the car in the service bay and get all the parts required for the service and start the job. I couldn't give a rats if they mark the oil filter or air cleaner because I am replacing it anyway. Who cares if you are doing the right thing.

The only reason I would get touchy is if I am doing something dodgy and could get caught. That won't happen so no problem.
I am sure once they trusted me enough they wouldn't bother but people have a right to be suspicious with the amount of dodgy dealers and mechanics out there. I have worked in a major dealership and it was constantly full of dodgy mechanics not doing stuff and taking parts for their weekend cash jobs.

[thebigo Member Find all posts View Profile Close thebigo]

Prado44 just went through this and the extended warranty rubbish. Decided at $400 plus a service from the dealer I can service my car myself for bugger all and do it properly. If something goes wrong the money I have saved over time will probably close to covering it. Before everyone jumps in and says but a motor costs 10k blah blah unless I am wrong the fine print on my extended warranty said one claim at a time and max is 2k they will pay for that claim.

[Gypsy4wd Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gypsy4wd]

Yes, I agree totally.

Once, I bought a cheeseburger from Macca's and it was cold. Cold I tell you. Dont trust any of em!

Every Macca's is a shonk I tell you. Cant trust any of them. And that freakin guy with the big red boots and afro - he's the worst of all.

And the red light that shows low oil pressure. What was that doing?

cant see the relation here. burger u can feel n see instantly its cold. u take it back. car blowing up is inconvenient. If u seenn the mitsi dash. in sunlight ubove the speedo is,hard to see let alone a pissy little light. so no i wasnt watching it. really i shouldnt have to look around at anything AFTER the things been serviced. dont get me started on ny patrol that they couldnt finda headgasket leak for 3 mths. yes there are good mechanics. and there bad ones. still the age old saying ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY. ive been bitten twice inside 4 yrs. do u think thats good excuse to have a distrusting attitude? cmon i worked for a BIG dealer. ive seen and participated in the dodgeness myself.

[Bear63 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bear63]

When I took my brand new triton to Mitsubishi for it 20k service, I happily drove off into the wide blue yonder, until 15 min later all he'll breaks loose, smoke pouring out of the engine bay, rattles and bangs from the engine, as I turned back to the stealer ship,BANG, dead stop and smoke, opened the bonnet and found no oil cap, wondered at first why no oil over the bonnet , looked under no sump plug, dipstick out, no oil, walked back to dealer, he didn't believe me until we both walked back and looked, back at the DEALER workshop is my cap and plug,
So anyway 6 months later after Mitsubishi ummed and arred about warranty I got a new engine, 2 days later it was sold,
Summery... I don't trust dealers or mechanics in general, and I know the crap that went on, I was a mechanic at a big multi badged dealer,

That is a straight out workmanship issue and they would file a negligence claim against their insurance company , not sure why Mitsubishi would have anything to do with it , the dealer would have to pay for it

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

That's exactly why I always pop the bonnet and check underneath before I start up and drive away.

[tassie tiger Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close tassie tiger]

cant see the relation here. burger u can feel n see instantly its cold. u take it back. car blowing up is inconvenient. If u seenn the mitsi dash. in sunlight ubove the speedo is,hard to see let alone a pissy little light. so no i wasnt watching it. really i shouldnt have to look around at anything AFTER the things been serviced. dont get me started on ny patrol that they couldnt finda headgasket leak for 3 mths. yes there are good mechanics. and there bad ones. still the age old saying ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY. ive been bitten twice inside 4 yrs. do u think thats good excuse to have a distrusting attitude? cmon i worked for a BIG dealer. ive seen and participated in the dodgeness myself.

My hamburger analogy was suggesting that basing your views on one incident by one service centre amongst thousands is a bit silly, even if the outcome was major.

You should see the oil light is on. Thats what warning lights are for aren't they?

So I take it the crap fight started over that very fact?

I am not excusing their failure here but you hold a degree of culpability.

[thebigo Member Find all posts View Profile Close thebigo]

My hamburger analogy was suggesting that basing your views on one incident by one service centre amongst thousands is a bit silly, even if the outcome was major.

You should see the oil light is on. Thats what warning lights are for aren't they?

So I take it the crap fight started over that very fact?

I am not excusing their failure here but you hold a degree of culpability.

