A while back someone here informed me there was a recall on the fuel pump sending unit on '97s. Mine hadn't been completed so I called the dealer and asked to have it completed. After just about 2 months later and speaking with a few different people at the dealership I got it scheduled. Once in the shop they called me and said they broke off a bolt in my bumper while trying to remove it and if I wanted them to finish with the recall they would have to cut the rest of the bolts in the bumper to remove it. This is an after market bumper that's probably about as old as the Jeep is. I said that was fine and they could cut them. Well the one day job turned into 3 and when I went in this morning to pick up the jeep they handed me a bill for $355. For removing the bumper, tank straps, and bolts. I told them they never said anything about charging me anything when they called about the bumper in the first place. Not to mention when he called he said they already had broken one bolt before asking me anything. I ended up paying them $168 and walked out the door with my keys.
Dealership took me
- Thread starter Hawkeye
- Start date
You did get ripped off, there's absolutely no need to remove the bumper or the tank straps to drop the tank and replace the fuel pump.
Remove the bumper to drop the fuel tank? Ummm, no way. I've removed my fuel tank 3 times, and not once did it require removing the rear bumper.
Whoever is working there not only took you, but they also don't know what they're doing.
Since you paid $168, I'd say just cut your loses and don't go back there again. Still, that's shady stuff right there!
Whoever is working there not only took you, but they also don't know what they're doing.
Since you paid $168, I'd say just cut your loses and don't go back there again. Still, that's shady stuff right there!
Paul Land
TJ Enthusiast
Here's the dirt I know 1. did you sign a waiver( that lets them charge you anything,you agreed with signature) they sneak them in with work order.
2.You have the right to refuse work and not pay by telling them so, also by LAW they have to return car in condition they originally received the car in.
Paul Land
TJ Enthusiast
I'd at least contact the service manager to complain. There's no reason for them to have charged you one cent. Especially for their screwup.
Paul Land
TJ Enthusiast
While we are on Recalls: there three types Standard Recall and Critical Recall,Phantom Recall. The latter you will not be notified only standard and critical.
You must ask if there are any phantom recalls on your vin.
Critical recall will get your auto impounded by dealership. ie: you go in for oil change theres a critical recall on auto they must hold auto (Item most likely be on back order were talking 10s of thousand of cars in Recall) till recalled item is replaced. all recalls are no charge to you there paid by mfg.
You must ask if there are any phantom recalls on your vin.
Critical recall will get your auto impounded by dealership. ie: you go in for oil change theres a critical recall on auto they must hold auto (Item most likely be on back order were talking 10s of thousand of cars in Recall) till recalled item is replaced. all recalls are no charge to you there paid by mfg.
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Erik V
TJ Enthusiast
So let me get this straight, you paid $168 hard earned bucks for the dealer to F-up your rear bumper bolts?
That would NOT jive with me, sorry.
That would NOT jive with me, sorry.
When you say impounded and must hold, you can still refuse right? As in "I will bring it back when the part is available"?
Yep that's how it went down. They were already trying to remove the bumper before they spoke with me about it. I know I shouldn't have paid them anything. I just recieved a text message now from them asking me to take a survey on my experience there. Ha! I could leave a few choice words there. Better yet, I will speak with the service manager as @glwood recommended. I'll try and keep it civilized.
If the service manager doesn't take care of you, go to the GM. My dealer tried to stiff me for a $100 diagnostic fee years ago when I dropped my wife's Grand Cherokee off to have a TPS installed since I was leaving town on business. I got back and they hadn't installed the TPS but they charged me the diagnostic fee to say they couldn't find anything wrong. When the service manager blew me off I walked into the GM's office without asking and after a minute or two, he agreed to reverse it. I didn't ask him 'if' he could...
I would let them know your experience and what you discovered here via facebook recommendations.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Paul Land
TJ Enthusiast
NO This happens when you bring auto in for service and Dealership gets critical recall. They must hold auto till critical recall parts are installed. Problem is Bullitin
No if car is in there bay for service and critical bulletin comes into dealership you are S.O.L The recall will effect thousands of cars so parts are not there and won't be for weeks. Dealership cannot release car till fixed, period. I have seen this on Ford Explorer Owners were freaking out
I wonder if these folks with cars held for critical recalls get offered a deal on a new car. Sounds like a sales ploy could be in there somewhere.
