Am I the a...... (Porsche dealer content and a bit long)

[David]

My wife has a 2022 Panamera. I do some maintenance and the dealer does some. I'm very particular about brake flushes since I thoroughly flush the system and I doubt most mechanics do so I told them I would flush the brake fluid and change the cabin filter before my wife brought it in for a recent old change. When she was there, the service advisor called me to ask about the brake fluid, cabin air filter and transmission fluid change. I told her I did the brake fluid and cabin air filter but this was the first I heard about the transmission fluid and they didn't mention it when we made the appointment. I said just do the oil change.

A couple days later I was backing her car out of the driveway and noticed the service light wasn't turned off. I called and they said since they didn't change the fluid, they wouldn't turn it off. I said I told you I changed it with fluid I bought from you! I said between not telling us about the transmission fluid replacement when we made the appointment and not resetting the light I was really not happy. I've also been considering a new car so I mentioned that too and how I was not longer planning to use their dealership for service or a new car. So am I the a hole?

I did call the service department manager today and he crawfished around it. Just never had this issue with Porsche not going above and beyond before.


A side story about why I'm especially particular about brake fluid changes: Several years ago my wife took her BMW in for an oil change and brake flush. When she brought it home I pulled the brake fluid reservoir just to make sure and sure enough it was old fluid. I called the BMW dealer, told them the fluid had not been changed and now I wonder if they really changed the oil which I can't check since there's no dipstick! They insisted the oil had been changed and said they'd flush the brake fluid if I brought it in. I said no thanks, I'll do it myself.

A month later, I took her car back to the BMW dealer for something else and the service advisor said I also needed to have the brake fluid flushed. Here we go!!! My voice went up one step and I asked her to check our records to see last time it was flushed and she said oh, just a month ago. My voice went up another level and I said you'd think so but no, you did not change the fluid because I checked when I got home. At this point I can see the service manager, who I've dealt with politely for years out of the corner of my eye get up and leave the service area. Now I'm well past my inside voice and say but I bleed the brakes since you didn't and it's very fresh fluid. With that got up and left with every other customer looking at me pissed off and the service advisor dumbfounded and ready to crawl under her desk. My last visit to that dealer.

[Deschodt]

I can see it being a liability deal for them, or procedure.. They did not do it *all* so the service indicator stays on - not hard to reset with a variety of Porsche tools.. No a**** here IMO, just varied expectations and constraints maybe ? TRanny fluid is a great idea, good to hear they moved away from the german "lifetime fill" BS.

The dealer sales guy called me a dinosaur for wanting a manual 911... And told my wife a V6 was enough for her, she did not need the V8. That guy on the other hand, A*** for sure, lost 2 sales.. Service was pretty decent, if expensive.

[KNS]

You are not being the A hole and have every right to be skeptical of worked performed.

My brother, who's very mechanically inclined and usually does most of the work himself, dropped his car off at the Volvo dealer for a brake fluid flush. When he got home he checked the caps on the calipers and all were dusty (untouched). He confronted the service advisor who called up the technician who supposedly did the work. The tech admitted he did not flush the brake fluid. Since the work had been paid for this is fraud.
The service advisor practically begged my brother to let them make it right. He ended up getting some free service out of them to make it go away.

I think this happens at dealerships far more often than people want to believe.

[Zeke]

I don't see why a dealer has to turn a light off if they did not do the work indicated. That is not to say I agree with the policy.

The BMW story is completely irrelevant. However, action on your part was optional. I would have filed a complaint on that one.

Does everyone realize that dealer service advisors are on commission? And that you don't have to have an ASE cert to do that job? One does not need any college either. It's gotten to the point that all they do is follow the computer prompts. If anything, they are trained in sales, not auto technology.

[masraum]

Not the aßhole...

The worst is having service done, and then having the light come on a month or two later. If I wasn't 110 miles away, I'd let you use my Durametric to turn the light off.

When I bought my boxster (from a dealer in Dallas) it was CPO. I took it to the Porsche dealer on 59 south by Sugarland and got great service from them for a couple of years. I thought, "wow, this service has been so amazing, maybe I'll just keep using them." That was a mistake. The first time that I went back out of warranty, things had changed a lot. I don't know if it was because it was no longer under warranty or what, but it was not the service that I had received previously. I'm pretty solidly in the don't use the dealer unless you have to or unless the car is under warranty camp now.

