Dealership oil change fiasco.I know,Not another one.

[07SHELBY GT]

Took my 08 GT500 in for a free oil change at the dealer where I bought it today.I called last week and made sure to out 7 qts of 5-50 on hold for today.I also told the service writer 5 time that the GT500 takes 5-50 NOT 5-20 just in case he was unfamiliar with that.Also 6.5 qts only.I wait an hour,They call me to get the paperwork and keys.Upon examining the paper work which i kept the price per qt looked all wrong.I went to the parts counter and asked if anyone at all had come to get 5-50 in the last hour.He said nope.He also looked at the receipt and confirmed these dumbasses used 5-20.WTF do I have to do to get a dealership to do the work properly the first time.Ant input would be nice!They redo the change,I watched another tech that could hopefully read the damn oil cap pour in the right stuff and get ready to leave.Now I have a lifter ticking that I never had before.Anyone on this.I changed it myself at 1000 miles and made sure to fill the filter before i started it.Not sure if that happened today.Surely that or the 5-20 that was in it for a total of 200 ft and 10 m inutes didn't cause this.WTF is wrong,Quiet in,Noisy out!I knew I shoulda just spent the $70 bucks and bought the stufff and did it myself.Oh well!Nice greasy hand print on my $40k+ car door handle,Steering wheel and shifter.F'in idiots!I shoulda just snapped like the old days and knocked somebody the f%$k out!

[08BlueCoupe]

Took my 08 GT500 in for a free oil change at the dealer where I bought it today.I called last week and made sure to out 7 qts of 5-50 on hold for today.I also told the service writer 5 time that the GT500 takes 5-50 NOT 5-20 just in case he was unfamiliar with that.Also 6.5 qts only.I wait an hour,They call me to get the paperwork and keys.Upon examining the paper work which i kept the price per qt looked all wrong.I went to the parts counter and asked if anyone at all had come to get 5-50 in the last hour.He said nope.He also looked at the receipt and confirmed these dumbasses used 5-20.WTF do I have to do to get a dealership to do the work properly the first time.Ant input would be nice!They redo the change,I watched another tech that could hopefully read the damn oil cap pour in the right stuff and get ready to leave.Now I have a lifter ticking that I never had before.Anyone on this.I changed it myself at 1000 miles and made sure to fill the filter before i started it.Not sure if that happened today.Surely that or the 5-20 that was in it for a total of 200 ft and 10 m inutes didn't cause this.WTF is wrong,Quiet in,Noisy out!I knew I shoulda just spent the $70 bucks and bought the stufff and did it myself.Oh well!Nice greasy hand print on my $40k+ car door handle,Steering wheel and shifter.F'in idiots!I shoulda just snapped like the old days and knocked somebody the f%$k out!

 

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31366

 

check it out =P

[07SHELBY GT]

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31366

 

check it out =P

Bummer for you too!?Sheesh!Who hires these clowns?

[08BlueCoupe]

Bummer for you too!?Sheesh!Who hires these clowns?

 

lol i took an application on the way out just to see how easy it might be for idiots to get in there

[FiaCobra]

Hence the reason i do my own oil changes.

 

I don't give a crap if they're advertising "Free" oil changes.....ain't worth it.

[07SHELBY GT]

You got that right^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!First and only for my car.

[6-Speed]

There have been several incidents like this from team members here, that are smart enough to look at the invoice to know the wrong stuff was put in. I wonder how many GT500 owners out there are driving around with 5W-20 in their motors?

 

Like I've said before, the techs tasked with doing oil changes are not the brightest ones in the shop. Even the experienced ones can become complacent after working on large volumes of Mustangs; they just tend to do what they're used to doing - they grab for the 5W-20 hose for a V-8 and 5W-30 for a V-6.

 

I always do my own oil changes and the reason I do this is reinforced by all the horror stories I read on this forum plus the fact that the few times I've had my oil changed (in my other vehicles) by a dealer something always was not right such as:

 

1. Over-filled with oil

2. Drain plug too tight

3. Oil Filter too tight

[Grabber]

I do all my own oil changes too just because of these nightmares.

