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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!decvax!savax!elrond!amamaral
From: amamaral@elrond.CalComp.COM (Alan Amaral)
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Service at Dealerships (was: '86 Camaro Computer System)
Message-ID: <855@elrond.CalComp.COM>
Date: Thu, 14-May-87 15:44:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: elrond.855
Posted: Thu May 14 15:44:51 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 16-May-87 11:39:52 EDT
References: <1580@Umunhum.STANFORD.EDU> <1034@codas.ATT.COM>
Organization: Calcomp, A Lockheed Company, Hudson, NH, USA
Lines: 59
Xref: mnetor rec.autos:2059 rec.autos.tech:917 comp.misc:521

In article <1034@codas.ATT.COM>, mikel@codas.UUCP writes:
> > "NEVER, NEVER take your car to a dealership for repairs."
> > 
> > Not even if you have the money, and "want the job done right".
> > -- 
> > Paul Flaherty, N9FZX					>->-_->->
> 
> I would generally agree. Except when it comes to the Honda dealership
> that I take my CRX into. Any time I have ever needed anything done
> it has always been very polite, fast, well done, and reasonably priced.
> 
> Of course this dealership is probably the exception...
> 					mikel@codas.att.com.uucp

It seems as though I've seen oodles and oodles of people saying "I
bought a (fill in the mfgr,model) and after X miles (fill in the part)
broke. I took it to the dealer N times and all they still haven't fixed
it. Jeez, those (fill in the mfgr,model) cars really are pieces of (fill
in your favorite smelly stuff)!"

It seems to me that you ought to be flaming the DEALER, not the
manufacturer.  Things break!  Things go out of adjustment!  If the
stupid mechanic can't fix it it's probably not the manufacturers fault,
it's the dealers fault.

There are some good dealers out there.  The Mazda/Volkswagon dealer in
Nashua NH is an excelent example.  They do great work THE FIRST TIME (at
least for me).  They did things like towing my car gratis once when my
ignition broke.  AND to top things off they were incredibly professional
about how things are organized, like leaving a small amount of
time available each day for emergency/last minute repairs that always
seem to happen.  There are many dealers around here that book 120% of
their time and when something breaks it takes two weeks just to get an
appointment.  The service manager there was so great that even though
I would only take my car there avery 4 or 5 months when I would walk
through the door he would greet me BY NAME!

I have had many bad experiences where mechanics wanted to perform
unneeded repairs like the local Midas Muffler shop that wanted to
replace the front brake calipers on my Toyota for $90 each, plus another
$90 for labor.  The local Toyota dealer (which was 3 weeks backlogged
else I would have taken it there in the first place) told me over the
phone that they coule be rebuilt for probably less than $50 including
labor.  When I finally brought the car to them they found it (the noise
that caused me to bring the car in) was just an unevenly worn break pad
that cost me $10 to replace...

I have taken the attitude that I'll treat my car like I treat my body
when it comes to repairs, and always get a second AND a third oppinion
if at all possible.  Hey, lots of mechanics will give free estimates,
and some will even explain what needs to be done if you act like you
don't understand what he means.  Then you can go home and do it yourself!


-- 
uucp:	 ...decvax!elrond!amamaral		I would rather be a
phone:	 (603) 885-8075				fool than a king...
us mail: Calcomp/Sanders DPD (PTP2-2D01)
	 Hudson NH 	03051-0908