Truck repair advice

I need some advice if this seems normal. Last winter when roads were slippery, I slid through a stop sign and hit a curb with both passenger tires. I took my truck in to dealer and they realigned front control arm and wheels. Since then I’ve put a new rim on the rear after getting flagged down that my rim was bent. Then I had some squeaking going on and assumed it needed new brakes after 70k miles. Put new brakes and rotors in. Still kept squeaking, now it’s back in shop because I thought U joint was going bad. Dealer just called to say they think my rear axle is bent…. Shouldn’t this have been found when I originally took the truck in and told them I hit a curb? After I spent money on new tires, a new rim, alignment and brakes? Not trying to whine and realize I may be negligent, but curious if this is common with a certified GM dealer

Im not surprised. Most of the dealerships are near criminal in how they operate their repair facilities. Their techs are mostly paid on commission which leads to them fishing for work where no work is needed. We see quotes from our local gm dealer weekly. More often than not, the repairs they are suggesting to my customers are not needed at all.
That being said, things get missed sometimes. If the wheel was bent it can be hard to tell if the axle is also bent. They should have checked it after replacing the wheel though.
I’d suggest finding a privately owned repair facility and getting a second opinion.

You could try and run it through your insurance. If you have documentation of repairs preformed they may reimburse you for that and have you bring it into a shop and have it checked out and pay for anything additional as well. I have seen a few trucks with bent axles from accidents so not uncommon.

You would still be responsible for your deductible but probably cheaper than what you have spent already.

Yea, that’s what dealer mentioned Stanley. I’m also concerned on wear and tear of other components, as I’m sure driving around for 8 months with a bent axle can’t be good

That would also be checked and replaced at the same time by insurance.

grubson wrote:

Im not surprised. Most of the dealerships are near criminal in how they operate their repair facilities. Their techs are mostly paid on commission which leads to them fishing for work where no work is needed. We see quotes from our local gm dealer weekly. More often than not, the repairs they are suggesting to my customers are not needed at all.
That being said, things get missed sometimes. If the wheel was bent it can be hard to tell if the axle is also bent. They should have checked it after replacing the wheel though.
I’d suggest finding a privately owned repair facility and getting a second opinion.

The lady friend says they get vehicles who come in from dealerships as well that are told they need this that and this. When all they actually need is 1 thing.
Same story she says.

Yes, lump all dealerships into one bucket… (not from a lady friend, but from me, I see aftermarket shops trying to sell unneeded repairs all the time)

One question, did they say they performed a 4 wheel alignment when you originally brought it in ? I don’t see how this scenario is even possible with a solid rear axle…? If they checked alignment, they may or may not have caught a bent rim, depending on the clamp job, but definitely if the axle was bent, that would have been an issue. How fast were you going and did the back hit first ?

Big g, I think they only did front end, otherwise they would have seen my rear rim was bent, I was only going about 20, but truck never slowed down till it hit curb. Not sure which end hit first. I filed a claim so adjuster is contacting dealership for pictures. Not the first time I had problems with this dealer. My last vehicle they left something under hood and closed it and crinkled hood, told me I did it even though I had never popped hood as they handled all my maintenance

That makes sense…. but I might suggest find a new dealer.

Already planning on it

Craig Sery wrote:

Big g, I think they only did front end, otherwise they would have seen my rear rim was bent, I was only going about 20, but truck never slowed down till it hit curb. Not sure which end hit first. I filed a claim so adjuster is contacting dealership for pictures. Not the first time I had problems with this dealer. My last vehicle they left something under hood and closed it and crinkled hood, told me I did it even though I had never popped hood as they handled all my maintenance

So that explains why I see so many tools laying on the road?Few weeks ago,I found a Snap-On ratchet with a coveted 10mm socket.When I see stuff like that,I just do a Psaki and circle back for it.

Finding a good/competent repair shop is like finding a unicorn.

Milemark, If you found a 10mm socket I suggest you mark that location on GPS, you may have found the other end of the wormhole where they all reappear and CERN may want to study the physics behind this.

grubson wrote:

Their techs are mostly paid on commission

Good luck finding a tech that isnt.

grubson wrote:

Most of the dealerships are near criminal in how they operate

Ive worked at 3 different dealerships including the one im at now. Im not sure how you have drawn this conclusion. Its amazing the amount of work that is done trying to get customers additional help after warranty has expired or just going above and beyond to help people out. Im curious as to what your career is im sure everyone in that field is as honest as they come. I would try a different dealer before you just assume they are all the same.

KPE wrote:

Milemark, If you found a 10mm socket I suggest you mark that location on GPS, you may have found the other end of the wormhole where they all reappear and CERN may want to study the physics behind this.

On Sand Lake RD,between Redwood and Quincy St in Onalaska.

Ive worked at 3 different dealerships including the one im at now. Im not sure how you have drawn this conclusion. Its amazing the amount of work that is done trying to get customers additional help after warranty has expired or just going above and beyond to help people out. Im curious as to what your career is im sure everyone in that field is as honest as they come. I would try a different dealer before you just assume they are all the same.
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Im an ASE certified tech, have been for 15 years. Im paid by the hour as it should be. Techs should be rewarded for quality work, not by how fast they can work.
Just this week I had a customer make an appointment for a drive axle on his Equinox. The GM dealer told him the boot was torn and grease was flinging everywhere. I read the repair order so I’m certain there was no miscommunication. Well the boots were flawless, I wasn’t surprised.
We see this on almost a weekly basis from our local GM and Ford dealerships. When techs are paid on commission they sometimes are forced to find their own work, or not get paid. Well they find “work” if it comes down making a paycheck or not. I feel bad for any tech being paid on commission and suggest finding a different employer to all that get stuck in those situations.
You’re entitled to your own opinion or beliefs. You don’t have to believe me if you choose not too. It is happening regularly though. I’ve seen it too many times to think it’s just one dishonest tech here and there.