[APPLESREDGT500]

I do all my own oil changes too just because of these nightmares.

 

+1, makes you wonder, if the dealers can screw up an oil change, what about changing gears, cams...I know they will warranty if use FRPP at dealer, but what about the headache if it is done wrong? :glare: Sure they will have to repair what they damage, but I do not want to live the nightmare.

[Shipwright]

I do all my own oil changes too just because of these nightmares.

 

With the problem I had with my dealership overfilling my car I'm definately going to be a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to basic maintenance. The cost of a screw-up with these vehicles is just not worth the risk.

[FordRocks1]

same here...do it yourself....you'll feel better actually that you did something RIGHT for your car....seems to be a common thing going on with those knuckleheads at the dealers.....

[clutch]

Went for an oil change the other day. Asked if I wanted a tire rotation. Said sure why not. Back out of the stall they pulled it into and driving home it feels weird.

 

Think, it must be my imagination. Get home and take a look, my SVT tech put the 285's on the front, the 255's on the back. Drove it back to the dealership and I guarantee they never heard so many F bombs in one single day.....

[mciarochi]

{answer to "ticking"} = Exact same thing happened to me. Your crankcase is overfilled, the oil is frothing, and the lifters are ticking as a result. Drain out a quart or so. The fill line should NOT be all the way to the top, more like halfway between the marks.

 

{now, my vent} = AAAArrrgghhh!!!!!!

 

So, right now, I am waiting for my car, because AFTER THEY DRAINED THE OIL they figured out they didn't have any in the parts dept.

 

So, you're asking, why is my car at the dealer? The 15K warranty service. I specified the mechanic, I talked to him, I told him I want the leftover 1/2 quart bottle. I didn't leave the premises. I did everything I possibly could except actually walk into the parts department, and physically put the bottles of oil into his hands. But, yes, I asked, "Do you have the oil in stock?"

 

Turns out they had two (count them, "2") quarts in stock.

[trichie]

Same thing happened to me, took about 10 minutes to convince the service manager that they put in the wrong oil. I finally pointed to the oil cap, doh! I ended up having to drive to another dealer to get it done right. To top it off, they put a scratch across my trunk lid from wiping with a oil rag and dripped oil all over the A-arm and exhaust. That's the last time I go to the dealer to get any work done. I contacted ford customer service but got no resolution. ARE YOU READING THIS FORD! IS ANY OF THIS GETTING THROUGH!

[CRQuarto]

Ugh, I was going to go get my oil changed today....now I am contemplating battling it on my own I have no means of getting under the car.....I guess a trip to Walmart for some Rhino ramps is in order!

[6-Speed]

Hence the reason i do my own oil changes.

 

I don't give a crap if they're advertising "Free" oil changes.....ain't worth it.

+1 - free oil changes are over-rated! I was offered the first one for free by my dealer - think I will pass on that offer.

[Boss Doctor]

lol i took an application on the way out just to see how easy it might be for idiots to get in there

 

[08BlueCoupe]

 

lol its the truth, the application is like 20 pages but only two pages worth of information to be filled out.

[07SHELBY GT]

Thanks for the reply on the ticking.I guess even though I specified 6.5 quarts i should have checked to be sure considering all the other easily handled mishaps!I will check the fill level in the morning.Thanks again for the info,I know where it belongs,ASSUMED they did also.You know don't assume because you make an ass out of u and me surely applies here.

[gassman]

These techs have a high school degree at best. Most dealers care less about service and more about moving cars. It took me a month to find a dealer that appreciates and knows about our cars. Ford Racing products web-site will list the dealers in your area that buy alot of their parts, so that dealer should be GT500-wise.

[mciarochi]

After specifying the name of the mechanic to work on the car, it was returned in excellent order, just as requested. Other than missing the bit about actually having the oil in stock (which is really the parts department screwup), he did a good job, and the dealer did give me a discount on the price for my trouble.