Sorry Tassie Tiger but you are kidding aren't you when you say he is in someway at fault. I am guessing you are joking.

He just paid a few hundred for a service from a trained technician in a professional workshop to service his vehicle and doesn't go more than a few klms before it fails. How about who road tested it? How about nobody would be expecting to monitor there vehicle 5mins after they leave a service centre for lack of oil.

If I follow you then I should think if I get a plumber to replace my hot water system and I go out afterwards and it leaks and floods my house then I am culpable by not sitting at home watching it for warning signs it will leak.

Not trying to start anything but be reasonable. There is an expectation you pay for a service by a professional, another professional road tests it and you drive away knowing it is all OK. That is why you take it to a professional.

[photoprado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close photoprado]

I guess the facts are that several people ignored the warning light:

* The mechanic who supposedly changed the oil and started the engine.

* The person who drove the car (presumably road testing after service, could have been the same mechanic)

* The person who parked the car ready for pickup, and anyone who may have subsequently moved it.

* The owner, who paid the bill and hopped in his supposedly serviced car and entered the traffic, not noticing the warning light.

Of all these people, we apparently should apportion significant blame the hapless owner.

I wouldn't have waited 6 months. There would be a lawyers letter on their desk if there was any reticence to accept responsibility, supply an equivalent loan vehicle and provide an acceptable rectification plan.

This is clearly a massive dealer fail which they reluctantly put right.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I once earthed the oil warning light on a mate's car for fun. Waited around when he started it for the 'oh @#$@#' moment. But he just drove away. 6 months later I removed the temporary earth.

It is scary that whoever delivered the car from the service garage to the carpark didn't notice that the light was on. Someone presumably who has training and mechanical sympathy.

[pjorek Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close pjorek]

Bugger the light, I guess you would see the big oil puddle first wouldn't you? 7 litres of oil or so after all.

I'm also wondering if tassie tiger is serious or just trolling?

[shodown Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shodown]

Been there, done that and wrote the book.

Local Toyota stealership blew my engine up for me this time last year.... took me 3 months of fighting for them to fix. When they reassembled engine, they didn't replace water pump - guess what failed less than 12 months later...

They also just had to redo the RHS front wheel bearing they did at the same service under warranty - had only done about 10,000 kms.

I just had the vehicle serviced by a "4x4 Specialist" and a 2.75" Beaudesert fitted - there was a bolt that protruded from the body somewhere the exhaust was rattling on at a certain rev range - they had to take the back half off, nip the bolt and refit exhaust. Meh, these things happen. But the real pisser was when I got a call from the Mrs when I was away last week for work - "the Prado is leaking oil badly". Left it parked up for me to look at on my return - the oil filter had worked its way loose. WTF?

Don't think I will be going back to said "specialist"..... also thinking this Prado is cursed

[ochre Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ochre]

Had the Prado Serviced today, did my usual post service check (loose nuts, bolts, random tools left behind, missing parts etc). For the life of me I can't work out how the could have changed the oil. No oil residue on the filler cap, dipstick, oil filter has mud on it from my last outing and bashplate hasn't moved - muddy and bolts caked in mud.

At least they changed the air filter.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

If it still has mud on the oil filter then it couldnt have been changed. They change the oil every 10k (or 6 months) along with filter so it hasnt been done. Im not sure on the bash plate removal as I dont have to remove any of mine on my 120 to change oil or filter. Dipstick residue or oil cap residue ?? I dont have any residue on mine either prior to oil change or after as its clean all the time and I wash the engine bay of my prado, but unless you have a dodgy seal on the cap or some was spilt and not cleaned up you shouldnt have any residue...Dipstick still has mud on it ?? then they didnt pull it to check oil level so it hasnt been done. Id be marching down there tomorrow, pop the bonnet, ask for the service manager and ask him how was the oil change done and filter changed with old mud still on the oil filter and mud still attached to dipstick handle ??? Does your receipt show that an oil change and filter was done ??......Cheers Steve

[ochre Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ochre]

Hi Steve - it was the 30k service. Oil and filter should have been changed. My comments around oil residue are usually post service I can see the apprentice has spilled oil around the filler cap and dip stick has oily residue from being removed by said apprentice.

Mud on the filter is a bit of a giveaway. Would have thought that they would have to remove the bash plate to get the sump plug off on the 150?