If your worried about the additional expenses being covered, from my experience insurance companies deal with this daily and will provide a check or deposit once you’ve provided additional proof.

Had this happen with boat and auto.

Thanks for info grubson, I agree on your thoughts that they should be paid for quality work. It’s just sad that us normal folk assume everything was fixed when we take something in

When I get rid of sloppy/unethical techs at the dealership, they typically end up at the aftermarket working for an hourly wage.. and are bitter toward dealerships. Not all but most. Most techs are Flat rate.. in other words… if the published time is 1 hour to install an alternator, you get 1 hour, if it takes you 2 hours, you get 1 hour… the dealer gets paid for 1 hour… if you do it in 30 minutes, you get 1 hour… if you do it incorrectly, you get nothing… no matter how long it took, you get back flagged. Flat rate is set up to reward efficient techs with quality results. Hourly guys get paid for punching in.

I pay for quality work done at the dealer, F150, 6 plugs 1 coil pack $750.00 bucks…..My butt still hurts!

grubson wrote:

Im not surprised. Most of the dealerships are near criminal in how they operate their repair facilities. Their techs are mostly paid on commission which leads to them fishing for work where no work is needed. We see quotes from our local gm dealer weekly. More often than not, the repairs they are suggesting to my customers are not needed at all.
That being said, things get missed sometimes. If the wheel was bent it can be hard to tell if the axle is also bent. They should have checked it after replacing the wheel though.
I’d suggest finding a privately owned repair facility and getting a second opinion.

And then there is the shop I took the Dodge into. I told them what was WRONG and what to check for and OK’d the repair which would have been between $1400 – $1700 total. Tech said there was NOTHING wrong. I about blew a gasket. If there was nothing wrong I wouldn’t have brought the damn thing in.
I’m going to figure out a way to get the thing down to Iowaboy where I can get it fixed correctly.

Brian, just take it in and tell them to do the repair ? They should stand behind the repair, just not the diagnosis. Shouldn’t have to go to Iowa for that.

big_g wrote:

Brian, just take it in and tell them to do the repair ? They should stand behind the repair, just not the diagnosis. Shouldn’t have to go to Iowa for that.

3 thermostats
1 heater core flush
1 radiator flush

Still no heat. So I tell the service writer to have the tech check to make sure the actuator doors are working, if they are replace the heater core. I get told “the tech put a thermometer in front of the vent and they read 120 degrees and 130 degrees. The film on the inside of the windshield has nothing to do with it not heating.”
So, he checks the temp on a day the ambient temp is nearly 90 degrees and determines that I’m not freezing my ass off in the winter because his thermometer says nothing is wrong. The upside is they didn’t charge me after they realized how pissed I was. BTW, this wasn’t at McKay it was the dealer n Virginia.

If I can find a guy closer then Iowaboy I could trust I would give them a shot. However in talking with Sheldon for 5 minutes the other day there is no doubt he has a idea how to fix stuff and service a customer.

There are bad techs, bad aftermarket shops, and bad dealerships. They are everywhere.
There are great techs, great aftermarket shops, and great dealerships. They are everywhere.
The problem is finding them.
Also even the great ones make a mistake sometimes.
NO ONE BATS 1000!

I have never once found a good dealer. If you know of one, I want some proof as I have never seen one. Not to say they are crooks, they just don’t know what the hell they are doing. Most of the time its just embarrassing to the point I just buy the tools and do everything myself now. I have finished jobs in front of the dealer service guys and got job offers as I stand there and embarrass them with simple stuff they overlook. I know of several independent guys that are phenomenal, so I am not dissing all techs.

mxskeeter wrote:

There are bad techs, bad aftermarket shops, and bad dealerships. They are everywhere.
There are great techs, great aftermarket shops, and great dealerships. They are everywhere.
The problem is finding them.
Also even the great ones make a mistake sometimes.
NO ONE BATS 1000!

This is very true.
I have a sour taste with the last 2 dealerships I dealt with, even as soon as 2 days ago with a manifold issue. Had 2 shops look in to a issue with both the same conclusion. But the dealership said about 6x that issue with no one else agreeing

not going to put anyone down here, as in all of life there is good and bad.
that said the first ability you have to have as a tech is the ability and gumption to say, I dont know.
the next things are, I will try, and if I cant fix it you dont owe me anything and or I will ask for help.

You cannot take a shotgun approach to any diagnostics, it has to be systematic from start to finish.
sure, when you see the same thing ten times in a row you can almost be sure but let me tell ya, there is always that one that will toss you off of your rails, been there done that.

the next thing in being a tech is, dont throw parts at it until its fixed !! see above paragraph!!
dont bullshit anyone,, you cant bullshit a bullshitter and it doesnt take long to figure out if you are.

I could say a whole bunch more but first and foremost, BE HONEST!!!
when the job is complete and everyone is happy, charge a fair price not only for the customer but yourself as you have to be able to keep the lights on, and sadly, there will be times you will lose your butt when you spend bookoo hours on something you cant bill for, however, when the customer goes home happy and you know he will return, and you can rest easy at night.

another thing about being a tech in any walk of life, its not about what you know, its understanding what you know, and that can take years to accumalate.

sorry to derail the thread, carry on.

Well said ib1