[portside]

I do not intend this as a flame, but here it is from another perspective. Lord knows this won't be a popular reply.

 

I own a small dealership (not Ford), and we do care about service. It is not true that all dealerships only care about 'moving cars'. Service is an important revenue source for many dealerships, and return business is crucial. Also, not all techs are only 'high school educated at best' (suggecting many are high school drop-outs). A large Ford dealership probably changes oil on about 200 F150s for every GT500 that they see. I dont think that the dealership should leave oil dripping from a-arms, fingerprint the car, scratch paint, or swap the big tires to the front, obviously. On the other side of this issue, we have had customers bring us wrecked vehicles, and then claim we scratched their paint. An extreme example, but it has happened. We have also had people drop 'F bombs' and threaten to 'beat people up'. These people are more than likely to get thrown out, regardless of who is at fault. Disrespectful or uncivilized bahavior rarely creates a fond memory.

 

I do almost of my own maintanence and work, from the Griggs rear suspension to the Kenne Bell supercharger. I do my work in my own garage (laying on the floor), not at the dealership. If you are going to inspect every inch of your car for fingerprints, or expect the underside of your car to be as clean as the top side, I feel you should; A) Do most, if not all of your own maintenance. Or, B) Communicate your exact expectations to the service writer when getting your estimate. This alone will go a long way toward your satisfaction. Few dealerships are set up to cater to this type of scrutiny, and, as importantly, very few customers are willing to pay for the extra service.

 

Performing your own work will give you the satisfaction of knowing you did the job exactly as you have specified. It will also show you clearly that mistakes happen, as you will doubtlessly make some on your own car, as I have on mine. In my humble (and likely unpopular opinion), expecting every local dealer to treat your car just like you do is simply not realistic.

[08BlueCoupe]

I do not intend this as a flame, but here it is from another perspective. Lord knows this won't be a popular reply.

 

I own a small dealership (not Ford), and we do care about service. It is not true that all dealerships only care about 'moving cars'. Service is an important revenue source for many dealerships, and return business is crucial. Also, not all techs are only 'high school educated at best' (suggecting many are high school drop-outs). A large Ford dealership probably changes oil on about 200 F150s for every GT500 that they see. I dont think that the dealership should leave oil dripping from a-arms, fingerprint the car, scratch paint, or swap the big tires to the front, obviously. On the other side of this issue, we have had customers bring us wrecked vehicles, and then claim we scratched their paint. An extreme example, but it has happened. We have also had people drop 'F bombs' and threaten to 'beat people up'. These people are more than likely to get thrown out, regardless of who is at fault. Disrespectful or uncivilized bahavior rarely creates a fond memory.

 

I do almost of my own maintanence and work, from the Griggs rear suspension to the Kenne Bell supercharger. I do my work in my own garage (laying on the floor), not at the dealership. If you are going to inspect every inch of your car for fingerprints, or expect the underside of your car to be as clean as the top side, I feel you should; A) Do most, if not all of your own maintenance. Or, B) Communicate your exact expectations to the service writer when getting your estimate. This alone will go a long way toward your satisfaction. Few dealerships are set up to cater to this type of scrutiny, and, as importantly, very few customers are willing to pay for the extra service.

 

Performing your own work will give you the satisfaction of knowing you did the job exactly as you have specified. It will also show you clearly that mistakes happen, as you will doubtlessly make some on your own car, as I have on mine. In my humble (and likely unpopular opinion), expecting every local dealer to treat your car just like you do is simply not realistic.

 

I understand where your coming from, but for me it wasnt fingerprints. it was just rag marks on the paint above the wheel where the fender meets the hood.

[6-Speed]

The techs get their greasy hands on the surface and try to do the right thing by wiping it off. Happened to my car too when I brought it in for service the first time. I just tell my service advisor that I am particular on how the car is washed and to please communicate to the tech to just leave any greasy hand prints that might appear without wiping them off with a rag. Furthermore, I specifically tell them NOT to wash the car; sometimes the dealer will wash the car as a courtesy - leaving swirls and hard water spots on the paint.

