IL VCA HELP MAJOR PROBLEM WITH DODGE DEALERSHIP

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sean4180

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First of all the car was towed in to the dealership by Chrysler road side due to coolant leaking out like a tea kettle from the front of the engine. It was literally whistling. Now lets rewind when I got my car back by the time I got home the car was hotter than normal so I checked the overflow and it was empty. I then called tom and he said that the tech probably burped the system incorrectly and he would talk to the tech and correct his procedures. He then said to bring it by Monday. I said I would.

After I hung up the phone I decided to burp the system myself. I put over a gallon of coolant in the car, drove the car a few miles and came back to burp again. There was coolant all over the upper hose. I then parked the car and called Sean roe on Monday. Sean sent out a replacement hose because I thought it may have been leaking out of the bleed screw area. I received the hose on Friday and replaced it. Burped again and was off. I got no further that a mile or two from my house when it sounded like a tea kettle and had steam pouring out from under my hood. I pulled over and saw steam and lots of water spitting out from the front of the engine. My car at this point was disabled. So I called DC road side assistance and they towed it to finish line.

TOOFAST you and I both know that service is open it may not be stated but it is open on Saturday. I have been at this dealership many times on Saturday and service is open. Ron the general manager of the dealership admits to having my keys in his hand on Saturday his excuse for not putting it inside was “sometimes people just drop of keys without the car” implying that he didn’t see the blue and white viper in front of the garage door. RIIIIght Ron I just dropped off my keys and drove home without the key. The vandalism and theft happened either late Saturday night or Sunday. How do I know because I drove by Saturday night and saw the car intact. The only reason I’m going to save in the future is because I won’t be going to Finish Line anymore. I have spent over 500 in deductibles trying to get this coolant consumption and then leak repaired for over a year. This past time with the glass incident when I got the car home I found the smooth tubes not clamped on the air box, one tube was taking in unfiltered air this is just an example of the sort of things FLD routinely screws up. When they take things apart they use different fasteners or don’t put all the fasteners back on. The plastic screws that hold the front inner fenders were glued on! Apparently they broke them and rather than replacing they just glued on the heads. My car has been in their service half a dozen times for the leaking coolant. They allow porters and a detail shop to pickup and drive vipers. I have picked up my viper outside in the past and it has been stored out side in the past. Why did I put up with poor service because I thought if anything major happened that Tom, Ron and Todd would take care of me so I didn’t want to ***** about little things. Obviously not, so I will never revisit FLD. I am not the only one who has been dissatisfied with FLD I know of others who don’t say anything either. The point is they had the keys in their possession before any damage was done to the car.
 

PRVT JET

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Both parties involved are good people, Sean I'm sorry about your car. I'm sure sean is upset and I don't blame him, tom cares more about our cars than we do, when I say we that's about ten vipers from the chicago area. I believe this was just bad luck, sean keep the relationship with tom. Everything on the car can be replaced, but you can't replace a good friend. call me if you need anything.

Isaac
 

STUGOTS

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if they had they keys in their hand that changes things and by taking the keys they accept the car to be under their care, if he just droped it off without them knowing thats diffrent its his fault and hes dumb but if they took posetion of the keys and admit to doing so its on the dealership
 

Janni

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A follow up call to service or sales to make sure the car is there and they are aware of it would have been the appropriate action. Then you would have talked with them about moving it / safeguarding it, etc. If it was towed Friday night, I would have left a message and then called again 1st thing Saturday AM.

After hours towing / dropping off in an unsecured is fine for most cars, but that's a tricky situation with a Viper.
 

scottgf

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Wow,
I am glad Sean has responded. its interesting how 2 people see the same situation 2 different ways.
To me, if the car was towed there by "Roadside" and they dropped it off outside AND a manager had the keys I am thinking the dealership may need to step up in some fashion.
I keep flip flopping based on the info we have been given.
Maybe Sean and Tommygun just need to go off and get a beer and talk this out....
Hey Tommygun, would the dealer be willing to pay the insurance deductable for the glass on Seans car.....Sean, would that work???
What do you 2 think?????
This needs to be worked out C A L M L Y (no burnouts) :)
Cheers,
 
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sean4180

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I had been typing my post while at work and didn't see some of the others. The burnout wasn't burnout it was more like a squeak on slippery floor. I had to make a hard right out of the garage the tires spun a little moving the car about 6 inches to the left in the middle of the turn from a dead stop. "Burning" the tires was not intentional and believe me if it was I would have filled the dealership with smoke as my new tires were on order and will be in tomorrow so I could care less what happens to the ones on the car. As for keeping the relationship with Tom I look forward to the eminent failure of Finish Line Dodge. Then Tom will move on like he has in the past to a new dealership, and I will once again follow him to a new shop, like I did from Gregory dodge to FLD. I do not have any problem with Tom personally and I believe him to be an excellent service writer. Unfortunately he is at a dealership that is run poorly on its second viper tech this year, and I don’t believe the new tech is any better than the last if fact he may be worse. Maybe my wish will come true…. maybe another large succesfull dealership group will buy out FLD and run it right. Hey anybody else notice they have a bunch of BMW’s in their lot and very few Dodge’s. If a dealership was going under and in the process of being sold do you think they would care about customer satisfaction?
 
