If you do cross thread a part it would be obvious when both the screw and nut portions are examined, my parts showed no signs of having been cross threaded at all. The know screws on over a locking nut that is then tightened to keep the knob in the proper position,

After further examination I found that they had actually stripped the metal insert in the knob so it turned inside the knob making it harder to properly secure it on the lever with the lock nut.

So someone was either lying or did not how to remove the knob in order to disassemble and remove the transmission shift assembly. The GM obviously did not know or understand what I was explaining to him regarding the parts and the service consultant may have been going on what he was told by the mechanic.

In my opinion they do not know how to work on the cars and should not be charging for work they did not complete. Unless you make so much money you can afford to keep paying a dealership more than once to perform a repair correctly.

I was posting my experience as a warning to other in the hopes that they not have a similar incident happen to them and keep them from being aggravated as I was. For the most part it would appear that some appreciated the information where you appear to more intent on questioning what I posted as an unfound nasty message. You post read like something a lawyer would write advising me about reviewing my messages before spreading them to kingdom come.

Are you serious? If you are a lawyer I hope that it’s not too late for a career change.

I have the proof in my garage and I am not worried that the dealer will try to take action as you put it and it will come back to bite me.

 

Yes, they replaced the entire shifter assembly and so far it has been working. I have been trying to find my loctite so that the knob will stay in place better but I have tightened it securely to the lever. I also have to reinforce the insert so it will not loosen later and cause issues.

 

Every time I get to this thread, my wife has the Jaguar or I'd be able to go out and look at it to try to understand what you are saying. I was only trying to "frame" the issue.

No. I'm not a lawyer but I've been in contact with the law field so much that I am sensitive to issues in certain areas. If you feel comfortable, and you know what the messages say whereas I don't, I have nothing more to add.

 

I read it but holy moly, I needed a ruler to keep track and not get lost jk.............. anyways, I woulda been mad myself also but good thing you new what you were talking about. Also file a report with the BBB like chrisStr mentioned. Did you manage to try to reduce the price? people who usually go the dealers, the mechanics don't really give you full details because most people just say "yes" to everything and don't really understand what there saying like if there talking Japanese but on your hand I could say they stood shocked..

 

Which shift knob do you have, is it wood or leather? I can tell you many of the leather shift knobs do not come off, almost as if 1 time use. This was quite a surprise when the cars first came out.

 

I agree that service consultants and mechanics tend to think that customers do not know anything and just tell them what ever the think to explain the issue. The problem was that due to my years of mechanical experience, I understund what I was being told and the facts did not substatiate the explanation.

It is the chrome and leather shifter that is part of the aluminum interior package. I don't know if it is more expensive than the wood interior package but it looks sporty in my opinion as apposed to the luxurious look of wood.

I want to mention again that we really like and enjoy the cars which is rather peppy for a v-6 3.0 vehicle. I sometimes wish that it were the 4.0 v-8 that appears to get the same mileage but it does well with the 3.0 engine.

 

[shaking my head]

To let a cutomer walk away mad over something as simple as a gearshift knob is the epitome of poor business.

Cheers
DD

 

I remember one time taking my son's Cavalier to the local GM dealer for an oil change and tire rotation, and getting a call that afternoon from them stating they had "found" where one of his lug nuts had broken off, "and we didn't do it." I went down and looked at sheared-off lug nut, and showed them where the break was fresh, no rust anywhere around it. I explained to them that it wasn't like that the last time they had it, that nobody else had touched the wheels, and that unless the lug nut fairy had broken it off recently somebody there apparently needed more practice with their impact wrench.

The dealership steadfastly refused to take any responsibility, long story short, they got me for a few bucks for a lug nut repair (son needed his car back), and lost my family's future repair and any possible car-buying business forever.

I agree with the sentiment others have expressed about researching dealers online before going to them. However I would also treat those reviews with caution, because I know for a fact that some dealership employees (especially on the sales side) will post bogus reviews to praise themselves and draw business.

 

And in fairness a person should be circumspect about negative reviews as well, whether they occur on-line, face-to-face, or in print. Almost without fail only one side of the story is being heard.

In any sort of dispute it's common for the offended party to omit mitigating details and/or add a bit of "rhetorical flourish".....usually the result of being steamed up more than intended misrepresentation.

On the OTOH if the reviews show a distinct pattern it's probably a good idea to take heed. If several people, presumably complete strangers to each other, report similar problems, there's surely some truth to it.

A happy customer will typically tell 1-2 people about his good experience. An unhappy customer will usually tell 4-7 people. It's easy to see how important "word of mouth" reputation is. Why some businessmen, car dealer or otherwise, are so nonchalant about bad advertising is beyond me.

