Car repair at dealership

[jumbo 0]

My wife and I just bought a 06 Explorer with 24k miles on it, It started making a squeaking noise so we took it to the dealership to be fixed. They told my wife they were 98 percent sure that they fixed the brakes that were making the noise. Well the noise started again so we took it back! This time the explorer needed new rotors that had to be ordered and they shoud be in in 2 days. 2 weeks later I called them and asked what was going on they told me Oh we forgot to call you. This morning we take the car in again to be fixed but wait they ordered the wrong rotors the Explorer! Has anyone else had this problem getting your car fixed from the dealer or anywhere else???

[saniflush 0]

I do everything within my power to not go to dealerships! Unfortunately with all the computer stuff on cars now it is hard not to sometimes.

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

My wife and I just bought a 06 Explorerwith 24k miles on it, It started making a squeaking noise so we took it to the dealership to be fixed. They told my wife they were 98 percent sure that they fixed the brakes that were making the noise. Well the noise started again so we took it back! This time the explorer needed new rotors that had to be ordered and they shoud be in in 2 days. 2 weeks later I called them and asked what was going on they told me Oh we forgot to call you. This morning we take the car in again to be fixed but wait they ordered the wrong rotors! Has anyone else had this problem getting your car fixed from the dealer or anywhere else???

That's what happens when you buy a Ford Exploder.

[otterinbham 0]

In related news, Ford's sales plummeted by 9% last month. Anybody want to guess why?

I had a new, tricked-out Eddie Bauer Explorer leased as a company car. Nothing really ever worked well on it. The CD changer ate my CDs. The digital displays would always go nuts. The car went through brakes almost every six months. As I turned it into the dealership, the salesman said, "Hey, sir, can we interest you in another car?" I just said, "Hell no. It's Japanese from this point on."

[autkidd 0]

One of my buddies went to tech school for auto repair. One of his teachers said cars are made to break now-a-days.

My first car was an 88 mazda 323. Had the original clutch for 13 years. As where with my saturn I had to replace the engine after 6.

[otterinbham 0]

One of my buddies went to tech school for auto repair. One of his teachers said cars are made to break now-a-days.

My first car was an 88 mazda 323. Had the original clutch for 13 years. As where with my saturn I had to replace the engine after 6.

I can beat that. My wife and I believe in driving cars until the wheels practically fall off. My wife has been driving a 95 Infiniti i20 since the car was new. It has 130,000 miles on it. She's always been diligent about changing the oil and the transmission fluid.

So I was really surprised on Thursday when I took it too my mechanic to check out a rattle (The Glen Houser Texaco on University Boulevard at the Red Mountain Expressway--The best, most honest mechanics around, bar none). The guy took one look and said, "You know, you still have all the original belts and hoses on this thing."

Needless to say, I had them all replaced. At the same time, I was really impressed by that Infiniti engineering when a standard sedan is that well-built.

[aumd03 2]

The best built ford vehicles are their crown vic police cruiser and super duty trucks. Both are designed to last >500k miles because they are used at fleet vehicles.

[TigerHeat 9]

The best built ford vehicles are their crown vic police cruiser and super duty trucks. Both are designed to last >500k miles because they are used at fleet vehicles.

Crown Vics are nice cars up to about 80K miles. Then they self-destruct. And yes, I am an expert on self-destructing Ford police cars.

[MDM4AU 337]

I had a '91 Nissan 5-speed, 4 cyl. P/U for 10 years. I bought it in '93 for $6500 with 14K miles on it. I didn't replace the battery in it until 2000, I never replaced the clutch. I kept the oil and fluids changed in it regularly. I put two sets of brakes on it, one muffler, and about 3-4 windshields (don't ask). When I sold it in 2003, it had 170000+ on it and I got about $1200 for it. I had to get something that would carry all my boxes for work and would be more comfortable for an average of about 650 miles a week. If I had had more room where I lived I would have kept it. Our driveway would only hold two cars and Helena is funny about people parking on the street.

[DKW 86 7,726]

I used to work for a Buick, Isuzu, BMW, Volvo Dealer.

I will say this. Find a car that you like and stay with it. Kim has 160k+ on her Sentra. I have 140k+ on my B-4000 Mazda (Ford Ranger). We get pretty good service on all our cars now. We had a Pontiac Grand Am. That car will the be last GM car I ever own. THE VERY LAST. No chance of me spending a nother dime on a rat hole GM product.

BTW, remember that I worked for a GM dealer once. I had another GM product that was so bad that I forced GM to buy it back from me. The other Gm products were very forgetable too. YET, I know folks that get great service from GM cars. I just dont.

So, buy what you have good luck with and be happy.

