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When I had a Mustang, the dealer rep in the garage explained the business model to me when I had a hard-to-diagnose problem that the mechanic (and Ford) wanted to call a "normal operating characteristic." Keep in mind that I don't claim it applies to all Ford dealers or all manufacturers, but I suspect it does for a majority.
Dealers are reimbursed for warranty work by the manufacturer based on an established amount of hours for a particular repair, e.g. 2 hours for front brake replacement. Where they make their money is when they can get good at repairs and get them done faster. So, they might get reimbursed for 2 hours when they got the car in and out in 1.25 hours and move on to the next repair. He also alleged they would get NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR TO DIAGNOSE a problem.
What does this mean for you? The dealers don't want to deal with mystery problems, particularly if they might lead back to aftermarket parts because they make the most money when they can get the car in and out with routine issues they are good at fixing. So, OP, even if not under warranty, it's easy for them to reset the computer, say it is fixed, and send you hopping.
And this is the reason we are all so often blown off by the dealer for problems that are hard to diagnose. If you bought the car from them, there is sometimes more motive to help you out, but the overall business model still drives the experience.
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