Hakeif an dil responded
I originally set an appointment Jun 21 9:30AM. My initial appointment was to deal with a recall, "Unintended Ignition Key Rotation" to be specific. I wanted to see if fixing this recall would fix the odd behavior I started seeing with my car where I would turn the ignition and the car's doors would start unlocking and the fuel pump wouldnt engage. When I dropped my key off, they assured me that this recall would not fix the problem I was describing, which to be clear was "When I turn the key to on I hear the door unlock sound every 5 seconds and the fuel pump does not engage and so when cranking there is no start". I said that is fine, if the recall does not fix the problem, go ahead and diagnose.
I tried to follow up by phone the day of my appointment and nobody was answering the phones, so at the end of the day, I arranged a ride and physically stopped by and was able to talk to somebody who informed me that my car had not even been looked at and wouldnt be that day.
Eventually somebody reached out to me and they informed me that my fuel pump was bad. I was very hesitant to move forward with this repair, 1. because the estimated cost was $1200, and 2. in my mind it didn't explain the electrical problem I had brought my car in to begin with. When the problem I brought my car in for was happening and the doors were unlocking every 5 seconds, the fuel pump doesnt engage and so the car would not start, but sometimes it did and my car started fine. I asked specifically if this repair would fix THAT issue and the statement I got back was something along the lines of "Your fuel pump is bad, and we cant look at anything else until it is replaced". So I eventually authorized the repair assuming I would at least have a working vehicle by the end of this.
On June 30 at 4:18PM I was notified by text that my car was good to go and was sent a video of my vehicle running. I replied that I would not be able to pick it up that day, but would the following day. When I arrived to pick up my car, I got in the drivers seat and my car would not start. Symptoms? The same exact original problem I brought it in for. The fuel pump replacement did NOT fix my problem, and now I have the question in my mind doubting whether it even needed replaced to begin with. I went back in and told the people in the service shop (zach I believe) that my car would not start. He came out and attempted to start the car himself, and it would not start. He asked if I would be willing to leave my car there with the ticket open and he would have another technician look at it and made quick mention as to wondering if he would need to refund me for the fuel pump repair.
On July 3rd at 2:47pm I got a text informing me that the battery was bad. I replied "What about the fuel pump? If the problem was the battery, it seems it may have been misdiagnosed?". The reply "Well thats what I asked and your fuel pump was bad is what both the techs stated". I then authorized them to replace the battery assuming that THIS would fix the problem.
On July 5th I got a text informing me my car was ready to be picked up. On July 7th I arranged a ride to the dealership and when I got in my vehicle, my car would NOT start, yet again. Same exact problem I originally brought my car in. Key in the run position, doors unlocking every 5 seconds, fuel pump (new one apparently) does not engage, car will crank will not turn over. I yet again I walked into the service center and said my car would not start. Yet again they came out and tried to start it themselves but it would not start.
At this point I'm very frustrated. I have been charged almost $1500, been to the dealership multiple times attempting to pick up my vehicle, and still did not have a working vehicle. I stood in the service center as they expressed their frustration saying that the car was running earlier that day and that one of them had started it that morning. The entire time I'm thinking to myself, so you just charged me almost $200 to replace my battery and that still didn't fix the problem. Was that also another repair that didn't need to be done? I had no issues with the battery when I brought my car in, but trusted the technicians that they tested the battery and found it to be bad.
The next step according to them was to replace the fuse box, which the parts are difficult to find and would cost me over $600 for the part. By this time, I have 0 confidence that the technicians know what is going on or how to fix my vehicle and it appears to me they are just trying things blindly, almost like they are following a diagnostic flow chart rather than actually listening to my original complaint and troubleshooting that rather than just replacing stuff.
I find it very disconcerting that for a company that boasts "listening" and "hearing" on billboards up and down I15 that I as a customer did not get that impression when dealing with the service center. I don't feel like the technicians I dealt with cared about my description of the problem.
To be clear, I don't hold it against anybody in particular as I'm sure weird problems like this are difficult to troubleshoot. I would have rather the technicians been honest with me if they didn't know what was going on rather than just throwing MY money at the problem and hoping something sticks. However, the fact of the matter is, I'm an unsatisfied customer that is almost $1500 poorer and have nothing to show for it except a bad experience at this service center and am ultimately worse off than if I had never gone to begin with.
PS: Im still getting recall notices in the mail and from carfax for the recall I brought the car in for on day 1. So either they didn't do whatever needed to be done to mark it as resolved, or it was not updated in whatever database needed. The only thing I see on the invoice is "customer has aftermarket key". Yet another thing that I asked to be done to stop these notices that for whatever reason didn't get done.
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