It's hard to find a place that's trustworthy to get cars worked on, and dealerships are no different except usually with bigger bills while they're trying to screw you without lube or a kiss first.

[David]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Does everyone realize that dealer service advisors are on commission? And that you don't have to have an ASE cert to do that job? One does not need any college either. It's gotten to the point that all they do is follow the computer prompts. If anything, they are trained in sales, not auto technology.

This is the main reason I do my own maintenance. I'm not in a rush and if something doesn't go right, I make it right.

My next modern Porsche will likely be 5-10 years old and I'll spend the money saved over a new one on a full PIWIS system if I can find it or just pay my local friendly independent a $100 reset and thanks fee.

[Tobra]

Texas has the deceptive trade practice act, which they violated.

They would lose and owe treble damages. I would write them a letter and give them options.

Pay me triple what I paid the last time the car was serviced, or you can pay that plus court costs.

[flipper35]

Daughter had an experience at the local Nissan dealer. She had been having issues with drivability. We cleaned the MAF and replaced a couple easy parts. Had to take it in. They told us the parts we put in were the cause of all her issues after they were told the parts were installed to see if it fixed the issue but it is probably the throttle body itself, can she have them back. Can't have them back, they were the cause of the throttle body needing replaced.

Idiots.

[Magyar Kiwi]

Some Dealer Mechanics have been known to forget to change pollen filters too.
Particularly the hard to get to ones.
Cheers

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Texas has the deceptive trade practice act, which they violated.

They would lose and owe treble damages. I would write them a letter and give them options.

Pay me triple what I paid the last time the car was serviced, or you can pay that plus court costs.

Who violated what deception? There are 2 stories in post #1, and one is several years old.

[ramonesfreak]

I do not think you were an ahole

I have finally reached my breaking point with dealers

I just had an issue where my truck less than 3,000 miles on it had the whole camera system go down. Not fun trying to park my truck without 360 cameras, I dont care how easy it seemed 'back in my day'. no thanks.

Took it to the dealer. I told them based on my research that the problem is likely that the video module is bad. She told me, nope, its a software issue. So, she updates my infotainment software and says, this may work or not work because GM is waiting on a permanent fix. I was thinking Huh, then what is this that you did? A temp software fix?

2 days later the system goes down so I call on a Saturday and speak to someone else and make an appointment. I followed up on Monday with my service manager and she says that she is cancelling my appointment and as she told me, I would have to wait for a permanent fix.

I asked her if she would be updating me about the fix and she said, nope, she has no way to track that and that I would have to keep checking back. I got really pissed off and asked her if I should call every few hours, every day, every few days or what and haven't you every used outlook calendar or whatever calendaring system your employer has installed on your computer and hung up on her

She had zero customer service skills and as a manager actually refused to offer me any solution other than to wait without cameras for god knows how long, expecting me to cross my fingers that someday a software fix would come out, refused to follow up with me, and wouldn't even attempt to diagnose this as a hardware issue which I suspected was the issue.

I should have left a google review. All I had to do was use the word "she" in it and her boss would have know exactly who I am talking about. I just didn't have it in me to risk this person's employment.

Instead, I took it to another dealer who agreed that some trouble shooting was in order and they quickly tracked the issue down to a bad video module...took a a month to get this all sorted but they replaced it and now the camera system is great. Unfortunately the dealer scratched my dashboard doing the replacement. I said nothing about this. Just bit my tongue and I am still stewing in my anger.

Since then, I had another issue with a faulty window cowling trim at the base of the windshield and wont bore you with the drama but I caught the service manager at this new dealer lying to my face because unknown to him, I overhead him and the tech discussing the issue...so I knew his explanation was BS.

Pitiful

[Alan A]

All this is why I lease and drive new cars. Even if it’s complete dog**** (Jeep I’m looking at you here) it’s guaranteed to be gone in a couple of years.

Cue the “I’d never have a new car” comments, but life really is too short…

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Who violated what deception? There are 2 stories in post #1, and one is several years old.

In Texas, if you claim to have done the work, took the money and did not do the work, you can get hit with triple damages. It is to discourage shady characters

[onewhippedpuppy]

Thanks for reminding me why I never take my cars in for service. Especially to a dealer.

