The Reality of Dealer Servicing - Beware!

this is why you hear horror storys of dealerships cross threading drain bolt with oil changes.

i know from experience it happened to me at Chevy.

that being said i wouldnt just think ohh its cause of a new guy i just think some dealerships have idiots working there and they are not even new mechanics

 

I wouldn’t be worried at all.
I still trust people.

I figure if the lube guy is capable of getting to work. He capable of turn a bolt, a filter, and pouring in a little oil.

 

Im a toyota tech and the dealers I have worked for, the lube techs are trained and every couple months toyota sends someone out to make sure that they are servicing the car correctly. we have more issues with people coming in after an oil change at places like jiffy lube than we do anything else. if our lube techs mess something up, most of the time the dealer will cover the damages. plus, if a lube tech notices something wrong with your vehicle, ie an oil leak or damaged part, then they grab a technician to verify and put a p/a together to make sure the correct thing is being recommended.

 

are they training the same lube techs or new ones? i would imagine at under 30k the turnover is high

 

What is “certified”?
And does it really amount to anything?

I used to a “certified” forklift operator.
Trust me, that certification didn’t amount to anything.

 

depends on the dealer, some dealers actually pay the lube techs pretty well so that the turnover isnt so high so they dont have to keep training new guys. in our case, i would say about half of our lube techs are currently going through and automotive program at college so they do have some knowledge about working on vehicles. the pay really varies based on the region and the owners of the dealership

 

Same happened to a friend's chevy at a huge gm dealership. Some young trainee stripped the drain bolt, and left it that way....eventually after 2 weeks all the oil leaked out, and the engine seized. He had to hire a lawyer to sue them. Eventually the dealer settled, and agreed to replace the motor.

 

Hmmmm who should get paid more………person doing my oil change ……or person flipping my burgers.

 

At the end of the day, no one will care about your car more than you will. I knew this before taking my car for my free maintenance and the result just reaffirmed it.

 

I made the decision years ago to stay inside my house, no matter what, forever, as a way to eliminate anyone from causing anything bad to happen to me or my belongings.

 

Entry level technicians do entry level maintenance. The guy that's doing my oil change is not the guy that's going to do the alignment. Neither of them are going to do a frame replacement on a 2nd Gen, since that's reserved for Master Techs. At least at the dealer where I get my maintenance it is. They like that since they were getting 40 flat rate hours and they could do it in fewer than that.

 

thats true, toyota is somewhat picky when it comes to certifications and warranty work. but also toyota limits who can do recalls. some recalls you can do when you are a certified technician. but some you need to be a master tech to perform. and sometimes the entry level techs are apprentices to the master techs as well.

 

Like any other trade, it makes sense to have newer employees mentored by more experienced ones. It's the best way to learn the trade.

 

How reassuring...

 

^^ This^^. This is why I do my own maintenance. Regardless of certifications, salaries, etc...

 

when i say most of the time, its the oil drain plugs from quick lube places that strip it and then put an oversized drain bolt in it to try to seal it. we wont warranty or take care of other places mishaps for free. and i can only speak for my dealer and the ones i have worked for, not all dealers are the same.

 

Ahh...okay.
Then it's not your techs that messed it up. Totally understandable.

 

My buddy had a super charger put on his Tundra a couple years ago. Tech did a fantastic job. The first time he took it in for an oil change kid forgot to put the cap back on. Buddy didn’t pop the hood before he left(who would) drove it home that way...What a mess... Mistakes happen.

 

I wish employer would understand this. If you want people to care, u gotta pay them to care.
Can't hire folks at bargain basement prices and expect the world from people who can't even live from their job's income.