Cheers
DD

 

Some complained that I gave too much detail regarding the incident and now I may have left something out. I tell people if I receive good service as well as if I receive bad service from a business.

The dealer where I purchased the car (pre-owned) from paid for the repairs and it had been almost 3 years since I had purchased the car from them and let everyone know how well they take care of their customers.

The facts are still the same either way, they were rude and incompetent. It was not the first time that I had issues with their work but it was the first time that I filed a complaint.

I wasted my time of course since they are an accredit member of the BBB, the BBB determined that the issue was resolved to their satisfaction. This was after the BBB exhausted its resources which consisted of them sending the dealer my complaint and letting me know about it.

They lost more than just my business as the owner of the car dealer where I purchased my car said that he was not planning on purchasing any more cars that he would have to send them for repairs. He does even want to have to order parts from them as he has not had a good experience with them either apparently.

 

H.D.

I'm truly sorry that you had a negative experience at any dealership. Welcome to the luxury car world. This is not an isolated incident at any car dealership--except at a luxury dealership you expect to be treated professionally. I see where you blasted them on NashvilleCitySearch.com.

Just last month, a Jag driver in transit thru Nashville had a problem, and a lady Service Writer jumped through hoops on Saturday afternoon to take care of him and his problem. They were praising this dealership.

Please remember that Service Writer you were talking to was not management. He's a commissioned salesman whose job is "selling" $2000 brake jobs to little old ladies completely ignorant that Jag brakes are just generic items--just like the brakes on a Chevy Cobalt. Service Writers are often the most lacking of conscience of any job in an auto dealership.

If you're somewhat experienced in the auto repair business, you should have known to find a qualified mechanic outside of a luxury dealership--for better value. Sometimes we must use dealers, and sometimes we can do without them. I personally avoid all franchised dealer shops if cars are out of warranty.

As I scanned your essay, I was going to give you the name of the Indy mechanic in the Gulch, but Phil Trusty beat me to it. I also have the name of a mechanic in Collierville--if you're ever in the Memphis area.

Maybe the Indy shop downtown can be a breath of fresh air--and you can put this experience behind you.

 

The root factor in what HDmanny has experienced is really that cars have changed from what they were 30 years ago, but not a few mechanics haven't changed with them.
In days gone by, cars functioned as a purely mechanical device, with a few electricals thrown in to make the lights work. The only electronic device was the radio. And 8-track.

Now, the situation is different altogether, basic principles have changed -- and not just for cars. Everything from aircraft to washing machines have become microprocessor controlled. Frankly, neither the general public nor many mechanics understand what this means, or how it works. And I'm not going into an explanation here. The subject is far too big.

Suffice it to say, sticking to the point, that ANY outfit purporting to "fix cars" really must have a man/woman around who fully understands the microprocessor principle of how machinery is controlled. How, as an example, the 'dead hand' of the original programmer completely influences the machine's operation, and attempts to substitute the diagnostic ability of the experienced mechanic with "diagnostic programs" TELLING the mechanic what to do in cases of malfunction. when those very diagnostic programs are themselves faulty, or are made faulty by practical circumstance such as glitches*.

So you can see that employing (or even FINDING) an experienced mechanic with a strong bias toward microprocessor-control is difficult and expensive. Businessmen running a car outfit don't like "difficult and expensive", hence all the incompetence we see around in car businesses. Those company bosses won't PAY for the appropriate people, even if they could find them.

HDmanny has just become a victim of these circumstances. It cost money, frustration and is bloody annoying. I feel for him.

Is there anything you can do yourself? -- Is the question. YES! Don't get involved with these outfits in the first place! Thoroughly VET any company you propose to pay money to. Just "Google" their trading title + problems and see what you get. It could be an eye opener. Continue the operation by asking around as far as poss.

*My meaning of "glitches" -- in the electronics world, a glitch is a voltage 'spike' on a power supply line. These are +5v., +12v., and sometimes -12v. for micros. You could almost say it's a term. Here, "glitch" does not mean just a fault as in common speech.

I've tried to keep this simple, but many readers will feel it's a complex subject -- and I can't fix that!

Leedsman.

p.s. I've tried not to sound patronizing here, I've a crawling suspicion I might have offended someone -- to him/her, I apologize.

 

Leedsman, you've made some good and true points but the "root" of this problem isn't complex electronics nor what kind of person can repair them. It's about a careless technician who stripped a gearshift knob and a shabby response from management.

Some techs are more careful than others. Some dealers care more about customer satisfaction than others. These things haven't changed in the last 10-20-40 years.

Cheers
DD