"We can't release your car to you until it's fixed and that will be weeks, but you can trade it in on this shiny new one"
"We can't release your car to you until it's fixed and that will be weeks, but you can trade it in on this shiny new one"
I wonder what counts as a critical recall? We have an Audi with the now infamous Takata airbags. The ones that turned into claymores when they went off. They didn't hold our car until they got new airbags. In fact, we had to get nasty with the dealership to get them to replace it when they had parts. Basically, we took it in for repair, got a loaner (which was a brand new A6), then threatened to keep the loaner until they fixed the airbag. Somehow, Someway, they found an airbag to put in it. Weird...
That sh!t wouldn't fly in California where the BAR, (Bureau of Automotive Repair) would be all over the manufacturer for "impounding" a vehicle on a routine service. Having worked 10 years in the automotive business back in the 80's and early 90's, that simply wouldn't happen. The parts would be ordered and then the customer called to bring their vehicle back in for the recall to be performed. Otherwise, the dealership would have to put you in a rental if it were that critical to get done. These kinds of things lead to very bad press for the dealership and the manufacturer so they don't really happen or people would avoid these brands like the plague.
In California what happens in recent times now is when you don't have a critical recall done is the state holds up your registration until you've done the recall. Ask me how I know this? My Honda Odyssey had a critical fuel system recall and I was forced to comply with it at the dealership before I could get my vehicle re-registered for the next calendar year. I was sent a notice from the NTSB and manufacturer that this was an urgent critical recall that must be done in advance of when the registration was due so I could make an appointment with a toll free number they gave me to call. Also, the dealership had the parts or would have them within a day or two to complete the recall on a reasonable schedule. It was that simple. This was all news to me and I wouldn't have believed it if it didn't happen to me directly on two different vehicles. The dealership will not "impound' your vehicle on the spot but give you a time and date to take it in and have the recall handled in a timely fashion. If it gets done before the registration due date, you'll never get the delay and nobody will be the wiser. This is how a "forced" recall is done in California now and 2 of my vehicles were actual proof. It's rare that a recall is that critical but in the case of the two cars I had, they were fuel system related and another was that Takata shrapnel air bag or SRS safety system related recall that went around by many manufacturers. My wife drove that vehicle and I wasn't going to risk her life with a defective air bag that could do more harm than good if deployed in an accident, so yeah, I wasn't going to blow it off anyways. An explosion or fuel leak possibility and certain safety items will get the mandatory recall response triggered from the Feds NTSB & State.
In California what happens in recent times now is when you don't have a critical recall done is the state holds up your registration until you've done the recall. Ask me how I know this? My Honda Odyssey had a critical fuel system recall and I was forced to comply with it at the dealership before I could get my vehicle re-registered for the next calendar year. I was sent a notice from the NTSB and manufacturer that this was an urgent critical recall that must be done in advance of when the registration was due so I could make an appointment with a toll free number they gave me to call. Also, the dealership had the parts or would have them within a day or two to complete the recall on a reasonable schedule. It was that simple. This was all news to me and I wouldn't have believed it if it didn't happen to me directly on two different vehicles. The dealership will not "impound' your vehicle on the spot but give you a time and date to take it in and have the recall handled in a timely fashion. If it gets done before the registration due date, you'll never get the delay and nobody will be the wiser. This is how a "forced" recall is done in California now and 2 of my vehicles were actual proof. It's rare that a recall is that critical but in the case of the two cars I had, they were fuel system related and another was that Takata shrapnel air bag or SRS safety system related recall that went around by many manufacturers. My wife drove that vehicle and I wasn't going to risk her life with a defective air bag that could do more harm than good if deployed in an accident, so yeah, I wasn't going to blow it off anyways. An explosion or fuel leak possibility and certain safety items will get the mandatory recall response triggered from the Feds NTSB & State.
We had a Chrysler Town and Country minivan that had a recall on the rear quarter window switches in the driver's door. Apparently there'd been some fires. The dealer just disconnected the switches until the new ones came in.
Paul Land
TJ Enthusiast
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