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sean4180

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Scottgf if that had been suggested by the dealership in the beginning it may have been acceptable. Now I have already retained a lawyer and have gone beyond the point of no return.
 

scottgf

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Scottgf if that had been suggested by the dealership in the beginning it would have been acceptable. Now I have already retained a lawyer and have gone beyond the point of no return.

Bummer Sean.......I hate to hear lawyers are involved....they get richer and everyone else pays....
I hope this gets worked out..somehow...
Cheers,
 

STUGOTS

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first off IF he did burnout after the way he was treated i no one can blame him.

Second if they took the keys and admit to taking the keys they are acountable.
 

ZX1100

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I've had my car worked on by Tommygun at his shop for the past few years. I know Sean's car has been in there numerous times and has been taken care of by Tommygun on a regular basis in the past also because it seems like when my car is there Sean's happens to be there. Funny thing, my car is there now too :crazy:

It was towed in there last Wednesday night after our IL VCA meeting. I got stranded on the side of the road and it was recommended by other members that I call Tommygunn, since he was at the meeting, to see if he had any ideas. I get a hold of him and he says he'll stop by since he's not home yet. He was very helpful in waiting for the tow truck to load my car even giving me his floor mats out of his car so the chains won't touch my front facia :) . I followed the tow truck to FinishLine and had them drop it off in front of the Service doors (on the other side of the local bar)and was assured by Tommygun that it will be inside first thing in the morning when he arrives to open up. He really went out of his way to help me out that night so I know he would do anything in his power to help Sean out the best he can.

It's really unfortunate that something like this had to happen possibly due to some idiot that came out of a bar next door. I agree with Isaac that it's just bad luck and timing and to try to possibly work things out before writing them off. I'm sure Tommygun is just as upset as Sean is that this happened.

Hope things don't get worse with lawyers involved.
 

tommygun

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O.K. well I was going to go into a long discertation about this situation and try to defend myself, but you know what, I have already made my point, the people that know me know the truth and no amount of words on my part or Sean's part is going to change that one way or the other. I am sorry about this turn of events and if I had the chance to change what happened I would do my best. Unfortunately I cannot change the past and am just going to have to live with what has happened. I hope Sean can find another service facility that will take care of him as well as we have and that everything turns out for the best. In the mean time thank you everyone for their comments and criticisms, I will certainly learn from this and be better for it. The End.
 

STUGOTS

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i agree this should be settled person to person not lawyers unless it REALLY REALLY cant be settled

BTW zx1100 nice bike
 

scottgf

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first off IF he did burnout after the way he was treated i no one can blame him.

Second if they took the keys and admit to taking the keys they are acountable.


first off...just because you have been treated poorly you are entitled to be an a$$ ???.......Sorry I dont agree (and upon further review, the burnout in question may have been exagerrated) Remember you are representing the all Viper owners. :)

Second...I tend to agree with you on the keys issue....

Cheers,
 

STUGOTS

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well people do dumb things when they are pisst and i am the first to admit i do the same thing when i am its either that or something worse so i choose smoke the tires
 

scottgf

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well people do dumb things when they are pisst and i am the first to admit i do the same thing when i am its either that or something worse so i choose smoke the tires

I couldnt agree more....I have done stupid things too........I suppose its better than pulling out a gun or something.....
Cheers,
 

ZX1100

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TOOFAST you and I both know that service is open it may not be stated but it is open on Saturday. I have been at this dealership many times on Saturday and service is open.

As long as I've been going there the service department has never been opened on Saturday. I've tried getting an oil change on Saturday and was told the service department isn't open for service. I know they sometimes have the side doors open so they can wash cars or maybe for people to pick cars up but I don't think there's any service employees there at all (no flame intended)

I was speaking with TOOOFST and I can tell he's upset that all this has happend. He mentioned he wished you would have given him a call to see what he could have done for you before things got worse that Monday regarding the glass situation.

STUGOTS...yeah, I still love it. I've neglected it the past few years since I've been more into my car but I have the itch to ride more often again. Might help out with the way gas prices are going :(
 

GTSTF

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i would never take my car, and have never taken it, anywhere aother that Tom over at Finish Line. The manner in which he treats us Viper owners is unparalled. I was even told by one of Tom's subordinates how "sick" it is that Tom drops everything to take care of Viper guys. It is very unfortunate that this incident happened and to see it escalate to the degree it has. I don't feel Finish Line should be slammed for this considering the circumstances.

p.s. Finish Line's service department is NOT open on Saturdays. The only degree that it's "open" is to pick up your car.
 
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