You won't like me when I'm angry.
I currently have a 2004 Subaru that I bought new from the dealer. I really like the car. When I bought it, it seemed like the perfect compromise vehicle.
It's fast. 0-60 in about six seconds.
It's safe. High crash test ratings, AWD, and four airbags.
It's economical. Almost 30MPG. (Not bad for a car that can run with a Mustang or a Camaro)
It's practical. I can fit quite a bit in the rear.
Last week, on the way home from work, I started to hear a "howl" coming from the rear of the car. It didn't sound like a good noise. It sounded like an expensive noise. So I took it up to my local mechanic. I needed the oil changed and the tires rotated anyway. He checked it out and couldn't figure out what the problem was. This meant a trip to the dealer. Sixty miles each way. I wasn't a happy camper. Spending one of you days off in a dealer waiting room is never fun.
I got there at about ten thirty AM. At four thirty (just in time for Atlanta rush hour) the service rep comes to me with the lowdown. "We think it's you rear differential, your rear struts and possibly a bearing." I grit my teeth as he breaks down the cost of repairs. $1700 for the diff, $800 for the struts.
What you don't know about this story is that the service department here has tried to screw me over before. The last time I was in here they told me my A/C compressor was bad when it wasn't. I fought with the techs for thirty minutes before they discovered that the issue wasn't the compressor. I saved myself about $1300 that time. So to say that I didn't exactly trust them is an understatement.
I asked the service rep if they were sure this was the problem and if I shell out two thousand plus dollars it will fix it. He tells me that they're not sure it will fix it. "So let me get this straight," I say to him, "You want me to pay twenty five hundred dollars to fix what's 'broken' but if it doesn't alleviate the issue you're not going to make it right?" His reply "You're welcome to get a second opinion." I was pissed beyond my capacity for intelligent communication.
So I'm driving back home in my broken car and steaming that I even considered going to those assholes. The traffic is murderous and guess what? The noise is magically gone. There is no more noise. I drove around for the better part of a day with this thing howling at me and now...nothing. It's perfectly normal. When I get home, I hop on the internet to see if there are any technical forums about my car. I find one and it takes me all of five minutes to find out exactly what is wrong with it. In a nut shell, nothing is wrong with the car. Evidently the sound emanating from the rear is just that. A sound. It's a harmonic noise that is so common in these cars that there is a service bulletin that Subaru has put out the specifically addresses it. It's an easy and cheap fix. Guess how pissed I am now?
It's fast. 0-60 in about six seconds.
It's safe. High crash test ratings, AWD, and four airbags.
It's economical. Almost 30MPG. (Not bad for a car that can run with a Mustang or a Camaro)
It's practical. I can fit quite a bit in the rear.
Last week, on the way home from work, I started to hear a "howl" coming from the rear of the car. It didn't sound like a good noise. It sounded like an expensive noise. So I took it up to my local mechanic. I needed the oil changed and the tires rotated anyway. He checked it out and couldn't figure out what the problem was. This meant a trip to the dealer. Sixty miles each way. I wasn't a happy camper. Spending one of you days off in a dealer waiting room is never fun.
I got there at about ten thirty AM. At four thirty (just in time for Atlanta rush hour) the service rep comes to me with the lowdown. "We think it's you rear differential, your rear struts and possibly a bearing." I grit my teeth as he breaks down the cost of repairs. $1700 for the diff, $800 for the struts.
What you don't know about this story is that the service department here has tried to screw me over before. The last time I was in here they told me my A/C compressor was bad when it wasn't. I fought with the techs for thirty minutes before they discovered that the issue wasn't the compressor. I saved myself about $1300 that time. So to say that I didn't exactly trust them is an understatement.
I asked the service rep if they were sure this was the problem and if I shell out two thousand plus dollars it will fix it. He tells me that they're not sure it will fix it. "So let me get this straight," I say to him, "You want me to pay twenty five hundred dollars to fix what's 'broken' but if it doesn't alleviate the issue you're not going to make it right?" His reply "You're welcome to get a second opinion." I was pissed beyond my capacity for intelligent communication.
So I'm driving back home in my broken car and steaming that I even considered going to those assholes. The traffic is murderous and guess what? The noise is magically gone. There is no more noise. I drove around for the better part of a day with this thing howling at me and now...nothing. It's perfectly normal. When I get home, I hop on the internet to see if there are any technical forums about my car. I find one and it takes me all of five minutes to find out exactly what is wrong with it. In a nut shell, nothing is wrong with the car. Evidently the sound emanating from the rear is just that. A sound. It's a harmonic noise that is so common in these cars that there is a service bulletin that Subaru has put out the specifically addresses it. It's an easy and cheap fix. Guess how pissed I am now?
posted by Glenn at 4:44 AM
3 Comments:
After you figured it all out, did you call the dealer?
I haven't figured out exactly what I'm going to do yet. I'm going to try to be cool about the whole thing because, beleive it or not, I think you can accomplish more by being nice than being a prick. I'm thinking I might call the owner/manager of the dealership and see if he can make things right. If all my efforts are rewarded by indiference, then I might get mean. Something like making a scene when there are a bunch of customers in the lobby or doing douhgnuts in the showroom. Like I said, I haven't figured out my exact course of action but when I do I'll post the outcome.
I vote for donuts in the show room!
(of course i live vicariously through other people!)
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