[bammanmr 0]

responding to the original question.

ford rotors are legendary for warping. if this work is going to run you over 400, i'd go somewhere else. remember, they're probably going to put oem rotors on that thing and they're going to warp just as fast as the originals.

do yourself a favor, talk to 2 or 3 brake shops and see what the real problem is and how to fix it. you shouldn't pay more than 350-400 for this work and good aftermarket rotors won't warp.

i've had 2 rangers and each of them had this problem. i monkeyed with the first one for years and the problem didn't go away. the one i have now, as soon as the problem started, i put on a new set of brembo rotors and haven't felt one shimmy or heard one squeal 100k miles later.

fyi - good aftermarket rotors 250$ - ford oem rotors 60$. you get what you pay for

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

We have a '96 Ford Mustang with 150,000 miles on it and a '01 GMC Yukon with 120,000 miles. I've never had any serious issues with either though I am in the process of killing the Mustang one part at a time. It has left me stranded twice in the last month though nothing serious. Thermostat froze in the closed position and overheated the car and then the battery died on it. Problem is that both happened at work and getting an outside tow truck onto the Redstone Arsenal can be a pain due to security regulations.

[otterinbham 0]

Well, I'm with DKW on this one. Pay extra for a quality car, then drive it until the wheels fall off the cotton-picking thing.

Our biggest car mistake was the 2000 Grand Caravan. Holy crap. The transmission went at 80K miles, followed by one part after another.

So we got an Odyssey for me, since I'm the one who hauls the kids to school, baseball, etc. Bought it in 2005, have two more years of car payments. Then I'll drive the thing until 2015. Or one of my kids will.

What I don't understand is people who automatically trade in every four-five years. Or, even worse, lease. It just makes no financial sense at all. The last thing I want to do is make a $500 car payment from now until Doomsday. Instead, pay off your car in four years, make it last ten, and you've accumulated $36,000, less extra maintenance expenses. I don't know about you, but I'd rather take that money and invest it.

[lukeduke 8]

Two years ago, my 90 Nissan Maxima lost the computer at 240k miles. My father and law sold me his 91 Saturn, I traded it in last year with 160k miles on it for my first brand new vehicle.

My wife traded her 95 Altima in this year with 190k miles on it.

We both now have 05 Fords, and have no complaints on them. Thanks to everyone for the confidence boost in Ford though.

[otterinbham 0]

Two years ago, my 90 Nissan Maxima lost the computer at 240k miles. My father and law sold me his 91 Saturn, I traded it in last year with 160k miles on it for my first brand new vehicle.

My wife traded her 95 Altima in this year with 190k miles on it.

We both now have 05 Fords, and have no complaints on them. Thanks to everyone for the confidence boost in Ford though.

Hey, it's not personal. We're dumping on Fords and GMs and Chryslers through personal experience. Personally, I really wish domestic automakers would get it together, rather than letting the cost accountants design the cars and kowtowing to the labor unions.

[Tigermike 3,425]

My wife and I just bought a 06 Explorerwith 24k miles on it, It started making a squeaking noise so we took it to the dealership to be fixed. They told my wife they were 98 percent sure that they fixed the brakes that were making the noise. Well the noise started again so we took it back! This time the explorer needed new rotors that had to be ordered and they shoud be in in 2 days. 2 weeks later I called them and asked what was going on they told me Oh we forgot to call you. This morning we take the car in again to be fixed but wait they ordered the wrong rotors! Has anyone else had this problem getting your car fixed from the dealer or anywhere else???

That's what happens when you buy a Ford Exploder.

It seems that Jumbo is learning why for years people have said FORD - Fixed Or Repaired Daily.

[lukeduke 8]

My wife and I just bought a 06 Explorerwith 24k miles on it, It started making a squeaking noise so we took it to the dealership to be fixed. They told my wife they were 98 percent sure that they fixed the brakes that were making the noise. Well the noise started again so we took it back! This time the explorer needed new rotors that had to be ordered and they shoud be in in 2 days. 2 weeks later I called them and asked what was going on they told me Oh we forgot to call you. This morning we take the car in again to be fixed but wait they ordered the wrong rotors! Has anyone else had this problem getting your car fixed from the dealer or anywhere else???

That's what happens when you buy a Ford Exploder.

It seems that Jumbo is learning why for years people have said FORD - Fixed Or Repaired Daily.

I've also heard F ound O n the R oad D ead

and for the Ford fans F irst O n R ace D ay

[bammanmr 0]

That's what happens when you buy a Ford Exploder.

It seems that Jumbo is learning why for years people have said FORD - Fixed Or Repaired Daily.

I've also heard F ound O n the R oad D ead

and for the Ford fans F irst O n R ace D ay

i've owned 2 mustangs and 2 rangers. i'm 38 and those are the only vehicles I've ever owned. All 3 went over 150k with no problem. One mustang went 300k and the current ranger has 180k and it would take a lot for me to part with it.

