| Real quick, the Neon has been a tremendous vehicle for me. Simply, I love it. So you can imagine my concern when the gear shifter crunched its way into third gear one day. At first, I thought it was a fluke. But no, it kept doing it. So, I drove it around skipping third gear. Stopped at the local Dodge dealer where I purchased the car, wheeled into the service entrance and asked Paul about it. We agreed that I should bring the Neon in for a look see. Now, I had a BAD service experience at this dealership 3 years ago, and let them know I didn't expect a repeat. I must note too, that the dealership had changed names, owners and ALL the service personnel. So I agreed to bring the car in and drop it off the following Friday. They called me and told me I could pick up the car and drive it until the parts were ordered. Third gear synchros were shot. Melissa and Paul led me to believe I was getting a new transmission. The following week I was called by the parts department and told my parts were in. Huh? Called and spoke to Paul, he explained that the warranty folks thought I should just have the synchros replaced. OK, I made the appointment to have the car fixed. Dropped the beastie off New Years eve, knowing the shop was only working half a day. Since I had New Years Day off, as well as Jan. 2nd, no biggie. Well, there was a problem. Two actually. First problem was one I told them I didn't want to have with them. Lack of communication. BIG time. It seems, the trans mech dug in and pulled my transaxle New Years eve, opened the sace and the DIFF PIN fell out of the diff spider gear shaft. It was bent (I saw it). In addition to the third gear synchro and now the diff pin, second and fourth gear synchros were going bad, as well as a couple bearings and such. More parts wrong than they had ordered parts for. But, I didn't find out about this until FRIDAY afternoon, and *I* had to call them myself! Also, they didn't order the trans because the warranty folks weren't in that day, so I would have to wait until MONDAY to see what course of action was being taken! So, I could do with only one vehicle for a couple more days, but Monday, I picked up a rental (under warranty, I'm entitled to 5 days of rental) car. A 2004 Dodge Stratus. What is wrong with this generation of Stratus? I no longer have a comfy place for my left foot. And the window switch pod on the driver's door is where my knee wants to rest. And if I pull my left foot back towards me, I could wedge my knee between the steering wheel and the door pod. And there isn't ONE stinking cup holder between the seats (like in my Neon), much less one to hold my mug. At least in the Neon, the mug kind of wedges itself into place so I can shift without losing my morning cup of hot chocolate. And the Stratus was more difficult to get in and out of than my NEON! What is up with that? Admittedly, inside, the Stratus is bigger than the Neon. But I do not believe it to be more comfortable in my HUMBLE opinion. Oh, Chrysler... Satin Jade as a paint color needs to go. It reminds me too much of a bad sinus infection. But was there something you LIKED about this car? Yes, the suspension was INCREDIBLE. The 2.7L DOHC V6 was a dream. But that automatic trans has GOT to go. OH! I liked the seats too, as well as the quality of the materials inside. Back to the story... The mech added up the parts list, came to over $1200!!! A new tranny is only $1100! Since the repairs exceeded 70% of the replacement value, a new trans was ordered after they contacted the warranty service center. Again, I had to call. Two days later, my trans was in. I called each day. I really don't care if I annoyed Melissa or Paul in the service writers booth. Thursday, it was getting late. AGAIN, I called to see what the story was with my car. The mech was out driving my car. And the paperwork would be ready shortly. I don't know if they were planning to call me or not. Went to drop off the rental car, took the receipt to the dealer. Waited for the rest of the paperwork to clear. Whilst waiting, I sat in the new Durango. Seriously, there is a lot more room in there now than the old Durango. I'll save comments for another time. I signed my paperwork, grabbed my keys and drove off. No money out of my pocket. For anything. I had my beloved Neon back. What more do I need to say. I am upset that I had to handle all the communications with the service department. That is just plain wrong. The trans mech took a couple minutes the week before to show me my trans and explain what he had found. Nice kid, too bad I can't recall his name. I SHOULD be ashamed. Paul and Melissa listened to me, and never made false statements. But their lack of communications with me is something I can't forgive. I can't WAIT to get my survey card. I'll not be gentle. I understand that I bought this car from their sales floor. I took it back to the same dealer. So do they. I also understand I got a good deal on this inexpensive vehcile, that they made little money on. AND, I understand that they made no real money on the warranty repair. I don't feel that I was treated "bad", but I doubt they were happy to see me, or hear from me daily. But they need to remember, this IS a small town, and people talk. I'm happy to explain my situation to friends. My experience this time was a much better one. While I still have a bad taste in my mouth from my previous experience at this dealership, better communication alone, would have made this new experience taste MUCH better. If they don't know this already, they should. I *AM* shopping for my next vehicle already. It may three more years down the line, but then, it takes me awhile to shop... Later... |