If you paid them to reset the service light and they didn’t, it’s no bueno. Is this a oil service light? If so, resetting the oil service message should be part of a paid oil change. Most average grade code readers will reset service messages on just about any car, spend $100 once and never deal with them again.

[Baz]

At some point David, there has to be accountability.

And that I believe is what you were after and what you should have received.

As well as everyone else who commented with their "dealership" stories.

Not only were your actions acceptable they were quite civilised when you consider the significance of the entire scenario.

Thanks for sharing - keep chargin'!

[unclebilly]

Buy a tool off Amazon. You can reset the maintenance intervals yourself. Easy peasey lemon squeezey.

They are a couple hundred bucks.

[stealthn]

Not turning off the service light is petty and a dick move, find another dealer.

[Jeff Alton]

Just want to understand here.... You had your Panamera in the dealer for a service, and you paid them to complete only an oil service, you did the rest prior, correct? The only service reminder they should have reset is for the minor maintenance that they performed, not the maintenance you performed. Now, when you scroll the the service info on your dash display, which service does the car say is due? be specific.

[sc_rufctr]

- Early 90s... I was a salesman at a major GM dealership.

Most of the profit for that dealership was made in the service department.
I could tell you some stories but we've all heard them before.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

I just had an issue where my truck less than 3,000 miles on it had the whole camera system go down. Not fun trying to park my truck without 360 cameras, I dont care how easy it seemed 'back in my day'. no thanks.

-There is a a thing called 'Lemon Law'. Three attempts and then they have to buy it back legally.

Deep breath
It seems you have a particular set of skills to deal with a particular rogue high-level employee agent...which might hurt the company's reputation....and might costs them future sales.
It would be better if they took care of the problem themselves and made you whole.
Internally.
Less talking is more, once the point is made.

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

Took it to the dealer. I told them based on my research that the problem is likely that the video module is bad. She told me, nope, its a software issue. So, she updates my infotainment software and says, this may work or not work because GM is waiting on a permanent fix.

-Possible solution provided by an experienced layman ignored. Refusing service to customer.
-No further attempt to make the customer whole again.
-Lying about corporate policy.

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

I followed up on Monday with my service manager and she says that she is cancelling my appointment and as she told me, I would have to wait for a permanent fix.

-Deliberately sabotaging a possible service procedure to the detriment of customer.
-Loss of company service profit.
-Lying.

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

I asked her if she would be updating me about the fix and she said, nope, she has no way to track that and that I would have to keep checking back.

-Another stall and lying.
-Have we gotten to Class Action yet?

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

She had zero customer service skills and as a manager actually refused to offer me any solution other than to wait without cameras for god knows how long, expecting me to cross my fingers that someday a software fix would come out, refused to follow up with me, and wouldn't even attempt to diagnose this as a hardware issue which I suspected was the issue.

-Company representative acting in bad faith repeatedly.
-Refusing to make the customer whole.
-Deliberately blocking this repeatedly.

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

I should have left a google review. All I had to do was use the word "she" in it and her boss would have know exactly who I am talking about. I just didn't have it in me to risk this person's employment

-Still plenty of time to publicly express your experience.
-On more than one platform.
-Did it get fixed? Don't be shy. It's a Y/N simple answer.
-Did 'she' fix it? Or 'he'? Or 'them'?
-It's your truck. And your problems using it. Day after day. And your loss selling it later. Get 'er done son.
-Don't play the identity game or accept sub-standard service.
-Unless you want to accept the weight of the entire world's problems..
-It's a small problem actually

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

Instead, I took it to another dealer who agreed that some trouble shooting was in order and they quickly tracked the issue down to a bad video module...took a a month to get this all sorted but they replaced it and now the camera system is great.

-Great. Done. It works now.
-But there is still some residual bad feelings there.
-Those people will continue on with another customer.

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

Since then, I had another issue with a faulty window cowling trim at the base of the windshield and wont bore you with the drama but I caught the service manager at this new dealer lying to my face because unknown to him, I overhead him and the tech discussing the issue..

-One step/battle at a time.
-Get the first one acknowledged and addressed, and out of the way, to your proven satisfaction that it is on record.
-Salmon still exist and are highly valued. They swim upstream facing a multitude of challenges and do their thing and are done.
-Humans are never done.
-If it still feels that important...swim upstream more.

Ripple in still water.