Service department took my car for a joy ride, AGAIN?!

[flyinlow]

I can honestly say in 35 years of having my own cars, changing oil myself when I was younger and having the dealership do it now, I have never once had any dealer tell me they need to drive the car to make sure the air pressures are working and to check for leaks. I've never done it after changing my own oil and never had a dealer even ask to do it. Where do they find these people?

[CAMARO_SS_2012]

Originally Posted by wayne watson

dude, if the tech want to drive a Camaro he should buy one like I did. welcome to the real world, you can NOT drive the customers car without permission. and since you have no idea, if that guy doesn't want to work on it again(which is not his choice) someone else will be glad to make the money. you guys can bark that mpg sitting at idle b.s. if you want but I can't change oil with car running. maybe your faster than me idk

Exactly!!! Thank you!

Go back to the dealer and do a Jeff Gordon style test drive in a new ZL1....

LOL!

[rontammy0]

[QUOTE=Frank in MD;7469027]I took my car to a dealer regarding brake squeal. My car was brought back to me with some XM hip hop station that I don't listen to. I was told the tech who drove my car heard no brake squeal.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.[/QUOT
I had my car in for a brake noise...the tech sat in the passenger seat while I drove so he could listen....nobody should be driving the car for an oil change. Its not part of the process like people are posting.....4 miles is a big deal. Its funny for the first minute or 2 my tech didn't hear anything either.

[Msmall143]

Originally Posted by wayne watson

dude, if the tech want to drive a Camaro he should buy one like I did. welcome to the real world, you can NOT drive the customers car without permission. and since you have no idea, if that guy doesn't want to work on it again(which is not his choice) someone else will be glad to make the money. you guys can bark that mpg sitting at idle b.s. if you want but I can't change oil with car running. maybe your faster than me idk

OP didn't say he told the dealership NOT to drive his car. And he was told it is standard policy to drive it one mile. 3 extra miles isn't abuse! Maybe the tech just wanted to be thorough, maybe he heard a noise and wanted to see if it happened again, maybe he missed a turn, or wanted to verify something at highway speeds so it required just 3 extra miles.

They are going to drive your car without permission, it's your responsibility to tell them not to drive it.. Unless you tell them not to do something, assume they are going to do it. (Like running it through a shitty car wash)

I think it's pretty common knowledge that when you drop a car off for service it may be driven by the shop. 4 miles and a radio station change is far from abuse.

Escalating to gm...social media...come on.

[CAMARO_SS_2012]

Originally Posted by Msmall143

OP didn't say he told the dealership NOT to drive his car. And he was told it is standard policy to drive it one mile. 3 extra miles isn't abuse! Maybe the tech just wanted to be thorough, maybe he heard a noise and wanted to see if it happened again, maybe he missed a turn, or wanted to verify something at highway speeds so it required just 3 extra miles.

They are going to drive your car without permission, it's your responsibility to tell them not to drive it.. Unless you tell them not to do something, assume they are going to do it. (Like running it through a shitty car wash)

I think it's pretty common knowledge that when you drop a car off for service it may be driven by the shop. 4 miles and a radio station change is far from abuse.

Escalating to gm...social media...come on.

If i was having transmission or mechanical problems, then yeah 4 miles would be understandable. But for an oil change? Really?

According to your analogy, I would have to tell my proctologist "Hey please don't stick things up my butt for fun when I'm under anesthesia." Is it my responsibility to tell him this before he does his procedure? Should I have to inform him of every little thing NOT to do? No, because he's being respectful to my property. Mainly, my butt.

Service mechanics should be respectful of other people's property. Especially if you are trusting them to take care of your car. Put yourself in my situation. Would you be happy if someone took your Camaro for a joyride without your knowledge. I think not.

[Msmall143]

Originally Posted by CAMARO_SS_2012

If i was having transmission or mechanical problems, then yeah 4 miles would be understandable. But for an oil change? Really?

According to your analogy, I would have to tell my proctologist "Hey please don't stick things up my butt for fun when I'm under anesthesia." Is it my responsibility to tell him this before he does his procedure? Should I have to inform him of every little thing NOT to do? No, because he's being respectful to my property. Mainly, my butt.

Service mechanics should be respectful of other people's property. Especially if you are trusting them to take care of your car. Put yourself in my situation. Would you be happy if someone took your Camaro for a joyride without your knowledge. I think not.

If driving the car is their standard practice take issue with that and see if you can't have the policy changed or even better understand why. Although it doesn't make sense for an oil change, it's not all that uncommon for a policy to cover everything. Agree to disagree but if the guys boss tells him to drive each car a minimum of a mile to check something I don't see how him doing so is disrespecting property or joyriding.

You are right, I would never be happy if someone took my car for a joy ride. But I just think you are rushing to that assumption with no proof.

Best of luck though.

And you know way to much about proctologist a!

[Blk-Ice]

Originally Posted by 1COR.1:18

Don't leave the car, wait while they are doing the oil change.
Don't let the car out of your sight.

BINGO!

[suzook]

I tell them no test drives before or after, and watch them through the beautiful giant window they installed to watch the mechanics in the bay.

[suzook]

Originally Posted by CAMARO_SS_2012

Service mechanics should be respectful of other people's property. Especially if you are trusting them to take care of your car. Put yourself in my situation. Would you be happy if someone took your Camaro for a joyride without your knowledge. I think not.

Unfortunately it doesn't work this way. I work down the block from 3 dealers. You have to see how these aholes test drive customers cars. It's horrible. They all should be fired.

[Angrybird 12]

Had the same thing happen when I had my top replaced. I kept track of my car with the OnStar app, they put 18 miles on my car taking it to the top shop that was only 7 miles from the dealer. And that was one way... When it was done they called me to tell me it was finished and would be there in 15 minutes. I wanted a half hour and went to the dealer and it still wasn't back. It took 45 minutes. I checked the app and they had put another 15 miles on it.

[the barber]

If I were going for a joyride it would b more than 4 miles.

[EarlyApex]

Originally Posted by the barber

If I were going for a joyride it would b more than 4 miles.

Well, that is 16 quarter mile blasts

[v8]

Originally Posted by EarlyApex

Well, that is 16 quarter mile blasts

[firestone_ss]

if you cant trust a shop don't take your car there period. As a tech I can tell you that the car shouldn't be driven any further then the bay and parking spot for a oil change, I always turn a customers radio off when I pull in the vehicle just to eliminate any issue like the one you mention. As to the people who say never let the vehicle leave your sight, you can do this but again if you don't trust them find another shop, and always ask yourself if you would like someone breathing down your neck when your at work, I don't mind it but I know some techs who will make sure it takes way longer when the customer is watching them like there an exhibit in the zoo.