The only difference between the Canadian and U.S. experience is that your neighbors to the south have been conditioned to actually yell “FUCK OFF” and run out of the dealership.
I got my Sonata a year and a half ago. I was very pleased with the purchase; it went very well, very easily, and I got a decent deal on both my purchase and my trade-in.
Service sucked. Attitude, timeliness, waiting area–they all sucked.
I tried a different local dealership after a while, and they’re much better. Much better. And they have two bookstores in walking distance. 
So the answer is: it varies.
I’ve very pleased with the car. It’s both reliable and comfortable.
In other news, water is wet, bears shit in the woods and the Pope is Catholic
Car buyer have nothing on customers bringing their out of warranty car in for repairs
Customer: “I have complained about this every time I have brought this car in for service”
Me: “OK, let’s look at the file, no complaint at the 7,500 mile service.” reading each repair order in the file. “Nothing at the 15K, the 22.5, the 30K, the 37.5, the 45, the 52.5, or the 60K. Here is your first complaint, at 67,500 miles which is 17,500 miles past the end of the warranty.”
Customer “That can’t be right!”
Me: Points at pile of signed repair orders “These are signed copies of your repair orders.”
Most car dealeres (at least here in LA) seem to treat their customers well, as there are too many competitors too close to get away with treating your customers like shit.
How do you screw up an oil change? Let count the ways
Leave the filter or drain plug loose
Tighten the drain plug so tight it strips
Don’t replace the drain plug washer causing a little drip
Put the wrong oil in Often done with transmission, requiring a replacement
Break shit Google Jiffy Lube +complaints and see what you get.
I had a customer once that wanted to save a few bucks, so for his 45,000 service he went to iffy lube.
they sold him a transmission service (which we had done 5,000 miles previously, so straight rip off by iffy lube)
they also sold him a rear axle drain and refil (not required at all, but sometimes done at 100,000 miles or so)
They drained the engine
They drained the transmission
They drained the rear axle
They filled the engine
They filled the transmission
They showed the customer the dipstick.
they sent him down the road.
Now the sharp readers out they may have noticed that there were 3 things drained, but only 2 refilled. :smack: If you noticed that, you are sharper than the guy in the pit at iffy lube. He didn’t notice that.
In 1989 dollars it was just a tad over $2,500 to rebuild that rear axle. It was welded solid by the time I got it.
BTW, you said you bought that car 14 months ago, and it needs a transmission fluid service already? Says who? Hyundai or the oil change place? Read your owner’s manual for when Hyundai says it is needed. If the information is not there, call Hyundai corporate and ask their consumer affairs department when it is due. I got $5 it won’t be 14 months after purchase (unless you drive an insane amount of miles)
I highly doubt it will be on Hyundai’s service schedule at before 50,000 miles. If you have much less than that (at 14 months you had better unless you have no life) and the oil change place is suggesting a trans service you have just discovered how they are fucking you.
Actually DrDeth I would suggest you service the car where you get good service. If that is the dealer, stay with them. If it is an independent then that is good also. Find a professional shop and build a relationship with them. It will pay off in the long run.
Getting back to the OP’s actions :rolleyes:
I Googled “Jiffy Lube bad service” and just spent 30 minutes reading a site.
Holy hell! Some guy agreed to a gas system flush!? That then fried his fuel system. Why the hell would a car need a gas system flush?
A bunch of other people had oil system flushes that then ruined their engines. Why the hell would you ever need an oil system flush?
People fall for this stuff?
Well, we might need a tow out of a ditch from him some day, so we have to be polite.
I had call #9 this afternoon. I was going to answer (now that I know the number) but I was cooking when it rang and wasn’t able to.
Didn’t you say in the first post that the left messages twice (the first and fifth calls)? I have no idea why you’re not calling them back.
They’ve left a message all 9 times now.
I didn’t ask to get a phone call from them. I assumed I’d get an email reply and maybe a follow up phone call.
Instead they’re wasting their time calling me and not giving me the info I wanted. So here we are, 2 weeks later and I haven’t purchased a new car.
I just went to the Ford.com website and clicked on the “Request a Local Quote” link (which, presumably, is what you did). It asks you to specify the model, trim level, color, etc and provide your name, phone number, email address and street address (all fields are required, by the way) in order to “Get an Internet Price.” Unless you mentioned in the box “Add a question or special request” that you only wanted to be contacted by email, how the hell is the dealer is supposed to know this?
FYI, I bought a car a few months ago. There are a bunch of third-party internet sites you can use to get quotes (Consumer Reports website, Cars.com, CarsDirect.com, etc.). I think some of them let you specify how you want to be contacted.
Bingo!
So why not just email me the info?
Also, I find it strange how some people have reacted to this thread. Again (for the millionth time) I’m not mad about the phone calls or at all annoyed. And again (for the millionth time) I would have answered the first call if I knew the number.
I really, really thought I’d get an email exchange, again because Ford seems to be doing everything right these days.
Instead? I get useless calls. Do I care? Nope, hence posting here.
FYI: If I had received a nice email with numbers (even just saying they have the model) then I’d have shown up to check it out. Instead they’re wasting their time.
This game is getting way less fun.
What bingo? Again, unless you told them that you only wanted to be contacted by email, how the hell are they meant to know this? Are you under the impression that Ford dealers are given psychic powers?
It’s a reasonable assumption, given that I initiated the exchange on the web.
Let’s put it this way: if you get an email do you call the person back or email them?
You supplied your phone number however, which indicates a willingness to be contacted in that way.
I suspect the OP didn’t have a choice. Not to get off on a rant here, but the growth of “required fields” on internet forms is becoming ridiculous. Often, the have you fill out the mundane stuff first then, after you’re a bit emotionally and chronologically invested, bait-and-switch you with the completely un-necessary but required information. Phone number, e-mail address - no, you’re not getting an internet quote which one would expect to come by e-mail, you have the pleasure, nay, the privilige of being called by a real live pushy salesperson at our convenience. For a dealership, your anual income - none of their business unless and until you apply for credit with them. For a job application, your required salary, and the script is designed to kick out any textual answers like negotiobale, any non-answers like $0 or $1 or 999,999,999.
I recently had to call around to a bunch of non-profit fundraising companies, and I couldn’t even e-mail them with my questions, I had to fill out the web form, and even the ones that had to option to express preference for an e-mail reply, I got called. And when they called, I told them I had only wanted an e-mail response, and they told me that I had given my phone number so they were supposed to call. I say yes, but your webpage required me to give my phone number to get any information whatsoever despite my not wanting to. They said sure, we can’t make a sale without getting people on the phone. Don’t you understand; I’m not trying to help you get a sale, I’m trying to get information on a fundraiser in my volunteer position! Don’t call, we’ll go with a more reputable company.
All of these people need to read the Cluetrain Manifesto. Sorry for being off topic.
Yes, they did and I don’t dispute it or have a problem with it. Again, I assumed I’d get an email only and still find it weird that they’re wasting their time calling me.
I think it’s a generational thing. I’m used to text messaging and expect one back when I send one out (not a phone call back). Do I mind either way? Nope. But again, this is business and they need to realize what their prospective buyer is after. Them initiating a phone call when an email will more than satisfy my needs shows an unwillingness on them to adapt.
Oh well.
You did it wrong!
While they were in the office doing the paperwork, you were supposed to be falling madly in love with the car, so you wouldn’t be bothered by the extra $600.
Hubby worked at a dealership for 3 months, but couldn’t handle the trickery.