[kb67]

I recently got a Gt500 second day I had it home I went into the dealership that I tried to get one thourgh way back in 07. I went in asking about doing a 3.73 gear install about warranty coverage and costs and such nothing big. I was going to give them a shot at earning my business back. Service manager seemed to be a nice guy but I nearly roflmao when he asked me if my car had a supercharger on it. The damn car was right in the front of the window he should have known it was a GT500 it had a big azz snake in the distinct grille only a Gt500 has. I guess he could have been pulling my chain but he was not he really didn't have a clue what was under the hood.

 

I change my own oil anyway but it was a kind of sweet revenge to actually get to see that these guys thought I couldn't afford a Gt500 when I drove up in my beater daily driver all that crap they where talking and their service manager proves the point I tried to make back then they where clueless about Ford's performance lineup and who is going to buy a vehicle like that. It sounds like its not that a far fetched situation kinda sucks to have that be the case.

 

On a side note the dealer I bought my car from was a FRPP dealer and it was a top notch organized dealership so I know its not ever dealer that is clueless as a matter of fact I plan to get any of my FRPP stuff from them it will probably cost more with shipping and stuff but I want to reward them for treating me the right way its not much money but maybe they will appreciate that I tried to give them some of my business.

[mciarochi]

I own a small dealership (not Ford), and we do care about service. It is not true that all dealerships only care about 'moving cars'. Service is an important revenue source for many dealerships, and return business is crucial.

Portside,

 

That's the reason I posted my "everything ended up okay" reply a few posts back. I had a not-so-hot minor warranty experience, followed by a dammit experience, and I still went back anyway, and ended up back in "not-so-hot" territory. On the other hand, they did the job right, which is most important, and did something to acknowledge my inconvenience.

 

There are three other dealerships I could have gone to; 70 miles away, where I bought the car, 30 miles away where I know the dealer, and 10 miles away, where I don't know the dealer.

 

So, why did I go back to the "not-so-hot" and "dammit" dealer? Because they are my neighborhood Ford dealer, I went in and talked to the parts guys, I met and talked with the mechanic, and I have a relationship with the CSR. Walking into a new dealer, I might very well be going through all this stuff again.

 

Also, I'm figuring in the next five years, I'm really very likely to be needing a dealer for warranty work, and I'd really like to have a relationship in place before I need it.

 

Now, when I walk in, they say, "Hi, Mike" they know they have screwed up, but I'm giving them a chance to do better. I was never rude to them, but they understand exactly why I've gone all picky on them. They know now that you have to pay really close attention to the GT500, and it's not the same as a Mustang GT. I guarantee you that when a GT500 drives up to that service bay today, it will not be the same as the first time I drove up to the service bay a few months ago.

 

I think there is a responsibility for the dealer to pay closer attention to an unusual limited production car, like the GT500, Ford GT, or the SGT and other Mustang variants. Not just the "ooo aaahhh" attention, but actually pull up a maintenance manual. We had the same problems with the Taurus SHO - dealers screwed them up routinely because they treated the car like any other Taurus.

 

On our part, maybe we need to accept some responsibility as well. Talk to the CSR. Ask about the mechanics, if any of them specialize in the car, talk to the shop foreman. Take him for a ride. Get a mechanic who works on your car every time. Keep in mind that the mechanics (even the new ones) are all going to be really interested in cars, and are probably capable of doing the job right if they have some encouragement to do so, either from you, the CSR, or the foreman.

 

I guess I'm saying that instead of walking in and thinking "I'm special" and expecting any dealer to have a GT500 wizard who knows how to treat your car perfectly, that you can talk with them first and set clear expectations (what oil, filter, get the 1/2 quart back, don't wash the car, etc.). I figure I'm actually creating my own GT500 wizard at the dealership convenient to me, by helping him out with a bunch of information that I've learned from the forums here and elsewhere, stuff that they can't be expected to know by osmosis.