Say what you want, but i'll never bash the overall dependability of a Ford.

[jumbo 0]

That's what happens when you buy a Ford Exploder.

It seems that Jumbo is learning why for years people have said FORD - Fixed Or Repaired Daily.

I've also heard F ound O n the R oad D ead

and for the Ford fans F irst O n R ace D ay

i've owned 2 mustangs and 2 rangers. i'm 38 and those are the only vehicles I've ever owned. All 3 went over 150k with no problem. One mustang went 300k and the current ranger has 180k and it would take a lot for me to part with it.

Say what you want, but i'll never bash the overall dependability of a Ford.

I think the Brakes can go bad on anything, I really like the Explorer, Im just mad that I havent made 4 payments and Its in the shop! Im not impressed with Adamson Fords repair work

[AUBURNTIGERFAN 0]

I rolled a 98 Ford Explorer into a ditch and the air bags never went off!!!! (Front end was crushed in you would think they would go off) I made it out alive, but From now on I will never buy another Ford!

[jumbo 0]

I rolled a 98 Ford Explorer into a ditch and the air bags never went off!!!! (Front end was crushed in you would think they would go off) I made it out alive, but From now on I will never buy another Ford!

dude thats scary! I almost was t-boned tonight by a car running a red light very scary stuff

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

Any car company can have an occasional problem. My mom got a Toyota Camry bought back under the Lemon Law! It had major computer issues which caused pretty much everything controlled by the computer to go out. Mainly the shift points were totally random which caused too much stress on the engine which caused both to go out.

She now thinks Toyota's are crap because that is the only foreign car she has ever owned.

[TDAuburn 2]

What I don't understand is people who automatically trade in every four-five years. Or, even worse, lease. It just makes no financial sense at all. The last thing I want to do is make a $500 car payment from now until Doomsday. Instead, pay off your car in four years, make it last ten, and you've accumulated $36,000, less extra maintenance expenses. I don't know about you, but I'd rather take that money and invest it.

Amen to that.

Funny story I heard on Click and Clack (call in car repair advice guys on NPR). This is fiction of course... don't call PETA. Chrysler heard that Infinity would occasionally test how air-tight their vehicles were by putting a cat in the car with all of the vents closed. If the cat was asphyxiated the next morning, they knew the car was well made. Chrysler decided to try the test with one of their cars. The next morning the cat was gone.

[DKW 86 7,726]

With what I saw at the Buick store, I was just shocked at the way GM dealers did business.

High points:

1) Had a Skyhawk come in one day. Backed it up off the truck straight into its parking place. Never went into Drive. The next morning ALL 12 PIECES OF TRIM had fallen off the car. Looked as if someone had placed it all on the ground beside the car.

2) The Rivieras? We had to rob pieces off of 5 to keep three running. We did not have a running Riv to sell until the demos came back. All of ours had parts stolen off of them to keep the other three going.

3) We had Buicks that had bad thermostats coming from the factory. They would effectively destroy their own motors on the first test drive...

4) Automatic tansmissions? We had two techs that kept 2-3 bays covered over R&Ring transmissions. We had one transmission shop that was all they did was rebulid transmissions for the Buick store. 2-3 a day.

5) We had a Regal come in with the LR quarter panel ripped off. You could stick you entire arm into the trunk. The gash went from the back of the door to the tail lights. The bondoed it up and sold it as new. We called it "the cop car." It three different colors of green paint on it.

6) The Skyhawks back then had a problem with the AC mounts. If you sold a Skyhawk on Friday the AC would fall off by Monday AM. The bolts would back out or break off. The repair kit would be waiting on the customer. But GM would never make the fix on the car before the customer got it...

7) Could go on and on... The only Buick I would buy was the LeSabre. NOTHING ELSE!

[WarTiger 3,987]

I used to work for a Buick, Isuzu, BMW, Volvo Dealer.

I will say this. Find a car that you like and stay with it. Kim has 160k+ on her Sentra. I have 140k+ on my B-4000 Mazda (Ford Ranger). We get pretty good service on all our cars now. We had a Pontiac Grand Am. That car will the be last GM car I ever own. THE VERY LAST. No chance of me spending a nother dime on a rat hole GM product.

BTW, remember that I worked for a GM dealer once. I had another GM product that was so bad that I forced GM to buy it back from me. The other Gm products were very forgetable too. YET, I know folks that get great service from GM cars. I just dont.

So, buy what you have good luck with and be happy.

I never knew you worked for a GM dealer. Which one and what did you do?? I was in the automobile business for 9 years. It was nice to have connections to get things done. I still have those connections and get lots of things done that way(repairs, good deals). Now that we've moved, I don't have those connections any more.. Gonna have to adjust to that and find a good place to take our vehicles..